Five Takeaways from Carl Albert vs. Bishop Kelley
The Carl Albert Titans started out Wednesday night’s game very slowly, not being able to hit a shot and tied up with Bishop Kelley 11-all after the first quarter. That was short-lived as the Titans outscored Bishop 60-45 through the final three periods, and ultimately beating the team from Tulsa, OK 71-56.
Carl Albert’s athleticism was a clear mismatch for the Comets and both teams figure that out midway through the second quarter. Five things, in particular, stuck out about this game.
1. Carl Albert was too athletic for Bishop Kelley.
This was clear early in the game. After a slow first quarter where the Titans were seemingly trying to get a feel for this Comet team, they took full advantage of their shortcomings for the remainder of the game.
Carl Albert’s big men were more physical, agile and simply more athletic than Bishop’s. They were getting every rebound, offensive and defensive, and persistently racking up second-chance points, while often drawing and-1 opportunities as well.
2. After the first, Bishop knew they couldn’t win. That’s the problem.
Even when a team is more talented than you, as a competitor, you still believe and play like you can win the game. Although to the naked eye it appeared as if Carl Albert was the better team, (which they really were), there were things Bishop Kelley could have done that would have thrown Carl Albert off of their game just enough, early enough that they could have taken the reins of this game and decided which direction they wanted to take it in.
3. Carl Albert plays smothering offense.
Part of the reason Bishop wasn’t able to play their game is due to Carl Albert’s suffocating defense. We touched on Carl Albert being quicker and more athletic than Bishop, so it’s not surprising to hear they took complete control of the game in the second and third quarter by converting lockdown defense to fastbreak points and high percentage shots.
The Titans’ backcourt of Kenny King, Curtis Rose, and James Locke were the ringleaders defensively. They made it near impossible for the Comets to orchestrate their offense because the Titans were jumping passing lanes so ferociously.
In the second quarter alone, the Carl Alberto trio combined for 19 of the team’s 25 second-quarter points after forcing 8 turnovers in eight minutes.
4. With more games, Carl Albert will be a dangerous shooting team.
It’s clear the Titans can shoot the ball from beyond the arc. They drained five in the game but missed some wide open looks as well. Their 3-point specialist seems to be sophomore guard James Locke, who hit three of the five through three quarters.
The other two 3-point makers, Rose, and Roderick Hopkins can shoot. I’ve personally seen it before. They weren’t fully in rhythm tonight but they have the potential to provide a three-headed monster attack from beyond three, and maybe four depending on the quality of shooter King is.
5. Bishop Kelley could be threatening if they got more comfortable in their natural style of play.
When you’re secure in the way you play, you can thrive. Thinking about collegiate teams, there are some that play slower, but a more precise style of basketball and there are some that play at a very high-pace. Bishop needs to stick with a slower, half-court offense and play that brand of basketball with confidence. They’ll win more games that way.
Interesting additional note: Carl Albert’s key players are youthful. King, Rose, and Locke are all three sophomores and they undoubtedly had the most impactful game. There are only four seniors on this team.