Who says youth is wasted on the young? The Duke Freshman players certainly did not get that memo.

The team was led all season by who many believe is the consensus number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Jahlil Okafor and point guard Tyus Jones, who was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Tonight was no different. Tyus led the team late and though he was thoroughly outplayed all night by the Naismith Player of the Year, Frank Kaminsky, Okafor came up with key offensive rebounds and scores. The X factor and one of the main reasons the Blue Devils took home the hardware was freshman Grayson Allen, who finished with sixteen points. Duke was down by nine midway through the second half, and the freshman, who was a high school All-American, went on his own 8-0 run to get the Blue Devils momentum back into the game.

Frank “The Tank” Kaminsky was outstanding throughout the game, collecting twenty one points to go alongside twelve rebounds. He played great defense on Okafor and even got the big man into foul trouble early and often with his crafty footwork down in the paint. But the story of the game for both Kaminsky and the Badgers was the fact that they often passed on great shots, and for the most part, came up empty. Granted, that’s the style of play that got them to the dance, but Duke’s defense was too stifling all night for them to leave money on the table.

Duke’s defense early and late were essential for their success. They led the tournament in defensive efficiency and it showed tonight. They made Wisconsin, who are notorious for not turning the ball over, play their brand of offense early, which caused the Badgers to cough up the ball on three straight possessions. They ran the ball on transition off of those turnovers and got easy baskets. They made Wisconsin play even more conservatively than they would have liked late, bringing that aggressive ball pressure and jumping the passing lanes.

Coach K made sure to give Wisconsin their props in his post-game interview, stating that they beat a great team who was headed by a great coach. Tyus gave praise to his teammates and coaching staff for giving him the confidence to take over late, not just in this game but over the course of the season.

It will be very interesting to see how Duke is structured next season, with four of their starters projected to either go in the lottery or first round.

Article by Jalen Perry

If you were to research Racine and its history in in athletics, you would find an extensive legacy, etched with championships and athletes who have gone on to accomplish huge success. Racine county basketball has been a power for years, with schools such as Jerome I. Case and St. Catherine’s enjoying multiple division championships. Considering this, you would think that Racine had reached the pinnacle of their basketball glory.

Enter the Racine Storm. Racine Storm is the brainchild of owner Attorney Michael Tyler, who also owns a sports and consulting agency (Tyler Sports and Entertainment Consulting) and has helped build a team that will contend for PBL (Premier Basketball League) championships for years to come. With Tyler being born and raised in Waukegan, the team originally was located in Lake County, Illinois. They played in the Independent Basketball Association and when the team re-located to Racine, they didn’t have a place to call their own. In their final season with the IBA, they finally found a home at the Jerome I. Case High School Fieldhouse. This is the team’s inaugural season in the PBL, and they are not waiting for their turn at the top. Instead, they are snatching up opportunities.

With their extreme attention to detail on the defensive end, they have compiled the second best record in the PBL’s Midwest Division (7-3), are currently undefeated at home and most recently defeated the fourth ranked team in their conference, the Indianapolis Diesels, 103-96. The team is defense first and second, looking to disrupt opposing offenses and then push the ball in transition, even throwing lobs to high flyers such as Thomas Cobbs and Reginald “Reggie” Bunch. The team is coached by the cool hand of Clinton Bryant and it was easy to see why the squad is so poised when the game is in doubt. In speaking with players such as Anthony Spencer, the team’s and one of the league’s leading scorers, everyone said that the chemistry couldn’t be better. Spencer himself says the team loves to play with one another and are not only teammates on the court, but friends off of it. “We’ve been playing with one another for a while and we just clicked,” Spencer said. “With practice and spending time with each other on and off the court, that is where the chemistry comes in at.”

Many of the players I spoke with are from the Racine area or nearby, and one of the players was a proud Ranger for two seasons. Tom Wright, a 6’8 forward, was a walk-on that played under Coach Reigel and had nothing but praises for the coach. “When I played, the style back then was well planned out,” Wright said. “Coach Reigel is a meticulous strategist, everything was extremely professional and that is how he ran his teams…It was a good deal and I liked being on the team.” He left to pursue his dream in law enforcement, but when Coach Bryant heard what kind of player he was, he needed to add him to the roster. Wright has been with the Storm ever since.

