Heaves' advantages put to test tonight
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The Frost Heaves' Antoine Hyman and Strong Island's Raphael Edwards battle over a rebound under the Heaves' basket during their playoff game at the Barre Auditorium March 18. Stefan Hard/Times Argus |
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By Pete Hartt Times Argus Staff - Published: March 27, 2007
BURLINGTON — In their 32-6 (so far) season the Vermont Frost Heaves have used every advantage available; the home court advantage, a better conditioning program than many teams, a sometimes favorable travel schedule, and coach Will Voigt's overseas connections to bring in several key players, including 6-foot-10 Antoine Hyman mid-season to bolster the team's depth up front.
Mostly, however, the Heaves have just been deeper than the teams they play, going 10 or 11 or even 12 players deep in many games and using every body available.
Tonight, Vermont will likely use every advantage in an effort to advance past Wilmington into the championship game of the American Basketball Association. The Sea Dawgs traveled to Vermont Monday after dispatching Mississippi 130-112 in Delaware in a quarterfinal game. The short turnaround for the Dawgs offers Vermont one early edge, though neither team had much time to prepare specifically for the other.
Instead Vermont spent its time trying to get healthy. Issa Konare is very questionable for tonight's game after playing for several games with a bad shoulder and taking an ugly fall on his back during last week's quarterfinal game. Other than Konare, however, the Heaves are largely healthy, which should give the team the usual depth advantage.
The biggest test to that depth will be in the battle against the Sea Dawgs' front court as Vermont plays one of the biggest teams its seen all year. Wilmington's 11-man roster includes only two players under 6'4" and one of them, guard Kendrick Jones, is hurt.
"They are very big and there is not a lot of depth at guard," Heaves coach Will Voigt said. "We will have to be good with ball pressure and not let them get set up and get the ball inside. We have a lot of depth at guard and we hope to use that to our advantage."
Moving up from 5-foot-5 Raheim Murphy, the Sea Dawgs jump up to a pair of 6-foot-4 players. One of them is former Maryland star Byron Mouton and the other, likely starting guard Alex Harper, is from Virginia Commonwealth.
From there the Dawgs get bigger and bigger. Forward Rashard Lee is 6-foot-7 and went to Tennessee while there is a quartet of 6-foot-8 players; leading scorer Cedric McGinnis, Charles Ward, Brian Demarco-Williams and Terrence Todd. Top that front line off with 6-foot-9 Alvin Jefferson and 6-foot-10 center Deng Gai who played for a time with Philadelphia in the National Basketball Association. McGinnis is the leading scorer for the Dawgs and capable of stepping away from the basket as well as scoring inside.
The Heaves have the height to compete, starting with Hyman, and a decided depth advantage at guard where Voigt has played at least four players significant minutes in every game.
"We can't let this turn into a half court game," Voigt said. "They will try to pound it inside. We want to be aggressive defensively. I think we are athletic enough to play them aggressively and pressure the ball. They are talented, but at this point every team you play is talented. I don't think we will be intimidated, when we get out and run we are as good as anyone."
For Frost Heaves fans there will be few surprises as Vermont has maintained a stable roster for the most part this season. The guard quartet of Kelvin Parker, Melvin Creddle, Aaron Cook and Tyrone Barley. The four guards have each averaged between 18 and 21 minutes a game through the season often wearing down the oppositions guards to take over at the end of games.
The Heaves have remained untouched by the league upheaval going on through the playoffs.
"We have had enough to worry about getting ready to play," Voigt said. "It's a bit of a disappointment not to be able to play Rochester in our place after two losses out there, but we have a quality opponent and another one waiting if we win. The league is big and there are a lot of good teams. Each step adds more pressure — it's part of being a professional basketball team. We've had a team that rises to the occasion. I've never been part of a team that has had so many comebacks, and that will help us."