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North ‘to the world’ : Can All-Stars stop them?
WHAT IS OUR GAME PLAN? Inter-Ward All-Star Coach, Naylon Loncke (left) is locked in discussion with his star forward, Dwayne
By Edison Jefford
The composition of the Inter-Ward All-Star team indicates that it was selected against the rationale of stopping Andrew Ifill and forcing the forward to shoot the ball at a very high percentage. It is a good tactic but it can miscarry.
Ifill has been the biggest problem to defenders in the InterWard Basketball competition where he picked up the MVP Award. The method of going ‘big’ against him could flop because of his ability to also play the guard position.
The venue: Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the battle: Inter-Ward Champs, North Ruimveldt ‘to the world’ vs. Inter-Ward All-Stars, the prize: $200,000 and lots of bragging rights. It’s definitely on in this gruelling Showtime game.
The MVP nailed fade-away jumpers, 15-footers and three-point jump shots on his way to 162 points. The conception that the All-Stars will be successful if they keep Ifill out the paint could dissolve into fallacy tonight.
Dwayne ‘Sugar’ Roberts was the only player that was able to defend Ifill with success in the semi-final stage of the competition. Roberts kept Ifill to 10 points in game one of the best-of-three series and North was blown away.
Roberts has made the All-Star team and is definitely one of the defensive factors that the Coach, Naylon Loncke will consistently employ, but Ifill has an ‘inside-out’ game that is perhaps the biggest problem for the All-Stars.
The selectors went with the lanky and vicious Vivian Alder, Linden’s Jason Alonzo and Royston Siland along with Roberts, which was as defensive as any team can get but the lingering question remains: will they succeed?
Ifill has proven that he can shoot, which is what the All-Star composition will be forcing him to do in the game. If Ifill’s game is on point, then Loncke will be placed in a position to find an emergency defensive alternative.
Besides, if they double Ifill, he will most likely look for options and add to his 26 assists amassed during the tournament. He has Rudy James on defence and Damian Liverpool on both ends of the court. Ifill has many options.
It is clear that the All-Stars went for a defensive team rather than an offensive line-up but there are a few players like Steve Neils, Stephon Gillis and Rodwell Fortune that can put up big numbers on any given game night.
The three All-Star guards pose different and diverse problems for Darcel Harris and Ryan Stephney. The trio combine to form a complete range of guard skills that includes three-point shooting and dribble penetrations.
While Harris and Stephney also have those skills, they are the only ‘true guards’ and with the amount of pounding expected in this game, their fitness will be tested. The All-Stars can rotate tired players on and off their bench.
North has overcome every challenge in the 2009 Inter-Ward competition except the All-Star cast. They are one step away from Hall of Fame status. Can the All-Stars stop North ‘to the world’? Tonight will answer that question.
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