The ball thuds methodically across the glass-like hardwood floor of Walsh Gym with sneakers squeaking down the court, we all know what these sounds mean, It’s time for Jesuit basketball. Through the months of November and December both the Jesuit Freshman teams and the JV teams fought hard trying to not only be dominate at home but on the road as well. In this article I will giving a quick recap of both freshman and both JV teams in November and December and what to look forward to as the season nears the end.
Jesuit Freshman Gold
The Frosh Gold team had the best record of 13-4 through November and December of any of the 4 teams. The team also has had an amazing 7-1 record at home which again is the best of the four. The team also went 5-2 in tournament play demonstrating early dominance in the pressures of tournament play. Although the team has been 0-1 in conference play and went 50% with a 1-1 on the road, the Frosh Gold team is defying expectations and looks to continue their dominance for the foreseeable future. I was able to interview the coach, Dr. Gruninger, about how this 13-4 team was so dominant through the first half of the season.
The Interview With Dr. Gruninger about the team’s success through the first half of the seasonÂ
Q: What has allowed the team to have success thus far?
A: Our team’s defense and our ability to play together has kept us in every game.
Q: What has been the team’s strongest aspect thus far?
A: Our strongest aspect has been our ability to push the ball with the pass during transition.
Q: What has been the team’s weakest aspect thus far? Â
A: Our half-court offense has been our weakest aspect because we still dribble too much and stand around and watch.
Q: What can be improved on as the season comes to an end?
A: Our half-court offense and our defensive closeouts on the ball are the two things we will need to improve on the most.
Some great insights by Doc. With the tweaks to the half-court offense and defensive closeouts, I have no doubt that this 13-4 team can soar past their already great play and reach a whole new level of basketball greatness as they close out their season. Â
Jesuit Freshman Blue
The Frosh Blue team has had a record of 9-5 through the first two months of basketball. The team has shown promise winning two of three conference games and having their amazing record of 7-2 at home which has helped not only Frosh Blue but also Frosh basketball at Jesuit in general become more dominant with a combined record of 21-9. The area where the Frosh Blue team has struggled the most is in tournament play, losing both games they’ve played. If the team can rally together and become dominant on the road, the team’s success will continue to soar.
Jesuit JV Gold
The Jesuit JV Gold team started the season off hot with a three game winning streak then went 1-2 in their next three games. However, the Rangers followed this with another three game winning streak. The 1-2 stretch happened next, but after that stretch the team would have two game winning streak to finish of the month of December winning four of five games to finish off 2018 at 12-6. Over this 18 game stretch the team would struggle slightly at home with a record of 5-3 but would have a slightly better record of 6-2 in tournament play. Some of the struggles that the team had were being 1-1Â on the road and 0-1 in conference play, but overall the team is showing a lot of promise for the New Year and if these few issues are addressed the team will continue their success.
Jesuit JV Blue
The JV Blue team’s season through the first two months of the season were filled with alternating wins and losses along with one losing streak of three games and one winning streak of two which was a nice way to end the month of December and 2018 with a 7-7 record. One area where the team really excelled was in conference play where they went 4-0. The team also has kept with the pattern of above .500 basketball at home with a record of 5-2, which has helped to keep Walsh Gym a difficult place for incoming opponents to face. Although JV Blue has succeeded at home, the same can’t be said about their 1-2 away record and their 1-3 tournament record. The team has shown promise with their play at home and if the team continues and works to improve their play on the road there is ample room for the team to comfortably be above .500. Â
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