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It looks like the Jaywalkers are responsible for the loss with Sehularo being hurt and Jorg not making the big shot. Sorry!

Thanks so much for these awesomely detailed recaps, it's really cool. I wish you had a team in South Africa instead of your native Italy.

It looks like the Jaywalkers are responsible for the loss with Sehularo being hurt and Jorg not making the big shot. Sorry!

Thanks so much for these awesomely detailed recaps, it's really cool. I wish you had a team in South Africa instead of your native Italy.

Not too bad anyway. Jorg is missing something in shooting and -yes- I regret the absence of Sehularo, but injuries are injuries.

I appreciate you reading my recaps - I try to transfer my passion to all of you, either winning or losing!

I should be adopted by SA, one day or the other ;)

edit: let me also add that I have to thank all of you managers for the good job done. If players can perform well, that depends on you!

Last edited by GM-BlackMouse at 6/8/2010 4:47:44 PM

It was the game against our kind host, the named champions, the toughest team of the tournament.

South Africa vs Misr, months after that unfortunate start with a loss in final quarter. Nothing to be contest, apart of pride and some ranking. A new player joined our team, Jabulani Mtolo, in advance to next year. I decided to play face to face against Misr: Look Inside against Look Inside, same type of roster, enforced by a 2-3 zone.

Misr played this time with our same attitude. A quick starter pushed Misr ahead 7-0, before first scoring by Schartner. After first score by Wagana we were trailing by 5, but Misr accelerated again, thanks to our awful attack (12 points in 11', with Magubane taking and missing many shots). 2 + 2 assists by Schartner closed Q1 with a not too bad 26-18.

In Q2 Schartner and Magubane brought South Africa to -4, while defence almost shut Misr down, in a low scoring quarter. A three pointers by Teka closed the gap to 3, then additional 2 to -1. At 1'53 Schartner took an inside shot, giving us the first lead: 37-36, before additional two by Magubane to close H1 leading by 3 (39-36)!

In Q3, South Africa started very aggressively, pushed by a motivated Wagana. At 8'19 Wagana scored and we were leading with an incredible 49-38!!! +11! A timeout changed the game: Misr coach decided to tell by clear hieroglyph what would happen to his players if they would haven't started to play; our coach was instead distracted by vuvuzelas and football championships Misr outscored 12-0 taking leadership again at 2.44. Schartner and incredible defense sustained us to close Q3 trailing just by 1, 54-53!

Nasser and Tuama gave a 5-0 started in Q4 to Misr, but again Schartner and Wagana tied the match at 58 at 8.19. After that we just scored 3 against the best defensive team of the tournament. With that, although defense kept a low score, we had no chance to win. Systematic foul and vey bad FT% of Misr led to final 72-61. It looked like our first game against Misr.

For the fourth time against the two African top teams we played a bold match, but lost. Something is still missing to us, but we can compete.

Senegal - Nigeria 86 - 132: a no show. Nigeria pace was irresistble to Senegal, who got first 2 but then progressively disappeared. With 38 in Q1, Nigeria kept full control of the whole match, till the impressive final gap. Senegal still have chances, if defeating Ghana in last match with a contemporary victory of South Africa against Tounes, to advance to semifinals.

Ghana - Tounes 98 - 94: the last chance of Ghana to compete for semifinals. After a balanced game in first 5', Ghana had a great 11-0 break, follow by another 9-1, to final 36-15 in Q1. In Q2, additional 4 points were added to gap, with a larger 19 points advantage. The different attitude (favourable to Tounes) set the basis for a large comeback to a minimal gap 71-69 at 36". In Q4 Tounes grabbed 73-73 before another 17-7 break. Teams entered last 3' with +10 to Ghana, but Tounes did not want to loose. Systematic fouls brought Tounes to -2, but final thrilling shots were favourable to Ghana, still with a minimal (VERY minimal) chance to advance to semifinals.

Next week there will not be anything interesting. Some showtime could come from Misr-Nigeria, a predestined final. We will play against Tounes with not interest in the match, while Ghana and Senegal will be a little drama.

Book your agendas: two weeks to South Africa - Nigeria semifinal.

The last match of this long, good season.

South Africa vs Tounes: a team with the only interest of honouring the competition, a team with the need to just limit the gap to step into final four.

I decided to change many things. It is my way to thank all managers that spent time and efforts to train well their talents, to ensure a good shape to them, to make sacrifices in South Africa best interest. I did it, I know how complicated it can be. Thanks to all of you, we are third because of your hard work.

With a lot of pride, I added to the roster Chaka Rabutla, 19 years old, a players assigned to me when I started my scouting efforts for SA. He is not the first of my former group, and he witnesses that, although with not much potential, your players can wear SA jersey if well trained! Look at Sehularo, or Collombon too.

At the end, a brand new starting five, with Mofokeng and four newbies, well trained but newbies: incomplete but growing Resha, recovered Grumede, baby Rabutla and emerging Mtolo. Wagana and Burr were sitting at the end of the bench, Sehularo (bad shape, after injury), Teka (not trained for a too long time) and Neimand (that should decided whether being a great player or a flat mediocre one) looking from stands.

