Flem get's props from an unlikely source....Clark high school head coach....see below. Nice plug for the style of play Fleming has been known for employing in La Salle.
Defense leads 'relentless' Clark hoopsThe Clark Montessori High School boys basketball team started the season quickly, winning four of its first five games. One of the biggest wins was an early season win at Madeira.
"I coached at Mariemont for three years, so I know how well Jim Reynolds prepares those Madeira teams," Clark head coach Scott Kerr said. "They play great at home and we won there and turned around and beat Lockland, which was another really good win."
The Cougars have been somewhat of a work-in-progress over the past few years as Kerr built up the program. Four or five of the kids on the team this season were there for Kerr's first year at Clark and he said this team is built around those players.
"We thought this would be the group that would put Clark basketball on the map where we think it can be, and the kids behind them can maintain that into the future," Kerr said.
One big change for the Cougars this season has been the stifling full-court press. Kerr said he met with La Salle coach Dan Fleming in the offseason to get advice on the full-court press the Lancers run.
"I can't say enough about how much he helped me," Kerr said. The Cougars excel in pressuring opposing offenses and are forcing an average of 25 turnovers per game.
"We're creating a lot of havoc with our defense and that helps our offense," Kerr said. The team is led by senior Al Upshaw, in his fourth season of varsity basketball for Clark. He averaged 15 points per game. Another standout for the Cougars is junior Paul Woodson, a 6-foot-6 inch forward who can also handle the ball and shoot.
"Teams can't play zone on us and dare us to beat them from the outside because he can pass over the zone and can shoot over it, and we have other shooters too," Kerr said. "Paul makes it difficult for teams to guard us. We feel if teams guard us in man to man, that's to our advantage."
Kerr said he wants to see the Cougars finish in the top 2 in the league and in a sectional final and to that end, he's upgraded the schedule considerably.
"We play in a big Division I tournament at Hughes over Christmas and we play Indian Hill and Shroder," Kerr said. "We really tried to upgrade the schedule to help us in the tournament."
Kerr said the biggest compliment he's heard on his kids so far is that they are relentless.
"Our fans will see a team really getting after it for 32 minutes," Kerr said.
"We wear teams down and then pass the ball well on offense. We're relentless on both sides of the ball."
Link:
http://communitypress.cincinnati.com...ss-Clark-hoops
