By Rex Kirts
Carmel isn't that bad, and South isn't too shabby, either.
A decent-sized South crowd, but almost nobody from Carmel, saw Carmel disintegrate completely in the Panther gym Tuesday night. It was weird to see a team as solid as Carmel fail to make a single field goal in the second and third quarters.
And it wasn't as if the Greyhounds were putting up a lot of stupid shots. On the contrary, they were getting good looks. But all of a sudden they couldn't hit a barn with a shotgun.
Carmel made 7 of 10 shots the first quarter but only three field goals the rest of the game. South overcame slow shooting start itself to run off with a 63-39 win.
THAT MEANS the state's No. 2 ranked Panthers have earned an 8-0 record for a Christmas present. They have now won 52 straight regular season games.
The Panthers were a little too lethargic the first quarter, and their shooting was off. They fell behind 17-12, with Carmel going the length of the floor in the last five seconds of the period to score on a layup.
That was Carmel's last field goal until just over six minutes left in the game. Wow!
South went on a 25-3 run in the second and third quarters for a 37-20 lead, and the game was over.
In addition to playing itself out of the game with poor shooting (10 of 36 for the game) Carmel turned the ball over 19 times. Panther hands were everywhere, slapping the ball away from the Greyhounds.
"WE STARTED SLOW," Dee Davis said. "Our shots weren't going in. But we played really good defense the entiere game."
Davis scored 16 points, three behind Joey Forney, who had 13 of his 19 in the fourth quarter. Spencer Turner added 14 points.
"At halftime I thought if we just started hitting our shots we'd be OK," South coach J.R. Holmes said.
The shots started falling. The Panthers shot Carmel out of its zone in the third quarter and continued to hit against a very physical man-to-man.
"We started getting inside the zone for 19-foot shots. In the first half we were at the 25-foot mark," Holmes said.
THE SOUTH COACH liked a lot of things, including his defense.
"Our defense was good. We helped out in the post. Des (Marks) really battled," he said. "Dee was very consistent. Joey is starting to shoot better. I thought Alex (Forney) and (Michael) Bower were great off the bench."
Following the break to pay homage to Santa Claus and the credit cards, the Panthers will compete in the Hall of Fame tournament at New Castle on Dec. 30.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Panthers beat LC despite shooting woes
By Rex Kirts
Offensively, South hit only two of 19 3-point shots. And that's why the Panthers celebrate the defensive work of Joey Forney.
Forney took on Lawrence Central junior wingman Jeremy Hollowell, a major college prospect, and shut him down to five points Friday. That helped the Panthers stay perfect on the season at 6-0 and perfect in Conference Indiana at 2-0 with a 65-51 victory.
There were other plusses for coach J.R. Holmes' team. With the outside shooting game colder than a December night, the Panthers dropped in 33 of 41 free throws, got another sparkling all-around production from Dee Davis and enjoyed the continued improvement of Desmond Marks.
Twenty-one of the free throws came in the fourth quarter. At the start of the period, with a six-point lead, the Panthers took the air out of the ball and forced LC to foul. What had been a tight ball game slowly turned into South-in-command.
THE PANTHERS with contributions from all its starters, who scored 64 of the their 65 points. Davis had 22 points, Spencer Turner 18 despite 1-9 shooting on 3s, Marks 13, Forney 6 and Ben Stowell 5.
Davis was everywhere. In the fourth quarter, getting steals and rebounds, it looked like there was five of him on the court. Besides his points, for the game he had five rebounds, five assists and four steals. And he gets high marks for a couple of incredible moves to the basket, especially in the first quarter.
Turner was cold from ouotside, but he hit 11 of 12 free throws and led the team in rebounds with six.
Marks had 13 points and five rebounds. Eight of the points came in the third quarter as he got the Panthers off to a quick start.
Forney does not have the quickest feet on a basketball court, but his heart if pretty stout. His contributions come from battling. Besides sticking close to Hollowell and slowing him down Forney had five rebounds.
"I FELT I COULD contribute on defense," Forney said. "He is such a skilled athlete." Hollowell got a bit frustrated, though, and picked up a technical foul in the second quarter. He spent most of the period on the bench.
Holmes was happy to rack up a conference win on the road.
"We didn't play great, but decent," Holmes said. "Joey really battled, and Michael Bower did when he came in (to guard Hollowell). I thought Dee was ready to play."
Another factor in South's making up for cold shooting (.366) was ball handling. The Panthers made only six turnovers to 19 for LC.
CARLINO IN CROWD: Former Panther Matt Carlino attended the game with former teammate Erik Fromm, a freshman at Butler. Carlino is thinking of transferring to Butler after leaving UCLA.
Offensively, South hit only two of 19 3-point shots. And that's why the Panthers celebrate the defensive work of Joey Forney.
Forney took on Lawrence Central junior wingman Jeremy Hollowell, a major college prospect, and shut him down to five points Friday. That helped the Panthers stay perfect on the season at 6-0 and perfect in Conference Indiana at 2-0 with a 65-51 victory.
There were other plusses for coach J.R. Holmes' team. With the outside shooting game colder than a December night, the Panthers dropped in 33 of 41 free throws, got another sparkling all-around production from Dee Davis and enjoyed the continued improvement of Desmond Marks.
Twenty-one of the free throws came in the fourth quarter. At the start of the period, with a six-point lead, the Panthers took the air out of the ball and forced LC to foul. What had been a tight ball game slowly turned into South-in-command.
THE PANTHERS with contributions from all its starters, who scored 64 of the their 65 points. Davis had 22 points, Spencer Turner 18 despite 1-9 shooting on 3s, Marks 13, Forney 6 and Ben Stowell 5.
Davis was everywhere. In the fourth quarter, getting steals and rebounds, it looked like there was five of him on the court. Besides his points, for the game he had five rebounds, five assists and four steals. And he gets high marks for a couple of incredible moves to the basket, especially in the first quarter.
Turner was cold from ouotside, but he hit 11 of 12 free throws and led the team in rebounds with six.
Marks had 13 points and five rebounds. Eight of the points came in the third quarter as he got the Panthers off to a quick start.
Forney does not have the quickest feet on a basketball court, but his heart if pretty stout. His contributions come from battling. Besides sticking close to Hollowell and slowing him down Forney had five rebounds.
"I FELT I COULD contribute on defense," Forney said. "He is such a skilled athlete." Hollowell got a bit frustrated, though, and picked up a technical foul in the second quarter. He spent most of the period on the bench.
Holmes was happy to rack up a conference win on the road.
"We didn't play great, but decent," Holmes said. "Joey really battled, and Michael Bower did when he came in (to guard Hollowell). I thought Dee was ready to play."
Another factor in South's making up for cold shooting (.366) was ball handling. The Panthers made only six turnovers to 19 for LC.
CARLINO IN CROWD: Former Panther Matt Carlino attended the game with former teammate Erik Fromm, a freshman at Butler. Carlino is thinking of transferring to Butler after leaving UCLA.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
It's Marks' time, and he's producing
By Rex Kirts
While playing behind Erik Fromm the past two seasons, Desmond Marks took the opportunity to work on his game.
And it wasn't just a little work here and a little work there. He put in a lot of time, sometimes drilling two or three times a day, often with his father, Deryck.
The effort added up and paid off. When it was his time as a senior to step up and become an important part of South's basketball program he was ready. He's producing, right on schedule.
While playing behind Erik Fromm the past two seasons, Desmond Marks took the opportunity to work on his game.
And it wasn't just a little work here and a little work there. He put in a lot of time, sometimes drilling two or three times a day, often with his father, Deryck.
The effort added up and paid off. When it was his time as a senior to step up and become an important part of South's basketball program he was ready. He's producing, right on schedule.
