[Old School Hound]

The Jags pay a visit to Corbin on Friday, trying to avenge their loss to the Hounds in London a few days ago in London. Ellis, in his initial game with the Hounds,  killed the Jags in that game to the tune of  26 points.  Akins didn't play. Will Corbin fare better or worse with both Double E and the Night Ryder in the lineup? It wasn't pretty for the tandem on Log Mountain. The Hounds better find an identity... and FAST!!!   Pietrowski better figure out the right rotations and help these kids find out who they are as a unit or it's gonna be an early exit come region tournament time. 

Who do you have in this one ???

[Gridiron_Raid]

Few things about the last game that were odd.
North shot 2 free throws, Corbin shot 26.
North shot 26% from three, Corbin shot 40%.

I know from seeing both these teams in person that the lack of volume 3pt shooters shrink the floor. Corbin played a triangle and 2 in the last game and really forced North into some bad shots. Bell did the same thing to Corbin. Until that third option can threaten an outside shot at a consistent basis for either team, a good defense will make them struggle for good looks. I doubt North gets to the line only once in this game and Davidson goes better than 7-20.

North 64-56

[4 Quarters]

I liked NL in the first matchup, and I like them in this one also.

[Keystone12]

Corbin is a hard team to predict. I feel i need to re think everything i thought about them after that bell game. The Redhounds have the better backcourt but I agree with gridiron that Davidson had an out of character bad game in that first one. I expect him to bring it. Jervis didn’t do anything that first game either. It all starts with defense for Corbin. They gave no resistance on guarding 3’s or preventing guys getting to the rim against bell co. Eli has to give more. He has to be the bruiser ive seen him be down low. Akins has to show the passion he showed in the first South Laurel game. I dont know why corbin didn’t post ellis more. He had that sharpshooting lefty thomas guarding him all night. Ellis is 6’3” and jaxson thomas 5’8”. You have to exploit that. The few times akins used his size he scored 4-5 times on 5’9” cameron hall. Corbin has defended the three very poorly all year. It hasn’t been smooth sailing integrating ellis but it could click before the season is over. Ive not lost all faith in corbin but i think north laurel will roll in and get this one. With my analysis being so wrong it wouldn’t shock me if corbin won by double digits. Don’t see it, just saying.

[Old School Hound]

My first thought is, my guys, Gridiron and Keystone, are spot on in their analyses. There was a lot atypical things happened in the first meeting.  Davidson was out of sorts, the free throw disparity , Corbin shooting well from three and North shooting poorly.  All that , and Corbin still won by just five.  You wouldn't think all of those things will happen again. It seems to add up to a North win, on paper. But games are not played on paper. They're played on radios. 

After Coach P lights their sorry asses on fire,  I say they come like they did in the first South game , fully engaged and with great energy, playing great basketball(hell, who am I kidding?)  I hope I'm wrong in feeling that sometimes these kids don't give a rat's a$$. They most certainly didn't in the Whitley or Bell games. Didn't even want to be there.  Something tells me they come out to show their fellow Tri-Countians that they really don't suck.

Corbin by double digits... (or, at least by 7 )

[Old School Hound]

del

[Gridiron_Raid]

Corbin is a hard team to predict. I feel i need to re think everything i thought about them after that bell game. The Redhounds have the better backcourt but I agree with gridiron that Davidson had an out of character bad game in that first one. I expect him to bring it. Jervis didn’t do anything that first game either. It all starts with defense for Corbin. They gave no resistance on guarding 3’s or preventing guys getting to the rim against bell co. Eli has to give more. He has to be the bruiser ive seen him be down low. Akins has to show the passion he showed in the first South Laurel game. I dont know why corbin didn’t post ellis more. He had that sharpshooting lefty thomas guarding him all night. Ellis is 6’3” and jaxson thomas 5’8”. You have to exploit that. The few times akins used his size he scored 4-5 times on 5’9” cameron hall. Corbin has defended the three very poorly all year. It hasn’t been smooth sailing integrating ellis but it could click before the season is over. Ive not lost all faith in corbin but i think north laurel will roll in and get this one. With my analysis being so wrong it wouldn’t shock me if corbin won by double digits. Don’t see it, just saying.

There is a height disparity with thomas, but definitely not space. I have never seen a kid devote themselves to chasing the best player on another team like Jackson Thomas does every night. He guards Maddox, Ellis, Burton next week, etc etc. They may have a height advantage but they have no space to go to work. Ellis is not great at creating his own especially when he’s getting pressed so much. Plus it’s the same with maddox, when they go to that hybrid zone where thomas is always on you and then you try and post up and you are trapped in the paint. If they had tried to post Ellis he would’ve just been shut down in the paint by Buell and the rest of the bigger guys. The only source of true offense Corbin had and would have against Bell was Akins beating his man off the dribble and pulling up from whatever space he can get. He is special.

[Keystone12]

All great points gridiron. I love the heart that Thomas kid plays with. He is a menace on defense. I feel like corbin should’ve flashed the high post more. Bell pushed corbin too far out on the floor. Ellis doesn’t have the fastest feet but the coaches have to help him a little putting him in better spots. But still my credit goes to the jaxson thomas kid. He is also special with how he plays. He didn’t win the genetic lottery but his heart is unmatched. A true winner. Sizemore executed a much better gameplan against corbin and his guys were flat ready to take it to corbin.

[Old School Hound]

All great points gridiron. I love the heart that Thomas kid plays with. He is a menace on defense. I feel like corbin should’ve flashed the high post more. Bell pushed corbin too far out on the floor. Ellis doesn’t have the fastest feet but the coaches have to help him a little putting him in better spots. But still my credit goes to the jaxson thomas kid. He is also special with how he plays. He didn’t win the genetic lottery but his heart is unmatched. A true winner. Sizemore executed a much better gameplan against corbin and his guys were flat ready to take it to corbin.

^^^^^

The bolded... True as can be. I think I'm going to slide Tony below Brad in my coaches rankings. If Tony comes up with a gameplan to beat Sizemore's team at the Arena, I'll consider putting Tony back ahead of him.