The team has two home games this weekend; Saturday versus the Ohio Lima Express (third in the Midwest division with a 6-5 record) at 7 p.m. and Sunday versus the Danville Riverhawks (fifth in the Midwest Division with a 3-8 record) at 6 p.m. On behalf of The Ranger News I would like to thank Director of Public Relations, Shawn Quirk, and the Racine Storm for inviting me to the game and being great hosts. Good luck with the rest of the season. The Ranger News will continue to support.

DeSimone Gym is the hottest ticket in the GLVC right now with both the men’s and women’s basketball teams playing some of the best basketball in school history. Tonight’s victim: Missouri University S&T. The Miners had no shot in either game, with the Rangers playing a suffocating defense, getting out on the run and finishing in transition. Both contests (or lack thereof) were decided by halftime. En route to a definitive win for the men, senior guard Jordan Mach became the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers. The women ran through their opponent by twenty, but the twelfth ranked men’s team was not to be shown up, steamrolling in their game and winning by 24.

The women’s game started out rough, with neither side really able to control possession of the ball for long. When Coach Yorg inserted sophomore guard Brittney Fair into the game, she was the spark plug they needed to get on track. She pushed the ball in transition and caused mayhem on the defensive end, deflecting and stealing passes. Senior guard and forward Gaby Bronson also showed why she was chosen as an All-GLVC player last season, really taking over in the second half by scoring 15 points and turning many possessions that seemed dead into scores for the Rangers. Junior guard and forward Tara Knapstein quietly led the team in scoring with 17 in 17 minutes off the bench. The ball never seemed to stick to a player. The team executed great ball movement throughout the duration of the game, creating open shots each time down the court. Their stifling defense left the Miners intimidated and caused them to miss seemingly routine plays, which allowed the Rangers to capitalize, mainly on fast breaks. Coach Yorg was able to empty the bench in tonight’s game. Amber Bullock and Rani Singh, players who don’t see a lot of time, got the opportunity to show what they have to offer. Singh seemed to out-hustle everyone on multiple possessions and Bullock played solid on defense. This was the women’s twelfth straight win, and they do not seem to be slowing down.

The men’s game started out with both teams struggling to score. Mizzou S&T came out with the pressure early and often, running a full court press to try and speed up the Rangers. This seemingly backfired once the team got their feet underneath them, dominating in transition. The team also ran their sets to perfection, feeding the ball to Pre-season All-American “Ziggy” Riauka, who finished with 12 points on six for nine shooting. I spoke with Coach Reigel after the game and he said that the team always makes Riauka a focal point. “We always want to get him the ball as much as we can inside,” Reigel said. “We definitely had a size advantage inside, so we wanted to make sure he got touches early and our guards did a good job of getting it to him.”

Like Coach Yorg, Coach Reigel was able to clear his bench tonight and he believes this is the best bench he’s had. “This is the best bench we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Yorg said. “One through seventeen, all of our guys can play.” I also spoke with the game’s leading scorer, Jimmy Gavin, about his big game and whether or not they strategically placed him in positions to score or if his instincts direct him. “We’re pretty balanced offensively, so it could be anyone’s night,” Gavin said. “My teammates found me on a couple of good passes and I was just finishing the plays.” But the night belonged to senior guard Jordan Mach, who surpassed the Parkside men’s basketball all-time record for three pointers. I spoke with Mach after the game and naturally, he was excited. “I’m feeling pretty good, it feels good to get it out of the way and I have been blessed to play with teammates over the years that have been able to find me,” said Mach. When asked how supportive his team was, Mach said that they were completely supportive and wanted him to keep shooting, even after he broke the record.

The team is back in DeSimone Gym on Saturday Feb. 14, playing host to Drury University; The women’s game tips off at one, while the men’s game tips at three. Hope to see you there. Go Rangers!