Poor Calvin Brock.
All the 6-foot-6-inch Simeon senior star does is have perhaps his best all-around game of the season Thursday, and nobody will give him any credit.
Brock had 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocked shots in No. 7 Simeon’s 72-64 victory over No. 6 Julian that boosted the Wolverines past their Red South adversary into first place.
Most coaches would’ve been effusive in their praise afterward, but not hard-line, old-school Simeon leader Bob Hambric.
When asked to comment on Brock’s dominating performance, Hambric replied: “It was almost to the point where he wasn’t letting anyone else (on his team) get into the game.”
Well, maybe losing coach Loren Jackson would acknowledge Brock’s effort.
“Brock’s a good player, but we didn’t block out and a lot of his opportunities came on second shots,” Jackson said. “If we rebound the basketball, Brock doesn’t look like such a hero.”
Maybe Brock could explain why he was so motivated for the rematch at Simeon after the Wolverines lost at Julian earlier this month.
Oh, that’s right. Hambric doesn’t allow his players to be interviewed. Nothing comes between him and his Calvin.
Brock scored 13 of his team’s first 26 points and in the middle of the second quarter he came up with three straight steals, an acrobatic layup, a three-point shot and two assists as Simeon (14-3, 6-1) shot out to a 33-19 halftime lead.
Known for wearing opponents down with its 12-player rotation and finishing with a fourth-quarter flurry, Julian (15-6, 6-2) fought back behind Brandon Ewing (18 points, three steals) and James Watson (13 points, six assists). The Jaguars cut the deficit to 56-52 on Ewing’s drive to the hoop with 2 minutes 32 seconds left in the game.
That’s the closest Julian would come as Brock, Brandon Alexander (16 points, seven rebounds) and Tim Green (13 points) held off the Jaguars.
Hambric was glad the 6-7 Alexander didn’t show any lingering effects of a flu-like illness that kept him home from school earlier in the week.
“Alexander played pretty well for a guy who was sick,” Hambric said. “He didn’t practice until Wednesday, and that was just a light workout. I was surprised he did as well as he did.”
That Simeon led wire to wire once again speaks to the Wolverines’ poise and Hambric’s coaching.
“We’ve been doing that all year–especially at the Pontiac (holiday) tournament that we won,” Hambric said. “This game, we didn’t let them bully us like the first game.”
Brock made sure of that–as if anybody noticed.
