Ciao! (Sigh)...things have been a little tense around the team so far, simply because we have faced adversity early on in the season. Injuries, new players coming to the team and trying to play with each other all contribute to the adversity that the team is facing. On top of that we play the other top 4 teams in the league for our first four games. I think that we have a very good team this year and it will all come together very soon.
Last Monday we played an away game at Haifa and I was excited because it was really my first game and I was looking to really help the team bounce back after a tough loss last week. I was a little worried about my conditioning since I hadn't been able to run or play for a month but all that went out the door when the game started. The first half was going back and forth for both team exchanging the lead but we went in the half down by one. We didn't play well at all on defense and we didn't box out allowing them to get easy shot after easy shot. In the second half both team still played even but Haifa made a 10-0 run that really made the difference in the game and we were never really able to retake the lead. We had our opportunities in the end but we couldn't get any defensive stops or defensive rebounds. We lost 84-76 and I ended up with 19pts 3rebs & 3 stls. I really felt a lot of responsibility for letting my team down in the second half because I wasn't my normal self and I was exhausted. The lack of conditioning and only 5 days of practice really came back to haunt me.
This week I have have been doing some extra cardio and weight training to get my shape back. Regardless, each week I will get better and the team will as well. This week we face Maccabi at home and it is sure to be a tough one. Last year we let them escape with a three point win at our place, I'm going to do my hardest to not to let it happen again this year.
Its good to see that college basketball season is about to get under way. I've been able to check out my Alma Mater(University of Louisville) in their two exhibitions and its good to see the new guys in uniform after playing with them in the summer. I think they will be pretty good this year with a senior lead backcourt and dominant big man in the middle. I will be watching to see if they open the season with a three guard/two forward line-up. 'Til next week.....Peace!
STC
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Season Opener
Hey whats going on!!! The season is officially under way and the exciting part of the year is just starting. Last saturday we opened the season with a home game against Hapoel, who is loaded with talent. We jumped on them early in the game and had a 9 pt. lead because they came out a little sluggish. Both teams were playing defense really well and we went into half time tied up at 36. In the 2nd half, we started to wear down due to a short bench and fatigue set in. We were missing point blank shots and turning the ball over at an alarming rate. That gave Hapoel easy transition shots and down the stretch they hit back to back 3's to put the game away. We had our opportunites in the end but came up short 82-75.
I played only 4 minutes of the game and had to sit down because I could not move with my foot injury and with only two days of half practice. But now I have been continuing my rehab and Im nearly back to my regular self. Practice has been going well and I am able to go 100%. So I look forward our next game Nov. 1 against Haifa and helping my team get on the winning track.
Son Of The City
Saturday, October 10, 2009
INJURY BUG
Whats up...the pre-season is passing right along but without me for the past week. I have been nursing a mysterious foot injury that I attained last Sunday during practice. I believe when I came down from a lay up, it just sort of jammed when I landed. Nothing felt funny or seemed funny when I landed but sometimes enough stress on an area can cause any type of injury. The team doctor took an X-ray of my foot and everything looked normal. He diagnosed the injury as a simple bruise to the ligament in my foot. It doesn't bother me when I run in a straight line, but hinders my lateral mobility when I try to play.
The team has been doing pretty well with me out of the line-up, we won a exhibition game last tuesday and have been having decent practices. I am going to be back in the line-up tomorrow evening for practice and take it easy and work my way back up to full speed. I think the guys will enjoy my presence being back out there with them on the court and the intensity of things will go up another level. We have two more preseason games before we open up the season against Jerusalem at home October 25th. So its time to focus and keep things going in the right direction but at a steady pace for me. Peace...
Son Of The City
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Great Summer
Basketball season is around the corner and I am excited to get things kicked off in the near future. But wanted to start the first blog of the season off with a review of summer camp. This past summer we had two basketball camp sessions: one at St. Stephens and another at Mid-America sports complex. The coaching staff and myself had a great time coaching the kids this summer and it was definitely the highlight of my summer. My summer was pretty stressful trying to study for my CPA exam, so to spend a whole two weeks with the youth and take my mind off of the test was a big help for me.
