3 Goggles A Hit
Blazers Take Bombs-Away Approach
Posted: December 4, 2012
PENN LAIRD – The Trailblazers are doing their part to help get “Three Goggles” stamped in the everyday basketball vernacular, much like “and one” or “ally-oop.”
A couple of years ago, NBA players Patty Mills and Rudy Fernandez – coincidentally of the Portland Trail Blazers – began celebrating 3-point field goals by putting their index fingers to their thumbs and peering through them like makeshift eyeglasses, with the three other fingers raised up on each hand.
Just last season, the look was spotted on the floor during March Madness by the likes of Kentucky’s Doron Lamb, and it was the 2012 NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats whom point guard Tucker McCoy credited for Spotswood’s new pre-game ritual this season.
“We have a thing. We have three goggles,” McCoy said smiling. “We put ’em on before every game, and they help us knock down some 3s.”
“We might start trending around here,” joked McCoy. “We might start using it more.”
Regardless, it seems that 3-pointers could be a staple for the hot-shooting, guard-heavy Blazers (2-0) this season.
In back-to-back wins against Rockbridge County and Millbrook on Friday and Saturday, McCoy hit seven of the team’s 20 3-pointers on the way to the Blazer Tip-Off Tournament championship. But it appears the 3-point shooting is a bonus, rather than a crutch or centerpiece strategy.
For instance, McCoy is just as capable of scoring off the dribble or at the free-throw line as he is from beyond the arc – he led SHS with 30 points in Saturday’s 90-67 win over Millbrook. Half of that total came on five 3-pointers. Senior guard/forward Hyrum Weiler was named the tournament MVP after scoring a team-high 49 points, most of which came from driving to the basket or capitalizing in the post.
Though SHS coach Chad Edwards is on board with the 3-point shooting, he’s still coming around in more ways than one.
“Well, I’m going to be quite honest, it probably goes against the style of basketball that I’ve been, you know, raised and influenced by – and that’s the power game inside,” said Edwards, who has yet to wear the “three goggles” himself. “But having said that, we try to play to our strengths each season, and we feel, without a doubt, this is our best shooting team from top to bottom.
“If we have open 3-pointers, we’re going to shoot it, whether we’re behind or whether we’re ahead.”
McCoy, who started slow Friday night, hit his first three shots from downtown en route to the 30-point performance Saturday against Millbrook. He leads the team with seven 3-pointers so far.
“Whenever me and Las would shoot a 3, they’ll tell us it’s a layup,” McCoy said of SHS coaches and teammates, referring to Joshua Lasam – who played AAU basketball with McCoy in grade school, both thriving on 3-pointers even back then.
Spotswood used the sharp perimeter shooting of senior Jacob Garber in a 77-47 victory over Rockbridge on Friday, burying the Wildcats after taking a comfortable eight-point lead at halftime.
“Everyone is a good shooter, and if we have an open shot, we take it,” Lasam said.
At 6-foot-2, Garber – who had 14 points, including four 3s against Rockbridge – is one of Spotswood’s players listed at forward, along with Caleb Detamore (6-3), Austin Nicely (6-2), Joshua Lasam (6-2) and Seth Hinkle (6-2). Listed, being the key word.
“Our bigger guys, truth be told, are still guards,” Edwards said. “So in essence, a lot of times we have five guards on the floor. So they’re bigs and they’re matched up with other bigs. Sometimes, other bigs are reluctant to step out. So if that’s the case, we’ve given them the green light to shoot it.”
“A 3-pointer is a way to neutralize size,” Edwards added.
As was the case last season, Spotswood isn’t likely to beat anybody in the size department. But if they continue to shoot lights out, the Blazers might not have to worry about that.
Six Spotswood players have already hit a 3-pointer on the 11-man squad: McCoy, Garber, Lasam, junior David Blandon, sophomore Kevin Saylor and senior Hyrum Weiler.
Saylor, the team’s youngest player, came off the bench in the season opener. When he hit a late 3-pointer, the bench – which was already standing in anticipation – erupted with excitement.
“I think it’s a big confidence booster for our team,” McCoy said of Spotswood’s penchant for hitting momentous 3-pointers. “Also, that’s another thing that the other team has to worry about. So if they start flying out, we can dish it down to our post. So, I think the 3-ball is a big asset to our team right now.”
It’s an asset that makes Spotswood a threat to score and score quickly. It helps that just about anybody on the Blazers’ roster can shoot from the perimeter with ease.
“I’d say everybody except Caleb,” McCoy said, picking on Detamore – the biggest player on the team at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds. “You can just tell. He’s just not a very good 3-point shooter.”
