Nottingham’s win over Hamilton West just the start of a fun season of hoops
After a Friday late afternoon dustup and scrums that almost turned basket ballers into basket brawlers, Nottingham High boys squad claimed a 5950 victory over arch rival Hamilton West High.
“Fans got more than the price of admission. They got to see a really good high school boys basketball game for what, three dollars?,” wowed Chris Raba, the Nottingham Northstars coach who once guided the opposing Hornets.
Perhaps another cheap date awaits in the Mercer County Tournament or down the road in a potential hookup in the NJSIAA Group III tournament.
“We hope to not be playing like this in February. There’s always a lot to learn from games, always room for improvement,” Raba said, despite knowing that winning, especially under duress in an unfriendly environment, offers opportunities for teaching and learning, explained.
Here’s some takeaways from an interestingly exciting Colonial Valley Conference contest.
First, stop playing the National Anthem after announcing starting lineups. It’s incredibly anticlimactic. Everyone gets worked up before a request to please stand and remove hats. Some schools skip the Anthem.
Big props to the people who chose music selections for this hardcourt showdown although House of Pain’s Jump Around needs airtime before the opening tip.
“Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin
I came to win, battle me, that’s a sin
I won’t ever slack up, punk, ya better back up
Try and play the role and yo, the whole crew’ll act up
Get up, stand up (c’mon) c’mon, throw your hands up
If ya got the feelin’, jump up towards the ceilin’……..
I came to get down, I came to get down
So get out your seat and jump around.”
My memory failed to recall all tunes played but there were two by Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5 including I Want You Back and Beat It; Respect by Aretha Franklin; and wait for it — Come and Get Your Love by Redbone, a smash hit by the Native American rock band. The song aged perfectly after being released in January 1974. Fifty years old and still perfect.
Considering the pungent aroma of marijuana adorned by many fans, including teens, Hamilton High should have played “That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The odorous situation cultivated the line of the night as one older female fan noted the concession stand must have produced record sales for guests with the munchies.
Let’s talk basketball. A couple of insights. Coaches, please, tell your players to curtail discussions with officials about foul calls. Make nice with these whistleblowers who control fate. Case in point, a Hamilton player mouthed off at the end of the third quarter. He felt the official missed a call. A complaint? Great. Just don’t cross the line. And with 58.7 seconds, that same player had another verbal exchange, received a technical foul and fouled out. A message to the player, you’re talented. Your team needs you. Be cool. Hope you have an outstanding season.
Same message for the Nottingham High player who received a technical foul with under a minute remaining. Keep your cool.
For all players. Long shots that miss mean long rebounds. So, when an opposing player launches a 3-point shot, stand your ground. Missed attempts generally clang off the rim and are up for grabs away from the basket. Sir Isaac Newton who explained how objects move when a force acts on them would have formulated a law about where balls bounce after missed shots had he been around for Dr. Naismith’s game.
Raise your hand if you want basketball stardom. Learn how to take an offensive charge. A recent Mercer County contest between Princeton Day School and Trenton Central High School featured a coach taking an offensive foul. Kind of.
Panthers coach Eugene Burroughs grew tired of watching Tornadoes drive into the lane. So, during a time out, Burroughs provided visual instruction. He fell onto his back, acting as if he had taken a charge. After receiving a hand up, the PDS coach offered, “See, that didn’t hurt!”
Loved the simulation although Burroughs did not have someone like Lawrence High’s wide-bodied Kellen Moore or Nottingham’s big Dom Raymond driving toward him.
Still, hero worship awaits players tough enough to step into the lane and take a charge.
Christmas came early this year as Hamilton West and Nottingham delivered a special early-season contest.