Basketball practice gets going next week, so let's start talking. I'm from north Iowa, so the new Top of Iowa conference has most of the schools around here in it. Who'll be the top teams? I would say on the east you're looking at Osage, Northwood, and Rockford. Wouldn't be surprised to see Newman move back toward that group as well. In the west, Garrigan, North Union, Lake Mills, and Forest City all look pretty good. That's my preseason two cents worth.
Basketball begins!
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I image the Twin Lakes Conference will be salty again with Pocahontas, Manson-Northwest Webster, Newell-Fonda and South Central Calhoun.
I think the Twin Lakes is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year! How many other conferences can claim 3 teams each of the last two seasons making a trip to State. Last year's run of NF 1A Champs, PAC 3A Runner up, and SCC's 2A final 4 was impressive. Not to mention MNW playing a tight Regional Final game with SCC last season.
Looking ahead to this season SCC graduated pretty hard and NF lost a few weapons. But one thing NF showed last year is that they don't rebuild they restock! With that said I fully expect NF to be playing top notch all season. SCC graduated hard but with Birks coaching, a Birks still playing and the arrival of some nice young players they will be solid once again. MNW is set to have an excellent season, with Troshinski and company returning they look to be a force within the conference, and with not 1 or 2, but 3 Herzberg girls in HS now this team has a lot of potential. PAC returns the majority of their team from last season as well. With Ruffridge and the Meyer twins entering their Jr. seasons this team looks to be every bit as strong if not stronger then last season.
Outside of these 4 teams East Sac always has a quality team and Alta-Aurelia has a nice group of Sophomore girls, Sioux Central looks to be much improved this season as well.
Looking ahead to this season SCC graduated pretty hard and NF lost a few weapons. But one thing NF showed last year is that they don't rebuild they restock! With that said I fully expect NF to be playing top notch all season. SCC graduated hard but with Birks coaching, a Birks still playing and the arrival of some nice young players they will be solid once again. MNW is set to have an excellent season, with Troshinski and company returning they look to be a force within the conference, and with not 1 or 2, but 3 Herzberg girls in HS now this team has a lot of potential. PAC returns the majority of their team from last season as well. With Ruffridge and the Meyer twins entering their Jr. seasons this team looks to be every bit as strong if not stronger then last season.
Outside of these 4 teams East Sac always has a quality team and Alta-Aurelia has a nice group of Sophomore girls, Sioux Central looks to be much improved this season as well.
The CIML will again be loaded with quality teams. I would imagine that Ankeny Centennial, Dowling, Indianola, Johnston, SE Polk, Valley & Waukee will all be ranked in 5A and Mason City ranked in 4A.
#2 Regina comes to town Friday night Dec. 18 to take on #6 West Branch. Should be a great atmosphere.
I'm here Husker. We are looking Ok after 7 games. We are like everybody else- always things to work on but I like the potential we have. Just hope we don't face LB down the road in the tourney- you guys should be tough. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Pretty accurate assessment of the conference. Has been a great league over the years.
Regals build 15 point lead in the 3rd & were up 13 starting the 4th. Bears finally got there shooting on track & cut it to 2 as the Regals tried to take the air out of it in the 4th.
Bears miss a 17 footer that would have put it into OT. That was a grueling week for the Bears. Hope they take care of business tonight vs 3A Mid Prairie.
Nice to hear from you. That's about par for us as well. Were getting pretty good scoring from our top 3 but everyone else is averaging under 4 points a game. We need more from them to be successful down the road. Keep in touch i always enjoy reading your opinions.
On a side note just wanted to let you know that my daughter accepted a full ride scholarship to Iowa Central to play softball. She signs Jan. 21st. Very Proud Father.
Happy Holidays to you and your Family.
On a side note just wanted to let you know that my daughter accepted a full ride scholarship to Iowa Central to play softball. She signs Jan. 21st. Very Proud Father.
Happy Holidays to you and your Family.
Hope you and yours had a great Christmas as well. Congrats to your daughter. She will love Iowa Central- great program. We come out of the gates in 2016 with cherokee...A very good basketball team. January heats up and it's a push to the finish. Excited to get it started. Will be watching your scores.
Should be a great game. I would think it would benefit both teams greatly in the fact that it will require them to play well for 4 quarters. Tournament atmosphere. Being at poky could be a huge advantage....they shoot really well in that gym...much different setting than Wells Fargo. I think Poky gets them in Round 1.
Regarding Poky, I see they scored 112 points against subpar opponent the other night.
Pocahontas Area 41 31 21 19 112
Clarion-Goldfield 4 11 12 15 42
72-15 at half.
