jday dom

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Jason Day: Dominguez vs.
Westchester at the MLK--(January 22, 1998)

Yes, we know you're going to say, "wow, hasn't a lot been written about this game already?" Yes, but Jason's report on the game features some great insights. And if you agree or disagree, be sure to let Jason know. He can be reached at elgee333@pacbell.net. Here's his report and commentary:

MLK HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

DOMINGUEZ WINS THE GAME AND THE BRAGGING RIGHTS

by Jason Day

After his teams win over Manual Arts last Friday, I asked Westchester Coach Ed Azzam how important the then upcoming game against Dominguez was. "To me it’s not important at all", he said. "Of course the kids think it’s very important because of the bragging rights and everyone talking about it. I want to win any game we play, but I’m trying to win our league, those are the important games."

When I asked Dominguez Coach Russell Otis the same question after his team had defeated the Comets 71-62 in the main attraction at this year’s MLK, his response was decidedly different. "It was real important, very important to all of us", he said. "It was important because we’ve been hearing all the talk about us moving up to Division 1 so we can play some tougher teams. We’ve played some of the toughest teams in the country, just like last year. But, we have to move up to prove we’re as good as people say we are. Last year we had to beat Crenshaw, this year it was Westchester. Maybe all that talk will die down now."

If the Dons did indeed have something to prove, they proved it by outgunning a Westchester team that is as loaded with talent as you can get at this level. In the end it was a matter of Dominguez putting the stronger team on the floor.

While seeing the prodigal Tyson Chandler, the Dons seven foot, and already nationally exposed (via 60 minutes), freshman center was a lot of folks’ reason for wanting to see this game. What they saw was a very good team led by an extraordinary player in senior, and Kentucky bound, Tayshaun Prince. This was the guy that answered every time Westchester closed the gap and threatened. This was the guy who dropped the trademark 3 shooting when they weren’t falling and switched to taking it to the rack. This was the guy who, along with Walter Small, and Keith Brooks, helped Chandler shut down three of the state’s most prolific inside scoring threats, Westchester’s David Bluthenthal (8points, 5 boards), Chris Osborne (7 points, 5 boards), and Albert Miller (10 points, 2 assists, 2 boards, and a steal) Not only did they shut them down, they fouled all three out of the game. Prince played inside, outside, and even took the point on several occasions. For his efforts he racked up 24 points, 16 boards, and at least 2 blocks. Everyone’s MVP.

Ok some rambling.

Is Tyson Chandler the next great big man? I don’t know and since I have no real need to live in the future I don’t really care. I do believe he is improving at an amazing clip. He is much more aggressive and polished than he was just last summer. I’ve been "jockin" the two freshmen down at Artesia (Jack Martinez and Amari Fernandez). I have seen both of them several times already this year. This is the first time I’ve seen Tyson play with this team. And yes, now I will be "jockin" him too. The three of them are among the elite of California players regardless of class, and Chandler may be the best of the three right now.

EDITORIAL: It was very heartening to see Otis’ statement regarding helping this young man deal with all the attention he gets and will get. Coach was very emphatic when talking about his commitment to Tyson’s mom to see that the kid’s academics do not suffer because of that attention. Heartening indeed. Let’s not have any more episodes of watching a young high school phenom, surrounded by sponsors, coaches, agents, and other assorted hangers on, go all the way through high school, stand on the threshold of the "next level" and be turned away because someone forgot to insure that the next Jordan, Kareem, or whoever was qualified. Sound sadly familiar.

Back to rambling.

Is Dominguez the most vulnerable at the guard position? This game didn’t prove it one way or another, and Coach Otis gives a flat no. "Of course we don’t have Kenny Brunner (former star point for the Dons now wowing 'em as a freshman at Georgetown) and the things he can do on the court. But we’ve got guys who are steady and take care of the ball".

In this one Willie Hurst and Keith Kincade, with Prince playing wing or point at times, did indeed do a good job of beating the patented Westchester presses. Only Prince finished with the big numbers, but somebody was getting the rock up the court and into his hands.

Westchester coach Azzam was not a happy camper after the game. My understanding is that he lit into a couple of his stars for what he saw as too much trying to show the one on one skills and not enough of running the offense. "If you saw us run an offense out there tonight, I’d like to know what it was," was his comment before heading to the locker room.

He probably wasn’t happy with the six layups on two possessions that his boys missed late in the game either and he might have mentioned the "Cat in the Hat" socks Tony Bland was wearing during warmups. What was really funny was listening to the Nike guys, sitting next to me, discussing whether they were Nike socks. Don’t know if the hosiery were perceived as drawing too much attention to one player at the expense of being perceived as a team, but do know that Tony was in conventional white socks at tip off.

Before this sounds like everything Westchester did was wrong, they had a lead 43-42 at two minutes left in the 3rd. They were still within 2 at the beginning of the 4th. Brandon Granville had his highest offensive output (17points, 3-3's, 5 assists, and two steals) in some time, and set the tone for what his effort was going to be when he drove directly to the rack the first two times he touched the ball. He, Bland, and C.J. Williams also did a good job of handling the ball against the aggressive Dominguez defense. Dominguez was just the tougher team in this one.

On the subject of toughness, Coach Otis commented on the 3 losses his team had during holiday tournaments against "East Coast" teams. He talked about his team adjusting to the travel and being away from home. But, he also alluded to the more aggressive style of play some of those teams employ. "It’s a different style of play, rougher and aggressive. The refs were letting them play and allowing a lot of stuff.", he said. Has that helped? "Oh yeah, I definitely think it helped here tonight, we played tough and could take whatever their big guys gave." "I don’t think a lot of West Coast teams play the kind of basketball we faced on our trip."

I then asked him about the rumors that one of his main guns, senior Jason Thomas, had only played this game because it was so important and that he would only play selected games for the rest of the season. (Jason is on his way to USC next year on a football scholarship and word was that he was reluctant to take a chance on re-injuring his now healed broken foot.) Otis replied, "When a player returns to this team from an injury, or anything else, I fully expect him to play all of the games if he’s healthy. I expect that Jason will be playing with us.

That could be even more bad news for the teams standing between these guys and yet another Division 2 championship.

For a full blow by blow of this great ball game, check out the SoCalHoops report.

See ya later.

Jason Day