Some High Scoring Games Tonite

During the Bolivar tournament I was involved in a discussion about the lack of scoring this year in highschool basketball games. While sitting with a coach, referee, retired coach and a very recent highschool player, all of which shall remain nameless. We were discusing the possible reasons for the lack of scoring. Case in point, the last two nights of the Blue and Gold, especially that Championship Game between Branson and Nixa (39-38 Branson). Seems silly to bring this up on a night when on the Boys side Glendale, Branson and Aurora all put up numbers in the 80's and on the girls side Lebanon was able to hold Nixa to only 91. But I digress, as I was saying before I so rudely interupted myself, how come players today have so much trouble putting the biscuit in the basket? Coaches view: (I am taking a few liberties) The referees have allowed the game to become so physical in an attempt to be like the big boys, that the average highschool athlete is not able to produce. Also, because they have allowed it to become more physical, the consistency has been somewhat lacking. It may be a foul in the 1st quarter and then not in the 4th, and that frustrates players and coaches alike, not to mention fans, (some of which have become nutty). How many times have you seen obvious contact on a shot under the basket and no call and then 80 feet from the basket a minor bump or hand check is called. The Player: Everyone is so much better now both physically and talent wise that defense always improves in basketball when the athletisism improves. There is not as much room on the floor, they are bigger and faster than they ever have been. The retired coach: No fundamentals, everyone wants to be flashy, more concerened with how they look than how they play. They do not work on shooting correctly, setting a good screen and getting someone an open look. Their picking up bad habits during the summer playing to many games in an undisciplined envirement. The referee: The games are shorter, not many fast breaks, not as many whistles, not as many foul shots and an 8 minute quarter goes by faster now because the clock is not stopping.

Well that was interesting to me to see the different theories for lack of offensive production. Maybe it just seems that way, with football teams now routinely scoring in the 40's and 50's maybe we just think the scoring in basketball has gone down. I do not know, or maybe its just everybody who plays Nixa and Mt. Vernon. Well whatever it is, if it is a problem someone will fix it. Maybe after President Obama corrects the BCS, he will help us out.