We played on the road this weekend and picked up a big win. The opposing team got off to a very fast start the first quarter as we found ourselves down 30-22 after the first 10 minute period. We knew we had to dig deep defensively and put a stop to that...and that is exactly what we did. We held them to just 6 points in the 2nd quarter as we went into halftime with a 42-36 lead.
The second half was solid all around for our team. We continued to play tough defense as well as get good looks offensively. As the final buzzer sounded it was Anwil 88 and Kotwica Kolobrzeg 74. I know I have talked about this already in past posts, but I really enjoy how everyone on our team is a threat offensively and can score. We have such a balance in the team that it is tough for opposing defenses to contain all of our guys.
We have a home game this weekend on Saturday. Only 5 more games to finish out the regular season before we begin our rigorous playoff schedule.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Helping out around the community
Earlier this week a few of us on the team participated in the opening ceremony for a local gym in the area. We played in a friendly game against a local team and just hung out with some of the fans.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Polish Cup Game
We had a game earlier this week. It was the semi-final game of the Polish Cup. The Cup is a tournament that is played in the second half of the year against the best Polish teams. It is kept separate from the league record, but most often the games are played against teams within our league. We had to play away so we drove by bus close to the Germany border. It was over 7 hours in the bus, but it wasn't bad due to the fact that we took several breaks.
Our opponent, Turow, was a very good team and they showed this by jumping out to an early lead. The substitution rotation this game found me playing the entire 2nd and 4th quarters. My teammate in my position played the 1st and 3rd quarters. After the early lead taken by Turow, we fought back and made the game close towards the end of the 1st half. But by halftime we were down several possesions again.
The atmosphere in the gym was VERY loud. Noise-makers are not banned from these games, so my ears literally were ringing long after being on the court. It reminded me of the cow-bells that SDSU used to use in their arena. The gym was small and packed which added to the hostility. The game was also aired on Polish TV. It was a fun atmosphere to play in.
The second half was very similar to the first. They jumped out to a lead as we came storming back to make it a close game, but we couldn't quite take the lead back. So after fouling several times at the end we ended up losing the game by 9 points. The championship game is being played Sunday in Warsaw.
If you want the offical write-up of the game, along with stats, click here.
We now have until next Saturday (the 27th) until our next match. It is a road league game.
God bless you all!
Our opponent, Turow, was a very good team and they showed this by jumping out to an early lead. The substitution rotation this game found me playing the entire 2nd and 4th quarters. My teammate in my position played the 1st and 3rd quarters. After the early lead taken by Turow, we fought back and made the game close towards the end of the 1st half. But by halftime we were down several possesions again.
The atmosphere in the gym was VERY loud. Noise-makers are not banned from these games, so my ears literally were ringing long after being on the court. It reminded me of the cow-bells that SDSU used to use in their arena. The gym was small and packed which added to the hostility. The game was also aired on Polish TV. It was a fun atmosphere to play in.
The second half was very similar to the first. They jumped out to a lead as we came storming back to make it a close game, but we couldn't quite take the lead back. So after fouling several times at the end we ended up losing the game by 9 points. The championship game is being played Sunday in Warsaw.
If you want the offical write-up of the game, along with stats, click here.
We now have until next Saturday (the 27th) until our next match. It is a road league game.
God bless you all!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Highlights from last game
We are the team in white. I am wearing the number 32 in this game, but I think I will be number 22 for the rest of the season.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
First game with new team!
Tonight was my debut with Anwil Wloclawek of Poland. It was a very important game for us because we are in 2nd place in the league and the team we played tonight, Polpharma, is in 3rd place. Going into tonight's match up we had a record of 16-3 while Polpharma was 14-5. So as you can see it was very important to get the win to seperate ourselves from them in the standings.
Going into the game I wasn't sure how much playing time I would get because it is a new situation and I just arrived earlier in the week. I just stayed ready if coach called on me and cheered my team on from the bench. We got off to a good start as we raced out to an early 8 point lead, but that lead diminished as we closed out the first quarter up by only 2. The second quarter stayed close as well as we went into halftime up by 5 points. I didn't play at all in the first half, but it was a good chance to get a feel for the game and the atmosphere. The Anwil fans were great. They filled up the seats and were loud.
