Houston Yates 81 Hardin-Jefferson 69/FINAL

[bullets13]

Great effort!

[Chester86]

Great season Hawks - and do I still get the nod on the pick’ems because Yates didn’t meet the spread?

[whsalum]

79-69 final. Good job Hawks 

[Tigers94]

Just how bad was that team Yates beat by 500 points last time?

Hardly impressed with them. I think I like Silsbee's chances if they meet up again. Kinda wonder about Palestine now being in the mix.

If HJ just had one athletic big that could get his own shot at the rim, they may have won. Shame they have to go home so early.

 

[BlueOwl]

Great showing by the Hawks. Proved a lot of people wrong tonight. Wasn’t the outcome HJ wanted but nothing to hang their heads about. Love the fight. 

[JimThorpe]

Yates is an excellent shooting team.  Without the high 3 pt percentage HJ wins

[TxHoops]

HJ is a lot better than a lot give them credit for.  I’ve been impressed every time I’ve seen them.   May be the third best team in the region to be honest. 

[Kountzer]

Yates has a deep bench.  So they and run, press and trap until their opponent loses their legs.  Then Yates shooters, and they have several, start swishing uncontested 3s.  

Silsbee's best six or seven may have a slight edge on Yates...maybe.  But as the game goes on, and if Silsbee gets tired,..I don't know. If they both make it to the regional final, it will be a very good game.

[Kountzer]

I like watching HJ play.  They are pesky, scrappy, and fearless.

[BADSANTA]

23 minutes ago, Kountzer said:

Yates has a deep bench.  So they and run, press and trap until their opponent loses their legs.  Then Yates shooters, and they have several, start swishing uncontested 3s.  

Silsbee's best six or seven may have a slight edge on Yates...maybe.  But as the game goes on, and if Silsbee gets tired,..I don't know. If they both make it to the regional final, it will be a very good game.

Silsbee 

[ST413]

51 minutes ago, Kountzer said:

Yates has a deep bench.  So they and run, press and trap until their opponent loses their legs.  Then Yates shooters, and they have several, start swishing uncontested 3s.  

Silsbee's best six or seven may have a slight edge on Yates...maybe.  But as the game goes on, and if Silsbee gets tired,..I don't know. If they both make it to the regional final, it will be a very good game.

From what I saw out top 6 or 7 have a nice edge on Yates.  Now so far I have only seen the second half of this Hj game but you have to remember something else, we are going to put as much if not more pressure on Yates than they will on us.  I didn’t notice HJ doing that.  We will wear on Yates  and they will tire as well.  We play our game and I think it will be much like last year.

[AggiesAreWe]

Yates don't scare me. It's teams like Argyle and such that scares the heck out of me.

[Kountzer]

I say get past regionals and deal with Argyle later, if they can get by Decatur.

[aTmfan06]

9 hours ago, AggiesAreWe said:

Yates don't scare me. It's teams like Argyle and such that scares the heck out of me.

100% agree. It’s all about the matchup 

[JimThorpe]

I was impressed with how well HJ's bench played.  Of course the scrawny blond kid was his usual pesky self.  Love that guy, he's a headache for everybody the Hawks play.  

Yates bench is very very good, as usual.  They lose very little with the next 3 or 4.  While they aren't the favorite, even in Region III, I think that Yates is capable of going all the way this year based on that excellent shooting.  But they are not a physically dominating team and it's going to be a tough road for them.  And it's not just Silsbee, Palestine could give them a run for their money just like the Hawks did.

 

[TxHoops]

49 minutes ago, JimThorpe said:

I was impressed with how well HJ's bench played.  Of course the scrawny blond kid was his usual pesky self.  Love that guy, he's a headache for everybody the Hawks play.  

Yates bench is very very good, as usual.  They lose very little with the next 3 or 4.  While they aren't the favorite, even in Region III, I think that Yates is capable of going all the way this year based on that excellent shooting.  But they are not a physically dominating team and it's going to be a tough road for them.  And it's not just Silsbee, Palestine could give them a run for their money just like the Hawks did.

