Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up (Round 15, 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 Sydney and Brisbane

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Flynn Cameron: You are hotter than leather seats in a parked car in Darwin in summer. You shot the leather off the ball missing only one shot for the game including 6 of 7 threes. You had a game and career-high of 25 in a big-time win over the Kings.

HOOYAH – Zylan Cheatham: How do you dominate a game by only taking three shots? First, you gotta make all of them, then get on the glass and grab 8 boards and drop 10 dimes. I can’t recall seeing a game like that. Incredible.

HARDEN UP – Lackadaisical starts: You had to come from behind in the second half to put away an extremely depleted Bullets’ lineup. Be careful out there, complacency is never far away.

Defeated by Sydney and Adelaide

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Jacob Holt: Your club is going through a lot, but it’s great to see how you're carrying yourself.  Against the Wildcats you led the team in scoring and were the only player who scored in double figures with 17, plus 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block in 23 minutes. Stay focused and keep it going.

HOOYAH – Hunter Maldonado: Not many players have two debuts for two different teams in the same season. In your first game you played the 36ers off the bench and delivered 16 points, 9 assists and 2 steals. That’s “Wassup”.

HARDEN UP – All of Tyrell Harrison’s teammates: Why? Because Tyrell is 7’1’, your leading scorer with 17 points and 10 rebounds at over 60% shooting, but against the Kings you let him play the first half with only one shot. Tyrell finished with five shots. You guys are perfectly fine with him setting an infinite amount of picks, but you won’t feed him the ball in his sweet spots. I don’t know how you sleep at night.

Defeated by South East Melbourne and Illawarra

HOOYAH – Kyrin Galloway: You’re averaging the most minutes of your career (22) and your activity and productivity was great against the Hawks with a near double-double.

HARDEN UP – Ball security: You were leading at the half against the Phoenix and got outscored by 19 in the second half. The major reason? 22 turnovers. Back-to-back wooden spoons is coming your way if you don’t tidy up the ball security.

Defeated Tasmania and Cairns

HOOYAH – Twin Towers: When was the last time you saw two supremely athletic 7 footers in a starting lineup? JaVale McGee finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds and a whopping 6 blocks while in just his second game of the season, Sam Froling had another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Big man basketball is back.

HARDEN UP – Biwali Bayles (WARNING): You broke my “Starters Must Score” rule, with 0 points. But I’ll let this one slide because you’ve only started twice and the energy and intensity you’ve brought has been brilliant, and far outweighs the goose egg.

Defeated by Tasmania

HOOYAH – Tyson Walker: 20 points on 7/10 shooting were desperately needed. You made several electrifying plays in transition that made me hit the rewind button.

HARDEN UP - Scoring: You guys look like the same team that went 9-0 to start the season, but you’re not even close to that team. You could only manage 75 and have now lost 6 of your last 8 games. I’m flabbergasted.

Defeated by Perth

HOOYAH – Carlin Davison: In 21 minutes off the bench, you had 14 on 6/6 shooting including two triples and two ‘filthy’ dunks. You’re only scratching the surface of what you can do in this League.

HARDEN UP – Losing home games: The longest road trip in the League is the Perth to New Zealand trip. You guys let the Wildcats come to town and get extra comfortable and hand you your 14^th L of the season. Protect your house.

Defeated Brisbane and New Zealand

HARDEN UP– Dylan Windler: Good to see you back to your best, my man. A nice double-double against the Breakers with 4 made triples and 10 boards in a much needed road “dub”.

HOOYAH – Turnovers: 18 turnovers allowed the Breakers to hang around and keep it close. Clean that up.

Defeated by Tasmania, defeated Cairns

HOOYAH – Nathan Sobey: The evergreen Sobey scoring tour continues. In Tasmania you had 27 including 5 triples and then 30 with 10 assists and NO turnovers against Cairns.

HARDEN UP – Wes Iwundu: It happens to the best of em. Sometimes you can’t hit the sand even if you fall off a camel. Going 1/10 FG in Tasmania was harsh but full credit for bouncing back against the Taipans going with 7/11 FG.

Defeated Brisbane, defeated by Adelaide

HOOYAH – Hunter Goodrick: This is the essence of a HOOYAH - a Rookie who signed as a nominated injury replacement, that no one saw coming. You’re playing backup centre at just 6’7 and contributing big time to a fourth place team. 6 points, 8 rebounds, and an uncompromising hard-nosed defence against the Bullets in 13 minutes. Absolutely love your work.

HARDEN UP – Bul Kuol's knee: After what looked like an awkward clash, you didn’t take part in the second half but it was good to see you back on the bench wearing an ice pack and supporting the team. Hopefully you’re back soon.

Defeated South East Melbourne and Melbourne, defeated by Illawarra

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Majok Deng: I haven’t missed one meeting of the “Majok Deng’ Fan Club” and it looked like you had enough of all those home losses. Your 21 points and 7 boards off the bench against the Phoenix made sure the Ant Army got to celebrate a win.

HOOYAH – Will Magnay: I’ve been calling for this, because I knew you were capable. You pulverised Melbourne with a career-high in minutes played (36), career-high in points (27), 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, and the dagger 3-ball to send them home.

HARDEN DUP – O boards: You allowed the Phoenix to maul you on the offensive glass with 20 offensive rebounds. That’s very “un-Jackie-like”.

HOOYAH – Allen Iverson: Getting Allen Iverson to HoopsFest is a masterstroke, off the back of having Carmelo Anthony and Kenny Smith last year. Who wouldn’t want to go along and meet "The Answer”?

HARDEN UP – Malfunctioning clocks: Why does it always happen right before the tip? Just as the referee is about to throw the ball up – the clocks don’t work. We need an equipment audit and all the venues need to have the latest and greatest technology – standard! It happens way too often.