Long bench leads to big victories for Allen
February, 9, 2012
Feb 9
5:27
PM CT
By
Jeff Andrews | ESPNDallas.com
Allen doesn't have the high-end talent that Flower Mound Marcus has or the rich tradition of Plano West.
What the Eagles do have is a big group of solid players who play team basketball.
On any given night, Allen (18-13, 7-5 in District 8-5A) can have as many as 11 players enter the game. While that doesn't allow for eye-popping individual stats, it does lead to wins.
"We have six posts that we don't hesitate putting in at any time," Allen head coach Steve Specht said. "We're two deep at guard at least. We rotate those guys in. I think that's helped build our depth."
Allen has 13 players who have played in at least 16 games this year, but only one -- Jacob Rothbauer -- averages double digits in scoring (13 points per game).
The Eagles share the ball as well as anyone, always looking to make the extra pass to get the easier shot. One stat Specht pays close attention to is assists. If it gets more assists than its opponent, Allen usually wins.
Having such a long bench also allows Specht to tailor his lineup to specific opponents, providing the best possible matchups against teams that may have more talent but not as much versatility.
"We look at your team and realize sometimes that they're playing with seven or eight and we go in there with 11," Specht said. "We have 13 guys in uniform. All those guys have the ability to contribute. It goes back to practice. We give everybody equal opportunity to get better and prove themselves."
Allen's formula for success has the team sitting in third place in District 8-5A, two games ahead of fifth-place Lewisville with two games remaining in the season.
While they haven't officially clinched a playoff spot, the Eagles will with a win over Plano on Friday or Lewisville on Tuesday or a Lewisville loss. The schedule favors Allen as Lewisville plays second-place Plano West on Friday.
Should the Eagles get in, it would be the second playoff berth in three years for a school more known for football than basketball.
"We don't want to just get in," Specht said. "We want to make some noise this time around."
What the Eagles do have is a big group of solid players who play team basketball.
On any given night, Allen (18-13, 7-5 in District 8-5A) can have as many as 11 players enter the game. While that doesn't allow for eye-popping individual stats, it does lead to wins.
"We have six posts that we don't hesitate putting in at any time," Allen head coach Steve Specht said. "We're two deep at guard at least. We rotate those guys in. I think that's helped build our depth."
Allen has 13 players who have played in at least 16 games this year, but only one -- Jacob Rothbauer -- averages double digits in scoring (13 points per game).
The Eagles share the ball as well as anyone, always looking to make the extra pass to get the easier shot. One stat Specht pays close attention to is assists. If it gets more assists than its opponent, Allen usually wins.
Having such a long bench also allows Specht to tailor his lineup to specific opponents, providing the best possible matchups against teams that may have more talent but not as much versatility.
"We look at your team and realize sometimes that they're playing with seven or eight and we go in there with 11," Specht said. "We have 13 guys in uniform. All those guys have the ability to contribute. It goes back to practice. We give everybody equal opportunity to get better and prove themselves."
Allen's formula for success has the team sitting in third place in District 8-5A, two games ahead of fifth-place Lewisville with two games remaining in the season.
While they haven't officially clinched a playoff spot, the Eagles will with a win over Plano on Friday or Lewisville on Tuesday or a Lewisville loss. The schedule favors Allen as Lewisville plays second-place Plano West on Friday.
Should the Eagles get in, it would be the second playoff berth in three years for a school more known for football than basketball.
"We don't want to just get in," Specht said. "We want to make some noise this time around."
Jeff Andrews
ESPNDallas.comJeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
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Travis L. Brown
Travis L. Brown covers high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He is a graduate of TCU, where he was sports editor of the student paper, The Daily Skiff.
Randy Jennings
Randy Jennings covers south Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. His 34-year career as a sports writer includes eight years at the Dallas Morning News. Jennings is a graduate of UT-Arlington.
Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.
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