 

This Yates team would have to play at least 3 teams who are decidedly better to go “all the way.”   That is to say, they would need to play their best 3 times and have their opponent play subpar.   In that respect, I guess they are “capable” of doing it but still highly unlikely in my opinion.  

And lest I be accused of being a “Yates hater,” let me clarify.   I’m not a huge fan of the style of basketball Coach Wise’s teams play but I respect his coaching and understand its effectiveness with the depth of athletes he has.   They will consistently pound lesser teams, and will nearly always make regionals.  But when you hit teams who can match your talent and play with more discipline, you’re often going to run into problems.   

This is not one of the better Yates teams I’ve seen although they are obviously good.   And in a down year for the classification, maybe they would be one of the favorites.   But this is not a down year.  This is one of the deepest years for Class 4A I’ve seen in some time.  

The flip side is that the benefit all non-Region 2 teams have is only one Region 2 team can make it to SA...

[AggiesAreWe]

28 minutes ago, TxHoops said:

This Yates team would have to play at least 3 teams who are decidedly better to go “all the way.”   That is to say, they would need to play their best 3 times and have their opponent play subpar.   In that respect, I guess they are “capable” of doing it but still highly unlikely in my opinion.  

And lest I be accused of being a “Yates hater,” let me clarify.   I’m not a huge fan of the style of basketball Coach Wise’s teams play but I respect his coaching and understand its effectiveness with the depth of athletes he has.   They will consistently pound lesser teams, and will nearly always make regionals.  But when you hit teams who can match your talent and play with more discipline, you’re often going to run into problems.   

This is not one of the better Yates teams I’ve seen although they are obviously good.   And in a down year for the classification, maybe they would be one of the favorites.   But this is not a down year.  This is one of the deepest years for Class 4A I’ve seen in some time.  

The flip side is that the benefit all non-Region 2 teams have is only one Region 2 team can make it to SA...

That's an understatement.

[AggiesAreWe]

For a few weeks now I have been asked by many people on what I think about the Silsbee/Yates match up. My answer has been the same each time. I'm not that worried about Yates. Are they capable of beating Silsbee? Yes. But they are not the team that concerns me the most. Like I have stated before, it's teams like Argyle, Decatur, Palestine, China Spring, Wilmer-Hutchins and such that really concern me. They are very capable of slowing Silsbee down enough to cause problems and defeat Silsbee. Yates, well they do what Silsbee wants you to do, play up tempo and give up easy baskets. You don't have to shoot lights out to beat Yates. Take care of the ball, defend, make free throws.

Hardin-Jefferson played exactly like they were coached up to do and played a heck of a game. They stuck to their game plan and almost pulled off the win. Had they tried to get in a track meet with Yates, they would have lost by 30. Yates getting hot from three line in 2nd half along with HJ losing a couple of players due to foul trouble was the difference.

I'll take Clay Davis with his game planning and in-game adjustments over Greg Wise and his stubborn will of only playing one way everyday and twice on Sunday.

[JimThorpe]

32 minutes ago, TxHoops said:

This Yates team would have to play at least 3 teams who are decidedly better to go “all the way.”   That is to say, they would need to play their best 3 times and have their opponent play subpar.   In that respect, I guess they are “capable” of doing it but still highly unlikely in my opinion.  

And lest I be accused of being a “Yates hater,” let me clarify.   I’m not a huge fan of the style of basketball Coach Wise’s teams play but I respect his coaching and understand its effectiveness with the depth of athletes he has.   They will consistently pound lesser teams, and will nearly always make regionals.  But when you hit teams who can match your talent and play with more discipline, you’re often going to run into problems.   

This is not one of the better Yates teams I’ve seen although they are obviously good.   And in a down year for the classification, maybe they would be one of the favorites.   But this is not a down year.  This is one of the deepest years for Class 4A I’ve seen in some time.  

