Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up (Round 9, 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 Tasmania and Cairns

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH - Zylan Cheatham: You woke up and chose aggression, and I’m here for it.  A season-high 27 that included three made triples, 14 boards, 4 assists, and 2 blocks against the JackJumpers. An Aggressive ‘Z’ is a major problem for the other teams in this League.

HOOYAH - Bryce Cotton: We got our first overtime of the season, and you went “Biblical” once again against Cairns. The sell-out crowd was treated to another one of your masterpieces, scoring 41 with 8 assists, 4 steals and 0 turnovers. #MVP

HARDEN UP: Pass.

Defeated by New Zealand and Melbourne

HOOYAH - Lamar Patterson: You are the definition of the saying: “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready”. You were recalled as an injury replacement, and on the road against Melbourne, you gave them 18 in 20 minutes.

HARDEN UP - Casey Prather's knee: I felt sick when you went down. Your journey back into the League has been nothing short of remarkable. You were in MVP form. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad a sit could’ve been. Rest up, soldier - I hope to see you back next season.

Defeated by South East Melbourne and Cairns

HOOYAH - Jack McVeigh: Even though your team is on “Struggle Street”, you continue to lead the way with professionalism, passion, and intensity. Falling just short of one of the biggest triple-double I’ve ever seen in the League against Adelaide with 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists - simply phenomenal

HARDEN UP - All of you: Allowing the Phoenix to pile on 64 points in the first half and coughing up the ball 19 times. It’s going to be hard to get off the bottom of the ladder playing like that.

Defeated by Sydney

HOOYAH - Todd Blanchfield: You’ve entered a very exclusive club playing 450 games. This is a testament to your professionalism, work ethic, and how you’ve looked after your body. It’s your 17^th season and you’ve got plenty more in the tank and plenty more threes to make.

HARDEN UP - All of you: In the most heated and intense rivalry in the League, you were at home and let the Kings walk in and smack the taste out of your mouths. They scored more points in the second quarter (35) than you did in the first half (32). A 27-point crushing defeat is gonna sting for a while and so it should.

Defeated Brisbane

HOOYAH - Milton Doyle: The “Silent Assassin” you reminded the League what you’re made of. 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 dimes in a game-winning performance.

HARDEN UP - All of you: You guys are playing with your food. Up 18 heading into the fourth, you allowed the Bullets to score 39 and threaten to pull off a massive upset. A timely reminder that complacency is always your enemy.

Defeated Brisbane, defeated by Perth

HOOYAH - Rob Baker II: You set the tone early against Brisbane with your rebounding (that’s key). You had your first double-double with 12 points & 11 rebounds in only 25 minutes.

HARDEN UP - Izaiah Brockington: You’ve been in good form the past few games, but that came to a screeching halt in Perth. 4 points on 2/8 FG in 22 minutes is absolutely not who you are. Bounce back strong, my man.

Defeated New Zealand

HOOYAH: Kristian Dootlittle: You did the damn “thang” and stood on grown man business against the Breakers. Your 24 (15 in the last quarter) and 14 rebounds were massive.

HARDEN UP: Dylan Windler: I’m surprised to see you here. But when you have the same number of turnovers (3)and fouls (3) as you do points (3), I didn’t have much of a choice. I don’t expect to see you here again.

Defeated Cairns

HOOYAH - Angus Glover: After missing the last two games with an ankle injury, you strolled into Cairns and picked up where you left off. 24 points with 6 made triples and 5 assists.

HARDEN UP - Malique Lewis: You’ve had a lot of impactful games, but this wasn’t one of them. The “more fouls than points” rule forces my hand. When you’re in the NBA next year, you won’t remember this 2-point, 3 fouls game.

Defeated Illawarra

HOOYAH - Tyler Robertson: Prior to this game, you played a total of 16 minutes including 5 DNPs (Did Not Play). When on the bench, your attitude remained positive and upbeat, and I can see the enthusiasm you have for your teammates. With Matthew Dellavedova and Shaun Bruce out, you got your opportunity. In 20 extremely valuable minutes you shot the skin off the ball with 16 points including 4 triples. That’s “WASSUP!”

HARDEN UP - Xavier Cooks (cue the sarcasm): Your Asia Cup Gold Medal winning Boomers’ teammate, Davo Hickey, hit the floor after a rebounding contest, and you tried to help him up. When he denied your kind gesture, you tapped him ever so gently on the knee, which the referees mistook for a sledgehammer. What were you thinking? The refs deemed it “an act of violence” and handed you a technical. That was comedy.

Defeated by Adelaide

HOOYAH - Tyger Campbell: You needed to increase your scoring output with so many of your teammates out injured, and you did just that. Scoring 20 points including 4 made triples kept you guys respectable.

‍HARDEN UP - Josh Bannan: Your 16 points 14 rebounds were huge, but you landed here because you fouled out. With your starting centre Will Magnay out with injury, your value just went up and it was already high. Your team is compromised at the moment with injury, you simple can’t foul out.

HOOYAH – Overtime: Not the award-winning show I’m on with Felix and Hools, I mean the first overtime game of the season. Adelaide and Cairns put on a show for the packed-out crowd and I was lucky enough to be in the building.

HARDEN UP – Acts of violence: It’s no question that this one goes to the referees that deemed Xavier Cooks’ light tap on Davo Hickey’s knee an “act of violence”. It’s rare, but I’m lost for words.