Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up

By Damon Lowery.‍

Round 3 Edition

Author’s note: These opinions are mine and mine alone. It’s NEVER personal and always about the basketball.

A Hooyah is given for exemplary play and standout performances so if you get one – bask in the glory.

A Harden Up signifies an underwhelming effort or poor play so if you get one of these - cop it and just move on.

Defeated by Illawarra, defeated by New Zealand

HOOYAH – Nick Rakocevic: That loss to the Breakers would’ve been way worse if you weren’t playing like a man possessed. 29 points and 16 boards were monstrous and both were career highs.

HARDEN UP – The whole team: When you’ve shocked the entire state of South Australia by being down 30 at the half, y’all gotta wear this one. Your first-half defence against the Hawks was putrid and had more holes in it than an echidna’s waterbed. You allowed them to not only pile on 65 in that half but also shoot 50% from downtown, and you didn’t cause any turnovers.

Defeated by Sydney, defeated by Tasmania

HOOYAH – Tyrell Harrison: Is this a first – a Hooyah and a Harden Up to the same player? Versus Tasmania, you got 15 shots and made 9 to finish with 24 points and 12 boards. Will Weaver, myself and the entire state of Queensland are happy with that.

HARDEN UP – Tyrell Harrison: Shooting 75% in the Sydney game is awesome, but doing it on only 3/4 shots is NOT awesome. Coach Will Weaver, myself and the entire state of Queensland would appreciate it if you never finished a game with only four shots. You’re way too dominant for that foolishness.

Defeated by New Zealand, defeated Melbourne

TRIPLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Reyne Smith: Melbourne United fans came inside John Cain Arena to escape the rain, then got Reyne-d on inside! I’ve been patiently waiting for that shooting explosion. The lefty stroke was lethal: 21 points, including 5/10 from downtown, and the character-revealing win. “Blame it on the Reyne” (Milli Vanilli voice).

HOOYAH – Jaylon Brown: At the end of the third quarter against Melbourne, you were having a Betty Crocker (rhyming slang for shocker). You were 1/9 FG with 2 points and a couple of turnovers. Then something happened in the fourth: you snapped, realised that you were “that dude”, poured in 16 points and broke United’s heart.

HOOYAH – Keanu Pinder: When you picked up your second foul in the first 48 seconds, I said to myself, “Here comes a Harden Up.” But not only did you finish the game with just three fouls, you had a devastating 27 points at 71%. That’s “Wassup”.

HARDEN UP – Defence: You held the Breakers to under 100 but allowed them to get 45 from the three-point line. Giving up 15 made threes will snakebite you every time.

Defeated Adelaide, defeated by South East Melbourne

HOOYAH – Kelan Martin: Staring a possible 0-4 start right in the eyes, you unleashed your scoring prowess and gave Adelaide the business with 28 points.

HARDEN UP – Defence Again: I thought your defence had turned the corner, but you had a relapse. With 4:50 on the clock in the second quarter against the Phoenix, the scores were tied. How on earth did you end up down 18 at the half?

Defeated by Tasmania, defeated by Cairns

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Cole Anthony: Never let it be said that I don’t have appreciation and respect for someone who can drop a 40-piece. Even though it wasn’t enough for the win against Cairns, it was brilliant to watch. After going 1/8 to start the game, you finished with 40 and somehow made it look easy.

HOOYAH – Malith Machar: I’m a massive fan of your work. You started against Cairns and finished as Melbourne’s second-highest scorer with 14 at 71%. Nobody is more confused than me about how you couldn’t get more than 14 minutes. Keep it up, my man.

HARDEN UP – Team Discipline: Against the JackJumpers, I had options. I could’ve had a go at the 5/20 three-point shooting, the 18 offensive rebounds you allowed, or the 16 missed free throws, but I settled on discipline. You collectively took whinging and moaning to another level. I know there were plenty of confusing and frustrating calls, but you’ve gotta do a way better job of controlling your emotions.