The flip side is that the benefit all non-Region 2 teams have is only one Region 2 team can make it to SA...

So, I'm saying that their pressure and 3 pt shooting can keep Yates close enough to Silsbee and whichever Dallas team they might face to give them a shot at squeaking out a win.  And you're saying probably not, not this year anyway.  As I think about you're probably right.

If they do that triple team trap on the Silsbee ball handler and he manages to get the ball to any teammate, a teammate like McCain or Jordan, then it's sayonara sucker.  And that did happen in this HJ game resulting in a number of layups for the Hawks.  In fact, I can see the Tigers dribbling to the corner on purpose inviting that scenario, hoping it will happen.

Yea, you're probably right.

[TxHoops]

42 minutes ago, AggiesAreWe said:

For a few weeks now I have been asked by many people on what I think about the Silsbee/Yates match up. My answer has been the same each time. I'm not that worried about Yates. Are they capable of beating Silsbee? Yes. But they are not the team that concerns me the most. Like I have stated before, it's teams like Argyle, Decatur, Palestine, China Spring, Wilmer-Hutchins and such that really concern me. They are very capable of slowing Silsbee down enough to cause problems and defeat Silsbee. Yates, well they do what Silsbee wants you to do, play up tempo and give up easy baskets. You don't have to shoot lights out to beat Yates. Take care of the ball, defend, make free throws.

Hardin-Jefferson played exactly like they were coached up to do and played a heck of a game. They stuck to their game plan and almost pulled off the win. Had they tried to get in a track meet with Yates, they would have lost by 30. Yates getting hot from three line in 2nd half along with HJ losing a couple of players due to foul trouble was the difference.

I'll take Clay Davis with his game planning and in-game adjustments over Greg Wise and his stubborn will of only playing one way everyday and twice on Sunday.

Yes, yes and yes!

[TxHoops]

And speaking of Clay Davis, he has long been an underrated coach in our area in my opinion.  Not that I think most people don’t think he’s a good coach.  I think a lot of folks don’t realize just how good he is.  He has always been on my short list of best coaches in our area.  

And more impressive to me than his basketball acumen is the man behind the coach.  I enjoy sitting around a gym talking hoops with Clay.  And it’s evident how bright a basketball mind he has.  But as my wife and I watched Channel 12’s coverage last night, we saw Coach Davis interviewed.   She commented about how upset and emotional he was (which impressed her more than his ability to coach Xs and Os).   And it wasn’t about losing a game - it was about a season and, for some, a career being over.  Because he truly loves and cares about his kids.   HJ is very fortunate to have him guiding and molding their young men. 

[mrb]

The hate you have for Yates is real. Yates has four state championships plus a national championship.

Do you want to be from 3rd ward that bad? 

[TxHoops]

4 minutes ago, mrb said:

The hate you have for Yates is real. Yates has four state championships plus a national championship.

Do you want to be from 3rd ward that bad? 

I wasn’t talking about the teams with Rickie Winslow, Michael young or his boys, Melvin Swift, etc.   I’m talking about this year’s team.  I just don’t think this is close to one of JY’s better teams, and 4A is ridiculously deep this year. 

[BADSANTA]

11 minutes ago, mrb said:

The hate you have for Yates is real. Yates has four state championships plus a national championship.

Do you want to be from 3rd ward that bad? 

Dont think anyone here has hate for Yates. Just the obvious. 107 win vs a team with a Junior high skill level is running up the score all day. 

[TxHoops]

If Silsbee 3 peats this year, I truly believe they were a Devon McCain injury away from matching Yates’ 4 championships...in 4 years. But a 3 peat will place this team firmly in the history books.   

As for high school “national championships” (and no offense to North Shore football this year), fairy tales are nice.  But real hardware is won on the court (or field).  If you didn’t play for it, you didn’t earn it.  Just my opinion.