Did the Poky head coach put any effort forward in trying to minimize such a slaughter? I see they played 13 girls, so that's good. Starters accounted for 73 of the 112 points. Reserves scored 39 points.
After the game was well decided, did he require a minimum number of passes prior to a scoring attempt or attempt anything else?
Pocahontas Area 41 31 21 19 112
Clarion-Goldfield 4 11 12 15 42
72-15 at half.
Did the Poky head coach put any effort forward in trying to minimize such a slaughter? I see they played 13 girls, so that's good. Starters accounted for 73 of the 112 points. Reserves scored 39 points.
After the game was well decided, did he require a minimum number of passes prior to a scoring attempt or attempt anything else?
scoring 112 with the 35 pt running clock rule makes it probable that he did not. IMO
I think you have to look at how the opponent played as well. Did they try to slow down the game after Poky quit pressing (assuming they did) or did they just shoot first chance they got on offense.
I'm all for having a little mercy on teams but part of the blame falls on the opponent as well. If they have done absolutely nothing to improve as a team or as individuals why are people typically so critical of the team that has worked their butts off to be exceptional?
I'm all for having a little mercy on teams but part of the blame falls on the opponent as well. If they have done absolutely nothing to improve as a team or as individuals why are people typically so critical of the team that has worked their butts off to be exceptional?
Exactly!
In my previous post, my questions were rhetorical ones.
At the high school level, there is no excuse for what Poky did to Clarion Goldfield. There are many ways to avoid such a score.
Nothing can justify the actions of the coaching staff.
Nothing more than stat pumping at the expense of a much lesser team.
Of course convincing people with such a mindset is an exercise in futility.
The opponent does have something to do with it. However I think it was probably established very early who was in control of the game, a great time to get some deep reserves some big minutes, work the offense for several passes, work a secondary break with multiple passes etc.
Poky runs an up-tempo offense regardless of who is on the court. You don't plan to score 112 pts. So I think its safe to say they don't practice any other type of offense much.. even a half court- pass it several times offense. Once the starters came out it was a pretty even game. I really don't understand the idea of not letting your JV play the game they were taught. That is not fair to them. When every girl plays significant time and every girl scores then I'm not seeing an issue even if it ends up with 112 points. Clarion wasn't that far off from their season average for pts/game. per quarter Poky scored their fewest amount of points in the 4th quarter and Clarion scored their most in the 4th quarter. Poky only pressed in the 1st quarter. and clarion didn't attempt to slow their offense which would have prevented possessions for Poky.
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I guess one way to prevent that score would be for Clarion to stop the reserves from scoring 39 points.. Clarion isn't even close to being one of the worst teams Poky has played. They are close to a .500 ballclub.. yet Poky hasn't done that to anyone else.. it just wasn't clarions night and poky caught fire (apparently their reserves did too)
Convincing people to change their minds on most things is typically an exercise in futility. I think it's just as important to understand that just because a person has a different belief on an opinion on does not make them wrong/dumb/an idiot, it just means they have a differing opinion. Personally having coached in games on both sides of blow outs I never has an issue with teams who beat us soundly. It was my job to prepare our team to not get crushed, if we got crushed it was not the other coaches fault it was mine.
On the other side of the blowout it becomes a tough balance as well. It's not fun on either side, but sometimes things play out that way. Could Poky have made adjustments? Sure they could although I am not sure it would have made them better as a team or individuals. CG could also have done things differently.
First off, excellent game in Humboldt Tuesday night! SCC wins a close one! I think that shows the depth of the Twin Lakes again this year!
With the Poky game I thought it was interesting to look at the stats. The bottom 8 girls from Poky took half the shots (37), making 14 of them. These same girls scored 39 points which Poky scored 40 in the second half. To me it looks like it was the bottom 8 that played then in the 2nd half. Looking at Clarion they were 5-6, with close games vs South Hardin, Clear Lake, Algona, and Humboldt. I would of expected this to be a much closer game. It probably says a lot about how potent Poky is offensively. Each team tries to find its strengths and works to get better at them. Some teams have height, some play zones, Poky likes to run. You can't fault a team for going out and playing hard and working on the way they like to play. Especially those bottom 8 girls who could be a contributor for them sometime. This wasn't against a poor team, Clarion has played solid at times. I don't understand if some of you are upset about how many points Poky scored or the margin they won by. If its the points they scored, then do you believe their should be a cap on how many points can be scored? Because otherwise its the margin, and them winning by 70 isn't even close to the largest margins set this year by other teams. But yet I don't hear you having any problems with that. Valley won 93-20 on the same night (73 pt margin), Cherokee won 100-11 (89 pt margin) earlier this year.
