Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up (Round 12, 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 Melbourne

HOOYAH – Flynn Cameron. Against your former team, you stepped up once again and you’re making a habit of coming up huge in the clutch. 18 points, 8 rebounds and NO turnovers in 38 minutes was instrumental in that overtime win.

HARDEN UP – (with tongue firmly in cheek) Bryce Cotton for fouling out for the first time in your career. Had you guys finished Melbourne off in regulation, your 275 game streak of never fouling out would still be alive. Never mind, just start another one.

Defeated by Illawarra and Perth

HOOYAH – Terry Taylor. In just your second game with the team, I can see why the Bullets' brass went after you. You showcased an all-around scoring package on your way to a team-high 18 points and a team-high 8 rebounds. Welcome to the League.

HARDEN UP – All of you. Just checking if you guys still love basketball because when you lose, you really lose. You’ve already lost five games this season by more than 25 points and against Perth you only scored 62 at home to lose by 24.

Defeated by Tasmania

HOOYAH – Andrew Andrews. ‘Drew’ your game was solid and you’re clearly more comfortable in this Australian style of ball, I respect your 18 points, 5 boards and 8 dimes.

HARDEN UP – Sam Waardenburg. Sam, you’ve been on sidelines all year recovering from ankle surgery, and in your first game of the season, you miss a layup, and punch the LED screen in frustration and now your hand is bleeding. C'mon man, calm down.

Defeated Brisbane

HOOYAH – Javale McGee. The pride of Flint Michigan was back to his dominant self. Javale, you now have more 30-point, 10 -rebound double-doubles than anybody in this current 40 minute era.

HARDEN UP – Wani Swaka Lo Buluk. Every game from here on out is like a playoff game, and it’s all hands on deck. More will be needed from you Wani than 3 points and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes. Time to step it up.

Defeated by Adelaide and Sydney

HOOYAH – Finn Delany. You came up 1 rebound short against Adelaide for your first double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Oh, and you drew a charge on Bryce Cotton, fouling him out for the first time in his 275-game career. You’re a trivia question now.

HARDEN UP – You guys hosted a ‘non-shooting’ clinic against the Kings, missing 27 out of 28 three pointers. Geezus, that’s hard to do!

Defeated by South East Melbourne

HOOYAH – Offensive rebounds. Even though you copped an L, your effort and desire on the offensive glass was brilliant, 20 offensive rebounds is serious work

HARDEN UP – Sam Mennenga. Now Sam, you got muscles on top of muscles, how you shooting airballs from the free throw line? Its 15 feet and you shot it 14 feet hitting nothing but fresh regional Victorian air

Defeated by Sydney, defeated Brisbane

HOOYAH – Team defence. You guys bounced back from your tough Overtime loss to Sydney, by going on the road and holding the Bullets to their season low 62 points.

HARDEN UP – All of you. Losing at home happens to every team, but losing by 37?! The Sydney Kings came to town and turned RAC arena into their personal playground. I saw Red Army members streaming out of the joint late in the fourth quarter because they had seen it enough. Regroup

Defeated by Tasmania, defeated New Zealand

HOOYAH – Nathan Sobey. Classic bounceback game from you ‘Sobes’.  After a quiet 14 points against Tassie, you took out your frustrations on the Breakers, exploding for 36 points, including 7 treys.

HARDEN UP – Plan B. Correct me if I’m wrong, Plan A is play full-court pressure defence for the whole game and shoot a bunch of threes. Against the Jackjumpers, you went 9/38 from three-point land. You guys shot more threes than twos ... AGAIN, is there a Plan B?

Defeated Perth and Melbourne United

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Bul Kuol. Your suffocating, smothering, relentless, uncompromising, and downright scandalous defence completely took Kristian Doolittle out of the game, restricting him to 5 points on 2/10 shooting.

HOOYAH – Kendric Davis. ‘KD’ you went to Perth and treated them like traffic cones. You did whatever you wanted to and showcased your entire offensive repertoire, your midrange J was on point and your three-ball was working, knocking down 7 triples on your way to a match-winning 38 points and 8 assists.

HARDEN UP – Rebounding is crucial to success. Melbourne was without their big rebounding machine Jesse Edwards and you guys still lost the rebounding battle by 17. Keep an eye on that.

Defeated South East Melbourne and Cairns

HOOYAH – Team defence. That was a trademark JackJumper defensive performance that I recognised immediately. Pressure was applied up the floor, traps were made, and there was a general ‘bite’ to your team D. You guys held the Phoenix who came in as the number one offensive team in the league to 81 points.

HARDEN UP – Nick Marshall, you’re having a good season and contributing to wins, but as a starter, you fell victim to the more fouls (3) than points (2) rule. Luckily you guys still got the ‘W’.

HOOYAH – Big games. There was early-season chatter about blowouts, but the product over the past few weeks has been elite. Overtime games, heavyweight rivalries, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide all trading punches, and results being decided late. The NBL is hitting its stride right when it matters most.

HARDEN UP – Jersey clashes. Theme rounds aside, there’s no reason Melbourne and Sydney should be virtually indistinguishable on the same floor at John Cain Arena. Navy, purple, dark trims everywhere. Fans shouldn’t need a second look to work out who’s who. Sort it out.