As the 3rd quarter progressed it became a back and forth battle. We just couldn't pull away. I think we were down by 1 when coach looked to me to enter the game for the first time. I went in with 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Right away I got a quick garbage basket from a loose ball put back, and then I hit a 3 pointer on a pick and pop a little bit later. I then got a pass from our center and put in a short jumper as we jumped ahead by 7 points at the end of the quarter. Coach played me the rest of the game as we eventually won by 17 points. It was a great team win.
I knew my playing time would be limited so I just wanted to play as hard as I could and give 110% effort. The first few buckets I got were a nice little added bonus with the win, but I did miss a few more shots than I wanted to in the 4th. :) But that is what I like so much about this team. It is very well balanced. There isn't just one or two guys they look to. It is a very well-balanced attack on offense. And this style has obviously brought a lot of success to the team so far.
So now our record is 17-3 and we stand alone in 2nd place in the league. Our next game is Wednesday. This game is for the Polish Cup. The Polish cup is a season-long tournament that is played throughout the year. We are in the final four right now, so if we win on Wednesday on the road then we will be in the championship game for the Polish Cup title.
Going into the game I wasn't sure how much playing time I would get because it is a new situation and I just arrived earlier in the week. I just stayed ready if coach called on me and cheered my team on from the bench. We got off to a good start as we raced out to an early 8 point lead, but that lead diminished as we closed out the first quarter up by only 2. The second quarter stayed close as well as we went into halftime up by 5 points. I didn't play at all in the first half, but it was a good chance to get a feel for the game and the atmosphere. The Anwil fans were great. They filled up the seats and were loud.
As the 3rd quarter progressed it became a back and forth battle. We just couldn't pull away. I think we were down by 1 when coach looked to me to enter the game for the first time. I went in with 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Right away I got a quick garbage basket from a loose ball put back, and then I hit a 3 pointer on a pick and pop a little bit later. I then got a pass from our center and put in a short jumper as we jumped ahead by 7 points at the end of the quarter. Coach played me the rest of the game as we eventually won by 17 points. It was a great team win.
I knew my playing time would be limited so I just wanted to play as hard as I could and give 110% effort. The first few buckets I got were a nice little added bonus with the win, but I did miss a few more shots than I wanted to in the 4th. :) But that is what I like so much about this team. It is very well balanced. There isn't just one or two guys they look to. It is a very well-balanced attack on offense. And this style has obviously brought a lot of success to the team so far.
So now our record is 17-3 and we stand alone in 2nd place in the league. Our next game is Wednesday. This game is for the Polish Cup. The Polish cup is a season-long tournament that is played throughout the year. We are in the final four right now, so if we win on Wednesday on the road then we will be in the championship game for the Polish Cup title.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
New Team!
Hey everyone. Sorry for the absence of new posts on my blog. I have been trying to decide which direction to take my career. And I have finally decided...
After turning down a few basketball job offers that did not catch my attention, I have decided to sign with a team in Poland. After leaving Pavia I was waiting for the right offer to come along and not just dive into something too fast. So after much deliberation I accepted a job from the team Anwil Wloclawek. Don't try to sound that last part out...trust me...I have asked my teammates 100 times how to say it and I STILL can't pronounce it correctly.
So I am now living in Wloclawek, Poland. Anwil is the sponsor. The team currently is in second place in the top league in Poland. What interested me about this team is that they have a winning tradition, a good fan base, and great facilities. This team also had offered me a job before the season started and I was very close to taking the job then instead of going to Italy. The Pavia job and this Anwil job were my final two possibilities that I had to choose between. So luckily, it seems, the team still wanted me after I left my Italian team.
I signed the contract a few days ago and flew out here. I even brought my parka with me as Poland can get quite cold. It is not as cold as MN or ND, but it is definitely not too far behind. The past fews days I have spent getting to know the coaches and my teammates and getting settled into my apartment. We have had several practices already and I like everything so far. Coach here is an intense guy and really wants his players to go hard all day. I don't mind the hard work, so this shouldn't be a problem. The head coach doesn't speak English so the assistant coach translates for us at practice.
The team website is: http://www.wtkanwil.com.pl/ if you want to check it out.
This picture below is of me and the coaches talking when I first arrived in Wloclawek.
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