Desmond Marks
Through the Panthers' first five games, all wins against pretty good competition, Marks is averaging 9.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. At 6-5 1/2 and 250 pounds he has the bulk to take care of business inside and the shooting touch to be a threat from the perimeter.
"He can shoot the ball," coach J.R. Holmes said. "He'll be a '4' man (power forward) in college, but he plays a '5' (center) for us - he has to get some rebounds."
THE ABILITY of a big man to hit from outside creates a team bonus in more ways than one.
"Des takes guys like Pritchett (Alex, from Bedford North Lawrence) and Gant (Justin, from Terre Haute North) away from the basket, which opens it up for drives by Dee (Davis)," Holmes pointed out.
Marks' shooting benefitted last summer from two sources, J.C. Hulls and Brian Keaton. Hulls is the father of Mr. Basketball Jordy Hulls and current Panther standout Kaila Hulls, and Keaton was Marks' AAU coach.
"I did a lot of work with J.C.," Marks said, "all ball stuff. That's how my shot got better. I did a lot of shooting, and he would work on my body position, going straight up and keeping my balance. Then I would go do the same thing with my dad."
Keaton, then an assistant at Triton and now an assistant at Indianapolis Cathedral, coached an Indy-based AAU team. His part in helping Marks' shooting was simply to encourage him to keep putting the ball up. Marks followed the advice, and from that he gained confidence in his ability to get the ball in the hole.
MARKS' ALL-AROUND development was necessary for South to continue to be one of the state's powers. The Panthers' don't have the 6-7 or 6-8 asset that Fromm provided, so Marks has to be a force in the middle.
"My big thing is rebounding," he said. "I thought I could take up the slack left from Fromm and (Matt) Carlino."
An excellent way for Marks to get ready for this year was to endure the practices of the past two seasons. South's practices are physical, and Marks had to battle Fromm and Carlino and others. The court was no place for the meek.
"There was a lot of competition," Marks said of the practices. We had to play hard every day or get beat bad." The second five won its share of the battles. "It was about 50-50. We sometimes played them pretty tough."
Practices are still physical, Marks said. "The jayvees like to hit hard," Marks said. "We need to execute. It's still real competitive."
THE SHOOTING AND REBOUNDING improvements are products of all the work Marks put in not only since the end of last season but in the years before, too.
"I'd work two or three times a day," he said. "After practice I'd go to the Y with my dad or work out at my house."
His biggest needs now are to improve his ball handling and guarding people on the perimeter. "I worked on my ball handling all summer. I'm working now on my foot speed. I'm definitely quicker than last year," he said.
A 3.8 student, Marks isn't sure where he'll attend college. He's considering DePauw, Hanover, Lake Forest in Illinois, Maryland-Baltimore County and Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee. He's thinking of studying chemistry or meteorology.
His hobbies include working with his youth group at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. Helping homeless people is part of that program.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Panthers shoot well, play tough at unbeaten Terre Haute North
By Rex Kirts
In the category of some wins are bigger than others, count South's 70-60 win Saturday at Terre Haute North.
Shooting well and playing tough all around, the Panthers (5-0) defeated a previously unbeaten team on the road. It was a weekend back-to-back win, too, following Friday's draining victory against Southport.
It was a well-played game by both teams in a good atmosphere, with a big crowd.
"It was a big team win," said senior forward Joey Forney. "Everyone contributed. They tried to deny Spencer (Turner) and Dee (Davis), and everyone else stepped up. That's why we won."
"We played together as a team," said senior guard Ben Stowell, "and people stepped up at the right times and completed the assignments the coaches gave them."
THE FINAL SCORE shows this game was won in the first few minutes. South jumped out to a 10-2 lead right away, and the action stayed right around that margin the rest of the way. Terre Haute would get hot, primarily from 3-point range, and South would counter with a variety of successful moves.
It was exciting to see the Panthers' adjustments. North played good defense early, but once the Panthers found out how to attack it they cut the Patriots up pretty good with a lot of penetration, both with passes and the dribble.
"We played our best game for all four quarters, our most consistent for four quarters," South coach J.R. Holmes said. "We had both teams for nine errors (turnovers), and that's a great high school game. That's very rare, with as much intensity as there was.
I was pleased, for this early in the seasson, on the road. And we were out-sized. I thought our kids fought them right down the line.
"WE HAD FOUR in double figures and one with nine. That's a good, solid effort.
"It was a good game for us."
Shooting was a big plus. The Panthers hit 56 per cent, their best of the season. They were .500 on 3-pointers, 8 of 16, and needed it because North drained 11 of 23.
South's balance was its best of the year. Davis continued his eye-candy mastery of the sport with 22 points, Desmond Marks had 13 and nine rebounds, Turner 12,Stowell 10 and Forney 9.
Shots at the buzzer gave South a big lift twice, by Davis at the half after he stripped 6-8 Justin Gant and hit a five-footer and by Stowell with a 3 at the end of the third quarter.
Marks is becoming a key to this team's success. The senior center, who can step out and hit 3s, has had double doubles or near them in points and rebounds the last three games.
THE PANTHERS have another outstanding doubleheader scheduled next weekend, traveling to Lawrence Central on Friday for a Conference Indiana conteste and hosting Jeffersonville on Saturday.
It was Jeffersonville that ruined South's 23-1 season last year in the regional championship. The loss ended the Panthers' 49-game winning streak, which is second best in Indiana history, and their hope of back-to-back unbeaten state championship seasons.
In the category of some wins are bigger than others, count South's 70-60 win Saturday at Terre Haute North.
Shooting well and playing tough all around, the Panthers (5-0) defeated a previously unbeaten team on the road. It was a weekend back-to-back win, too, following Friday's draining victory against Southport.
It was a well-played game by both teams in a good atmosphere, with a big crowd.
"It was a big team win," said senior forward Joey Forney. "Everyone contributed. They tried to deny Spencer (Turner) and Dee (Davis), and everyone else stepped up. That's why we won."
"We played together as a team," said senior guard Ben Stowell, "and people stepped up at the right times and completed the assignments the coaches gave them."
THE FINAL SCORE shows this game was won in the first few minutes. South jumped out to a 10-2 lead right away, and the action stayed right around that margin the rest of the way. Terre Haute would get hot, primarily from 3-point range, and South would counter with a variety of successful moves.
It was exciting to see the Panthers' adjustments. North played good defense early, but once the Panthers found out how to attack it they cut the Patriots up pretty good with a lot of penetration, both with passes and the dribble.
"We played our best game for all four quarters, our most consistent for four quarters," South coach J.R. Holmes said. "We had both teams for nine errors (turnovers), and that's a great high school game. That's very rare, with as much intensity as there was.
I was pleased, for this early in the seasson, on the road. And we were out-sized. I thought our kids fought them right down the line.
"WE HAD FOUR in double figures and one with nine. That's a good, solid effort.
"It was a good game for us."
Shooting was a big plus. The Panthers hit 56 per cent, their best of the season. They were .500 on 3-pointers, 8 of 16, and needed it because North drained 11 of 23.
South's balance was its best of the year. Davis continued his eye-candy mastery of the sport with 22 points, Desmond Marks had 13 and nine rebounds, Turner 12,Stowell 10 and Forney 9.
Shots at the buzzer gave South a big lift twice, by Davis at the half after he stripped 6-8 Justin Gant and hit a five-footer and by Stowell with a 3 at the end of the third quarter.
Marks is becoming a key to this team's success. The senior center, who can step out and hit 3s, has had double doubles or near them in points and rebounds the last three games.
THE PANTHERS have another outstanding doubleheader scheduled next weekend, traveling to Lawrence Central on Friday for a Conference Indiana conteste and hosting Jeffersonville on Saturday.
