By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If Kurt Godlevske wanted to market a shooting video, launch a viral hit on monetized social media or pocket some extra change at coaching clinics, he should edit down the second half of last week’s dazzling display against Columbus East. He wouldn’t have to cut out much.
Bedford North Lawrence lit the nets ablaze with a sensational performance during that 71-38 triumph. Probably wore out the nylon on the south-end rim of Damon Bailey Court. Remember the NBA Jam video game, where the player would crackle into flames after making a few in a row? “He’s on fire! Boomshakalaka!” The Stars were that hot.
Collectively, they hit 9 of 10 from 3-point range, made 16 of 20 shots overall, during a second-half explosion. They scored 45 points in that span. Against man-to-man defense, not a sagging zone. Godlevske, BNL’s first-year head coach, had to laugh a little. “Bottle that,” he said., “It would be phenomenal.” Everybody would want a sip.
Is it realistic to expect that as normal? No, but it’s a glimpse into the potential firepower the Stars possess. And it definitely got the attention of future opponents, particularly Silver Creek coach Brandon Hoffman as the undefeated Dragons prepare to make the journey to BNL Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
“I think they are one of the more dangerous shooting teams we will play,” Hoffman said. “I think BNL is really good. They are well coached and know what they are good at.”
The Stars (2-2) can be good from distance. Noah Godlevske (13 of 36), Patric Matson (9 of 14) and Quincy Pickett (6 of 14) are threats from long range. And expect BNL to continue its aerial assault. That’s one of the concepts Godlevske brought back from his time with the Butler women’s program. The 3-point line should be utilized as much as possible.
“You can erase a lot of potential deficiencies, or even give yourself an advantage in areas, if you statistically shoot more threes than twos,” he said. “The game of basketball has evolved into an area where you’re trying to shoot threes, or layups. One of the two.”
Here’s the new-school math: if a team hits 5 of 10 shots (a reasonable expectation) from inside the line, that’s 10 points. If the same team hits 3 of 10 from distance (a lower rate than usual), that’s 9 points. So for a team like the Stars (who are hitting 40 percent from out there), it makes sense to shoot more from there. What doesn’t make sense is why some teams are willing to adjust defenses to allow lane drives rather than long jump shots, fearing the trey more than the layup. Or what happens if the high-school line is ever moved back? But that’s a subject for another day.
BNL has not reached the point of shooting half its shots (only 42 percent through four games) from out there. The line is still a two-edged sword that can do damage in both directions. It cuts down on free-throw attempts (BNL has shot only 10 the last three games), yet it’s also a reason Matson (18.0 points per game) and Godlevske (16.3) can generate offense in a hurry. They can win from there, they might die from there. They’re going to take their best shot.
The hot streak against East also gave the Stars a needed momentum boost after back-to-back losses.
“It was more of taking a deep breath, because it felt like the speed of the game started to slow down for people, and we started making nice reads, understanding where to go with the basketball,” Godlevske said. “In the first half, we forced some things and missed some things. To the kids’ credit, they took care of a lot of that in the locker room, talking to themselves. They made a lot of those adjustments, and I just reinforced it. It was nice to see that.”
What about Silver Creek? Oh by the way, the Dragons are 6-0 (heading into Friday night’s road test at Jeffersonville) while averaging 70.8 points per game. They’ve blown out almost everyone (winning by an average of 21.8 points), no opponent yet has been within single digits.
The Dragons have their own perimeter weapons in sophomore Kason Daeger (21.8 points per game while already totaling 22 treys) and sophomore Dave Sprigler (15.7). Silver Creek shoots 55 percent as a team.
“The main reason for our success so far has been our ball movement,” Hoffman said. “The ball isn’t sticking with a player. We have been playing together well with different threats to score. Although we are really young and can be inconsistent, I’m having a lot of fun coaching this group.”
“Their guard play is really good,” Godlevske said. “They don’t get sped up with pace. In the halfcourt, they’re really good at running their stuff, they really work hard and make things happen. They’re extremely good at attacking the basket. They put up a lot of points.”
Silver Creek leads the series 6-3, but the Stars have won back-to-back meetings after posting a 62-43 triumph last season. Colten Leach had 22 points and Kaedyn Bennett added 15 during that win.
SILVER CREEK at BNL
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Silver Creek 6-0 (at Jeffersonville on Friday), ranked No.3 in Class 3A; BNL 2-2
Sagarin ratings: Silver Creek 87.83; BNL 85.07
Last meeting: Last year at Silver Creek, the Stars rolled to a 62-43 victory for their first road win in the series. Colten Leach had 22 points and Kaedyn Bennett added 15 for BNL. Kaden Oliver had 20 points for the Dragons.
Previous game story: Flawless Stars end a sad streak
Game notes: Silver Creek leads the series 6-3, but BNL has won the last two meetings. The Dragons rank 17th in the state in scoring at 70.8 points per game.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Patric Matson 6-3 Jr.
F – Logan Miracle 6-4 Jr.
G – Maddox Ray 5-11 Sr.
G – Noah Godlevske 5-11 Sr.
G – Trace Rynders 5-11 Sr.
Silver Creek Dragons
F – Walker Hoffman 6-6 Jr.
G – Brandon Hunter 6-2 Fr.
G – Kason Daeger 6-2 So.
G – Nate Davidson 6-1 Sr.
G – Dane Sprigler 6-0 So.
