Jack Scheuer’s Off The Boards – January 15, 2014 Edition

Funny how different phrases and catch-words develop in basketball as the years go by.  Recently the most popular term is “playing with energy.”  In fact you hear the word energy, (which I guess takes the place of hustle), multiple times either on radio or on the tube during every game.  We also have “he is very good off the bounce,” which previously meant a player drives well.  Then there is “in the paint,” which has been replaced somewhat by “on the blocks.”  That used to mean playing inside.  We’ve got “draining” a shot, taking it “to the rack,” and “he bricked it.”  And don’t forget “focus.”  You’ve got to keep focused.  Whatever the sayings are, they’re all about hoops, and that’s a good thing.

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Oops Department: Picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated’s pre-season special on the NBA.  The cover has Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez standing behind new coach Jason Kidd. The caption reads, “Who wants a piece of them?” (Insert answer here).  That’s not all.  Inside, a rival scout says, “Jason Kidd, being a rookie coach isn’t going to matter.  With (assistant) Lawrence Frank beside him, everything will be okay.” Poor Lawrence has been banished to the front office.

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Trivia Time: Who holds the Drexel record for scoring the most points in a game? Answer at the end of the column.

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This and That: At the midway mark, Villanova’s Josh Hart and St. Joe’s DeAndre’ Bembry appear to be the top candidates for the Big 5’s Rookie of the Year award.  Hart’s overall game has been outstanding, especially on defense, and Bembry doesn’t play like a freshman…..Odd to see a Penn-Princeton  game where the Palestra wasn’t packed.  The Quakers revived their season with that exciting win…. Having Darien Nelson-Henry back was a big plus…… LaSalle will honor Jackie Moore on February 1.  From Overbrook High, he was a valuable member of the Explorer 1952 N.I.T. champions, and his 12.1 career  rebound average is second only to Tom Gola.  LaSalle meets Temple at the Palestra on Saturday at noon, followed by Penn-St. Joe’s at 7…..At this juncture, LeBron James has a better 3-point shooting average that Stephen Curry and Ray Allen  He’s getting closer and closer to Michael Jordan….Best skinniest player in the country is Iowa’s Aaron White. 6-9, only 220, but he does a lot…We always hear about a player calmly making a free throw. Don’t  they ever calmly miss one?…. St. Joe’s Prep product  Miles Overton, son of Doug, is playing eight minutes a game at Wake Forest, averaging 3 ppg. He’s just a freshman….Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, from Chester, will be given the Native Son award at the Philadelphia Sports Writers banquet on January 27.