Archive for Friday, March 7, 2008
Steamboat looks to slow down game against Pueblo West
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If you go
What: Steamboat vs. Pueblo West basketball
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Widefield High School, Colorado Springs
Radio: AM 1230
On the 'Net
The Steamboat Pilot & Today will do a live Web video broadcast of today's game on the newspaper's Web site, www.steamboatpilot.com.
The broadcast will start at 6:45 p.m., and Brian Harvey with KBCR will provide commentary.
The lead story on the main page of the newspaper's Web site will direct viewers to the video feed.
To view the live video, users need to have Flash installed on their computer.
Ron Shavlik Region teams at a glance
- No. 1 Widefield (22-1, first place in the Colorado Springs Metro League)
Coach: Mark Munoz
Leading scorers (ppg)
Julien McCollum 21
Dion Vaughn 15
Drew Felton 13.1
By the Numbers
49: Points scored by 6-2 senior guard Julien McCollum against Falcon on Feb. 8. Since that game, McCollum has been averaging 32 points per game, including another 40-point game against Liberty.
Overview: Widefield might not just be the best team in the bracket, but the best team in the state. With three players scoring in double figures, including McCollum - who Munoz called a "stat stuffer" - the Gladiators will be tough to beat. Still, it will be interesting to see how Widefield handles Thomas Jefferson, who they beat 72-63 earlier this year.
Coach-speak: "This team's mentality right now is refuse to lose." - Munoz
- No. 4 Thomas Jefferson (16-8, fourth place in Denver Prep League)
Coach: Grant Laman
Leading scorers (ppg)
Billy Sprague 11.7
Ray Riley 11.2
Krubiel Workie 10.3
Chris Carter 10.2
By the numbers
3: Thomas Jefferson has played three of the No. 1 seeds in Class 4A. The only No. 1 seed Thomas Jefferson hasn't played is Cherokee Trail. Thomas Jefferson lost to No. 1 seeds Widefield (72-63) and Abraham-Lincoln (88-73), but beat Pueblo South, 56-37.
Overview: There's no doubt Thomas Jefferson has seen top-flight competition. Playing in the Denver Prep League - probably the best league in the state - the Trojans have seen some of the best teams and players in Colorado. With state championships in 2005 and 2006, and four players averaging more than 10 points a game, Thomas Jefferson might be the scariest four seed in Class 4A.
Coach-speak: "We had a little mid-year slump but we've won six of our last seven and we're on a good roll. I feel really good about us." - Laman
- No. 2 Steamboat Springs (22-2, first place in the Western Slope League)
Coach: Kelly Meek
Leading scorers (ppg)
Michael Vandahl 16.8
Aaron Calkins 16.7
Colby Kostur 11.1
By the numbers
1: Steamboat's lone loss to a team from Colorado came against Roaring Fork in the opening game of the year. Steamboat's other loss came to Rock Springs, Wyo.
Overview: Steamboat won't wow teams with its athleticism, but teams will be hard pressed to find a more disciplined group. The Sailors like to work out of multiple offensive sets and rely on their defense. The biggest question coming in might be how Steamboat - who doesn't start a player taller than 6-foot-2 - will rebound against bigger, more athletic opponents.
Coach-speak: "We're excited to be where we're at with the trip, and the challenge to play people we haven't seen and schools that are much larger." - Meek
- No. 6 Pueblo West (15-10, third place in the South Central League)
Coach: Bob Tyler
Leading Scorers (ppg)
Spencer Adamson 18.4
Ryan Larson 11.2
Chaz Vaughn 6.7
By the numbers
6: Pueblo West - a sixth seed in the Ron Shavlik Region - is the lowest seed remaining in Class 4A. In all the other regions, the top four seeds advanced to the Sweet 16. Pueblo West upset No. 3 seed Sierra, 55-52, in the round of 32.
Overview: Pueblo West comes in riding high after upsetting Sierra. Pueblo West trailed by as much as nine points heading into the fourth quarter before storming back. The Cyclones certainly have the athletes to get up and down the court, but their success might be determined by how well they play in the half court.
Coach-speak: "They go to battle. If one is going to stick his nose in it, they all are." - Tyler
Steamboat Springs — One team wants to make it a sprint, the other wants it to be controlled.
Whether sixth-seeded Pueblo West is able to get out on the break or second-seeded Steamboat Springs is able to slow the game down remains to be seen. But there's probably not a more important aspect of tonight's playoff, which tips off at 7 p.m. at Widefield High School in Colorado Springs, than which team successfully gets the other to play its style.
"It's important to dictate when to run and when to slow down," Steamboat coach Kelly Meek said of the Class 4A Sweet 16 game. "They're going to try to take us out of our rhythm. Whoever can get the other team out of its routine and natural rhythm is usually the most successful."
Neither team has any secrets in the type of game it likes to play.
Steamboat likes to control the tempo, run offensive sets and wear teams out on defense. Pueblo's the opposite. The Cyclones like to run, play quick and score a lot of points.
Pueblo West is led by swingmen Spencer Adamson, Ryan Larson and Chaz Vaughn.
Cyclones coach Bob Taylor said with the athletes he has on his team, it would be dumb to not try and run the break.
"I figured it would be a great experience for them to get out and play basketball," said Taylor, who took charge of the program this season after spending 15 seasons as an assistant. "We want to get up and down the court, but we also want to work on our execution. We're trying to find that happy medium."
In the win against Sierra - the epitome of a fast-break team - Taylor said he thought about trying to slow the pace of the game down. But after contemplating it, Taylor said the Cyclones were going to win or lose playing their game.
Pueblo West trailed by as many as nine points heading into the fourth quarter before storming back.
"What was nice about Sierra was we could have slowed it down and tried to execute," Taylor said. "But we beat a team like Sierra at their own style. It was fun. It was a heck of a time."
Along with getting the ball and going, Pueblo West attacks the defensive and offensive glass. Meek said the Sailors will have to stop the fast break, play solid defense and then control glass with all five players rebounding.
"It's a two-game tournament. Our goal is to win that tournament," Meek said. "You can't win the tournament if you're not focused on that first game. To get to the championship game you have to get the job done."
If Steamboat wins today, the team will play the winner of Widefield-Thomas Jefferson at 1 p.m. Saturday at Widefield High School.
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