Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up (Round 10, NBL26)

By Damon Lowery.

Author’s note – “HOOYAH” is the battle cry of the Navy Seals and is given out to celebrate great efforts & achievements.

A “HARDEN UP” is given out when a performance has not been at the expected level.

This is STRICTLY about basketball – it is NEVER personal.

Defeated Illawarra and South East Melbourne

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH - Bryce Cotton: The Hawks thought they had you under control when you didn’t score in the first quarter … then you went medieval finishing with 31 points, 13 assists and 0 turnovers on what was a difficult night for you personally.

HOOYAH - Dejan Vasiljevic: Even though you’re coming off the bench, it’s good to see you haven’t lost your flame-throwing ways. You had 0 points in the first half, then ripped the game to shreds dropping 6 triples and finishing with 22.

HARDEN UP: Pass.

Defeated by South East Melbourne

HOOYAH - Jacob Holt: Welcome to the League. Your rookie year was delayed by injury and I can see why the Bullets signed you. I love your aggression and tenacity. 11 points and 9 rebounds in 19 minutes is great work.

HARDEN UP - Lamar Patterson's hamstring: You’ve been providing much-needed relief as a replacement player but if It was up to me, you would be on the team full-time. Recover well.

Defeated by New Zealand

HOOYAH - Jack McVeigh: You’re showing up and showing out. Playing the full game, you unleashed holy-hell with 35 points, 7 boards and 4 assists.

HARDEN UP - Admiral Schofield: You played 24 minutes and only produced 6 points and 2 rebounds. With all that talent and NBA experience, you need to bounce back in a big way.

Defeated by Adelaide and Melbourne

HOOYAH - Will Hickey: You’re back to your stat-sheet-stuffing ways, flirting with another triple-double against Melbourne with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

HARDEN UP - Jonah Bolden: It’s good to see you back after injury, but I can’t turn a blind-eye to you fouling out in the dying seconds of the third quarter, playing a total of 10 minutes. This team needs the best version of you.

Defeated Illawarra and Perth

HOOYAH - Milton Doyle: Welcome to the Hawks/United rivalry. That was a big road win and your 19 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks were instrumental.

HARDEN UP - Team defence: Teams are highly motivated to play against you guys and I’m not used to watching you give up 102 points. Be careful, you don’t want to make that a habit.

Defeated Cairns

HOOYAH - Izaiah Brockington: You enjoyed that tropical Queensland weather and notched up your first double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

HARDEN UP - Rob Loe: You’re a cagey veteran and one of the best shooting bigs. You’re coming off the bench and that’s cool, but not scoring a single point is not. Hopefully you agree.

Defeated Tasmania and defeated by Melbourne

HOOYAH: Kristian Doolittle: You opened up a can of “whoop-ass” on the JackJumpers, giving them a 30-piece, with 5 triples and 6 assists on the side. That’s grown-man business.

HARDEN UP: Elijah Pepper: If you’re coming off the bench and score 2 points, it’s not that big of a deal. But because you started against Melbourne, there’s a level of expectation, especially for a scorer like you. I’m gonna need more than 0/4 from the field and 2/2 free throws. I’m still with you though, “Cayenne” Pepper.

Defeated Brisbane and defeated by Adelaide

HOOYAH - Jordi Hunter: You’ve reminded everyone about that other weapon in your arsenal: The 3 ball. You were shooting 52 per cent from downtown before this round and hit 4/5 from deep to finish with 24 points and 9 rebounds against Brisbane.

HARDEN UP - Owen Foxwell: The game against the 36ers won’t go on your highlight reel. 3 points in 26 minutes is way below your standard. I’m extremely confident (as are you) this won’t happen again.

Defeated by Tasmania

HOOYAH - Kouat Noi: In what was an ugly game from your team, you stood tall. I can always count on you to come off the bench and get buckets, so 18 points in 26 minutes came as no surprise.

HARDEN UP - Bul Kuol: Damn man! I don’t know what you had for breakfast in Tasmania on game day, but it didn’t help. You fouled out halfway through the third, with 0 points! Get back on track after the FIBA break, your team needs you.

Defeated by Perth and defeated Sydney

HOOYAH - Majok Deng: You were big time against Perth with your first double-double of the season. 26 points and 11 rebounds. My man!

HOOYAH - Ben Ayre: Tasmania looks good on you, man. You came off the bench against the Kings and gave them 19 points - your season high. It’s now official, welcome to the “Lil Big Man Society”.

‍HARDEN UP - Tyger Campbell: 5 points in 17 minutes against the Kings is not the type of productivity that your talent should be producing.

HOOYAH – Patrick Ewing: I saw the release of the NBL’s Space Jam jerseys and heard that Patrick Ewing helped design the Bullets’ jersey. As an original cast member of the movie, the NBA legend’s son, Patrick Ewing Jr is an assistant at the Bullets and asked his dad to help design the uniforms. How good!

HARDEN UP – Mid-season trade period: It’s time to bring in a mid-season trade period. How good would it be, that during the mandatory FIBA Break or half-way point of, teams could do deals to swap players.