He might be the only Blazer not wearing the “three goggles.”
A couple of years ago, NBA players Patty Mills and Rudy Fernandez – coincidentally of the Portland Trail Blazers – began celebrating 3-point field goals by putting their index fingers to their thumbs and peering through them like makeshift eyeglasses, with the three other fingers raised up on each hand.
Just last season, the look was spotted on the floor during March Madness by the likes of Kentucky’s Doron Lamb, and it was the 2012 NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats whom point guard Tucker McCoy credited for Spotswood’s new pre-game ritual this season.
“We have a thing. We have three goggles,” McCoy said smiling. “We put ’em on before every game, and they help us knock down some 3s.”
“We might start trending around here,” joked McCoy. “We might start using it more.”
Regardless, it seems that 3-pointers could be a staple for the hot-shooting, guard-heavy Blazers (2-0) this season.
In back-to-back wins against Rockbridge County and Millbrook on Friday and Saturday, McCoy hit seven of the team’s 20 3-pointers on the way to the Blazer Tip-Off Tournament championship. But it appears the 3-point shooting is a bonus, rather than a crutch or centerpiece strategy.
For instance, McCoy is just as capable of scoring off the dribble or at the free-throw line as he is from beyond the arc – he led SHS with 30 points in Saturday’s 90-67 win over Millbrook. Half of that total came on five 3-pointers. Senior guard/forward Hyrum Weiler was named the tournament MVP after scoring a team-high 49 points, most of which came from driving to the basket or capitalizing in the post.
Though SHS coach Chad Edwards is on board with the 3-point shooting, he’s still coming around in more ways than one.
“Well, I’m going to be quite honest, it probably goes against the style of basketball that I’ve been, you know, raised and influenced by – and that’s the power game inside,” said Edwards, who has yet to wear the “three goggles” himself. “But having said that, we try to play to our strengths each season, and we feel, without a doubt, this is our best shooting team from top to bottom.
“If we have open 3-pointers, we’re going to shoot it, whether we’re behind or whether we’re ahead.”
McCoy, who started slow Friday night, hit his first three shots from downtown en route to the 30-point performance Saturday against Millbrook. He leads the team with seven 3-pointers so far.
“Whenever me and Las would shoot a 3, they’ll tell us it’s a layup,” McCoy said of SHS coaches and teammates, referring to Joshua Lasam – who played AAU basketball with McCoy in grade school, both thriving on 3-pointers even back then.
Spotswood used the sharp perimeter shooting of senior Jacob Garber in a 77-47 victory over Rockbridge on Friday, burying the Wildcats after taking a comfortable eight-point lead at halftime.
“Everyone is a good shooter, and if we have an open shot, we take it,” Lasam said.
At 6-foot-2, Garber – who had 14 points, including four 3s against Rockbridge – is one of Spotswood’s players listed at forward, along with Caleb Detamore (6-3), Austin Nicely (6-2), Joshua Lasam (6-2) and Seth Hinkle (6-2). Listed, being the key word.
“Our bigger guys, truth be told, are still guards,” Edwards said. “So in essence, a lot of times we have five guards on the floor. So they’re bigs and they’re matched up with other bigs. Sometimes, other bigs are reluctant to step out. So if that’s the case, we’ve given them the green light to shoot it.”
“A 3-pointer is a way to neutralize size,” Edwards added.
As was the case last season, Spotswood isn’t likely to beat anybody in the size department. But if they continue to shoot lights out, the Blazers might not have to worry about that.
Six Spotswood players have already hit a 3-pointer on the 11-man squad: McCoy, Garber, Lasam, junior David Blandon, sophomore Kevin Saylor and senior Hyrum Weiler.
Saylor, the team’s youngest player, came off the bench in the season opener. When he hit a late 3-pointer, the bench – which was already standing in anticipation – erupted with excitement.
“I think it’s a big confidence booster for our team,” McCoy said of Spotswood’s penchant for hitting momentous 3-pointers. “Also, that’s another thing that the other team has to worry about. So if they start flying out, we can dish it down to our post. So, I think the 3-ball is a big asset to our team right now.”
It’s an asset that makes Spotswood a threat to score and score quickly. It helps that just about anybody on the Blazers’ roster can shoot from the perimeter with ease.
“I’d say everybody except Caleb,” McCoy said, picking on Detamore – the biggest player on the team at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds. “You can just tell. He’s just not a very good 3-point shooter.”
He might be the only Blazer not wearing the “three goggles.”