We had a great time because the kids were laughing and smiling and Im not sure who had more fun during the camp week the kids or the coaches. I believe that is what makes the camp so special because not only are the kids working hard and learning but have instructors who are enjoying it just as much as they are. Both camp championships came down to the last play of the game and really made it fun. I had some funny moments giving out technical fouls during the camp sessions to the coaching staffs as well.
We really look forward to seeing the kids at camp in summer 2010. As the detaisl emerge for the camp in 2010, it will be updated on the Larry O'Bannon website.
LO
We had a great time because the kids were laughing and smiling and Im not sure who had more fun during the camp week the kids or the coaches. I believe that is what makes the camp so special because not only are the kids working hard and learning but have instructors who are enjoying it just as much as they are. Both camp championships came down to the last play of the game and really made it fun. I had some funny moments giving out technical fouls during the camp sessions to the coaching staffs as well.
We really look forward to seeing the kids at camp in summer 2010. As the detaisl emerge for the camp in 2010, it will be updated on the Larry O'Bannon website.
LO
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Finale
What up What up!! The season is finally over and I have made my way back to Louisville, Ky. The last time I blogged, my team was in a best of 5 playoff series and we were up 1-0. The second game proved to be a very tough game at home and Givat showed a lot of fight. We jumped on top of them early in the game but they showed character in fighting back. But in the end, our team was just hitting on all cylinders and one sign of that was a shot I made at the end of the game. I was falling out of bounds behind the backboard as the shot clock ran down; shot the ball over the backboard and hit all nets as the horn sounded. That definitely send their team into a deflation and we went on to win game two 81-67. I had 20pts, 7 rebs and 6 asst in that contest which put us up 2-0.
Game 3 was back on the road and Givat jumped on us early 21-12 after one quarter because we came out the gates very sluggish and slow. A few minutes in the second quarter the tides had turned and we had turned up the defense. this allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy dunks on te fast break. The games momentum had jumped to our side by half time as we took a 37-34 lead. After halftime, we could sense defeat and the game turned into a complete route as we won 90-64. I finished the game with 17pts, 4rebs and 6 assts, with most of the work coming in the first half. So we finished our season on a good note winning our consolation series 3-0 and feeling pretty good.
It was a good season for myself, I finished 4th in the league in scoring(17.6ppg) and 1st in free throw percentage(90.7%). Im looking forward to being home and taking a few weeks off then get into my off-season workouts.
Basketball Camp is coming up soon so make sure you register your child for camp and look forward to keeping you posted throughout the summer as the foundation has events around the city. God is Good....
LO
Game 3 was back on the road and Givat jumped on us early 21-12 after one quarter because we came out the gates very sluggish and slow. A few minutes in the second quarter the tides had turned and we had turned up the defense. this allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy dunks on te fast break. The games momentum had jumped to our side by half time as we took a 37-34 lead. After halftime, we could sense defeat and the game turned into a complete route as we won 90-64. I finished the game with 17pts, 4rebs and 6 assts, with most of the work coming in the first half. So we finished our season on a good note winning our consolation series 3-0 and feeling pretty good.
It was a good season for myself, I finished 4th in the league in scoring(17.6ppg) and 1st in free throw percentage(90.7%). Im looking forward to being home and taking a few weeks off then get into my off-season workouts.
Basketball Camp is coming up soon so make sure you register your child for camp and look forward to keeping you posted throughout the summer as the foundation has events around the city. God is Good....
LO
Monday, April 27, 2009
Parking Tickets
What up! What up! The team trust concept that I blogged about last time out is having a positive snowball effect on our team. Our last regular season game against Ramat Gan was a good defensive game for us because our offense wasn't as sharp but we still were able to find a way to win. Our goal was to not let them score more than 17pts a quarter and we exceeded that by only allowing them score 57pts(14.25pts/qtr.) for the entire game. We came out on top 68-57 and I had 15pts and 6rebs.