A motion was the obvious attack against Tounes' announced 2-3, with man defense, same attitude. The match started with our ridicolous 3/18, probably due to emotion, scoring for the first time after 4', topped by Tounes, able to score 2 FT's (out of 4!) in first 4.20'. We lost many rebounds, as side effect of 2-3, but Tounes lost too many balls despite of its tremendous circulation. Only at the end of Q1 we decided to score, with a final, horrible 12-9.

In Q2, Sizwe Mofokeng remembered he was the leader, and started regularly scoring, well sustained by Rabutla rebounds and Grumede points. Resha scored 3 to 30-17, in a series of three pointers that brought South Africa ahead 54-35 and break.

In Q3, South Africa proceeded with a faster pace, irresistible to Tounes. Schartner scored +25 at 77-52, Mofokeng added two at 87-56 (+31), before closing 87-58 with two FT's by Tounes on the buzzer.

Q4 was dedicated to garbage time, following Ghana-Senegal to see which would be the faboulous 4th. A three pointer by Schartner set again +31 (102-71) advantage, Magubane converted an offensive rebound (107-75), before final three by Driouch.

Meanwhile, Ghana was outpacing Senegal (39-31, 61-46, 93-73), from 98-79 at 7.38 in Q4 to 110-83 to 121-90 to the final three by Bidiar at buzzerbeater, for the final 136-96! Ghana joins Misr, Nigeria and South Africa in final four, Tounes is 5th, Senegal is 6th.

The last match of the day was an anticipation of most probable final, Misr vs Nigeria. Misr decided to play with usual starting five, while Nigeria rotated some players as we did. Nigeria played a great match till halftime, before loosing contact for the final large victory of Misr 104-85. However, chances to see Nigeria first were actually minimal, so no surprise for the result.

Our MVP this week is Sizwe Mofokeng, 14/21 32 points and great defense. I am quite pleased by Rabutla and Mtolo, two players that will wear our jersey for a long while next seasons.

About next match, see next post.

At dawn, dreams vanish. This is just the dawn of the growing South Africa.

After two losses on the buzzer, we met Nigeria for the first time, for the most important match of this mandate - at least, so far.

All you managers did a very good job in preparing players to this match. In most of cases training was performed as requested, and shape was generally good, apart of formerly injured Sehularo. Looking at teams tendencies (thank you Lentigos for your great job!), it was clear that fouls were likely a decisive factor, and R&G was Nigeria's primary option.

The key decision was about SF. I decided to spot Magubane instead of Kolane, to ensure deeper chart and consequently minimize fouls effect, attacking then with reliable Look Inside. The man defense was obvious consequence, to avoid defensive mismatch against our SF. I decided to not use Sehularo (shape), Teka and Issa (skills), and to exclude Grumede (useless in this arrangement), Collombon (same), and Neimand (he will need much good training to wear South Africa jersey again).

As in previous matches, it was not a showtime, but a match for brave hearts. Good start by Nigeria with three pointers, than solid defense as we wanted to have, with high pressure on circulation and, for the first time in this season in relevant matches, a good control of rebounds. A good Schartner accelerated giving our first advantage, then gap grew up to 8 points in first quarter, 9 in the second. Nigeria tall men experienced a lot of problems in controlling our internal attack, although the high perimetral pressure forced us to unwelcomed (missed) three pointers. Burr played a great first half, while the dominant Akiga was having a nightmare. Magubane defended quite well on Ekuru shooting, but paied it back in awful shooting. At the end of H1, we trailed by 7 with 4 foils by Akiga and Ekuru!

In second half, we slowly slipped back. Defense left just 19 points to Nigeria, but attack scored only 14, leaving 2 points lead at the end of Q3. However, Akiga was fouled out, while Ekuru committed his fifth! Unfortunately, in the most important match of the season, Juggie Wagana, our top player, had his worst performance, leaving us without our primary shooting option. When the impressive Will Burr was fouled out the match turned down. We took too many bad shots, while Nigeria scored regularly. Magubane closed 3/15, adding 0/8 at FT's Wagana reached his minimum at 10 points, while Schartner tried to keep the match on the right way outscoring his opponent Bongo and scoring 15 points on 13 attempts. We entered last minute with usual head to head, but with the feeling that game momentum was unfavourable. So, while Ekuru scored 5, we missed all throws and gap expanded.

Final score was 91-83, the largest loss against Nigeria in three matches. Our MVP was undoubtedly Will Burr, 8/15 26 points adding 19 rebounds. His best game in this jersey! Jorg Schartner definitely won the match against Bongo, giving solid playmaking, great defense, some good scoring, and just two fouls. Wagana grabbed 19 rebounds, but I expected at least 20 points from him, doubling his actual score.

We had 45% on two pointers, but 1/16 3pt and an horrible 20/37 (54%!) at FT's line. We well controlled rebounds (58-54). My regret is for not having been able to foul out Ekuru for the whole Q4, but probably it would not have been enough.

In the other semifinal, the proud Ghana outscored Misr in Q1, closing Q2 with just 3 points gap. In second half Misr shifted to next gear, and the match was over. Misr is just one step to a perfect season.

I will separately post my evaluation for this season, and my plan for next one.

Let me close this post (thread?) with the pride for having reached semifinals against former champions, and playing it head to head till the end.