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SOC 1 Rivalry-Western vs. Eastern any thoughts

western!

Western will have an edge I think. The key to this game will be if Eastern's guards can outplay Westerns. If they do convincingly, Eastern may sneak out one at home. Remember, last season the game went into 2 OT when they played at Eastern!

i dont think eastern has the speed to guard penwell, and they certainly dont have the inside prescence that western has with shanks and smithson

stiff jr. wrote:i dont think eastern has the speed to guard penwell, and they certainly dont have the inside prescence that western has with shanks and smithson

No team around can handle Shanks 1 on 1, so doubles must come. As for penwell, I hear the addition of Thornsberry will more than keep Penwell in check. Plus, our young players have gotten a year stronger/quicker, so I believe we will be much quicker than last season.

there are no two players in that league that have the physical strength that vince and bobbie have, 6'5" 200 pounds and he is benching 220,smithson is 6'3" 225 pounds and he is benching 235, they are much stronger than last season, eastern only has osborne that has a physical frame to match penwells and the quickness to guard him

stiff jr. wrote:there are no two players in that league that have the physical strength that vince and bobbie have, 6'5" 200 pounds and he is benching 220,smithson is 6'3" 225 pounds and he is benching 235, they are much stronger than last season, eastern only has osborne that has a physical frame to match penwells and the quickness to guard him

They are strong and will be a difficult matchup. Not telling Coach Fitch what to do, but I doubt Osborne guards Penwell. I would say Thornsberry or Helton will do fine there.

I believe that for eastern to play with western osborn will have to play cris 90% of the time thornsberry will in time be a fine player and will contribute some now but to check a senior guard whitch is at times a load for any body could be wishfull thinking.i tkink running several fresh players at him to spell osborn when you need osborns energy for offense will be the best plan of attack imo.

i agree with lightle.....they also have hall who can handle the ball he is not as quick as chris but he has good ball handling.......sean flint has never been ineligable just to let you know

who said he was ineligsble they must have ment hall

lightle04 wrote:I believe that for eastern to play with western osborn will have to play cris 90% of the time thornsberry will in time be a fine player and will contribute some now but to check a senior guard whitch is at times a load for any body could be wishfull thinking.i tkink running several fresh players at him to spell osborn when you need osborns energy for offense will be the best plan of attack imo.

Lightle,

I agree maybe a rotation of fresh legs. But thinking back the last couple years, I don't think I've ever seen Osborne guard a point guard. His game has many strenghts, but I wouldn't say that side to side defense is one of them. He always plays much better against bigger players than he does quick guards(unless the quick guards covers him then he can take them easy inside).

Nest,

I dont know which Bryan Osborne that you have been watching but his side to side defense is extremely good. His freshman and sophmore year thats all he did was guard point guards and other very good players in the soc(Jeremy Mcloud, Michael Humprheys, Josh Howell) and done a tramendous job. I believe when he was a freshman he was even put in the game to guard Cam Throughman some. But last season his new coach just didnt know how to play him on offense or defense. And with a player with his skills as a coach you need to be figuring it out!

Crossover,

Aweful sensitive aren't we? You must be misunderstanding my post. I am a big fan of Osbnorne and never said he couldn't guard point guards, just said I din't feel was his major strength(but that doesn't mean weakness either.) By definition, a strength is what a player is absolutley best at....I would say Osborne is best at scrapping hustle plays, driving, and playing much bigger than his size. In fact, I seen on another thread that Osborne's stats were actually similar to Osbornes(coach must have did a little right) My intent was no slam, although I see that you tried to make one. And as to the coach comment, I have coached in Pike County before, and seen Osborne from a pup on up, but now I do mine from the stands where I see just fine. I get to watch and listen to all of the other bleacher coaches. It is amazing what you can see and hear there

Let me give you a tip.....your team might do a little better if you supported the staff and players. Anyhow, as for this bleacher coach, I'll be pulling for the eagles to upset the indians!

Nest
sometimes its not what you say, but how you say it---its called interpretation---I could see where some might think your comment a slam, but I didn't. I think you were trying to point out what Osborne is best at.

As far as his (Osborne) defense goes he can guard anyone at anytime or die trying--he plays with much more intensity and passion than anyone on the team. Remember the game with Western at Eastern last year--it was only when he fouled out in OT that Shanks scored most of his points. But theres no doubt he can guard at point or anywhere else you put him. Don't under estimate him and if utilized correctly he'll be a force to reckon with. I too have watched him from a "pup" and he has successfully guarded the best contenders since his Freshman year when Caldwell wasn't afraid to put him out there.

As for last year we need to forget it---it was a bad year and a learning process for not only players, but the coaches too. This is a new and I'm positive a better year for eastern basketball.

Crossover
Its also nice to see those out there ready to defend an Eastern player---now lets rally the community for that same support!!!

man osborne is aweful popular with everyone how about penwell he can play some d too, as u said he did guard jeremy mcleod but he also probably dropped 30 on eastern that night too

bystander wrote:Nest
sometimes its not what you say, but how you say it---its called interpretation---I could see where some might think your comment a slam, but I didn't. I think you were trying to point out what Osborne is best at.

As far as his (Osborne) defense goes he can guard anyone at anytime or die trying--he plays with much more intensity and passion than anyone on the team. Remember the game with Western at Eastern last year--it was only when he fouled out in OT that Shanks scored most of his points. But theres no doubt he can guard at point or anywhere else you put him. Don't under estimate him and if utilized correctly he'll be a force to reckon with. I too have watched him from a "pup" and he has successfully guarded the best contenders since his Freshman year when Caldwell wasn't afraid to put him out there.

As for last year we need to forget it---it was a bad year and a learning process for not only players, but the coaches too. This is a new and I'm positive a better year for eastern basketball.

Crossover
Its also nice to see those out there ready to defend an Eastern player---now lets rally the community for that same support!!!

Osborne is a very very good player for the Eagles. He's a hard worker and he excels in almost every aspect of the game. However there are instances where he just tries to do too much. He's a team player for the most part but if he would just buy into that concept a little more this year the Eagles have the talent to play with any team in the SOC. Last year the team had a down year with the new coaches and learning a new system. Hopefully the players are ready to go out and work hard and win this year like they are capable of.

This is a good topic to get started. This is by far one of the best rivalries in the SOC as these teams have a chance to play each other up to 4 times a season. Osborne is one of the teams better defenders, and his freshman year was the teams third best guard defender behind Slone and Gullett and was the teams second best defender his soph year behind Slone. Either way he is a good player and can guard any position on the floor. As for the eagles as I have said before on this board, I look for them to be drastically improved from last year and they lose nobody from last years team. The team is a year older and more experienced this year. It looks like the players are taking the weightroom more seriously this year as well. Most of the players have become stronger and quicker than last year.

I'm saying Western they have too much size and talent......Shanks is a great player even though he has the worst # I've ever seen on a uniform but I guess that what makes him unique.

players pick their numbers so he must like that number....i agree that osborne tries to do too much as an individual he has talent but hopefully this year he gets into the same flow as his team. Smithson Shanks Hall and Penwell have been playing together since the third grade they have been in sync for years, i dont think eastern has as many threats offensively that western does. Also on the defensive end western is to big their roster consist of 6'6" in bakenhaster,6'5" in shanks,6'3"in smithson and cooper. korey and vince have the heighth to block shots and smithson and cooper have the strength to guard people down low.Eastern only has heighth and not very much strength.

scarlet_gray wrote:I'm saying Western they have too much size and talent......Shanks is a great player even though he has the worst # I've ever seen on a uniform but I guess that what makes him unique.

why is his number the worst ever? its just a number