A New Season

I have been in Israel for about 2 weeks now and everything seems to be going smooth. I've got a new apartment (newer and nicer location) and an upgraded car. This year seems to be easier for a number of reasons. Management has been punctual on getting things done, I already know people/area and the basketball aspect seems to be coming easier with a year under my belt. The game seems to have slowed down from last year. This is mainly due to playing over here for a season last year along with some good work put in this summer back home. I feel like I have grown both physically and mentally. As for the team.. I believe we will be a powerful and athletic team. Our american players this year are younger than last year. We have gained Jesse Pellot-Rosa (VCU 07'), Jason Rich (Fl. State 08') and Jeremy Tyler (high school 10'). With all of the young legs we should be a team that is capable of getting up and down the floor with ease. I also think the ages will help with team chemistry. We will be able to understand each other better off the court as well as on because we are all similar ages. All the pieces for a successful season are here. We did lose our MVP point guard from last year but hopefully the new arrivals will be enough to make up for that loss.

On a side note- My birthday is coming up in a couple of days. I'm not sure what to do yet but hopefully we will do something fun in either Haifa or Tel Aviv. This will be the second year I am away from the states for my birthday but its something I will have to get used to. It feels good to be back and I am excited about the upcoming season.

Final 4

After a long and tough season so far..  we have made it to the Final 4!  A very big deal in Israel.  We had our first round series against Bnei Hasharon.  This is a team that had given us trouble all year.  In fact, they had beaten us 3 straight times before we got our first win against them.  We started off the series 0-1 and it was not looking good for us.  The team's moral was down and it seemed like our season was going to be over.  However, our team stuck together and played well to win the next 3 games straight to take the series.  The first win was tough and it came down the the last seconds.  We had the ball with 12 seconds and a tie ball game.  They fouled us intentionally to send us to the line (this is not a coaching theory I believe in) so they could have the last shot.  I believe a team should trust their defense and play for overtime in that situation.  However, they ended up handing us the game.  We made both free throws.  When they got the ball back we fouled one of their bad free throw shooters instead of letting them shoot (again I don't really agree with this because we could have been handing the game back to them) ..  they missed both. We got the rebound.. they fouled again and we made both the make it a 4 point game and seal it.  The next 2 games were easier for us.  Both of them double digit wins.  Now we're off to the Final 4 to play Jerusalem.  

Off the court a few of the guys from the team and myself were on a TV show in Israel.  The station is the Israeli equivalent of ESPN.  They featured a player (Malik Dixon) to cook a meal and have some teammates over.  They brought the food and showed him how to prepare it but made it look like Malik was doing all the work.  It was fun because we did some funny acting for the program.  On a side note... Im super excited about coming home around next weekend!!

More winning..

Our team has been playing much better the past 3 games.  We beat Givat Shmuel first by about 8 points.  A tough game with back and forth play but it seemed we were in control for most of the game.  Next, we played Ashkelon.  This is a team that is dangerous because of a couple new signings.  This game was also very close but we pulled away in the last few minutes to get the victory by 7 points.  Our most recent game was against Maccabi Tel Aviv.  This is the giant in our league headlined by former NBA players.  Carlos Arroyo, Dee Brown, and some Israeli players that have been and will be drafted play for them.  It was a packed arena with every seat in the house sold.  Our owner and the vice president flew to Israel just to watch the game and be in the atmosphere.  We started off great going punch for punch with them throughout the 1st half.  They went into the locker room with a 5 point lead.  At the beginning of the 3rd quarter, we came out fighting and made the game close to even going into the 4th quarter.  After some good free throw shooting at the end we came away with a 3 point victory.  Our fans were loving it!  They hate Tel Aviv with a passion so it was a huge win to beat such a fierce rival.  We have one game left in the regular season now and should be set for 3rd place in the playoffs.  I'm very excited about this part of the season..  

League win..

This week's game was an important game for us to win.  We had lost 3 straight and were in jeopardy of losing our 3rd ranking in the league.  Our challenge was Kirat Ata.  This is a team at the bottom of the league but have signed some new players and were playing with confidence.  The game started fast with both teams scoring a lot of points.  The pace never really seemed to slow down and we finally built up a larger lead in the second half.  We ended up winning by about 15 points for our first victory in a number or weeks.  It felt good to get back on the winning track.  The coach played me a little in the first half and a little in the second.  I finished with 3 rebounds and 0-1 from the floor in 6 minutes.  Not a whole lot of minutes but it feels good to get on the court and play.  We now ONLY have a month in the regular season before playoffs start.  We need to keep the positive energy up and finish strong.  

Guilford College (my boys/old school) completed a great season by getting to the Div-III Final 4 before losing to the repeat champions Washington University.  Congratulations on a great season guys!  