It was Jeffersonville that ruined South's 23-1 season last year in the regional championship. The loss ended the Panthers' 49-game winning streak, which is second best in Indiana history, and their hope of back-to-back unbeaten state championship seasons.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Big plays and rebounding big in win over Southport
By Rex Kirts
Dee Davis was masterful with 28 points, and Spencer Turner had 20 and Desmond Marks 12 points and 11 rebounds as South opened Conference Indiana play Friday with a 76-59 win over Southport.
A six-point sequence, a fiver and a four helped put down the visitors to J.R. Holmes' court. So did a 32-19 edge in rebounding, with Marks and sub Michael Bower leading the way. Bower had seven rebounds.
Once again, though, the Panthers had to weather a dry spell. A 17-point halftime lead shrunk to 10 when Southport scored the first seven points of the third quarter, and the lead was reduced to eight at 49-41 with 2:00 left in the period.
But Davis, who scored five straight points when the lead got down to 10 earlier, stuck a dagger in Southport with six points in a few seconds to boost the lead up to 55-41 and put South back in firm comand.
TO START THE six-point sequence, Davis hit a layup and free throw. He stole the inbounds pass and launched a 3 from the corner. Southport never recovered from that double whammy.
"I knew we needed a boost, making a run like they did," Davis said of the six-point burst.
Southport came at the Panthers pretty hard.
"Every game is going to be like that," Davis said.
The win was the 48th straight straight in regular season play, 25th straight in the conference and 36th straight at home.
Marks played one of his better games in posting his second straight double-double. It came after he missed practices during the week with a stomach problem.
"I need to pick up my rebounding," Marks said. "A double-double is my goal every game."
Bower, a junior, continues to excel as the team's sixth man. In addition to his seven rebounds he had four points and helped guard Michael Ramey, Southport's superb long-range shooter.
Speaking of Southport's rally in the third quarter, Bower said, "Basketball is a game of runs. You've got to take their best shot and finish them off."
TURNER HAD A HAND in the four-point and five-point play in the game. He made a free throw after being fouled on a 3-point basket, and he made two free throws after being fouled when Ben Stowell hit a 3-point shot.
Holmes said he wished the Panthers had played smarter at times.
"In spells we were good, but I was not impressed some times," Holmes said.
"We did a good job on Ramey (Stoll started out on him but got two quick fouls). Desmond is better, and Bower gives us energy.
"They (Southport) beat us down the floor in the second half. We got a little lazy."
The Panthers traveled to Terre Haute North Saturday night. Holmes said the Patriots (4-0) are the best team they will face up to this point.
Dee Davis was masterful with 28 points, and Spencer Turner had 20 and Desmond Marks 12 points and 11 rebounds as South opened Conference Indiana play Friday with a 76-59 win over Southport.
A six-point sequence, a fiver and a four helped put down the visitors to J.R. Holmes' court. So did a 32-19 edge in rebounding, with Marks and sub Michael Bower leading the way. Bower had seven rebounds.
Once again, though, the Panthers had to weather a dry spell. A 17-point halftime lead shrunk to 10 when Southport scored the first seven points of the third quarter, and the lead was reduced to eight at 49-41 with 2:00 left in the period.
But Davis, who scored five straight points when the lead got down to 10 earlier, stuck a dagger in Southport with six points in a few seconds to boost the lead up to 55-41 and put South back in firm comand.
TO START THE six-point sequence, Davis hit a layup and free throw. He stole the inbounds pass and launched a 3 from the corner. Southport never recovered from that double whammy.
"I knew we needed a boost, making a run like they did," Davis said of the six-point burst.
Southport came at the Panthers pretty hard.
"Every game is going to be like that," Davis said.
The win was the 48th straight straight in regular season play, 25th straight in the conference and 36th straight at home.
Marks played one of his better games in posting his second straight double-double. It came after he missed practices during the week with a stomach problem.
"I need to pick up my rebounding," Marks said. "A double-double is my goal every game."
Bower, a junior, continues to excel as the team's sixth man. In addition to his seven rebounds he had four points and helped guard Michael Ramey, Southport's superb long-range shooter.
Speaking of Southport's rally in the third quarter, Bower said, "Basketball is a game of runs. You've got to take their best shot and finish them off."
TURNER HAD A HAND in the four-point and five-point play in the game. He made a free throw after being fouled on a 3-point basket, and he made two free throws after being fouled when Ben Stowell hit a 3-point shot.
Holmes said he wished the Panthers had played smarter at times.
"In spells we were good, but I was not impressed some times," Holmes said.
"We did a good job on Ramey (Stoll started out on him but got two quick fouls). Desmond is better, and Bower gives us energy.
"They (Southport) beat us down the floor in the second half. We got a little lazy."
The Panthers traveled to Terre Haute North Saturday night. Holmes said the Patriots (4-0) are the best team they will face up to this point.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
What J.R. learned: Panthers can be pretty good
By Rex Kirts
The weekend was good for the Panthers.
They tacked on two more wins at home to go to 3-0 and extend their regular season winning streak to 47. Bedford North Lawrence went down with a fight, 71-65, on Friday and Evansville Harrison, 66-51, on Saturday.
Streaks were a big part of both games. The Panthers blazed out to a 25-11 first-quarter lead on Bedford and started the third quarter against Harrison with a 14-0 run.
It was a good weekend because both opponents were quality teams. So what did coach J.R. Holmes learn from the action?
"We can put some spurts together when we're playing pretty good," he said. "When we're working as a team and getting our passing game going we're pretty good."
AND DOES the coach of the state's No. 2 ranked team have any concerns at this early date?
"Our subs have got to score a little bit," he said. Though not big scorers, he admits his primary bench players - Michael Bower, Alex Forney and Trae Washington - are good battlers.
Lack of height could become a problem against some teams, and sometimes the Panthers' shooting gets a little cool. But the team scraps hard, fights on the boards and can play some pretty good defense, such as against Harrison when it had 13 steals and against Bedford when it did a solid job ionside against big Alex Pritchett.
And sometimes South's shooting gets quite hot, such as hitting 8 of 10 to start the third quarter to put Harrison too far down to rally from. All five starters scored in that quarter.
A consistent asset in the three games has been the tremendous play of Dee Davis on both ends of the court. As always, he's worth the price of admission, and any basketball fan shouldn't pass up the opportunity to see him before he heads off to college.
Davis got things rolling against Bedford with two steals that led to baskets and a nice feed to Joey Forney on a fast break. Davis was definitely "on" that game, and the 25 points he scored put him over a 1,000 for his career.
"I DON'T KNOW what 1,000 means," Davis said Saturday. "It doesn't mean as much as winning the state championship. It's just points. Still, I'm pleased."
South started the Harrison game flat, which is sort of understandable after Friday night's big crowd atmosphere with Bedford. The Panthers started the game in the hole 7-0 before loosening up and scoring 11 straight points. But Harrison came back late in the second quarter with a couple of 3s, and South led only 30-26 at the half.
"We had to come out with a lot of energy in the third quarter," Davis said. They had so much energy that they overwhelmed Harrison.
"We saw they were wore out, so we kept running the ball. That's our game," Davis said.
In the three games Davis is averaging 20.6 points and several assists and steals.
Against Bedford, the Panthers struggled after their quick start, primarily because their shooting fell off. They were 8 of 20 in the second half. It took a strong effort to hold on for the win.
"We got off to a great start," Spencer Turner said. "In the second quarter they pressured us more.
"BUT DEE DID a great job of running the game. Bower had some nice steals, and Dee. I think our defense is what really won it."
Turner, the owner of nice, high, long 3-pointers, has scored consistently, getting 18, 18 and 20 for an 18.6 average. He runs the floor nice, too, and gets his share of rebounds.
