Prep basketball: Defense fuels Eagles’ 10-2 start

Published 10:23 pm Sunday, January 8, 2023

JOSEPH — Lessons learned during two early losses have benefited the Joseph boys basketball team — so much so that they have not lost since those two games.

The Eagles started 2023 the way they ended 2022 — with a win — and are on a seven-game winning streak as they get set for their first home game of the season Friday, Jan. 13, against Pine Eagle.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement and a lot of willingness to learn and get better,” head coach Olan Fulfer said of the Eagles, who have a record of 10-2.

In a matter of three days in early December, Joseph dropped two games, to Weston-McEwen and to Adrian, where they squandered a double-digit lead. The Eagles ended up losing those games by 10 and six points, respectively.

“Both of those games our transition defense was not good, we didn’t rebound well, and were selfish with our shots,” Fulfer said.

They have put the lessons learned about themselves in those losses to work since, hammering home in practice the emphasis on strong rebounding, selfless play and getting back on defense. Even now, a month after those games were played, they are referred to as a reminder during games if the team is struggling in one of those areas.

“Those losses hurt still. They sting a lot,” Fulfer said. “In timeouts during the games, I’ll say, ‘Remember Adrian. Remember Weston-McEwen.’”

The lessons paid off in what may be the Eagles’ most improbable win of the season during a road trip to Perrydale. Fulfer said the team rallied from 18 points down, including 10 points in the final minute, to steal a 55-53 win in overtime.

“We were playing hard, but we were fouling. On the offensive end, we quit sharing the ball,” he said. “The lessons we were learning were we had to share the ball, keep moving, and keep in attack mode.”

Fulfer said the team’s focus this season has been half-court defense, and he attributed the Eagles’ record to their play on the defensive end.

“We’re going to make it so difficult for the other team to score. We’re taking a lot of pride, staying in front, overloading, forcing skip passes,” he said. “(We’re) focusing on basketball IQ and being smarter, we’re trying to hustle, but being smart.”

Through 12 games, Joseph is allowing just 41.3 points per game, which is among the best averages in 1A basketball. The Eagles have held seven of their opponents under 40 points, and in all 10 of their wins, they have allowed 56 or fewer. In both of the team’s setbacks, it allowed 66 points.

“Our (hybrid zone) is very unstoppable this year … and teams have a hard time on offense against it, which we have taken a lot of pride in this year,” senior Blade Suto said. The team, he said, has “the ability to adjust to anything. (If) they have shooters or anything down low, our hybrid can adapt to anything the offense brings to us.”

On offense, playing for the best shot rather than focusing on individual accolades in the scoring column has been continually driven home.

The payoff there has been that the offense is averaging 54 points per game and has been held below 45 just once.

Fulfer is also starting to hand the reins to his team on the court, as during the course of a game he is encouraging them to, on its own, find the mismatches on offense, what the focal points need to be on defense and where adjustments need to be made on both ends of the court from one possession to the next.

“I have them huddle by themselves constantly,” he said. “During the game, you can figure out what we need to do. They’re doing all right. We’re in the infancy of that. That was just something I’ve been seeing and needing from them is not to rely on me so much, (but) to learn how to play the game during the game.”

As the team continues through league play, Fulfer and the players know they cannot take any team for granted. On paper, it appears their half of the Old Oregon League is a three-team race between Joseph, Cove and Imbler, and Fulfer knows Cove and Imbler will pose a serious challenge to his Eagles.

“Cove and Imbler are going to be tough,” he said. “Both are going to be really tough for us. A lot of their strengths are our weaknesses. They both have really good bigs, (are) disciplined on defense, (have) good guards who can shoot, and (are) well-coached. We’re going to have to play a near perfect game. We’re going to see them two times apiece, and maybe at district.”

As for the whole league itself, who comes away with the district tournament title in February could be as much as a six-team race.

“I think the league is wide-open,” he said. “It’s going to come down to who wants it more.”