R.L. Bynum
02-09-2008, 09:35 PM
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Is the dunk big-impact stuff?
By Jason Jordan
jjordan@dailypress.com | 247-4648
Bill Weaver dribbles around the basketball court at Bethel, then looks up at the rim. His teammates know what’s about to happen.
They stop shooting around before practice and come over to watch.
Those hanging out after school know, too. They peek through the glass doors at the back of the gym.
Bethel coach Craig Brehon folds his arms and stands at halfcourt to watch.
Weaver backs up, then takes off running toward the basket and takes two dribbles before throwing down a windmill dunk that rocks the rim.
“Wooo-weeee!” Bruins forward Tre Lee screams.
“Dunking is the ultimate rush,” Weaver said. “It’s like being able to fly. When you do it in a game, you feel like you have power over the other team. The dunk is the most exciting play in basketball.”
That’s the general consensus.
But from there, opinions on a dunk’s impact differ.
A player’s rationale is dunks cause momentum. That momentum can translate into victories.
Coaches concur on the momentum, but don’t feel dunks have any bearing on the outcome of the game.
“I definitely feel like dunking is a major plus,” said Weaver, whom we rank as the best dunker in the area (see accompanying list). “It gives you an edge. It makes you feel stronger and faster, like you’re superhuman. It gives you a killer instinct. You turn into someone else when you throw down a hard dunk.”
Warwick boys basketball coach Ben Moore hears that, but says the dunk is slightly overrated, in terms of its impact on the outcome of a game.
“To me, it’s a false emotional high,” Moore said. “I don’t want my players to get too high. Use it for motivation, but don’t get too high. It’s still two points.”
Brehon agreed.
His point is that dunks make up a small percentage of the game.
“It’s probably less than two percent,” Brehon said. “It’s two points. I want that whether it’s a layup or a dunk. The kids like it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I’m thinking about getting back on defense.”
Former Bethel star Duke Crews, now a sophomore forward at Tennessee, was good for a few monster dunks a game during his high school run.
The fury with which he threw down dunks gave him an intimidation factor that preceded him.
A handful of fans even had shirts made with a big picture of Crews dunking on different players and wore them to games.
“It scares other players who are guarding you sometimes,” Crews said.
“They don’t want it to be them getting dunked on, so they’re thinking about that. It definitely gets you and your teammates hype, but the even better part is that it drains the other team. The dunk is a powerful tool.”
Lafayette center Cedrick Jones said that tool transcends the court.
“When you dunk, the crowd is hype and they yell and scream more,” Jones said. “It shuts the other crowd up, too. But you’ve got to make sure that you make it.”
Aside from getting fouled on a few attempts, Weaver has yet to miss a dunk this year.
Good thing, too. Brehon’s rule is simple.
“We don’t prohibit you from dunking, but if you try, you better make it,” Brehon said. “If you miss, you’re probably sitting down. If you’re going up by yourself, you have an advantage to get to the rim, so if you miss it, you’ve got to come out.”
Bethel forward Mbai Olivier found that out after he missed a dunk in his first game with the Bruins. Olivier, originally from Chad in Africa, was one of three players who transferred to Bethel this season.
“The first game, I missed one,” Olivier said. “Coach (Brehon) didn’t like that. I learned it’s so important to make your dunk.”
Even the best of dunks, though, don’t mean that much to Brehon.
“It’s just two points,” he said.
Weaver doesn’t typically stray from Brehon’s perspectives when it comes to basketball. Weaver pondered Brehon’s notion for a second and reached a subconscious compromise.
“Well, it is just two points,” Weaver said. “But it’s a bigger two points.”
Top 5 area dunkers
Here’s fair warning for teams who don’t play great transition defense – Look up and look out. These five area hoopers have the hops that can shift the momentum of a game. Whether rising well above the rim, dunking in traffic or dunking chest-to-chest, these guys have what it takes to put plenty of opposing players on posters. Here’s how the area’s top dunkers feel about their high-wire act.
Bill Weaver, Bethel
“It’s undescribable when you’re flying in the air. It’s a gift that I have. You feel like you can do anything.”
Tracy Newsome, Warwick
“I just feel like superhero or something when I dunk.”
Mbai Olivier, Bethel
“It gives me a lot more energy when I dunk. I love to dunk.”
Cedrick Jones, Lafayette
“My main thing is that dunks get the crowd hype. That gets me more into it.”
Darius Conley, Warwick
“It’s just a feeling you get when you throw it down. It’s like you’re unstoppable.”
