Grinnell kid scores 138 points, took 108 shots... in one game!

[JasonEvans]

Div III Grinnell College, which plays at an absurdly fast pace, apparently decided to funnel all their shots to one player tonight.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...oints/1718463/

Grinnell College's Jack Taylor scored 138 points Tuesday against Faith Baptist to set an NCAA single-game scoring record.

Taylor made 52 of 108 shots from the field, including 27 of 71 from 3-point range. He made 7 of 10 free throws.

-Jason "his arms must be ready to fall off from all that shooting" Evans

[throatybeard]

Why does it not surprise me that, despite not mousing over this thread, I was expecting to see Grinnell when I clicked through...and then I did.

[sporthenry]

Never a fan of these records falling in such a manner where the game is scripted for this to happen. It just seems a bit disingenuous. However, this was a great recruiting strategy. Imagine how many want to go there to be the next guy who gets to put up 108 shots. Not that you necessarily want those types of players.

[ForkFondler]

Why does it not surprise me that, despite not mousing over this thread, I was expecting to see Grinnell when I clicked through...and then I did.

Prior knowledge, I'm thinking.

[ForkFondler]

Never a fan of these records falling in such a manner where the game is scripted for this to happen. It just seems a bit disingenuous. However, this was a great recruiting strategy. Imagine how many want to go there to be the next guy who gets to put up 108 shots. Not that you necessarily want those types of players.

How embarrassing would it be if you put up 109 shots, but failed to reach 100 points. Cornell, Lake Forest, or Beloit would be much safer options.

[g-money]

Here's what I don't get. If you're Faith Baptist, wouldn't you try to spare yourself a place in the record book by double-teaming the shooter?

[JNort]

Never a fan of these records falling in such a manner where the game is scripted for this to happen. It just seems a bit disingenuous. However, this was a great recruiting strategy. Imagine how many want to go there to be the next guy who gets to put up 108 shots. Not that you necessarily want those types of players.

I don't have a problem with this. When your 5 ft 10 inches tall and 170 pounds IDC if they were playing a high school team because this would still be impressive. The problem if anyone has one should be about the other team never trying to really put a stop to it.

[Greg_Newton]

"It felt like anything I tossed up was going in," said the player who missed 44 three pointers in the 40 minute game...

[JNort]

"It felt like anything I tossed up was going in," said the player who missed 44 three pointers in the 40 minute game...

Thats what ya call confidence. Better feeling than any unc player will get this year

[ricks68]

Yep, that's how long it took for Frank Selvy's record to fall. It's a shame because he did it on his own with a much, much higher shooting percentage and no three point shot. 100 points. And, believe it or not, it isn't his most cherished college basketball memory.

"He even insists it's not the memory from his college career he cherishes most, instead citing an upset of heavily favored Duke two years earlier."

How about that!

You can check it out here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-...84--ncaab.html

Every time I have driven up from Atlanta on the way to Asheville, when I passed Furman I always thought of Frank Selvy and that record. Now, it will be for second on the all-time list. Bummer.

ricks

[gofurman]

Yep, that's how long it took for Frank Selvy's record to fall. It's a shame because he did it on his own with a much, much higher shooting percentage and no three point shot. 100 points. And, believe it or not, it isn't his most cherished college basketball memory.

"He even insists it's not the memory from his college career he cherishes most, instead citing an upset of heavily favored Duke two years earlier."

How about that!

You can check it out here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-...84--ncaab.html

Every time I have driven up from Atlanta on the way to Asheville, when I passed Furman I always thought of Frank Selvy and that record. Now, it will be for second on the all-time list. Bummer.

ricks

YEP. note my user name. I went to Furman - it really is an amazing record: (done WITHOUT a 3 point shot! just unbelievable; last shot to get to 100 from 35 feet out...) "With his teammates feeding him the ball nearly every possession and the PA announcer updating his point total after every made bucket, Selvy began scoring at an even more torrid pace in the final quarter. Two baskets in the final minute enabled Selvy to reach 98 points. Then on Furman's final possession, he broke free from a group of defenders and sank a shot from about 35 feet to get to 100 as the final buzzer sounded.
"It was sort of a jump-push shot from almost midcourt," Selvy said. "The crowd went wild and all the students came out, lifted me on their shoulders and carried me around and all that. It was just wild."