Sliding a little..

Since our run in the cup, the regular season schedule has not been kind to us.  Our first game after the cup was against Holon (the team we lost to in the final).  We were already very familiar with them and had just scouted the team a few days before.  This made us very prepared for the game and we went to their house and got the win.  It seemed like all was well and we were sitting very with a very comfortable lead on all of the teams below us.  After this game, our coaches decided to sign two new guards and cut one of our other guards.  This seemed like a good move at the time but it may have disrupted some of the team chemistry.  Since the acquisition of the new guys, our team has gone on a 3 game losing skid with the last two coming in very ugly games for us.  The reasons for us losing the games is not the new players.  It's hard to put a finger on what exactly the reason is but it seems like our team lost a bit of motivation.  We are now in a 3 way tie for 3rd place and a game ahead of a couple of other teams right below us.  We are still looking to make the playoffs but are not playing the way we would like to.  Some things have to change around the team if we want to have a successful season.  As for my neck.. it is starting to feel better and I have been practicing full and have just got back to lifting weights again.  This brings my spirits up.  I was feeling a little down after a few weeks of constant neck pain with seemingly no end in sight.   

I would also like to send a shout out to my former college team, Guilford.  They are in the Div-III Final 4!  Nobody expected them to be in this spot but it just shows you what can be accomplished when a team comes together and works for a common goal.  Maybe our team will turn it around and make a run like the Quakers.  Good luck to you guys this weekend.

8 seconds and 1 fadeaway 3 pointer away..

The semifinal and final of the cup were 2 of the most entertaining games I have ever been a part of. First the semifinal game against Jerusalem..

Jerusalem is a team tied for 1st place with Maccabi Tel Aviv in our league.  They were also the favorites in the game by about 8 points.  Luckily, our team was focused from the beginning and played great defense throughout the game.  Neither team built more than a 10 point lead either way.  At the end of the 4th quarter we got a bucket to go up 2 points with 35 seconds left.  They came back down and with the shot clock running low hit an off balance 3 pointer with 10 seconds left to go up 1 point.  timeout.  our ball with one last chance and we get a runner across the lane which goes in while getting fouled by Jerusalem with 2 seconds left.  We are up 1 point now.  After a missed free throw by us a full court shot is way off and we win the game in dramatic fashion.  Next up in the finals is Holon.  A role reversal in that we are now the favored team.

The game starts out great for us and we have a 10 point lead built up somewhere in the 2nd quarter.  things are looking good and all we need to do is protect the lead and play solid.  We end up going into the halftime break with an 8 point lead.  The 2nd half opened up with Holon playing inspired basketball.  2 of their guards were hitting tough 3 point baskets and driving to the hoop.  After a run they were up around 8 or 9 points heading into the 4th quarter.  Our team showed some character by stepping up the defense and had the game tied under 2 minutes to go.  After some more back and forth we go up by 3 with about 17 seconds left.  they drive the length of the court and get fouled.  make both free throws.  our ball again and when we inbound the ball we get immediately fouled.  make 1 of 2 free throws so now we are up 2 points with 8 seconds to go.  One of their guards drives the length of the floor and dribbles to the corner, steps back, and with 3 of our defenders on him altering his shot, makes a 3 pointer as time expires.  amazing..  for them.  It was a depressing loss because it was going to be history for Haifa to win the cup.  Never has it been done before in Haifa.  A tough way to lose the championship.   As for me..  I have been not practicing full with the team this past week because of a hurt neck.  I'm hoping it gets better and am getting treatment.  

  

Another Solid Win

Our opponent this week was Rishon Lezion.  This team was dangerous for us because they had added a few powerful american players since the last time we played them.  The first time around, we easily beat them by 20+ points and it was never really a game the whole way.  They were playing well coming into the game and they started the game well (as usual with most teams against us).  We built up a little lead in the first half before they made a little run before the break.  After a back and forth 3rd quarter we pretty much protected our 10 point lead throughout the 4th quarter.  They made it close and we ended up winning by 7 points in the end.  It was a good win but we did suffer an injury to one of our top players, Doron Perkins.  He pulled his groin muscle in the final few minutes and is not practicing with us at the moment.  We have a huge game next monday against Jerusalem (a team tied for 1st place) in the semi-final of the cup.  Winning the cup is a huge deal and Haifa has not been this far in many many years.  We need a good week of practice in preparation for this.  

Outside of basketball Israel is having an election today for Prime Minister.  This is a big deal because it will send the country in a different direction.  As many know there has been a ton of violence between Israel and surrounding Arab nations.  This has the potential to mean more or less violence between the groups.  I am not an political expert on Israel but I do know that it is a very important day.