Defeated Cairns, defeated Adelaide

HOOYAH – Parker Jackson-Cartwright: You were MVP of last season’s Ignite Cup Championship, helping NZ win $300K. As soon as the $550K Ignite Cup started, I knew that “Wednesday Night Parker” was gonna show up and ball out. You terrorised the Taipans to the tune of 27 points and 10 assists. Then in Adelaide you had a near triple-double with 27 points, 9 boards and 10 dimes, and threw in 2 blocks. Little BIG MAN!

HARDEN UP – Pass.

Defeated South East Melbourne

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Kristian Doolittle: You stood on business once again. With JLA out with a calf, you simply had to do more, and that you did. 22 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds were big-time.

HOOYAH – Elijah “Cayenne” Pepper: I don’t know if you’re superstitious, but whatever you’re doing, keep doing it, ’cause not once, not twice, but three games in a row you’ve dropped 25. South East Melbourne was on the receiving end of your haul and this time you got the win.

HARDEN UP – Rebounding: You somehow survived giving up 17 offensive rebounds … barely. Just so you know, you’re asking for trouble doing that.

Defeated by Perth, defeated Illawarra

HOOYAH – Dash Daniels: The Teenage Mutant. I’m loving your evolution; you’re growing up right before our eyes and now you’re flirting with triple-doubles. Against the Hawks, you turned in an eye-popping performance with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and only needed 23 minutes to do it.

HARDEN UP – Tanner Krebs: I love the way you usually go about your business, but against the Wildcats you went 0/5 in 19 minutes and broke my “Starters can’t go scoreless” rule.

Defeated Brisbane

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Kendric Davis: You’d think if someone went 0/7 from three, they probably didn’t score much, but not in your case. You still finished with 24 points and 7 dimes. Scoring and assisting are innate; it’s the 8 rebounds that raised my eyebrows.

HOOYAH – Makuach Maluach: There’s hot, there’s fiery hot, and there’s surface-of-the-sun hot. And that’s where you’re currently at. If the ball leaves your hand, it’s a good shot right now. I’m surprised when you miss. In three games, your shooting percentage from mid-range is 75% and from downtown it’s 73%. That’s outrageous.

HARDEN UP – Home Sweet Home: Your schedule has been extremely kind, with three straight home games to start the season. Your next game is at home too, off the back of a long break. I’m waiting to see how you guys travel before I get too excited about your form.

Defeated Melbourne, defeated Brisbane

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Will Magnay: In your 100th game, you celebrated with a vintage performance – 17 points, 11 boards, 3 blocks and an important win.

HOOYAH – Taran Armstrong: In one of the strangest games of the season against Melbourne, you delivered the goods with the game-winning bucket. You then backed that up with 29 on the road in Brisbane. They grow ’em tough down there!

DOUBLE HARDEN UP ALERT

HARDEN UP – Josh Bannan: In your first game of the season you would’ve been jumping out of your skin. But you only lasted 18 minutes because you fouled out. You received a tech for taunting (which I thought was soft), a delay-of-game technical after a score (which I thought was silly), and then you had a charge and your night was over. Luckily, you got the win. Gotta be smarter and protect yourself.

HARDEN UP – The Doc: Whoever did the patch-up job on Dakota Mathias’ nose. Dakota copped a stray elbow to the beak that caused a major leak, and stopped him hitting a scoring streak. The medical team taped him up and sent him back out looking like a freak (like what I did there?)!

HOOYAH – Scott Butler: As head of referees, you’ve been doing the media rounds lately, and it’s a great thing. On broadcast you’re clarifying coach’s challenge decisions, and on Mondays you’re fronting the journos and chatting through issues from the weekend. Regarding the Melbourne vs Tasmania game, you admitted it was over-officiated, and that’s great leadership.

HARDEN UP – The Hobart Hack-a-thon: I didn’t think that game between Melbourne and Tasmania would ever finish. 72 total foul shots and six guys fouled out. I picked up two fouls and I was on the couch at home!