Aggressive assets: Cochran, Gulley come to the fore in Fayetteville’s season opener
Posted on Monday, December 1, 2008
ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Fayetteville senior guard Fred Gulley (22 ) takes a shot from the block over Little Rock Central junior forward Jordan Washington (52 ) during the first half of the Dogs ’ 54-40 win Saturday at Fayetteville High.
Fayetteville didn’t burn up the nets in its season opener Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Gym but still prevailed in the match-up of last year’s 7A-West and 7A-Central conference champions.
The Bulldogs shot 34 percent from the field (16 of 47), 69 percent from the free throw line (16 of 23) and 25 percent from the 3-point line (6 of 24) in their 54-40 win over Little Rock Central (2-1). Head coach Barry Gebhart said Fayetteville hoisted 3-pointers too indiscriminately early in the game. As the contest progressed, the Bulldogs became more selective.
“Against the zone defense that they played, I don’t mind taking the 3's,” Gebhart said. “I thought in the first half we took them a little quicker than we needed to.”
The Bulldogs began to move the ball more fluidly against Central’s zone in the second quarter. A pass from junior Jacob Baxter at the high post found Fred Gulley on the left wing for his first field goal of the game. The 3-pointer with 5:30 to play in the second quarter gave Fayetteville a 14-10 lead.
Junior Adam Nobel’s skip pass over the Central zone connected with Taylor Cochran, who buried one of his three 3-pointers to give Fayetteville a 22-17 halftime lead. Central head coach Oliver Fitzpatrick said the Bulldogs’ passing made it difficult for the Tiger defense to regroup and recover.
“We were just breaking down fundamentally on the backside, and they were swinging the ball over the top and it took us the whole game to make the adjustment,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was unfortunate it took us the whole game to make the adjustment.”
Cochran’s proficiency from the 3-point line (3 of 8) came as no surprise after he drilled six treys in the team’s Purple-White scrimmage last month. Saturday he showed that his game isn’t limited to shooting. Cochran assisted or scored Fayetteville’s first seven points.
He set up fellow junior Kikko Haydar for a 3-pointer on the right wing that gave Fayetteville a 3-0 lead. Cochran then put senior postman Cable Hogue in position for a layup against the Central press on the subsequent Bulldog possession. He concluded the opening flurry with a steal and lefthanded layup that shielded the ball from the oncoming Tiger defender.
Gebhart said Cochran’s skill set has expanded as he’s become more comfortable and sure of himself. He finished Saturday’s game with 15 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
“He’s made a lot of improvement,” Gebhart said. “He’s just a year older, wiser, a little stronger and a little bigger. I think last year he was unsure of himself. I think maybe at times last year he was unsure of whether he belonged out on the floor. I think this year he’s confident and he knows he belongs out there.”
Confidence has never been lacking from Gulley’s game. The 2007-08 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year award winner’s shot wasn’t falling with regularity Saturday but he didn’t let it dissuade him from impacting the game positively for Fayetteville.
Gulley remained aggressive despite a 1-of-6 shooting effort in the first half. He made 3-of-9 attempts in the second half and attempted 14 of Fayetteville’s 23 free throws. He finished with a game-high 16 points to go along with 3 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Gebhart said Gulley’s determination and athleticism allow him to influence games when his shot isn’t falling. Relieved of his primary ball-handling responsibilities, Gulley can expend more energy on other facets of his game.
“He plays hard, and he’s a good athlete,” Gebhart said. “I thought he was better defensively throughout the course of the whole game. I think part of that is due to the fact that we’ve kind of relieved him a little bit of the ball handling duties, and he can concentrate a little more on being that stopper on defense that we need late in the game. He can conserve his energy by not having to handle the ball and set us up in the press offense and do all that stuff that he’s been having to do the last couple of years. ”
Gulley helped hold Central’s Alandise Harris scoreless in the second half. The 6-5 all-state guard / forward hit two first half 3-pointers that accounted for all of his 6 points. Too enamored with the 3-point line, Harris was reluctant to venture inside the arc.
“He just didn’t put himself in a position to score,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s easy to stand around out there shooting jump shots, but it takes a man to get down in there like the Fayetteville guys were and do the dirty work down inside. He just took himself out of position to score.”
The Bulldogs return to action Thursday in the nightcap at the ninth annual Kickapoo Tip-Off Classic in Springfield, Mo. They play Chadwick, Mo., at 9:30 p.m. The Chadwick Cardinals return four starters from last year’s 24-5 squad that reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament. They’re led by all-state guard Shawn Thomas (5-10).
A win Thursday moves Fayetteville into the semifinals of the winner’s bracket. That game is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. on Friday. A loss puts it in the loser’s bracket, where it would play at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
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