"Bedford was a really good teaching tool for us," Holmes said, "to understand momentum. You could see momentum changing, and we needed to play better defense and take the spring out of their legs."
The Panthers have another doubleheader next weekend. They host Southport in the Conference Indiana opener Friday and travel to Terre Haute North on Saturday. They're the unbeaten conference champions the last three years.
The weekend was good for the Panthers.
They tacked on two more wins at home to go to 3-0 and extend their regular season winning streak to 47. Bedford North Lawrence went down with a fight, 71-65, on Friday and Evansville Harrison, 66-51, on Saturday.
Streaks were a big part of both games. The Panthers blazed out to a 25-11 first-quarter lead on Bedford and started the third quarter against Harrison with a 14-0 run.
It was a good weekend because both opponents were quality teams. So what did coach J.R. Holmes learn from the action?
"We can put some spurts together when we're playing pretty good," he said. "When we're working as a team and getting our passing game going we're pretty good."
AND DOES the coach of the state's No. 2 ranked team have any concerns at this early date?
"Our subs have got to score a little bit," he said. Though not big scorers, he admits his primary bench players - Michael Bower, Alex Forney and Trae Washington - are good battlers.
Lack of height could become a problem against some teams, and sometimes the Panthers' shooting gets a little cool. But the team scraps hard, fights on the boards and can play some pretty good defense, such as against Harrison when it had 13 steals and against Bedford when it did a solid job ionside against big Alex Pritchett.
And sometimes South's shooting gets quite hot, such as hitting 8 of 10 to start the third quarter to put Harrison too far down to rally from. All five starters scored in that quarter.
A consistent asset in the three games has been the tremendous play of Dee Davis on both ends of the court. As always, he's worth the price of admission, and any basketball fan shouldn't pass up the opportunity to see him before he heads off to college.
Davis got things rolling against Bedford with two steals that led to baskets and a nice feed to Joey Forney on a fast break. Davis was definitely "on" that game, and the 25 points he scored put him over a 1,000 for his career.
"I DON'T KNOW what 1,000 means," Davis said Saturday. "It doesn't mean as much as winning the state championship. It's just points. Still, I'm pleased."
South started the Harrison game flat, which is sort of understandable after Friday night's big crowd atmosphere with Bedford. The Panthers started the game in the hole 7-0 before loosening up and scoring 11 straight points. But Harrison came back late in the second quarter with a couple of 3s, and South led only 30-26 at the half.
"We had to come out with a lot of energy in the third quarter," Davis said. They had so much energy that they overwhelmed Harrison.
"We saw they were wore out, so we kept running the ball. That's our game," Davis said.
In the three games Davis is averaging 20.6 points and several assists and steals.
Against Bedford, the Panthers struggled after their quick start, primarily because their shooting fell off. They were 8 of 20 in the second half. It took a strong effort to hold on for the win.
"We got off to a great start," Spencer Turner said. "In the second quarter they pressured us more.
"BUT DEE DID a great job of running the game. Bower had some nice steals, and Dee. I think our defense is what really won it."
Turner, the owner of nice, high, long 3-pointers, has scored consistently, getting 18, 18 and 20 for an 18.6 average. He runs the floor nice, too, and gets his share of rebounds.
"Bedford was a really good teaching tool for us," Holmes said, "to understand momentum. You could see momentum changing, and we needed to play better defense and take the spring out of their legs."
The Panthers have another doubleheader next weekend. They host Southport in the Conference Indiana opener Friday and travel to Terre Haute North on Saturday. They're the unbeaten conference champions the last three years.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Davis reaches 1,000 points for his career
By Rex Kirts
The stunning moves, soft shooting touch, ball-stealing deftness and sharp passing make South senior point guard Dee Davis one of the best basketball players the city has ever had.
As a sophomore he was voted the Most Valuable Player in the state championship win over Fort Wayne Snider.
Now he's got over 1,000 points for his career, with most of his senior season left to play.
Davis went over the significant point total Friday with 25 points in the Panthers' 71-65 victory against Bedford North Lawrence. He had 19 in the season opener last week at New Albany.
Davis entered the season with 976 points, so heading into Saturday's game against Evansville Harrison his career total climbed to 1,020.
He scored 276 points as a freshman at North, 340 his sophomore year at South and 360 with the Panthers last year. His average increased from 12.5 as a freshman to 13.1 as a sophomore and 15.7 last year.
The stunning moves, soft shooting touch, ball-stealing deftness and sharp passing make South senior point guard Dee Davis one of the best basketball players the city has ever had.
As a sophomore he was voted the Most Valuable Player in the state championship win over Fort Wayne Snider.
Now he's got over 1,000 points for his career, with most of his senior season left to play.
Davis went over the significant point total Friday with 25 points in the Panthers' 71-65 victory against Bedford North Lawrence. He had 19 in the season opener last week at New Albany.
Davis entered the season with 976 points, so heading into Saturday's game against Evansville Harrison his career total climbed to 1,020.
He scored 276 points as a freshman at North, 340 his sophomore year at South and 360 with the Panthers last year. His average increased from 12.5 as a freshman to 13.1 as a sophomore and 15.7 last year.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Opener OK, showed potential
By Rex Kirts
A big traveling crowd proved there's still magic in South's basketball program, and the 2010-11 team showed some sparkle in the season debut Saturday at New Albany.
The Panthers started slow, and didn't shoot well for the game-long stats, but after the first quarter they shut New Albany down on the way to a 65-39 victory.
New Albany led 18-16 at the first quarter but scored only two points the second quarter and 21 total for the last three quarters.
South's defense created offense, especially off-the-bench defensive havoc created by junior Michael Bower. Spencer Turner started hot from 3-point range and Dee Davis joined him in 3-point mastery in the third quarter to lead the Panthers offensively. Davis finished with 19 points and Turner 18.
The game was a marked improvement over last week's scrimmage at North. The biggest difference was simply more spirited activity on defense and more purposeful movement of people and the ball on offense.
THE PANTHERS won the boards, too, 32-18, not because of a big size advantage but simple scrappiness. Turner, Bower and Desmond Marks led the way with seven rebounds apiece.
Shooting will need to come up. It was .373 from the field and . 631 at the free throw line.
Feeling their way, the Panthers started the game very deliberate on offense. They maintained control and got better shots as the game progressed, but they also began to run the floor and ripped New Albany pretty good in transition.
"We got off slow with our shooting and had five or six shots blocked inside," coach J.R. Holmes said. "At the half I told the guys to settle down."
The defense picked up in the second quarter when the Panthers stopped penetration. In the third quarter the offense got rolling when Davis, who was 2-for-10 the first half, bombed in three 3s.
"This is a good feeling," Davis said of winning the opener, on the road, in front of a large crowd, against a traditionally good program. "The guys played hard and as a team."
The defensive effort in the second quarter was the result of better communication, Davis said. In the third quarter, the offense executed better. "We did the stuff we worked on in practice," he said.
GETTING SCORING from others helped take the pressure off him, David added.
Holmes liked the play from his reserves.
"Michael Bower and Alex Forney were just great off the bench," Holmes said. "Bower did this all summer long - he really goes after it.
"This was a great game for us, on the road and playing a team of that caliber."
Holmes has said the sdchedule is the toughest he's ever had. The opposition continues strong next weekend at home when the Panthers host Bedford North Lawrence on Friday and Evansville Harrison on Saturday.
A big traveling crowd proved there's still magic in South's basketball program, and the 2010-11 team showed some sparkle in the season debut Saturday at New Albany.
The Panthers started slow, and didn't shoot well for the game-long stats, but after the first quarter they shut New Albany down on the way to a 65-39 victory.