It bothers me when anyone gets singled out. I don't like the huge lopsided victories but I also don't like people saying tons of negatives about a team based on a game. So many factors that come into play. Just think about if the state ever implements Shot Clocks like they have talked about... This will push more possessions and more shots. What will you say then? That they should just eat the shot clock violations?
Touchy conversation but interesting to read all the thoughts.
With the Poky game I thought it was interesting to look at the stats. The bottom 8 girls from Poky took half the shots (37), making 14 of them. These same girls scored 39 points which Poky scored 40 in the second half. To me it looks like it was the bottom 8 that played then in the 2nd half. Looking at Clarion they were 5-6, with close games vs South Hardin, Clear Lake, Algona, and Humboldt. I would of expected this to be a much closer game. It probably says a lot about how potent Poky is offensively. Each team tries to find its strengths and works to get better at them. Some teams have height, some play zones, Poky likes to run. You can't fault a team for going out and playing hard and working on the way they like to play. Especially those bottom 8 girls who could be a contributor for them sometime. This wasn't against a poor team, Clarion has played solid at times. I don't understand if some of you are upset about how many points Poky scored or the margin they won by. If its the points they scored, then do you believe their should be a cap on how many points can be scored? Because otherwise its the margin, and them winning by 70 isn't even close to the largest margins set this year by other teams. But yet I don't hear you having any problems with that. Valley won 93-20 on the same night (73 pt margin), Cherokee won 100-11 (89 pt margin) earlier this year.
It bothers me when anyone gets singled out. I don't like the huge lopsided victories but I also don't like people saying tons of negatives about a team based on a game. So many factors that come into play. Just think about if the state ever implements Shot Clocks like they have talked about... This will push more possessions and more shots. What will you say then? That they should just eat the shot clock violations?
Touchy conversation but interesting to read all the thoughts.
at 112 points, 93-20, 100-11 and the 35 point clock rule I am thinking that the shot clock wouldn't come into play very often. It may cause some more scores to get out of hand like this.
I'm not surprised that we have some posters pulling out the old "If you don't like it, then stop them" stance, or variations of that.
While I think that is true in some levels, collegiate and pro, for instance, this is high school basketball that we are talking about. Many lessons can and should be taught at this level.
The game was 72-15 at half. It was over well before half. Running clock in effect the minute the second half started. Then they scored 40 more points in the second half.
One poster said "Could Poky have made adjustments? Sure they could although I am not sure it would have made them better as a team or individuals." Are we talking skill development in basketball? Or are we talking making them better in the department of humility and empathy? You see, that's why sports can be an incredible experience for kids. You can teach them much more about life in situations like this.
The team that we support could score 100 plus points pretty much every night out if they chose to do so. The coach instead dresses 3 flights on the varsity level and plays the third flight much of the second half. The reserves get plenty of time in the JV games so it's not like they are getting robbed of playing time at the varsity level.
Up 72-15 with a running clock and having the ability to run 2 minutes off the clock every possession is a good start.
While I think that is true in some levels, collegiate and pro, for instance, this is high school basketball that we are talking about. Many lessons can and should be taught at this level.
The game was 72-15 at half. It was over well before half. Running clock in effect the minute the second half started. Then they scored 40 more points in the second half.
One poster said "Could Poky have made adjustments? Sure they could although I am not sure it would have made them better as a team or individuals." Are we talking skill development in basketball? Or are we talking making them better in the department of humility and empathy? You see, that's why sports can be an incredible experience for kids. You can teach them much more about life in situations like this.
The team that we support could score 100 plus points pretty much every night out if they chose to do so. The coach instead dresses 3 flights on the varsity level and plays the third flight much of the second half. The reserves get plenty of time in the JV games so it's not like they are getting robbed of playing time at the varsity level.
Up 72-15 with a running clock and having the ability to run 2 minutes off the clock every possession is a good start.
I am going to play the other side of the coin. I love the fact that a few of you are weighing in on this issue. I guess my question is why are teams, coaches and parents taking the "victim mentality" when it comes to playing teams like Poky? I know Poky's kids and coaching staff very well. All stand up people, great guys, and the girls work their tails off. When they get hot they flat out can score like no other. While the victims tend to care greatly when they are on the short end of the scoreboard, I am wondering how much they care while the Poky kids are working their tails off in their free time during the off season? I know teams that are passionate about basketball tend to spend a lot of time perfecting their craft. Maybe you and your kids do spend a lot of time at the game, I am hard pressed to believe it is as much time as Poky does. Coach Maske, Coach Ruffridge, and Coach Trumpold have put in the time over the years and they should enjoy this as much as they can. When the Poky Bus rolls into town their coaches are probably thinking. "I hope this team we are playing against tonight can hang with us long enough for us to get better" We already have 21 JV games schedule for those kids and we added JVR games so that every kid in our program gets to play a lot. It sure would be nice if the Varsity kids get a good 3 quarters in. Because the best kids in our program have earned that time. Pocahontas is scheduling the best teams they can find to try to make that happen. Maybe the real victims are the players who put the time in, and when a mediocre or subpar team can't hang with Poky, they are now expected to sit for an entire half or even longer in some cases.
