Nothing malicious about Yates’ play
The Yates boys basketball team opened its 2019 playoff run Monday with a 141-34 victory over Columbia. Once again, the Lions’ margin of victory is turning heads and bringing criticism to the pride of Third Ward.
The Yates program is known for its run-and-press style. And the Lions run the system better than most, thanks largely to coach Greg Wise, who has led the program to four state championships during his tenure.
But every time Yates starts winning big, Wise and his Lions are put under the microscope. People who know nothing about the basketball team suddenly have a lot to say about its style.
While sportsmanship is extremely important, especially at the high school level, it’s not right to assume Yates is unsportsmanlike.
It is fair to have the ongoing conversation about the balance between showing good sportsmanship and also looking at the bigger picture of preparing your team.
Yates knows what’s ahead. The postseason continues 7 p.m. Thursday at Atascocita High School when the Lions meet Hardin-Jefferson in the next round of the playoffs.
Beyond that, there’s Silsbee — the team that has knocked Yates out of the playoffs the past two years. Last season, the Lions lost 120-103 to Silsbee in the regional final.
Wise knows that to make it to state, the Lions are chasing Silsbee. And to beat the Tigers, Yates will have to have its game plan perfected.
A 107-point victory is striking, but Yates — which runs several presses — scores a lot off opponents’ turnovers.
When another team can’t handle that defensive pressure, Wise and his coaching staff are in a predicament. He shouldn’t tell his kids to stop running or scoring. They shouldn’t stand around and hold the basketball when they have a limited number of games with which to finetune every press.
This style of basketball produces a lot of points. It shouldn’t make Wise and his players the subjects of negativity the way it does.
The chatter started years ago after Yates set a state record for points in a game. On that January night in 2010, the Lions, despite owning a 100-12 lead on then-Lee (now Wisdom), stuck to their full-court press and ended up winning 170-35, sparking a national debate.
All eyes were on Yates the rest of that season as it went on to win the state championship, breaking national records for scoring average (116.2 points per game) and consecutive 100-point games (15) along the way.
The Lions finished 34-0 and were ranked No. 1 nationally in five polls. It was a historic run marred by one non-district game in which the Lions were accused of running up the score.
Wise was the subject of much bashing by national media outlets. Rick Reilly wrote a column for ESPN the Magazine basically calling for his head. It was way out of line.
The game merited a conversation. Lee was embarrassed, and its coach was angry Yates never let off the gas.
Wise stuck to his guns, though. He was looking at the bigger picture: The Lions had a chance to make history, and he wasn’t going to take that away from his kids.
The unsportsmanlike label made sense at the time. But so did Wise’s explanation.
He has never been the type to worry about what outsiders are saying, whether it’s about his team’s style of play, other coaches’ accusations that Yates has cheated by recruiting players or any other negative comments about his squads. Wise focuses solely on his team and his players. He realizes that for a lot of them, these moments of glory on a high school basketball court will be among the highlights of their lives.
Joe Young, who plays in the Chinese Basketball Association and was recently named the MVP of the league’s All-Star game, played for Yates in 2010 and remembers the criticism well. He said Wise was good at blocking out the noise for the team.
“We focused on ourselves, and he taught us how to never give up on ourselves and believe in each other,” Young said. “That’s a message a lot of us can use. We focused on what we could control and not the other team.”
Young, who on Tuesday went back to China to finish the season, went to Yates’ game Monday after swinging by the school to gift the team new shoes.
“They are young and focused, and I think they could make a run this year,” Young said. “I’m excited for them. I think coach Wise has done it again. I am grateful for all the lessons I learned from playing for his teams.”
Wise’s teams are disciplined, well-coached and determined. The Lions are making their 13th straight playoff appearance and won four state titles from 200914. They are certainly contenders for this year’s Class 4A crown.
Yates fans at Barnett Fieldhouse on Monday got the show they were wanting: nonstop action from the Lions. Wise was gone from the arena even before the team bus was loaded so he could make it to Kountze High School to catch part of HardinJefferson’s 93-52 victory over Livingston.
Hardin-Jefferson is no joke. The 22-9 Hawks finished second to Silsbee in District 22-4A. And earlier this season, the Hawks played a close one with their district rivals, losing 79-76.
While Yates will face criticism for its margin of victory Monday night, the Lions also will be more prepared when they face a tough opponent Thursday.
It’s the trade-off. Sportsmanship is always worth a discussion. But to bash a coach who obviously cares a lot about his team or the kids who play on that team and are trying their best to put together a special run is just wrong.
Wise has taken criticism for a decade and likely will continue to. But he also will have his teams ready to compete and keep a positive light on the Yates basketball program, which has proved to be one of the best in the state.