Yesterday we had our first playoff game in a best of 5 series and it was on the road against Givat Schmuel. We jumped out on them from the gate and went on to win 82-72. We were able to create a lot of steals and get a lot of deflections which lead to a lot of fast break points. I had 16pts, 8rebs and 5stls during this contest. Now we must stay focused and finish out the series strong and not allow them gain any confidence back on our home court in the next game.
Besides basketball, I have just been studying and trying to familiarize myself with my accounting review books. The closer I get to taking the actual CPA exam, I think my brain melts..lol! But I'm looking forward to the challenge and accomplishing another goal that I set for myself. I'm scheduling to take it in August right before I have to report back to Europe, but that means I have to pay all of my parking tickets from school(dang!) to get my transcripts. LOL! Looking forward to seeing my family and watching my niece play AAU basketball this summer. Her name is JaVonna Layfield, a 7th grader at Meyzeek Middle School, and she is growing up and developing as a ball player and young lady. She could be the best baller of the family in the end, and I rarely admit to someone being better than me:-) I think my other neice and nephews are waiting for me to come home just to jump on me and try some of their wrestling moves on me! LOL! Gotta love it....
Going to swim some of these bumps an bruises out today from the game....Gone!
LO
Yesterday we had our first playoff game in a best of 5 series and it was on the road against Givat Schmuel. We jumped out on them from the gate and went on to win 82-72. We were able to create a lot of steals and get a lot of deflections which lead to a lot of fast break points. I had 16pts, 8rebs and 5stls during this contest. Now we must stay focused and finish out the series strong and not allow them gain any confidence back on our home court in the next game.
Besides basketball, I have just been studying and trying to familiarize myself with my accounting review books. The closer I get to taking the actual CPA exam, I think my brain melts..lol! But I'm looking forward to the challenge and accomplishing another goal that I set for myself. I'm scheduling to take it in August right before I have to report back to Europe, but that means I have to pay all of my parking tickets from school(dang!) to get my transcripts. LOL! Looking forward to seeing my family and watching my niece play AAU basketball this summer. Her name is JaVonna Layfield, a 7th grader at Meyzeek Middle School, and she is growing up and developing as a ball player and young lady. She could be the best baller of the family in the end, and I rarely admit to someone being better than me:-) I think my other neice and nephews are waiting for me to come home just to jump on me and try some of their wrestling moves on me! LOL! Gotta love it....
Going to swim some of these bumps an bruises out today from the game....Gone!
LO
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Team Trust
Hey! Whats going on! The season is winding down and our team is trying to finish on a high note! The last few weeks the team has been going through some rough spots and has endured some tough losses. Its also been a very tough last couple of weeks for me personally as well because I have been battling with a really bad flu virus that had zapped all of my energy and has not had me feeling well.
The last blog that I left off with, we were coming off a tough loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv at home, and facing Jerusalem on the road. When the game came to Jerusalem, we played Jerusalem as a bunch of individuals and not as a team, so it showed for most of the game. Nobody on the team was trusting in one another, so there was frustration on the court. That attitude showed in the way we played offense and it definitely leaked to the defensive end and it cost us a very valuable game toward staying in playoff contentions. We lost to Jerusalem 74-96 and I had 15pts and 5rebs. I didn’t get a lot of shots but with the attitude we had as a team, it wouldn’t have made a difference at all.
The next game on our schedule was against Bnei Sharon, a team that is fifth in the league standing, and has a front line of shot blockers. Practice leading up to this game had been pretty well but it didn’t make any difference because our team still had the selfish state of mind once the game began. Everyone, including myself, was playing for themselves and we looked very bad on our home court. Missing lay-up after lay-up along with a running number of turnovers turned into easy baskets on the opposing end for Beni Sharon. We were out of rhythm from the tip and never threatened Bnei Sharon in this game and proceeded to lose 95-78. It was not only a loss that knocked us out of the playoffs but just made us look bad as players with the forced shots and “one on five” demeanor we all possessed. I had 9pts and 6rebs to finish the game.
