Heath Neal's girls have risen to the No. 3 spot in the MaxPreps/CBS State 4A power rankings for this week.
Pea Ridge is just behind No. 2 Harrison whom they battle on the road next week. Interestingly, the Hawks' 4A-1 conference claims five of the top six ranking positions in the computerized rankings. The Hawks' upset win on the road in Farmington last week provided the impetus for the most recent ranking, likely the highest one in Lady Hawk history.
The Hawks have run out to a sparkling 14-2 record with no losses recorded against 4A competition.
The Hawks have utilized an explosive offense to go with an always formidable defense as they travel to Boone County to play for the overall lead in seeding for district pairings. The school that has the overall top seed by season's end will get to host all games in the district format. No single location will host all the district playoff games with the higher seed team being the host of all matchups.
It was recently announced that the green light has been given for Regional Tournament to be played will all teams playing on the same floor. Ozark High School was previously approved for hosting this year's event. Region semifinalists will qualify for the state tournament to be held March 2 though 6 in Morrilton with the State Final to be held March 11-13 in Hot Springs.
MaxPreps/CBS 4A
Girls power rankings
School^power score
Star City^17.6
Harrison^17.3
Pea Ridge^16.0
Farmington^12.9
Shiloh^11.4
Gravette^1.2
Pottsville^10.4
Pulaski^8.6
Pocahontas^8.0
Valley View^6.9
Things I just don't like
I have been watching or playing basketball since 1965 and there are some things that evolved within the game that I just can't abide or understand.
I have watched teams that were behind in a game, some significantly, that have the ball with perhaps 30 seconds left in a quarter and they elect to burn the time and go for a last second shot. I was coached way back that if you are behind with 30 seconds left in any period, score quickly, throw up a hustling defense, get the ball back and try and score again. Shortening a game that you are losing is just kind of counterproductive, to me anyway.
Another habit I have seen some of the Hawks' opposition display is their slowly walking the ball upcourt. For a team to slowly set their offense into motion can be a great thing -- for the defense. Observing both the girls' and boys' teams here in action is a great watch as they are usually in high gear, pedal to the metal.
Whatever happened to the short jumper, the 7- to 10-foot extended shot that provided most of the offense in the days before the 3-point line was introduced? In a recent boys' game, their opposition had numerous wide open shots 5- to 8-feet from the goal but chose every single time to kick it out to the arc or try and drive for a layup. The Hawks have the luxury of having players that can score from anywhere on the floor, thus keeping the defenses honest.
When I cover a game, I keep notes on every single thing that happens, which includes how far out the shots were taken that went in. I have noticed that there have been a lot of times that an opposing team scores 100% of their points from either behind the arc or in the paint. Nothing in between.
Having no middle range offense helps the defense. Teams that have potent 3-point shooters opens things for inside scoring, and effective inside scoring opens things up for the perimeter. Shooting from mid-range, if you have the shooters, is just one more thing for defenses to have to worry about.
Finally, my number one dislike is the penchant that some teams have the need to hard foul their opponent's top scorer. Maybe some coaches think it is legitimate to try and intimidate their opposition's perceived best scorer. It isn't ethical, at least to me. One of the things I have been most proud of being a Blackhawk fan is the conduct of both our players and our coaches in action.
Things I do like
Not to finish my column on a negative note, there are a lot of things I really like, especially with reference to Blackhawk basketball.
First off, is the Blackhawk accumulation of assists. An assist occurs when a player has the ball, spots a teammate with a good chance to scoring, then gets the ball to them which leads to points -- team points. In the boys' runover of Gentry, there were numerous first half assists where a player passed up a shot to get the ball into the hands of a teammate who had a better shot.
The girls team is quite adept at passing, especially the kind that the defense can't pick up on. Crisp, accurate passing puts a defense through a kind of blender, scrambling them so they can't cover shot selections. The Lady Hawks display the effectiveness of a good weights program as they can pass with their fingertips, keeping the defense off balance as to where the pass may actually be going.
In the Hawks' takedown of Farmington last week, the Hawks had many more assists than did the Cardinals, a stat that most likely really decided the final outcomes.
Hustling always makes a coach proud and the Hawks wear knee guards for other reasons that fashion statements. Sliding across the floor on bare knees can be quite painful if done often enough. If the Hawks ever lose a game, it won't be for lack of trying or resignation to failure.
That the Hawks never give up, is a rarely-found commodity. The boys looked to be down and out by halftime of the Farmington game, playing the undefeated conference leader and down double digits. A furious final quarter earned them the win.
The boys have had some hard luck early, and were struggling to string together wins. Their perseverance paid off this week in their comeback and they are back in the thick of things.
As a sports writer, I have experienced that it isn't all that often that coaches will be as open to questions and interviews as our coaches are.
Finally, I really like the Blackhawks mantra of the past few years, "Good to Great!"
Talent levels rise and fall with the years. Acknowledging that doesn't mean that any team is limited to how high they can rise, just because they may lack gifted athletes. Talent is great, but character, attitude and hard work can trump talent.
The best team on any given day is not always the most talented. For that reason, the Hawks desire to be "good to great" can be achieved on a regular basis, and is.
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Editor's note: John McGee, an award-winning columnist, sports writer and art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].