SoCal High School & Prep Tournament News

T.O. Tournament Update:
Harvard-Westlake v. Oak Park--(December 10,1997)

Harvard-Westlake this year looks like it will be a team that will play to the level of its opponent. When it plays a good, fast paced, up-tempo opponent, it will adopt a good, up-tempo, fast-paced offense and score whole bunches of points. When it plays a slow-down, control the pace, not as talented team, as it did tonight in a second round matchup against Oak Park at the 26th Annual Thousand Oaks Rotary Invitational, the points will sometimes come sparingly, if at all.

And this was a slowdown game. H-W managed to win by a final score of 66-57, but the game was not nearly as high scoring or exciting as the final score might indicate.

Just how slow was this game?

How about end of first quarter, score 9-6?

Is that slow enough for you.

Or how about 23-17, at the half. Still pretty slow.

Or 40-33 at the end of the third quarter.

Now you're talking.

This game was so slow that Victor Munoz, H-W's McDonald's All-American nominee only scored 2 points in the first half, and only had 12 for the game, shooting 5 of 6 from the field, with 4 steals and 3 assists, before fouling out in the fourth. So slow that Eric Geffner only had 4 points, Pat Biggerstaff 5 points, and Dan Kinzer, H-W's 6'-7 transfer, only played a few minutes. It was so slow that Alex Holmes only had 2 points, and following his score on the first possession of the game with a layup all alone under the basket on a pass. Slow, how about 9-26 in the first half in shooting percentage? Is 2-9 on three point shots slow enough for you? Harvard-Westlake shot only 18-32 overall from the field.

Not everything was slowness and boredom though. Russell Lakey played a phenomenal game again, scoring 26 points. The team shot very well from the line, going 12-14. John Karravas had two three-pointers and Todd Kurihawa (5'-10" Jr. PG) also had an outstanding game, hitting an important three pointer close to the end of the game even though he only had 5 points on the night.

Oak Park this year is a vastly different team than last year's team. Of course last year Oak Park had the now graduated Randy Gaswirt. This year's team is much more deliberate, not as athletically talented but on paper matched up well with H-W. The Oak Park roster includes:

John Murphy (6'-6" Sr. C)
Todd Corley (6'-2" Sr. G/F)
Dave Smith (6'-2" Jr. G/F)
Dan Schneider (5'-10" Jr. PG/G)
Jerry Murphy (6'-2" Fr. G/F)
Greg Jones (6'-2" Sr. F)
Scott Conove (6'-2" Sr. SG)
Richie Johnson (6'-0" So. G)
Colin Wedell (5'10" Sr. PG)
Zack Smith (6'-7" So. C)
Eric Carver (6'-4" Jr. F)
Jeff Smith (6'-2" Sr. G/F)

There really was not much to report on about Oak Park from tonight's game. Oak Park lost to Grant by 21 on Tuesday, and could have lost by as many to H-W if the Wolverines hadn't played the game that Oak Park dictated tonight. Oak Park is a pretty good looking team on paper, but the chemistry just seems not to be there for this team. It wasn't all bleakness and darkness though, as there were a few bright spots. Scott Conove played well, and John Murphy scored a bunch of points, about 20, and Oak Park also hit a bunch of threes.

Anyway, Grant will play Harvard Westlake tomorrow night. Now that will be a game to see. Gil Arenas and Victor Munoz, Russell Lakey and Adir Levy. Should be a great show.

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