Hunters Lane basketball

[AirForceOne]

Going into this week??™s regional tournament hosted by Hunters Lane, I can??™t help but wonder what Hunters Lane basketball team would have been like this year if last year's starters and major contributors (all seniors this year) would not have been benched or dismissed.

 

Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean states, ???Hunters Lane and Stratford probably maximized their potential by making the region quarters.??? Lockridge here??™s why Hunters Lane did not maximize their potential!!!

 

In this year??™s tournaments, Hunters Lane only had 1 starter that had any playoff experience and that was Josh Henley.

 

Last year??™s post player and inside scorer Darnell Finnels, shooting guard, tough defender, and scoring threat outside and off the dribble Erik Wisdom (the preseason On the Ball magazine described him as being one of the keys to this year??™s success), and point guard and savvy floor leader Kenny Williams started as juniors. This year Wisdom and Williams were benched and Finnels was released from the team. Wisdom was eventually released from the team to begin this year??™s playoffs. Major contributor James ???JB??? Burdine left the team at the end of last season promising to ???never play again???.

 

Henley, Wisdom, Finnels, Williams, and Burdine would have been a nice starting five and productive defensively and offensively. If not anything, rebounding and inside scoring would have been better. They would have been a much better defensive team with this group. And this group would have attacked the basket more and been better defenders with Wisdom and Burdine on the wings. Hunters Lane settled for way to many 3-pointers this year and with Henley away from the basketball and Finnels gone, the rebounding was dismal.

 

Hunters Lane attempted comeback in the second quarter against Franklin was proof that Henley belonged on the block and around the foul line ALL year long. He was dominate down there for a stretch in that game. He was the backbone down low to Hunters Lane??™s trip to the state tournament two years ago. With him playing on the wing he pushed a player off the floor because none of the other wings were big enough or tough enough to play on the block. That kept Wisdom and sophomore DeMarco Starling off the floor who are both outside scorers as well as penetrators. Starlings started the first few games of the season and was never to start again only to play a lot in the tournaments.

 

Starting guards Shane Cambridge and Norris Spagner played major minutes during the regular season only to play VERY little in the playoffs. It seemed odd that players who logged that many regular season minutes played little in the playoffs and were not in down the stretch of big games.

 

The sporadic playing time never allowed any one player to get into the flow this year. Senior Thomas Crawley flourished this year. But even this was a bit of an enigma. He did not dress a single varsity game last year, started the first 6 or 7 games, got benched and never started again this year, played major minutes in the playoffs, and ended up the team??™s second leading scorer this year.

 

Decisions on playing time was really strange this year, it was hard to say what it was based on. I think the team struggled with combinations on the floor trying to fit things around Henley moving to the perimeter both this year and last year.

 

All I can say is, in my opinion is that if Henley, Wisdom, Crawley, Finnels, Burdine, Starling, Williams, Joseph Wilbert, Cambridge, and Spagner would have ALL been there ALL season and down the stretch they would still be playing. They could have run 5 guards like they did when they went to the state 2 years ago.

 

But that my opinion and an opinion is just that, an opinion.

 

But I will give a few facts.

 

Two things are true.

 

1) We will never know what this team could have been.

2) But we do know that without Finnels and Burdine, and Wisdom and Williams not starting this year, and Wisdom being released for the playoffs and starting the guys they did start, their season was under .500 and is over!

 

A disappointing end to a great career for Josh Henley. A disappointing end for these seniors who had planned since their sophomore year to play in front of the home crowd in the region.

[gooddog]

How about a little background on the benchings and dismissals. I'm sure that would be fascinating from your perspective.

[AirForceOne]

How about a little background on the benchings and dismissals. I'm sure that would be fascinating from your perspective.

 

 

First of all I am a Hunters Lane fan, so don't take this as a bash. My opinion just differs from the coaches. I still supported Hunters Lane EVERY game even after the decision was made to part ways with my son, Erik.

 

It seems the plan was to revamp last year's starting line up team from top to bottom, except for Josh Henley.