New Albany led 18-16 at the first quarter but scored only two points the second quarter and 21 total for the last three quarters.
South's defense created offense, especially off-the-bench defensive havoc created by junior Michael Bower. Spencer Turner started hot from 3-point range and Dee Davis joined him in 3-point mastery in the third quarter to lead the Panthers offensively. Davis finished with 19 points and Turner 18.
The game was a marked improvement over last week's scrimmage at North. The biggest difference was simply more spirited activity on defense and more purposeful movement of people and the ball on offense.
THE PANTHERS won the boards, too, 32-18, not because of a big size advantage but simple scrappiness. Turner, Bower and Desmond Marks led the way with seven rebounds apiece.
Shooting will need to come up. It was .373 from the field and . 631 at the free throw line.
Feeling their way, the Panthers started the game very deliberate on offense. They maintained control and got better shots as the game progressed, but they also began to run the floor and ripped New Albany pretty good in transition.
"We got off slow with our shooting and had five or six shots blocked inside," coach J.R. Holmes said. "At the half I told the guys to settle down."
The defense picked up in the second quarter when the Panthers stopped penetration. In the third quarter the offense got rolling when Davis, who was 2-for-10 the first half, bombed in three 3s.
"This is a good feeling," Davis said of winning the opener, on the road, in front of a large crowd, against a traditionally good program. "The guys played hard and as a team."
The defensive effort in the second quarter was the result of better communication, Davis said. In the third quarter, the offense executed better. "We did the stuff we worked on in practice," he said.
GETTING SCORING from others helped take the pressure off him, David added.
Holmes liked the play from his reserves.
"Michael Bower and Alex Forney were just great off the bench," Holmes said. "Bower did this all summer long - he really goes after it.
"This was a great game for us, on the road and playing a team of that caliber."
Holmes has said the sdchedule is the toughest he's ever had. The opposition continues strong next weekend at home when the Panthers host Bedford North Lawrence on Friday and Evansville Harrison on Saturday.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Trust is the key
By Rex Kirts
As South gets ready to open the basketball season, coach J.R. Holmes said the key element is trust among teammates.
"My word for this team is trust," Holmes said. "They've got to trust each other that they can do what they've practiced to do, that they can score. That trust comes through practice."
As the scrimmage against North last week showed, there is still much to accomplish in practice before the Panthers can live up to their pre-season No. 2 ranking in the state.
Shooting needs improved, free throw shooting needs improved, people movement needs to get better. Holmes' offense has always been a beauty to watch, but it wasn't in the scrimmage.
The potential for another outstanding year is there, with Dee Davis, Spencer Turner and Joey Forney back. The Panthers were 23-1 last year, and they were 18-2 in the summer even though Forney passed up basketball to play baseball.
HOLMES HAS SAID this is the toughest schedule he's ever had, and there will be no waiting to find out how the Panthers handle it. They travel to New Albany for the season opener Saturday night.
This will be a clash of two of the state's best programs in recent years. South has ranked first in the state in winning percentage in 14 of the last 16 years and is currently No. 1 with a percentage of .777. New Albany is fifth at .757.
Joining seniors Davis, Turner and Forney in the starting lineup will be seniors Desmond Marks and Ben Stowell.
Davis, headed for Xavier, is a spectacular point guard who averaged 15.7 points per game last year. Turner, going to Belmont, is a 3-point shooting whiz who averaged 11.2. Forney, going to Xavier for baseball, is strong inside and averaged 4.2. Marks, a hefty 6-5, 250 and counted on to get rebounds, averaged 3.4 in limited action. Stowell played only a few minutes on varsity last year but led the JVs in scoring.
This unit did not play well in the scrimmage at North.
"We missed layups, missed free throws, missed shots," Holmes said. "We didn't make the extra pass, didn't get the ball to the open man. I think we're straightening that out.
"Our rebounding was good, but our shooting was horrible. It was 'show me what I can do.' We had a lot of spectators (no movement)."
Oddly, Holmes said he wasn't discouraged by the performance. But that's because it can be used as a lesson.
"I WAS SORT of happy . . . because that's the way we practiced. I think it got their attention. We need more competition in practice. Our depth is not as deep as the last two years."
One of the great strengths of the last two seasons, the 26-0 state championship run two years ago and the 23-1 last year, was the second five pushed the starters hard in practice.
Holmes is anxious to see if the lessons learned from the scrimmage produce positive results at New Albany. "It will be interesting to see what happens."
This team has to learn its roles, he agreed. "Dee has to be the leader. We have to get an identity and a pecking order, but I don't want it to be predictable that Dee always has to take the shot."
And that puts it back to the trust factor.
Another emphasis in practice this week was working against a triangle-and-2 defense. "Everbody will play that against us," Holmes said.
That means teams will chase Davis and Turner, forcing the others to step up and score. Marks, Stowell and Forney can all hit from the perimeter.
As South gets ready to open the basketball season, coach J.R. Holmes said the key element is trust among teammates.
"My word for this team is trust," Holmes said. "They've got to trust each other that they can do what they've practiced to do, that they can score. That trust comes through practice."
As the scrimmage against North last week showed, there is still much to accomplish in practice before the Panthers can live up to their pre-season No. 2 ranking in the state.
Shooting needs improved, free throw shooting needs improved, people movement needs to get better. Holmes' offense has always been a beauty to watch, but it wasn't in the scrimmage.
The potential for another outstanding year is there, with Dee Davis, Spencer Turner and Joey Forney back. The Panthers were 23-1 last year, and they were 18-2 in the summer even though Forney passed up basketball to play baseball.
HOLMES HAS SAID this is the toughest schedule he's ever had, and there will be no waiting to find out how the Panthers handle it. They travel to New Albany for the season opener Saturday night.
This will be a clash of two of the state's best programs in recent years. South has ranked first in the state in winning percentage in 14 of the last 16 years and is currently No. 1 with a percentage of .777. New Albany is fifth at .757.
Joining seniors Davis, Turner and Forney in the starting lineup will be seniors Desmond Marks and Ben Stowell.
Davis, headed for Xavier, is a spectacular point guard who averaged 15.7 points per game last year. Turner, going to Belmont, is a 3-point shooting whiz who averaged 11.2. Forney, going to Xavier for baseball, is strong inside and averaged 4.2. Marks, a hefty 6-5, 250 and counted on to get rebounds, averaged 3.4 in limited action. Stowell played only a few minutes on varsity last year but led the JVs in scoring.
This unit did not play well in the scrimmage at North.
"We missed layups, missed free throws, missed shots," Holmes said. "We didn't make the extra pass, didn't get the ball to the open man. I think we're straightening that out.
"Our rebounding was good, but our shooting was horrible. It was 'show me what I can do.' We had a lot of spectators (no movement)."
Oddly, Holmes said he wasn't discouraged by the performance. But that's because it can be used as a lesson.
"I WAS SORT of happy . . . because that's the way we practiced. I think it got their attention. We need more competition in practice. Our depth is not as deep as the last two years."
One of the great strengths of the last two seasons, the 26-0 state championship run two years ago and the 23-1 last year, was the second five pushed the starters hard in practice.
Holmes is anxious to see if the lessons learned from the scrimmage produce positive results at New Albany. "It will be interesting to see what happens."
This team has to learn its roles, he agreed. "Dee has to be the leader. We have to get an identity and a pecking order, but I don't want it to be predictable that Dee always has to take the shot."
And that puts it back to the trust factor.
Another emphasis in practice this week was working against a triangle-and-2 defense. "Everbody will play that against us," Holmes said.
That means teams will chase Davis and Turner, forcing the others to step up and score. Marks, Stowell and Forney can all hit from the perimeter.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Forney to Xavier
By Rex Kirts
Joey Forney and Dee Davis can share rides to college now, since they're both going to Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Davis long ago made his choice to play basketball at Xavier. Forney made his choice to play baseball there this week.
