New Year Classic: What we learned over the weekend
Published: December 23, 2008
Musings and mutterings from Yokosuka Naval Base as Ornauer props his eyes open with toothpicks and tries to figure out what to get the fam for Christmas:
-- Did the New Year Classic teams play too many games in too short a span? Champion Yokota played seven games and runner-up American School In Japan nine in a 36-hour span. Most, if not all, players and teams simply pulled up their bootstraps and dealt with it as best they could ... but you could tell people were dragging by tournament's end.
-- As a consequence, teams clearly, obviously took advantage of the absence of a shot clock, the first such absence since the Far East Class A Tournaments of 2002. Department of Defense Education Activityis now an affiliate member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which recommends but does not mandate a shot clock (only five states use one). As a result, DODDS-Pacific's Far EastActivities Council voted out the shot clock at its meeting last spring.So New Year Classic tournament organizers went with the rules they'll use at Far East this year.
-- Props to the folks who run the Navy Transient Personnel Unit at Yokosuka and the Fleet Gym staff for opening doors to the seven visiting teams. That's called cooperation between base and the high school it hosts.
-- At the season's unofficial halfway mark, one must give the edge to Yokota's boys(16-0) and Faith Academy on the girls' side (17-0) in the Class AA title chase (weekly ratings to begin early next month).
-- Tajh Kirby proved his worth as a key addition to the Panthers by earning New Year Classic MVP honors; Keron Brown can be a total force in the paint. Put that together with DeEric Harvin's shooting touch and a solid supporting castand you have the makings of a winner, potentially the Panthers' second Class AA Tournament title in three years. And Yokota hosts the tournament in February.
-- So long, Derick "Rookie" Seward. Good luck in California. You'll be missed.
-- Faith possesses many components from its Class A champion teams of 2007 and 2008, including reigning two-time MVP Janel Long, plus three granddaughters of legendary Vanguards coach Tine Hardeman (senior Tashia, sophomore Elizabeth, freshman Kelly). Freshman point guard Grace Fern is being spoke of in the same sentences as 1990s stars Candy Tanchi and Julie Stauffer of the Lady V's "Drive for Five" fame.
-- But the season does last two more months, and other teams will have much to say about things as Far East approaches.
-- Don't read too much into defending Boys Class AA Tournament champion Seoul American's fourth-place performance at Yokosuka. The Falcons were missing senior forward tandem Willie Brown and RaiDion Fails, in the States on emergency leave. Put them back in the lineup -- along with the fire testing that the Falcons got at Fleet Gym -- and they'll be a strong threat to repeat.
-- Kadena is far better than their New Year Classic record indicates; trust me on this. The same Panthers who buried Kubasaki by 20 points last Wednesday at the Dragons' Den needed overtime to survive Kubasaki, lost by a deuce to host Kinnick and then got blown out 61-34 by New Year Classic runner-up American School In Japan.
-- Don't sleep on ASIJ, for that matter. Seniors Seaun Eddy, Mr. Outside, and Patrick Ward, Mr. Inside, can sure make life miserable for opponents.
-- And don't sleep on St. Mary's International. Seoul American had its hands full with the Titans before Johnnie Hickson's foul shot with 3 seconds left helped the Falcons escape 43-42. It's not just Toni Taniguchi doing the damage for the Titans; Amritpal Warraich, a junior, could be the next big inside force for coach Fred Sava. Coincidentally, Warraich wears the same jersey number, 55,as did Lars Kelley, who paced the Titans to Far East Class AA Tournament titles in 2001 and 2002.
-- On the girls' side, no Avianca Manning? No Charlotte Hicks? No problem for Seoul American's girls. New coach Billy Ratcliff simply plugged in sophomore Destinee' Harrison alongside senior Devanee' Taylor as the Falcons' new paint tandem. Looking good at 13-1 thus far.
-- Zama American's girls (8-2), with scoring machine Liz Powell averaging 16 points per game, have won sixstraight, lead the DODDS-Japan and Kanto Plain leagues (as do Yokota's boys)and could make significant noise in the run-up to Far East ... which the Trojans also host. Unquestionably the Trojans best team since the Tiffani Wright days of 2005 and 2006.
-- 62 days.
