BASKETBALL STUFF

After four days of holiday hopping, it was back to the basketball beat tonight.

But before I get to some thoughts on tonight's games, how about a tip of the cap to BYU's Jimmer Fredette.

If you follow the summer basketball scene you know that Fredette played here in Allentown in the Stellar Construction tournament for several years for Glens Falls, NY, the team coached by Northampton graduate Tony Hammel.



Fredette (pictured on the right) led Glens Falls to the tournament title as a senior in 2007 and was named tourney MVP.

He's now a junior at BYU and he was spectacular tonight against host Arizona, cranking out a school record, and McHale Center record 49 points in a 30-point rout of the Wildcats. He was the easy choice as MVP of the Fiesta Bowl Classic

He was 16-for-23 from the field, 9-for-13 from 3-point range.

Add Fredette to the long list of future stars who have played summer basketball here in Allentown. My guess is that he's headed to the NBA.

I remember interviewing him after his MVP award and he's a good kid, too.

***Now, as for the current winter season, I got to see Emmaus and Becahi play for the first time this season in the Emmaus Christmas Tournament.

That's what this week is about -- trying to see as many teams as possible and I think I am about halfway through the LVC at this point of the season having seen Liberty, Parkland, Whitehall, Northampton, Central Catholic, Allen and now Becahi and Emmaus. I'll see Dieruff tonight in the Northampton tournament and will try to get to the other three LVC members -- Nazareth, Easton and Freedon -- soon.

Becahi, I have to admit, is a fun team to watch. They will shoot from any place on the court at any time and they have the personnel to make a lot of 3s. Al Blount and Jake Hungartner work well together.

Becahi, though improved, still does not play championship-caliber and really is not big and physical enough to rebound and defend well in the paint.

But they sure are entertaining and Becahi-Upper Dublin tonight was a crowd pleaser with both teams flinging away at will. There were lots of open shots and most of them were made. Blount and Hungartner scored 60 of their team's 75 points.

I think Becahi will beat Germantown Friends in the consolation game at Emmaus on Tuesday night and improve to 5-3 overall returning to league play next week. Becahi, if gets enough wins to qualify for districts, will add a lot of pizzaz to the playoff picture. But getting there won't be easy.

"People have always talked about parity in this league," said coach Al Blount, Sr. "But this year, it's really true. Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. No one has great size except Liberty, which has everything. We're a scrappy team and we'll get after people. I let our guys have fun because this year's team is fulfilling their end of the bargain and that's playing defense. They're rebounding, their boxing out and doing everything I've asked of them. I'm extremely proud of this team."

***And really, Emmaus coach Steve Yoder said the same thing after his team beat Germantown Friends 60-50. He really likes his team, although it's very different from Becahi. Emmaus doesn't have the scoring punch of Becahi, but it is a little more physical and Yoder talked about developing a defensive identity.

"We're a very good third quarter team which shows me their basketball IQ is very high," said Green Hornets coach Steve Yoder. "They listen to my adjustments at halftime and go out and execute."

Yoder, like Blount, said the LVC is incredibly balanced.

"There are no off nights," he said.

It's going to be fun once the league games resume a week from tonight.

***Elsewhere in tourney action, Easton continued to struggle and got pounded by a highly motivated Notre Dame team. Central Catholic also continued its early-season struggles in York, while Allen, Freedom and Whitehall picked up quality wins.

In the Colonial League, Northern Lehigh rolled, while Saucon Valley and Palmerton suffered lopsided losses.

Two more big nights of tourney action are still to come.

Keith Groller