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(KB - 03/27/06) The Comets Blue team had
been eliminated from the Essence Girls Basketball Classic an hour before.
Assistant coach Charles Hardy was still sitting in the gym brooding over the
three-point loss. Finally he stood up and approached the Comets opinionated
photographer and webmaster.
He
asked, "Of all the people I know, I know I can count on you for a straight
opinion. Tell me, what is it we need to do? What's missing? What could we have
done to win that game?"
Obviously
questions borne of unfounded despair.
And
the answer was simple and straightforward: Jelana Childs
Jelana
Childs is the key to the Comets Blue team's success. The 6'3" sophomore has
the body and the mentality of a premium power forward. Innately, she is
decisive, powerful, aggressive and intimidating.
Unfortunately,
she also has the footwork of a tenth grade girl.
Fortunately,
her innate skills (which cannot be taught) are vastly more evident than her
footwork (which can be taught).
With
about a week or two of individual training on her footwork, SG believes that
Jelana could be the prototypical power forward in Florida. We watched Jelana
power thru older girls to grab rebounds and then pivot awkwardly to flip up a
layup that drew neither iron nor backboard. She rushed the shot because her
footwork after the rebound left her off balance.
This
happened repeatedly. Great rebound, awkward putback. If even two of Jelana's
putbacks find the net, the Blue team advances past Jacksonville Team Ball. The
Blue team's press is clickin'. Their guards are awesome. Their jumpshooters are
accurate. They rebound well.
But
they don't get any garbage points. They have to work for everything they get.
Quite
simply, the difference between the Comets Blue team and the elite 16U teams
around the state is about 3-4 garbage baskets per game. That's not much. The
Blue team lost to Team Ball by three. Team Ball lost to Essence by three.
Essence lost to the Red team by six. We admit it's not the traditional
scientific method, but it is somewhat indicative.
Offensive rebounding
is Jelana's job and she does it well. If she can translate those rebounds into a
jump hook or an up and under layup or, better, a couple of foul shots, the Blue
team will compete aggressively with the Red team for primacy in the state
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