'Relentless' Bobcats await another shot at Oran

Leopold's Austin Warner (5) pokes the ball from Delta's Eric Berry (23) in transition during the recent Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian

Following Oran’s recent 80-70 boy’s basketball victory over Delta in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, veteran Eagle coach Joe Shoemaker leaned against a wall for support in the hallway of the Show Me Center as he discussed his weariness of having to compete with the Bobcats.

“It never stops,” Shoemaker said of the Bobcats’ strategy at both ends of the floor. “They’re relentless. They play a lot of guys and their guys play extremely hard.”

Shoemaker better have gotten a good night’s rest last night because he has to deal with Delta (9-3) again tonight in Delta at 7:30 p.m.

The Eagles (9-1) trailed the Bobcats nearly by double digits early in the third quarter before rallying to win by 10. That is par for the course when battling the frenetic offensive and defensive strategy that first-year Delta coach Chris Hahn employs.

“I believe any lead is not safe,” Hahn said, “the way we play. Even if we have a lead, it’s not safe. It just gives us an advantage. We can turn it on whenever we feel like we need to.”

What Hahn has his players do offensively is move the ball quickly and shoot even faster.

If a Bobcat player has an open look, which they often do because of the pace of play, then let ‘er fly!

“I hope it does,” Hahn said of the style leading to confident players. “You would think so when you play fast and you’re shooting a lot of shots.”

On the defensive side, Delta seeks to “trap all over the floor,” according to Hahn and “create some havoc.”

“They’ve got some skill out there,” Shoemaker said. “They’ve got guys who can handle it and shoot it. They just never give up.”

Delta's Jon Bond (12) shoots during the recent Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.
Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian

Hahn grew up watching current Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni guide the Phoenix Suns and that style appealed to him.

He dug further into the strategy by watching video of former Loyola Marymount coach Paul Westhead, who turned that mid-major program into a national story with a similar, break-neck pace.

“That was exciting to me,” Hahn said of the styles. “I played for an up-tempo coach. I just think that it is an exciting way to play.

“Everybody contributes.”

It’s one thing to allow kids to shoot and run all over the court, it’s another to have the athletes to do so in a productive manner.

As Shoemaker noted, and Hahn agrees, Delta has some real players to make the system hum.

“We’ve got some stud players,” Hahn said. “We’ve got guards who can push. We’ve got kids who can shoot. And I think it’s fun to watch.”

Undersized Oran comes up BIG even in defeat to Jackson

Tom Davis

The official scorebook shows that the Jackson boy's basketball team was the winner of the final game of the second round of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament Friday at the Show Me Center. After all, the Indians did outscore Oran 50-48.

Winning makes it even more entertaining.

From 2013 to 2017, the Bobcats won a total of eight games in five seasons. Over the last two-plus seasons, they are 38-24.

“You might give up some shots,” Hahn said, “but it’s all about forcing tempo the way we play.

“Right now, we’re still trying to find the medium in how aggressive I want us to be. Whenever we decide to be aggressive and we’re not afraid to fail, it looks really good.”

That is what concerns Shoemaker.