It was a welcome decision for Forney, who originally signed with Duke but had the offer withdrawn when he scored lower on the SAT than Duke wanted. It was only about two weeks between Duke backing out and Xavier coming in.
The first priority for Forney, a senior, will be third base, but he may also get a look as a pitcher
"I VISITED XAVIER last weekend," Forney said Friday. "They treated me really well and gave me a great offer. The players were great. I felt really comfortable there."
He described Xavier's program as "up-and-coming. Lately they've been one, two or three in their conference (Atlantic 10). If you win the conference you get to go to the College World Series."
Xavier has a converted shortstop playing third base, who will be a junior when Forney starts. Forney made the same switch, going from short to third, for South's program last spring. He was a force, at third and pitcher and at bat, for the Panther team that went to the semistate.
This winter Forney will start at forward on the South basketball team.
Joey Forney and Dee Davis can share rides to college now, since they're both going to Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Davis long ago made his choice to play basketball at Xavier. Forney made his choice to play baseball there this week.
It was a welcome decision for Forney, who originally signed with Duke but had the offer withdrawn when he scored lower on the SAT than Duke wanted. It was only about two weeks between Duke backing out and Xavier coming in.
The first priority for Forney, a senior, will be third base, but he may also get a look as a pitcher
"I VISITED XAVIER last weekend," Forney said Friday. "They treated me really well and gave me a great offer. The players were great. I felt really comfortable there."
He described Xavier's program as "up-and-coming. Lately they've been one, two or three in their conference (Atlantic 10). If you win the conference you get to go to the College World Series."
Xavier has a converted shortstop playing third base, who will be a junior when Forney starts. Forney made the same switch, going from short to third, for South's program last spring. He was a force, at third and pitcher and at bat, for the Panther team that went to the semistate.
This winter Forney will start at forward on the South basketball team.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Holmes optimistic, rebuilding with Davis, Turner, Forney back as starters
By Rex Kirts
South ended last year with a crushing defeat in the regional final, a loss to Jeffersonville that ended the Panthers' winning streak at 49 games. It is the second longest streak in Indiana high school history.
That was followed by the graduation of center Erik Fromm and the early graduation of Matt Carlino, ceremonies which took two of the team's valuable starters.
These events could put a damper on prospects for 2010-11, but they don't. The Panthers are still in pretty decent shape. More will be known after practice begins Monday.
Coach J.R. Holmes, the fifth winningest active coach with 629 career victories, is beginning his 29th year as the Panthers' head coach and 40th overall. He has four-year starters Dee Davis back at point guard and Spencer Turner back on the wing. And senior Joey Forney, a two-year starter, is back at forward.
THAT'S A STOUT TRIO. Xavier-bound Davis was MVP on the unbeaten state championship team his sophomore year, and Bellmont-bound Turner can shoot the 3-pointer as prolific as anyone. Forney has looked good in fall open gym.
While the Panthers lack a proven big man and their depth must come around, they showed over the summer there is adequate talent and team savvy. Even without the Duke-bound Forney, who concentrated on baseball, they posted an 18-2 summer record. They lost to talent-loaded Hamilton Southeastern when all their players weren't there and to an all-star team from St. Louis in the national tournament in Las Vegas.
"We'll be senior-dominated for the first time in a while," Holmes said. "We'll probably start five seniors and have seven or eight on the team. Senior experience is good."
Starters in addition to Davis, Turner and Forney should be Ben Stowell on the wing and Desmond Marks in the middle. Alex Forney and juniors Michael Bower and Trae Washington will come off the bench.
"My concern is depth," Holmes said. "Do we have someone who can be a positive factor for us? My second concern is rebounding."
BOWER HAD a great summer and could provide a good spark off the bench. He plays a lot like David Blackwell did, aggressively, for the state champs two years ago. Alex Forney is like that, too, and Washington was consistent during summer play.
There's nobody with Fromm's height, 6-8, but Marks is 6-5 1/2, Joey Forney 6-4, Turner 6-4, Alex Forney 6-3 and Sstowell 6-1, so there is decent all-around size. Senior Gabe Hull, the state discus champion, is giving basketball a try this year and is 6-7.
The Panthers won't be as quick as last year, with the loss of Carlino and Fromm, but Davis is in a quickness league by himself because of his spectacular acrobatic, slashing play.
"The players like to get up and down the floor,' Holmes said. "It depends on how well we rebound. I think we can replace some of Fromm's and Carlino's points."
Despite his concerns, Holmes sees good things for this team. If the schedule permits.
"IT SHOULD BE a year in which we're competitive," he said, "even though this is maybe the toughest schedule we've ever had. Everybody has a bunch back."
The schedule includes 12 homes games and the Hall of Fame tourney in New Castle. Big crowds are exected at home because of the many quality opponents coming in.
The 49-game winning streak is over, but others are intact. "We've won 44 regular season games in a row," Holmes said, "24 straight in Conference Indiana (that's a three-year unbeaten streak),
and 34 straight games at home."
The Panthers scrimmage Bloomington North Nov. 18 at North. The regular season opens Nov. 27 at New Albany, and the home opener is the second game on the schedule, against Bedford North Lawrence on Dec. 3. Also, South will host the sectional this year.
"I think we're anxious to get going," Holmes said.
PANTHER SCHEDULE
Nov. 18: Scrimmage at North, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 27: At New Albany, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 3: Bedford North Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4: Evansville Harrison, 8 p.m.
Dec. 10: Southport, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11: At Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 17: At Lawrence Central, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18: Jeffersonville, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 21: Carmel, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30: Hall of Fame at New Castle, 1 p.m.
Jan. 7: Bloomington North, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11: Columbus East, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: At Edgewood, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 21: At Martinsville, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22: Franklin Central, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28: At Pike, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: Columbus North, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: Center Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 12: Warren Central, 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 18: At Perry Meridian, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 19: LaPorte LaLumiere, tba
Feb. 24: At Decatur Central, 7:30 p.m.
March 1,4,5: Sectional
March 12: Regional
March 19: Semistate
March 26: State
South ended last year with a crushing defeat in the regional final, a loss to Jeffersonville that ended the Panthers' winning streak at 49 games. It is the second longest streak in Indiana high school history.
That was followed by the graduation of center Erik Fromm and the early graduation of Matt Carlino, ceremonies which took two of the team's valuable starters.
These events could put a damper on prospects for 2010-11, but they don't. The Panthers are still in pretty decent shape. More will be known after practice begins Monday.
Coach J.R. Holmes, the fifth winningest active coach with 629 career victories, is beginning his 29th year as the Panthers' head coach and 40th overall. He has four-year starters Dee Davis back at point guard and Spencer Turner back on the wing. And senior Joey Forney, a two-year starter, is back at forward.
THAT'S A STOUT TRIO. Xavier-bound Davis was MVP on the unbeaten state championship team his sophomore year, and Bellmont-bound Turner can shoot the 3-pointer as prolific as anyone. Forney has looked good in fall open gym.
While the Panthers lack a proven big man and their depth must come around, they showed over the summer there is adequate talent and team savvy. Even without the Duke-bound Forney, who concentrated on baseball, they posted an 18-2 summer record. They lost to talent-loaded Hamilton Southeastern when all their players weren't there and to an all-star team from St. Louis in the national tournament in Las Vegas.
"We'll be senior-dominated for the first time in a while," Holmes said. "We'll probably start five seniors and have seven or eight on the team. Senior experience is good."
Starters in addition to Davis, Turner and Forney should be Ben Stowell on the wing and Desmond Marks in the middle. Alex Forney and juniors Michael Bower and Trae Washington will come off the bench.
