E-town vs. L-S preview

Tonight, the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys basketball playoffs begin, and E-town will be facing Section Three runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg at 7 p.m. at Conestoga Valley High School.

There is a lot to talk about with this game, so let's get right into it. We'll start with a look at each team's record, team statistics and leading scorers for both.

Lampeter-Strasburg (11-11 overall, 9-7 league, Section Three runner-up).
Average Points Per Game: 51.2.
Average Points Allowed Per Game: 47.5.
3-Pointers per game: 3.3.
Free throws: 194-310, 62 percent.
Top Scorers:
Andrew Snyder, sr., G/F, 11.2 ppg.
Tyrone McFadden, soph., 10.5 ppg.
Taylor Groff, jr., F, 10.4 ppg.
Nate Shank, fr., G, 9 ppg.
Taylor Rutt, jr., G, 7.5 ppg (includes team-high 32 3-pointers).
Dan Weigel, jr., C, 5.1 ppg.
Season at a glance: The Pioneers are the Cinderella team of these league playoffs. They began their season 0-7, but hung tough and rebounded to finish 11-11 overall. They have won their last six straight games and edged Donegal and Elco for the final playoff spots from Section Three. L-S has three players (Snyder, McFadden and Groff) all averaging more than 10 points per game. Rutt is the team's best outside threat, and Weigel could be a factor, since he is 6-6.

The Pioneers aren't a lethal offensive team, but they do play solid defense, allowing an average of less than 48 ppg. They may have started 0-7, but they did play both Penn Manor and Lancaster Catholic close and beat Cocalico handily down the stretch. In fact, L-S faced four playoff teams this season: Lancaster Mennonite, Penn Manor, Cocalico (twice), and Lancaster Catholic. They lost to Mennonite by 2, PM by 7 and LC by 4. They also lost to Cocalico by 10 before beating them by 23.

In other words, don't be fooled by L-S' record. These Pioneers can play. A few bounces here and there, and they could have won 3 or 4 more games.

Elizabethtown (20-2 overall, 15-1 league, Section Two champions).
Average Points Per Game: 67.2.
Average Points Allowed per game: 52.8.
3-Pointers per game: 3.9.
Free throws: 267-374, 71 percent.
Top Scorers:
Kyle McNeil, sr., F, 12.3
Chad Styer, sr., G/F, 11.8
Quinn Cozzens, sr., G/F, 11.5
Jeremi Jones, sr., G, 11.2
Andrew Placeres, sr., G, 8.5
Bradley Garber, jr., F, 5.4.
Season at a glance: It's been a season to remember for the Bears. Coming off of a year in which they made the district semifinals and the state tournament, E-town had arguably the best regular season in school history.

The Bears won their first seven games before dropping one to CD East (ranked No. 6 in the district). They then reeled off five more wins before falling to Hempfield (ranked No. 2 in the district) on Jan. 13. But E-town hasn't lost since then, ending the regular season with eight straight wins to reach 20 regular season wins for (I believe) the first time ever. They went a perfect 10-0 against Section Two opponents, and are, arguably, the most potent offensive team in the league.

E-town's offense is driven by its balanced scoring, athleticism and guard play. Jones, Styer and Cozzens are all good scorers who can shoot from the perimeter and take the ball to the basket. Placeres handles point guard duties and is a gifted passer, but he can also hit the 3-ball. And all four are excellent rebounders for their size, which helps E-town get a lot of second chance points.

One of the knocks on the Bears is their lack of an inside presence, but I think Kyle McNeil has been outstanding in the paint so far. He could very well be the team MVP. Now, he's going to have trouble against someone 6-7 or so, but at 6-4, he's very strong and rebounds well. Garber's only listed at 6-2, but I'm guessing he's a good inch taller than that. I feel like I've written this a gazillion times, but Garber doesn't fill up conventional stat sheets, but he does the little things that helps the team win. Trust me, he's a very valuable commodity to these Bears. If E-town has a weakness, it's fair to say it is their lack of size inside, but if it is a weakness, I don't think it is a glaring one.

Defensively, E-town is underrated I think. They've really turned up the defensive tenacity during their eight game winning streak, allowing only 46 points per game during that stretch. Garber and McNeil are both outstanding defenders who will limit opposing teams' big men, and Jones, McNeil, Cozzens and Placeres are very good defenders as well.

We're going streaking, through the quad and down to the gymnasium:
Both of these teams are playing their best basketball of the season right now. L-S has won six games in a row, averageing 56.2 ppg and allowing just 39 during that stretch. E-town's win streak is at 8, and the Bears are scoring 67 ppg and allowing just 46.3 in that span. Something's got to give tonight.

On the road again:
Of their 22 games, E-town has only played 9 road games. And they've won them all. They've been tested twice on the road, squeaking by Penn Manor in overtime and beating CV by 1, but a win is a win. They also beat Wilson by 17 and Warwick by 10 in road games.

Conversely, L-S has played 11 road games and went 6-5 in those. The Pioneers started 0-3 in away games, but ended 6-2 and have won their last 3 road contests. Quality away wins include a 23-point dismantling of Cocalico and a two-point win over Kennard-Dale.

Ready to run:
If there's one thing you can expect tonight, it will be for both teams to be running the court a lot, especially E-town. The Bears love to run whenever they get the chance and they'll do it often. If they get a rebound or a turnover, look for the Bears to turn it up court very quickly. That's a luxury you have when four of your players (Styer, Cozzens, Jones and Placeres) can all run the transition effectively.

Mirror, mirror on the wall...:
E-town knows all about what a team can do in the postseason when it gets hot at the end of the year. That's what they did last season during their run to states, and that's what the Pioneers are doing right now. Because of that, don't be surprised if the Bears see a lot of themselves in the Pioneers. Both are athletic up and down, both like to run and shoot the three. E-town knows how dangerous hot teams with nothing to lose can be, because that was them a year ago, so don't expect the Bears to be looking past L-S to a possible rematch with Penn Manor.

Sheesh, get to the point:
OK, the Bears are the favorite in this game, and deservedly so. They've passed just about every test they have faced this year, and, let's not forget, they are 20-2. When it comes down to it, I just think E-town is too focused and too talented for L-S to handle. The Bears are out to prove a point. They feel like they don't get enough respect, and they know the best way to do that is to win in the postseason.

L-S won't lay down easily, so E-town's going to have to work for this one. Anything can happen in the playoffs, but I predict the Bears win tonight.

Other predictions bound to make me look like a homer or an idiot. Or both.:
First Round:
Hempfield over Mennonite
CV over Cocalico
Penn Manor over Catholic

Semifinals:
Hempfield over CV
E-town over Penn Manor

Finals:
E-town over Hempfield.

We'll see how right or wrong I am starting tonight. Enjoy the games everyone and, until next time, cheers.