Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up

By Damon Lowery.‍

Round 4 Edition

Author’s note: These opinions are mine and mine alone. It’s NEVER personal and always about the basketball.

A Hooyah is given for exemplary play and standout performances so if you get one – bask in the glory.

A Harden Up signifies an underwhelming effort or poor play so if you get one of these - cop it and just move on.

Defeated by Melbourne, defeated Sydney

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Nick Rakocevic: You’re in beast mode. Last week you got your career high with 29 points, and topped it against United with a humungous 33. Plus your 14 rebounds led everybody on the floor.

HOOYAH – Matt Kenyon: You’ve earned your reputation as a hard-nosed defender and the job you did on Kendric Davis will only strengthen that. You hounded KD all over the floor and helped restrict him. But you helped yourself to 11 points and 8 boards in 18 minutes.

HARDEN UP – Zylan Cheatham: Against Melbourne you finished with a respectable stat-line and your playmaking was awesome with 8 assists. With that being said, I can’t forget the first 3 quarters that yielded 0 points and just 2 rebounds. You finished with 8 and 6 boards. You’re infinitely better than that, which you showed in your next game with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Defeated by Cairns

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Tyrell Harrison: You’re having an All-NBL season and were an absolute Goliath terrorising the Taipans with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks.

HOOYAH – Nate Hinton: From Gastonia, North Carolina. You’ve settled in nicely and I love your all-round game and how you accumulate points in a variety of ways. It was great to see you snap for your season high with 30 points on 54% FG and 6 rebounds.

HARDEN UP – Arnas Velicka: My Lithuanian mate, your three-ball has totally betrayed you. You were 1/11 from downtown in your last game and went 1/9 in this one. It happens to best of us, but I know it’s only a matter of time before the tide turns. However, I’m still riding shotgun on board the Velicka Van and I’m yelling out the window, “Keep Shooting!” I hope you find form quickly when you return from injury.

‍Defeated Brisbane and Illawarra

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Luke Paul: I don’t think I’ve handed out one of these to a dude who only scored 2 points and had 2 steals in 11 minutes. But you are different. At only 17, you are the future of Australian basketball and a lock to make the NBA. I thought you had a great debut and showed tremendous skill and poise. All the best for the rest of the season, all of Australia is cheering for you.

HOOYAH – Jaylon Brown: 25 points against Brisbane with 5 triples. You’ve well and truly found yourself and followed it up with 14 points and 9 assist against the Hawks. It’s with great pride and admiration that I officially welcome you into to the “Lil Big Man’s Society”.

HARDEN UP – O Boards: Against the Bullets y’all allowed 22 offensive rebounds which is, offensive. It didn’t cost you the win but it easily could’ve.

Defeated by Tasmania and Cairns

DOUBLE HARDEN UP ALERT

HOOYAH – Makur Maker: What a welcomed sight you have been. Your skillset is impressive. At 6'10" you can knock down triples and can touch your spine when you dunk. 18 points and 9 boards in only 17 minutes is crazy work.

HARDEN UP – Tyler Harvey: The artist formerly known as “The Pathological Scorer”. You alright, man? I’ve never seen you act like this. You played 17 minutes, took only 2 shots and finished the game with just 2 points. It goes without saying that you need to make up for that performance immediately.

HARDEN UP – Milton Doyle: The Silent Assassin. You were way too silent my man. You went mute against the Taipans. I didn’t think you were physically capable of not scoring a point in a game. Zero points in 25 minutes is an abomination for a man of your pedigree.

Defeated Adelaide and South East Melbourne

HOOYAH – Luke Travers: I knew a team was going to eventually cop an “LT game” – it was only a matter of time. It was the Phoenix on the receiving end when you only missed 2 shots on your way to 24 points with 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks for good measure. More of that please.

HARDEN UP – Josh Oduro: I’m taking a hard stance against fouling out. Even though you scored 16 at 100% against Adelaide, I can’t help but wonder how many more you would’ve scored if you didn’t foul out in 19 minutes. That’s the second time in 5 games so please protect yourself. To your credit you stayed on the floor against SEM and finished with 21 and 10 rebounds.

Defeated by Perth

HOOYAH – Sam Mennenga: I firmly believe there’s no one else in the League remotely like you; a 6'10" powerhouse that can manhandle dudes and knock down triples. That was the most dominant performance of the season so far, and of your career. You were simply unstoppable and pulverised the Wildcats with 40 points, 18 rebounds and 5 dimes.

HARDEN UP – Parker Jackson-Cartwright's lower leg: It’s been an injury-riddled season for every team. The injury bug has also bitten you which is surprising given your speed. Hoping for the quickest of recoveries, because you’re playing at an MVP level.

Defeated New Zealand

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Dylan Windler: From Belmont, Indiana you are well and truly back. An aggressive Dylan is my favourite kind of Dylan. You put on a shooting clinic splashing 7 triples on your way to 32 points, and your toes were nowhere near the 3-point line. You were letting ’em fly from NBA range. And I can’t forget the 8 boards.

HOOYAH – Elijah Pepper: “Cayenne Pepper” was at it again. You’re in the purple-est of purple patches. Coming into this game you dropped 25 points in your last 3 games and I thought to myself, “surely not again”. 25 points on the nose. I might hit the casino, go straight to the roulette table and put $25 down just to get in on the 25 action.

HARDEN UP – O Boards: I understand you’re playing without Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., but I don’t understand nor do I want to understand how you gave up 21 offensive rebounds. It didn’t come back to bite you but it needs to be addressed … yesterday. Box out!

Defeated by Melbourne

HOOYAH – D’Shawn Schwartz: It looks like you’re starting to feel more comfortable, providing your team with much-needed inside/outside scoring presence. You racked up your season-high with 19 points. Now string more of these performances together.

HARDEN UP – Jordi Hunter: Sorry, not sorry but I’ve added another rule for 7-footers who are starters. You must have more rebounds than fouls. You had 4 fouls and only 4 rebounds. C’mon man.

Defeated by Adelaide

HOOYAH – Xavier Cooks: Another solid outing with 22 points and 8 boards, you’re flying under the radar and averaging a respectable 15 points this season. You’re the team’s true X factor.

HARDEN UP – Kendric Davis: This isn’t for your 16 points, 5 boards and 7 dimes … it’s because you decided to run across the floor and chest Bryce Cotton up after he stole the ball from you in the dying seconds. What do you want to happen in that moment? I just don’t understand your motivation for carrying on like that. You gotta learn how to take the “L” like a man and move on.

Defeated Illawarra

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – David Johnson: What an incredible performance. You shot the absolute leather off the ball to finish with a season-high 32 including 5 triples. Sixth Man of the Year might be a lock already.

HOOYAH – Will Magnay: You’re acting different this season. Your defence has always been top shelf, but this new aggressive offensive approach really suits you. You’re averaging career-highs in points and rebounds. You toyed with the Hawks and were so close to getting your first triple-double with 14, 9 boards and 8 dimes.

HARDEN UP – Bad D: Any road win is a good win, but you guys switched off in the last quarter and gave up 39 points and a 112 for the game. That is not a habit you want to continue.

HOOYAH – Big crowd: Another huge crowd in Sydney with 13,365 flocking to see the Championship rematch between the Kings and 36ers. Outstanding!

HARDEN UP – Crowd behaviour: To the knucklehead in Illawarra that got up out of his front-row seat and pointed the finger aggressively at Ben Gold when he tumbled on the baseline – be better! Sitting in those seats, that close to the players and the action, is a privilege and I hope you never get the opportunity again.