"My concern is depth," Holmes said. "Do we have someone who can be a positive factor for us? My second concern is rebounding."
BOWER HAD a great summer and could provide a good spark off the bench. He plays a lot like David Blackwell did, aggressively, for the state champs two years ago. Alex Forney is like that, too, and Washington was consistent during summer play.
There's nobody with Fromm's height, 6-8, but Marks is 6-5 1/2, Joey Forney 6-4, Turner 6-4, Alex Forney 6-3 and Sstowell 6-1, so there is decent all-around size. Senior Gabe Hull, the state discus champion, is giving basketball a try this year and is 6-7.
The Panthers won't be as quick as last year, with the loss of Carlino and Fromm, but Davis is in a quickness league by himself because of his spectacular acrobatic, slashing play.
"The players like to get up and down the floor,' Holmes said. "It depends on how well we rebound. I think we can replace some of Fromm's and Carlino's points."
Despite his concerns, Holmes sees good things for this team. If the schedule permits.
"IT SHOULD BE a year in which we're competitive," he said, "even though this is maybe the toughest schedule we've ever had. Everybody has a bunch back."
The schedule includes 12 homes games and the Hall of Fame tourney in New Castle. Big crowds are exected at home because of the many quality opponents coming in.
The 49-game winning streak is over, but others are intact. "We've won 44 regular season games in a row," Holmes said, "24 straight in Conference Indiana (that's a three-year unbeaten streak),
and 34 straight games at home."
The Panthers scrimmage Bloomington North Nov. 18 at North. The regular season opens Nov. 27 at New Albany, and the home opener is the second game on the schedule, against Bedford North Lawrence on Dec. 3. Also, South will host the sectional this year.
"I think we're anxious to get going," Holmes said.
PANTHER SCHEDULE
Nov. 18: Scrimmage at North, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 27: At New Albany, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 3: Bedford North Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4: Evansville Harrison, 8 p.m.
Dec. 10: Southport, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11: At Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 17: At Lawrence Central, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18: Jeffersonville, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 21: Carmel, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30: Hall of Fame at New Castle, 1 p.m.
Jan. 7: Bloomington North, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11: Columbus East, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: At Edgewood, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 21: At Martinsville, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22: Franklin Central, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28: At Pike, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: Columbus North, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: Center Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 12: Warren Central, 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 18: At Perry Meridian, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 19: LaPorte LaLumiere, tba
Feb. 24: At Decatur Central, 7:30 p.m.
March 1,4,5: Sectional
March 12: Regional
March 19: Semistate
March 26: State
Monday, August 16, 2010
Davis couldn't stay away from the game
By Rex Kirts
Dee Davis, heading into his senior year, had planned a little rest and relaxation. That simply didn't work out.
The South point guard intended to skip the AAU spring season and "just be a kid." But he found out he didn't need so much down time, that there was enough free time even after a few games.
The kid and his basketball are seldom apart.
"I saw how much fun everybody was having," said Davis, whose moves on the court astound fans everywhere. "I had fun playing, playing with people that I didn't know. It was good."
After AAU Davis played with the South team that went to the national tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Since then he works out about every other day.
"I've had a good break," he said.
A LOT OF WORKOUTS were with his father, Darwin Sr., Indiana University players and ex-IU player Armon Bassett.
"Playing against Armon makes me better," Davis said.
He also gets worked out by a former Ben Davis football player who has helped his explosion, agility, jumping and foot speed. Opponents will not be pleased to learn Davis is more explosive now. He was already exceptional there.
He has also spent in a lot of time trying to improve his 3-point shooting. "I did a lot better with the 3s this summer," he said. "Working on it gives you more confidence to shoot it."
A month playing with his Panther teammates was fun and productive.
"We did a lot better than people thought we would after losing Matt (Carlino) and the big man (Eric) Fromm," Davis said. "In Vegas we beat good teams by 30 or so. I think we'll be fine. We'll be a lot of team with our transition game. We'll wear them out."
A starter at North as a freshman and a two-year starter at South who won the MVP award in the state championship game as a sophomore, Davis said he's looking forward to "just competing" this season.
"A LOT OF PEOPLE are doubting us," he said. "I want to have fun and maybe make another run at the title. For how we looked in the summer I think we've got a pretty good shot. If we work hard enough."
The Panthers had a shot last year, too, but were shocked by Jeffersonville in the final game of the regional. They saw a 12-point lead get away in the fourth quarter.
"I haven't thought about that, really" Davis said. "You've got to move on from those things."
The loss to Jeffersonville snapped the Panthers' 49-game winning streak, one away from tying the longest streak in state history.
STATE FINALS MEMORIES
At Conseco Fieldhouse, Davis and his teammates waited to take the floor for the 2009 state championship game. And waited and waited. The class 3A game went three overtimes, so South and Fort Wayne Snider had to wait to play for the 4A championship.
"Everybody got so excited," Davis recalled. "We were watching (Plymouth's) Bruce Grimm, Jr., who scored about 40. That was funny."
Plymouth lost that game to Princeton, which became the 11th team in Indiana history to go undefeated. Two hours later, South became the 12th.
"I also remember coach Holmes getting on Jordy (Hulls) before the game because he stayed on the court and kept shooting."
AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT was South fans, dressed in purple and stretching to the top of the fieldhouse.
"I've never seen so many purple shirts," Davis said. "They went all the way to the nose-bleeds."
Davis put on a great show. "I never got tired. I had too much energy."
Winning the MVP helped put him on the map, he said. "That told the college coaches I had a lot of upsides." Ain't that the truth!
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS include playing South his freshman year, "with Ray (McCallum) against Jordy and those guys. Even though we lost it was fun."
Also fun was last year when Nate Peck, who played sparingly, came off the bench to rain 3s and score 16 points.
And, naturally, there was the victory over Detroit Country Day his sophomore year when the Panthers and Country Day were ranked in the top five in the nation. The key play late in the game was Davis stripping the ball from the transferred McCallum and laying it in.
"I felt that game was more exciting than the state game," Davis said. "Leading up to it . . . I felt the bleachers shake, and I couldn't hear myself talk. It was great. I was loving it."
There's a whole year left to make more memories before he heads off to college at Xavier.
Dee Davis, heading into his senior year, had planned a little rest and relaxation. That simply didn't work out.
The South point guard intended to skip the AAU spring season and "just be a kid." But he found out he didn't need so much down time, that there was enough free time even after a few games.
The kid and his basketball are seldom apart.
"I saw how much fun everybody was having," said Davis, whose moves on the court astound fans everywhere. "I had fun playing, playing with people that I didn't know. It was good."
After AAU Davis played with the South team that went to the national tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Since then he works out about every other day.
"I've had a good break," he said.
A LOT OF WORKOUTS were with his father, Darwin Sr., Indiana University players and ex-IU player Armon Bassett.
"Playing against Armon makes me better," Davis said.
He also gets worked out by a former Ben Davis football player who has helped his explosion, agility, jumping and foot speed. Opponents will not be pleased to learn Davis is more explosive now. He was already exceptional there.
He has also spent in a lot of time trying to improve his 3-point shooting. "I did a lot better with the 3s this summer," he said. "Working on it gives you more confidence to shoot it."
A month playing with his Panther teammates was fun and productive.
"We did a lot better than people thought we would after losing Matt (Carlino) and the big man (Eric) Fromm," Davis said. "In Vegas we beat good teams by 30 or so. I think we'll be fine. We'll be a lot of team with our transition game. We'll wear them out."
A starter at North as a freshman and a two-year starter at South who won the MVP award in the state championship game as a sophomore, Davis said he's looking forward to "just competing" this season.