After that game, we had a players meeting to discuss how bad the team was looking and how we must trust each other in order to win any more games left in the season. It was a very intense meeting but much needed and some of the players went to go bowling after to just take our minds away from the situation at hand. We laughed and had a great time, which turned out to be a very great move for us as individuals and as a team. Our next game was a road test against a team from northern Israel called Nahriya, who was coming off a huge win against Jerusalem the previous week. There was a noticeable difference from the beginning of the game about our team and it was evident our team state of mind had changed. The ball was swinging from side to side and extra passes were being made; This resulted in a higher percentage of made shots for our team. Our defense became stronger and we were ahead by 10 points the whole first half. The second half started and Nahriya made a huge run and had us down by as many as 9 in the third quarter. It was an interesting point in the game because it was a great test to see if we were going to stay together as a team and face adversity or revert back to the “one on five” mentality and have everyone try to bring us back individually. It turned out to be a great game and we were able to come away with the win in over-time. It happened because we stayed together and overcame the adversity and kept our trust in one another. I finished the game with 25pts and 8rebs....The old saying, “United we stand, divided we fall” still holds truth!
It feels good to be back on the winning side of the table and hopefully this will keep our team confident going into our regular season finale next Sunday against Ramat Gan. I have about another three weeks and I will be returning back to the Ville! Until then, back to the gym…..Peace!
Son Of The City
The last blog that I left off with, we were coming off a tough loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv at home, and facing Jerusalem on the road. When the game came to Jerusalem, we played Jerusalem as a bunch of individuals and not as a team, so it showed for most of the game. Nobody on the team was trusting in one another, so there was frustration on the court. That attitude showed in the way we played offense and it definitely leaked to the defensive end and it cost us a very valuable game toward staying in playoff contentions. We lost to Jerusalem 74-96 and I had 15pts and 5rebs. I didn’t get a lot of shots but with the attitude we had as a team, it wouldn’t have made a difference at all.
The next game on our schedule was against Bnei Sharon, a team that is fifth in the league standing, and has a front line of shot blockers. Practice leading up to this game had been pretty well but it didn’t make any difference because our team still had the selfish state of mind once the game began. Everyone, including myself, was playing for themselves and we looked very bad on our home court. Missing lay-up after lay-up along with a running number of turnovers turned into easy baskets on the opposing end for Beni Sharon. We were out of rhythm from the tip and never threatened Bnei Sharon in this game and proceeded to lose 95-78. It was not only a loss that knocked us out of the playoffs but just made us look bad as players with the forced shots and “one on five” demeanor we all possessed. I had 9pts and 6rebs to finish the game.
After that game, we had a players meeting to discuss how bad the team was looking and how we must trust each other in order to win any more games left in the season. It was a very intense meeting but much needed and some of the players went to go bowling after to just take our minds away from the situation at hand. We laughed and had a great time, which turned out to be a very great move for us as individuals and as a team. Our next game was a road test against a team from northern Israel called Nahriya, who was coming off a huge win against Jerusalem the previous week. There was a noticeable difference from the beginning of the game about our team and it was evident our team state of mind had changed. The ball was swinging from side to side and extra passes were being made; This resulted in a higher percentage of made shots for our team. Our defense became stronger and we were ahead by 10 points the whole first half. The second half started and Nahriya made a huge run and had us down by as many as 9 in the third quarter. It was an interesting point in the game because it was a great test to see if we were going to stay together as a team and face adversity or revert back to the “one on five” mentality and have everyone try to bring us back individually. It turned out to be a great game and we were able to come away with the win in over-time. It happened because we stayed together and overcame the adversity and kept our trust in one another. I finished the game with 25pts and 8rebs....The old saying, “United we stand, divided we fall” still holds truth!
It feels good to be back on the winning side of the table and hopefully this will keep our team confident going into our regular season finale next Sunday against Ramat Gan. I have about another three weeks and I will be returning back to the Ville! Until then, back to the gym…..Peace!
Son Of The City
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