Selvy finished 41 of 66 from the field that day and 18 of 22 from the foul line, incredible statistics even against subpar competition."

[Cameron]

Yep, that's how long it took for Frank Selvy's record to fall. It's a shame because he did it on his own with a much, much higher shooting percentage and no three point shot. 100 points. And, believe it or not, it isn't his most cherished college basketball memory.

"He even insists it's not the memory from his college career he cherishes most, instead citing an upset of heavily favored Duke two years earlier."

How about that!

You can check it out here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-...84--ncaab.html

Every time I have driven up from Atlanta on the way to Asheville, when I passed Furman I always thought of Frank Selvy and that record. Now, it will be for second on the all-time list. Bummer.

ricks

Actually, Jack Taylor broke the 113-point scoring mark set in 1954 by Bevo Francis of Rio Grande College in Ohio, which just so happens to be my home state and why Bevo is so ingrained in my memory as a fan of basketball. Frank Selvy is the only other collegian to ever hit triple digits.

Wish I could have been there in that gym tonight. I've followed Grinnell from afar for years. A lot of teams over the years have claimed to be the greatest show on court -- the '80s Lakers, the Jason Williams-led Sacaramento Kings, Don Nelson's Dallas Mavericks -- but Grinnell really is. The helter-skelter, press all over the place, shoot a three-pointer every five seconds offensive system employed by Grinnell head coach David Arsenault is Loyola Marymount on meth. The Pioneers have been doing it for years in the middle of rural Iowa and shattering records one game at a time along the way. Whether or not you think it is good basketball is not the point. Arsenault created The System, an offensive philosophy that makes Mike D'Antoni's Seven Seconds or Less scheme look like the picket-fence, for the sole reason of creating an environment where his players are having fun and breaking scoring records. That's it. Winning is not the main goal. It's a bonus.

[ricks68]

Actually, Jack Taylor broke the 113-point scoring mark set in 1954 by Bevo Francis of Rio Grande College in Ohio, which just so happens to be my home state and why Bevo is so ingrained in my memory as a fan of basketball. Frank Selvy is the only other collegian to ever hit triple digits.

Wish I could have been there in that gym tonight. I've followed Grinnell from afar for years. A lot of teams over the years have claimed to be the greatest show on court -- the '80s Lakers, the Jason Williams-led Sacaramento Kings, Don Nelson's Dallas Mavericks -- but Grinnell really is. The helter-skelter, press all over the place, shoot a three-pointer every five seconds offensive system employed by Grinnell head coach David Arsenault is Loyola Marymount on meth. The Pioneers have been doing it for years in the middle of rural Iowa and shattering records one game at a time along the way. Whether or not you think it is good basketball is not the point. Arsenault created The System, an offensive philosophy that makes Mike D'Antoni's Seven Seconds or Less scheme look like the picket-fence, for the sole reason of creating an environment where his players are having fun and breaking scoring records. That's it. Winning is not the main goal. It's a bonus.

ricks

[Cameron]

How did the University of Texas get dragged into this?

Well, what I failed to mention is that Bevo Francis was a cow. The father of the longhorn that is currently serving as the mascot at Texas. Which makes the 113 points he scored all the more amazing, and quite frankly, Jack Taylor's feat seem rather dull by comparison.

[FerryFor50]

The opposing coach should be fired. The kid had 58 at the half. If I'm coaching a team that just got torched for 58 at the half, the 2nd half, all I care about is stopping *that* guy.

Triple teams, ball denial, anything. Instead, he comes out and drops 80 in the next half. He's 5'10", not overly quick and athletic, and by his shooting %, isn't exactly an all-world shooter. That sort of thing should NEVER happen.

You never want to have that kind of record set against *your* team.

[Cameron]

The opposing coach should be fired. The kid had 58 at the half. If I'm coaching a team that just got torched for 58 at the half, the 2nd half, all I care about is stopping *that* guy.

Triple teams, ball denial, anything. Instead, he comes out and drops 80 in the next half. He's 5'10", not overly quick and athletic, and by his shooting %, isn't exactly an all-world shooter. That sort of thing should NEVER happen.

You never want to have that kind of record set against *your* team.