Is the dunk big-impact stuff?
By Jason Jordan
jjordan@dailypress.com | 247-4648
Bill Weaver dribbles around the basketball court at Bethel, then looks up at the rim. His teammates know what’s about to happen.
They stop shooting around before practice and come over to watch.
Those hanging out after school know, too. They peek through the glass doors at the back of the gym.
Bethel coach Craig Brehon folds his arms and stands at halfcourt to watch.
Weaver backs up, then takes off running toward the basket and takes two dribbles before throwing down a windmill dunk that rocks the rim.
“Wooo-weeee!” Bruins forward Tre Lee screams.
“Dunking is the ultimate rush,” Weaver said. “It’s like being able to fly. When you do it in a game, you feel like you have power over the other team. The dunk is the most exciting play in basketball.”
That’s the general consensus.
But from there, opinions on a dunk’s impact differ.
A player’s rationale is dunks cause momentum. That momentum can translate into victories.
Coaches concur on the momentum, but don’t feel dunks have any bearing on the outcome of the game.
“I definitely feel like dunking is a major plus,” said Weaver, whom we rank as the best dunker in the area (see accompanying list). “It gives you an edge. It makes you feel stronger and faster, like you’re superhuman. It gives you a killer instinct. You turn into someone else when you throw down a hard dunk.”
Warwick boys basketball coach Ben Moore hears that, but says the dunk is slightly overrated, in terms of its impact on the outcome of a game.
“To me, it’s a false emotional high,” Moore said. “I don’t want my players to get too high. Use it for motivation, but don’t get too high. It’s still two points.”
Brehon agreed.
His point is that dunks make up a small percentage of the game.
“It’s probably less than two percent,” Brehon said. “It’s two points. I want that whether it’s a layup or a dunk. The kids like it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I’m thinking about getting back on defense.”
Former Bethel star Duke Crews, now a sophomore forward at Tennessee, was good for a few monster dunks a game during his high school run.
The fury with which he threw down dunks gave him an intimidation factor that preceded him.
A handful of fans even had shirts made with a big picture of Crews dunking on different players and wore them to games.
“It scares other players who are guarding you sometimes,” Crews said.
“They don’t want it to be them getting dunked on, so they’re thinking about that. It definitely gets you and your teammates hype, but the even better part is that it drains the other team. The dunk is a powerful tool.”
Lafayette center Cedrick Jones said that tool transcends the court.
“When you dunk, the crowd is hype and they yell and scream more,” Jones said. “It shuts the other crowd up, too. But you’ve got to make sure that you make it.”
Aside from getting fouled on a few attempts, Weaver has yet to miss a dunk this year.
Good thing, too. Brehon’s rule is simple.
“We don’t prohibit you from dunking, but if you try, you better make it,” Brehon said. “If you miss, you’re probably sitting down. If you’re going up by yourself, you have an advantage to get to the rim, so if you miss it, you’ve got to come out.”
Bethel forward Mbai Olivier found that out after he missed a dunk in his first game with the Bruins. Olivier, originally from Chad in Africa, was one of three players who transferred to Bethel this season.
“The first game, I missed one,” Olivier said. “Coach (Brehon) didn’t like that. I learned it’s so important to make your dunk.”
Even the best of dunks, though, don’t mean that much to Brehon.
“It’s just two points,” he said.
Weaver doesn’t typically stray from Brehon’s perspectives when it comes to basketball. Weaver pondered Brehon’s notion for a second and reached a subconscious compromise.
“Well, it is just two points,” Weaver said. “But it’s a bigger two points.”
Top 5 area dunkers
Here’s fair warning for teams who don’t play great transition defense – Look up and look out. These five area hoopers have the hops that can shift the momentum of a game. Whether rising well above the rim, dunking in traffic or dunking chest-to-chest, these guys have what it takes to put plenty of opposing players on posters. Here’s how the area’s top dunkers feel about their high-wire act.
Bill Weaver, Bethel
“It’s undescribable when you’re flying in the air. It’s a gift that I have. You feel like you can do anything.”
Tracy Newsome, Warwick
“I just feel like superhero or something when I dunk.”
Mbai Olivier, Bethel
“It gives me a lot more energy when I dunk. I love to dunk.”
Cedrick Jones, Lafayette
“My main thing is that dunks get the crowd hype. That gets me more into it.”
Darius Conley, Warwick
“It’s just a feeling you get when you throw it down. It’s like you’re unstoppable.”