"A LOT OF PEOPLE are doubting us," he said. "I want to have fun and maybe make another run at the title. For how we looked in the summer I think we've got a pretty good shot. If we work hard enough."
The Panthers had a shot last year, too, but were shocked by Jeffersonville in the final game of the regional. They saw a 12-point lead get away in the fourth quarter.
"I haven't thought about that, really" Davis said. "You've got to move on from those things."
The loss to Jeffersonville snapped the Panthers' 49-game winning streak, one away from tying the longest streak in state history.
STATE FINALS MEMORIES
At Conseco Fieldhouse, Davis and his teammates waited to take the floor for the 2009 state championship game. And waited and waited. The class 3A game went three overtimes, so South and Fort Wayne Snider had to wait to play for the 4A championship.
"Everybody got so excited," Davis recalled. "We were watching (Plymouth's) Bruce Grimm, Jr., who scored about 40. That was funny."
Plymouth lost that game to Princeton, which became the 11th team in Indiana history to go undefeated. Two hours later, South became the 12th.
"I also remember coach Holmes getting on Jordy (Hulls) before the game because he stayed on the court and kept shooting."
AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT was South fans, dressed in purple and stretching to the top of the fieldhouse.
"I've never seen so many purple shirts," Davis said. "They went all the way to the nose-bleeds."
Davis put on a great show. "I never got tired. I had too much energy."
Winning the MVP helped put him on the map, he said. "That told the college coaches I had a lot of upsides." Ain't that the truth!
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS include playing South his freshman year, "with Ray (McCallum) against Jordy and those guys. Even though we lost it was fun."
Also fun was last year when Nate Peck, who played sparingly, came off the bench to rain 3s and score 16 points.
And, naturally, there was the victory over Detroit Country Day his sophomore year when the Panthers and Country Day were ranked in the top five in the nation. The key play late in the game was Davis stripping the ball from the transferred McCallum and laying it in.
"I felt that game was more exciting than the state game," Davis said. "Leading up to it . . . I felt the bleachers shake, and I couldn't hear myself talk. It was great. I was loving it."
There's a whole year left to make more memories before he heads off to college at Xavier.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Turner couldn't stay away from basketball for long
By Rex Kirts
Spencer Turner walked into South's athletic office Friday and saw coach J.R. Holmes.
"I thought you were supposed to take off," Holmes said.
Holmes, of course, knew Turner wouldn't be without a basketball in his hands for long. The senior forward is as much of a gym rat as anyone.
"I was supposed to take off from August 1st till the start of school," Turner laughed. "That idn't last long. I took off till about the third. Then Joey Forney and I started lifting."
It was suggested that Turner needed a hobby besides basketball.
"I have one. But it's too hot to fish," he laughed again.
Turner laughs a lot. He has a good time no matter what he's doing.
LIFE IS EASIER now that he has accepted a scholarship offer from Belmont. Belmont is one of those pretty good basketball schools that nobody knows about, even though it's made the NCAA tournament three of the last five years as champion of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Belmont is located on the west side of Nashville, Tenn., a block from the more famous Vanderbilt and close to another rival, Lipscomb.
Turner is a 3-point shooting star but lacked the overall qualities the big-name colleges were looking for. He feels very fortunate that Belmont found him.
"Belmont saw me in a tourney in Orlando. I was playing really well," he said. "They said they need a shooter.
When I visited there (last week) it was the first time I'd seen the coach, Rick Byrd. He's been there 24 years and in coachng 33 years. He reminded me a lot of coach Holmes.
"HIS STYLE FITS ME so well, transition and fill the wings. I couldn't fit in any better."
Belmont has a fairly new basketball arena, Curb Event Center, that seats about 6,000. "Everything is all brand," Turner said.
Picking Belmont was not so much as giving up on an offer from bigger schools as it was the positives Belmont has. "The biggest thing was I totally fell in love with it," Turner said. "It's amazing, I think. I didn't want to pass up on a great school like this."
Belmont has 52 points coming back from last year. It has a 6-11 and a 6-10 center and a guard who averaged 14.9 points per game.
Now that his college is secure, Turner wants to give 100 per cent to his final year at South. He, Forney and Dee Davis are returning starters from the team that didn't lose until the final game of the regional. He was also a starter on the unbeaten state championship team his sophomore year.
"I'M REALLY FOCUSED on this season," Turner said. "It's great I committed early. Now I want to get bigger, stronger, faster.
"Everyone thinks we lost all our players, but we've got Dee and Forney. Desmond Marks is a 6-4 big body. And we've got Alex Forney and Ben Stowell back.
"I see us going 20-0. I'm not saying we will, but that should be our goal."
The Panthers had a good summer, finishing second in a state tournament to Hamilton Southeastern when they got in foul trouble and didn't have their whole team. And they played well in the Las Vegas national tourney.
"We played awesome at Vegas, really" Turner said. "We played well as a team. We beat teams with 6-9 and 6-10 kids."
But, Turner agreed, basketball is a team game, and South, under Holmes, plays excellent team ball.
Spencer Turner walked into South's athletic office Friday and saw coach J.R. Holmes.
"I thought you were supposed to take off," Holmes said.
Holmes, of course, knew Turner wouldn't be without a basketball in his hands for long. The senior forward is as much of a gym rat as anyone.
"I was supposed to take off from August 1st till the start of school," Turner laughed. "That idn't last long. I took off till about the third. Then Joey Forney and I started lifting."
It was suggested that Turner needed a hobby besides basketball.
"I have one. But it's too hot to fish," he laughed again.
Turner laughs a lot. He has a good time no matter what he's doing.
LIFE IS EASIER now that he has accepted a scholarship offer from Belmont. Belmont is one of those pretty good basketball schools that nobody knows about, even though it's made the NCAA tournament three of the last five years as champion of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Belmont is located on the west side of Nashville, Tenn., a block from the more famous Vanderbilt and close to another rival, Lipscomb.
Turner is a 3-point shooting star but lacked the overall qualities the big-name colleges were looking for. He feels very fortunate that Belmont found him.
"Belmont saw me in a tourney in Orlando. I was playing really well," he said. "They said they need a shooter.
When I visited there (last week) it was the first time I'd seen the coach, Rick Byrd. He's been there 24 years and in coachng 33 years. He reminded me a lot of coach Holmes.
"HIS STYLE FITS ME so well, transition and fill the wings. I couldn't fit in any better."
Belmont has a fairly new basketball arena, Curb Event Center, that seats about 6,000. "Everything is all brand," Turner said.
Picking Belmont was not so much as giving up on an offer from bigger schools as it was the positives Belmont has. "The biggest thing was I totally fell in love with it," Turner said. "It's amazing, I think. I didn't want to pass up on a great school like this."
Belmont has 52 points coming back from last year. It has a 6-11 and a 6-10 center and a guard who averaged 14.9 points per game.
Now that his college is secure, Turner wants to give 100 per cent to his final year at South. He, Forney and Dee Davis are returning starters from the team that didn't lose until the final game of the regional. He was also a starter on the unbeaten state championship team his sophomore year.
"I'M REALLY FOCUSED on this season," Turner said. "It's great I committed early. Now I want to get bigger, stronger, faster.
"Everyone thinks we lost all our players, but we've got Dee and Forney. Desmond Marks is a 6-4 big body. And we've got Alex Forney and Ben Stowell back.
"I see us going 20-0. I'm not saying we will, but that should be our goal."
The Panthers had a good summer, finishing second in a state tournament to Hamilton Southeastern when they got in foul trouble and didn't have their whole team. And they played well in the Las Vegas national tourney.
"We played awesome at Vegas, really" Turner said. "We played well as a team. We beat teams with 6-9 and 6-10 kids."
But, Turner agreed, basketball is a team game, and South, under Holmes, plays excellent team ball.
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