I feel Poky is doing everything in their power to do the right thing. I think as a coach, parent, player or fan, it is our responsibility to not create victims. We need to spend less time worrying about what other teams should or should not be doing and spending more time being proactive and getting our team better. At the end of the day that is the only thing we can control anyways.
I feel Poky is doing everything in their power to do the right thing. I think as a coach, parent, player or fan, it is our responsibility to not create victims. We need to spend less time worrying about what other teams should or should not be doing and spending more time being proactive and getting our team better. At the end of the day that is the only thing we can control anyways.
I agree completely.. the only thing that is going to keep Elle Ruffridge from breaking the all-time scoring record is her being on the bench due to games getting out of hand. she could be averaging 40 a game if not for the significant amount of time she has already been on the bench.
heck their game on Friday .. they didn't press at all. played half court man to man the entire game and they went 10 deep in the 1st half .. what else are they supposed to do? Ruffridge went 9-9 from 3.. her only miss was a missed free thrown.. she played 1 minute of the 2nd half.. she could've broken her own 3 point record easily she was in the zone that much.
I for one don't want to see a team that talented and a player that talented to be held back.. shes a once in a generation talent and an even better person..we should be embracing that and enjoying it
heck their game on Friday .. they didn't press at all. played half court man to man the entire game and they went 10 deep in the 1st half .. what else are they supposed to do? Ruffridge went 9-9 from 3.. her only miss was a missed free thrown.. she played 1 minute of the 2nd half.. she could've broken her own 3 point record easily she was in the zone that much.
I for one don't want to see a team that talented and a player that talented to be held back.. shes a once in a generation talent and an even better person..we should be embracing that and enjoying it
Cancel the season, send the trophy to Pokey, no reason to play it out. 
I think this situation plays out in several sports each season. There are dominant players who don't get all of the opportunities that they might based on team situations.
I think this situation plays out in several sports each season. There are dominant players who don't get all of the opportunities that they might based on team situations.Magic 10,
Framing this debate by interjecting "victim mentality"? Really?
I'm not aware of anyone from Clarion, whether it be coaches, players, or parents, chiming in on this issue, whether it be on this board or off. Maybe they have...I just don't know.
I don't have a personal interest in the 112-42 score. And being a conservative and raising conservative kids, I, along with by kids are keenly aware of the "victim mentality" mindset. I find your use of it as it applies to a high school girls basketball game a bit misplaced, especially when it likely may lack anyone truly feeling victimized.
My magnifying glass is not directed towards a perceived "victim" but rather on individual character. As one poster earlier said, there are plenty of ways to be exceptional without dropping 112 and if you truly believe that the school did "everything in their power to do the right thing" all the while dropping 112 points and 40 points in the 2nd half, then there really isn't anything more to discuss.
Vikeye3,
Throughout the history of organized basketball, there have been numerous teams and players that have had to hold back. This year is no different than any other.
Basketball is a team sport yet you seem to be wrapped up in individual accomplishments. Do you have any idea how many girls in the history of this sport have had their stats reduced because of the same situation as Poky faces this year? You act as though this situation is exclusive to Poky.
Framing this debate by interjecting "victim mentality"? Really?
I'm not aware of anyone from Clarion, whether it be coaches, players, or parents, chiming in on this issue, whether it be on this board or off. Maybe they have...I just don't know.
I don't have a personal interest in the 112-42 score. And being a conservative and raising conservative kids, I, along with by kids are keenly aware of the "victim mentality" mindset. I find your use of it as it applies to a high school girls basketball game a bit misplaced, especially when it likely may lack anyone truly feeling victimized.
My magnifying glass is not directed towards a perceived "victim" but rather on individual character. As one poster earlier said, there are plenty of ways to be exceptional without dropping 112 and if you truly believe that the school did "everything in their power to do the right thing" all the while dropping 112 points and 40 points in the 2nd half, then there really isn't anything more to discuss.
Vikeye3,
Throughout the history of organized basketball, there have been numerous teams and players that have had to hold back. This year is no different than any other.
Basketball is a team sport yet you seem to be wrapped up in individual accomplishments. Do you have any idea how many girls in the history of this sport have had their stats reduced because of the same situation as Poky faces this year? You act as though this situation is exclusive to Poky.
Funny thing is none of these players are talking about this game because they have moved on to the next game...i suggest everyone else do the same!!
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