 

Preseason it appeared that Shane Cambridge would be a better point guard than Kenny Williams last year but it do not necessarily turn out that way. He's a better athlete and scorer but as you probably know you need point guards to distribute not necessarily score. Even Allen Iverson struggled as a point guard because he had a scorers mentality. Yet Coach Sewell stated to On The Ball this year that he needed more points from the point guard position. Williams ended up carrying the load in the playoffs but that was too little too late. He needed more time on the floor during the whole season. The same with Erik Wisdom. He walk right off the football field onto the basketball court and needed time on the floor just as he did as a starter last year.

 

The coaches started coming down on James Burdine last year around the time he got a tattoo. The team rules stated that no one could play with a tattoo, yet last year senior Mike Green started the season with a tattoo and it never had any bearing on his playing time. JB's attitude did change negatively over time, yet it's hard as a youth understanding why you are getting punished while another teammate did not. He decided not to return because he felt he was being treated unfairly. I think everyone in the Hunters Lane community thinks JB is a great kid. I think he needed to be embraced a little and made to understand why he was being benched and punished.

 

I think Darnell Finnels needed to be embraced a little and made to understand that he was expected to carry himself in the off-season just as he did during basketball season. That's all I will say about that. I'm not going to bash the coach or put any of these kids business out there for all to see. The kid could play and if he's a member on my team I am going to make sure he's on top of things year round.

 

As far as Erik Wisdom, my son, I will say this. Some things were said to Erik by a coach that Erik took exception to. I have taught Erik to ALWAYS be respectful. I teach him to give a person every opportunity to be respectful to him. Erik felt there were some things said that crossed the line of a coach/player relationship and lacked respect for him and in his response back the coaches felt Erik said some things that crossed the line. I don't like what was initially said but that's the coaches decision. Everyone is living with it. I have others that will be back next year to play football and basketball for Hunters Lane. No hard feelings.

 

I felt he was pushed to a point of frustration that manifested negativity from him, just as the case with JB. Both situations could and should have been avoided with effective communication.

 

All I can say about Erik's dismissal had NOTHING to do with behavior and attitude like some are saying. But if you continue to kick the dog when you come home every day it won't be long before the dog bites back.

 

Erik showed tremendous leadership on the football field. He waited his time as a sophomore and junior without a negative attitude and when it was his time he produced and produced big. Never been in trouble the four years he's been at Hunters Lane. Not to the extent of suspensions. Teachers have written letters on his behalf for college. He's an office worker for the main office. You can't be one that gets into trouble and be an office worker. Voted Most Popular by his peers. Won numerous awards in football. Spoke highly of by Hunters Lane head football coach, etc.

 

He proved himself with effort and statistically when he walked on the court.

 

Attitude and behavior had nothing to do with this. These kids would have busted their butts for Hunters Lane basketball. Not sure how to call it.

[Jumpshot]

Sounds as if you're a disgruntled parent with an axe to grind.

 

ALL parents would like to see the best four players on the team AND THEIR SON in the starting lineup. Coaches everywhere have to deal with unhappy parents who cannot or won't be objective about their child or the team they play on. Coaches make mistakes and their jobs are questioned all the time but most I know are trying to do the best they can with the twelve or fifteen players they have to work with.

 

It also sounds to me you have a situation at Hunter's Lane where some athletes compete in two sports and thus have multiple coaches and are on different planes in the different sports (ie. Starter or hero or coaches' pet on one team and not on the other). I don't doubt your sincerity as a parent but it does appear you are highly subjective. Maybe a response from the coach would clear things up a bit.

[AirForceOne]

Sounds as if you're a disgruntled parent with an axe to grind.

 

ALL parents would like to see the best four players on the team AND THEIR SON in the starting lineup. Coaches everywhere have to deal with unhappy parents who cannot or won't be objective about their child or the team they play on. Coaches make mistakes and their jobs are questioned all the time but most I know are trying to do the best they can with the twelve or fifteen players they have to work with.

 

It also sounds to me you have a situation at Hunter's Lane where some athletes compete in two sports and thus have multiple coaches and are on different planes in the different sports (ie. Starter or hero or coaches' pet on one team and not on the other). I don't doubt your sincerity as a parent but it does appear you are highly subjective. Maybe a response from the coach would clear things up a bit.

 

 

Your point is valid. All I can do is give you the facts... Those boys started last year. My son didn't start because of me. He didn't start in football because he was the coaches pet. You don't win games playing the pet. You win games playing the players who can play. He started and had the stats to show for it in both. On the ball spoke of him and what he would contribute at the begininng of the season, but I guess he was "On the ball" 's pet too? Or because I made them put it in there? I think not. I made it clear to you that was a coaches decision. I made it clear to you I didn't like it. I objectively supported football when my son sat the bench as a sophomore and junior. And you can't find a post on here where I criticized that. When Erik got benched some games last year I did not get on here and complain. I was objective. All season this year he didn't start and I didn't get on here disgruntled. When they dismissed Erik I didn't get on here disgruntled.

 

BUT I DISAGREE WITH THE TENNESSEANS post that Hunters Lane maximized its potential because Hunters Lane didn't!!!!!!! Do you agree with the TENNESSEAN's post? Maybe that what we should be focusing on here.

 

I would love to hear whether the coach agrees with the TENNESSEANs post. It's saying Hunters Lane couldn't have done any better and I disagree with that and gave my reasons for it.

 

I don't have anything to be disgruntled about. Anytime some one give an opinion that includes their child, people get on hear with negative feedback.

 

I am dignified enough to get on here and not start talking about how ignorant a coach is or he was stupid for kicking Erik off the team. I stated it clearly. "It was the coaches decision". "I didn't agree with that decision". I told the coach that. And I am not hiding behind a post. I let you know one of these kids is my son, like I ALWAYS do. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. And I just so happen to believe in Erik!!!

[AirForceOne]

I will also give you this fact. Hunters Lane beat Hillsboro. Hillsboro beat Franklin. Thomas Crawley, Shane Cambridge, and Josh Henley fouled out. Erik Wisdom entered the game and scored 10 of his 11 points in the fourth and the overtime ALONE to beat Hillsboro. The first time Hunters Lane played Antioch he was the high scorer. One other time the played Antioch they only lost by a few points but opted not to play Erik. His point production may have helped in that game.

 

Hunters Lane was better than Hillsboro with Erik on the floor and Hunters Lane is not 18 points worse than Franklin. Look at last year's game against Franklin. Erik played extremely well against them.

 

Franklin is a very good team. Hunters Lane was too and could have been better.

 

FACTS

[Jumpshot]

AirForceOne

 

Obviously we don't know each other and believe me when I say i am not critical of you being a supportive parent...God knows we need more of them! What I am saying is the coach has to be making his choices based on skills, or defensive ability, or size, or hustle, or experience, or team chemistry, or players' attitudes about the team or him, or a half dozen other reasons.

 

My question to you was are you looking only at your son's pluses, or are you able to admit some of his limitations that may be keeping him on the bench?

[AirForceOne]

AirForceOne

 

Obviously we don't know each other and believe me when I say i am not critical of you being a supportive parent...God knows we need more of them! What I am saying is the coach has to be making his choices based on skills, or defensive ability, or size, or hustle, or experience, or team chemistry, or players' attitudes about the team or him, or a half dozen other reasons.

 

My question to you was are you looking only at your son's pluses, or are you able to admit some of his limitations that may be keeping him on the bench?

 

Me admitting some of his limitations is not the problem. The player being made to understand his limitations is. He can't tell you if he was benched, "based on skills, or defensive ability, or size, or hustle, or experience, or team chemistry, or players' attitudes about the team or him, or a half dozen other reasons." He was never told. He went from starter and major contributor to nothing.

 

Despite the lack of playing time this year he was selected to play on a up and coming all-star game that will be hosted at Glencliff High School.

 

Let's leave it at that, because airing all the dirty laundry is unnecessary. My point is not about my child, it is to dispute the papers claim that Hunters Lane maximized its potential. That team was way better than 12-16 in my opinion.

 

I respect your point of view.