I think by focusing your attention on the opposing coach, you are missing the point of what the coach of Grinnell is all about and why what happened last night is not that surprising. Sure, 138 is a big number, but Grinnell has had multiple guys break the 75-point barrier throughout the years, including a kid who dropped 89 just last year. Griffin Lentsch scored that 89 against Principia, while also netting "only" 15 three-pointers. Arsenaut's frenetic system is predicated on shooting as many three balls as possible, from anywhere on the court, and simply running the opposing team out of their shoes with a blitzkrieg of full-court traps (hence why so many lay-ups are given up). There is just no way a team could prepare for that type of onslaught, let alone keep up and double and triple team all game long.

His teams have consistently averaged more than 120 points per game for over a decade and have led the nation in scoring for all divisions 15 of the past 17 years. And Arsenault is able to get his teams to play that way because he shifts his players in and out of the game in five-man hockey-style waves, each wave of players never playing more than two minutes at a time, which ensures fresh legs for Grinnell’s players while those on the opposition wilt. Grinnell also has what it calls “primary shooters,” three-point gunners who the team focuses on constantly feeding the ball and who often times will be told to not venture across half-court on defense and instead stay back for a quick cherry pick three.

They don't play hoops. They play pinball.

Let's also break down Grinnell's record books. This is Pioneer coach David Arsenault's system philosophy, by the numbers.

Single Game Scoring
1. Jack Taylor - 138
2. Griffin Lentsch - 89
3. Jeff Clement - 79
4. Steve Diekmann - 69
5. Steve Diekmann - 60
6. Steve Diekmann - 60
7. Ed Brands - 59
8. Steve Diekmann - 56

Three-Point Field Goals Made Single Game1. Jack Taylor - 27
2. Jeff Clement - 19
3. Jeff Clement - 16
4. Griffin Lentsch - 15
5. Steve Diekmann - 14
6. Steve Diekmann - 14
7. Ed Brands - 14

Three-Pointers Attempted Single Game
1. Jack Taylor - 71
2. Jeff Clement - 52
3. Griffin Lentsch - 33
4. John Grotberg - 31
5. Steve Diekmann - 30

Grinnell Team Points Per Game Through the Years (Small Sample)
1998 - 110.6
1999 - 114.0
2000 - 103.6
2001 - 118.2
2002 - 124.9
2003 - 124.8
2004 - 126.8
2011 - 133.0 and 21 three-pointers per game through 11 games

http://www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mb...old/mbkrecords

[Dukeblue91]

However you slice it, it was still an incredible night for that young man and a heck of a record to make and break.
This is one of those things that will be with you for the rest of your live.

[chaosmage]

This game was being discussed, and I can say, first off, that it would have been WAY more entertaining than watching Butler thump UNX.

Anyways, the discussion this morning was centered around fairness and not "running up the score." I wasn't able to get my opinion in, but first, the coach that coaches there has been there 20+ years, which means if you play them regularly, you KNOW they are going to press the whole time, etc. They're not going to call off the dogs, because they don't. In addition, the discussion centered around "how do the other players on the team feel?" I'd have to imagine that they were passing him the ball, supporting his shots, etc. You don't get a total like that by yourself. Then Steve Phillips (who is usually incredibly smart, but was being a total wanker this morning), was trying to say that a player on the other team who scored 70+ had a better game because he shot 34/44.

Personally? I think it was a great achievement, and I don't consider it running up the score, because that's the team's style of play. You know going in that they are going to do that. It's like assuming Duke is going to stop playing good defense because we are up 20. Not going to happen. It is counter to everything K teaches, to ever let up on the opponent. He might rotate in some bench players, but the closest I can remember him doing that was the Maryland game when we ran them out of the building a few years back and he pulled Henderson with 12 min. to go in the second half. We still won by 40.

Anywho, thought I'd share what I heard this morning and get the thoughts of the board. Happy holidays everyone!

[drcharl]

Listening to recounts this am part of Grinnell's strategy is to rather easily allow the other team very easy 2 point baskets in exchange for getting a quick crack at a 3 for them at the other end with little time coming off the clock. So it also takes Grinnell slacking on defense adding to the contrived nature of the game. Not impressed with this record.

[FerryFor50]

I think by focusing your attention on the opposing coach, you are missing the point of what the coach of Grinnell is all about and why what happened last night is not that surprising. Sure, 138 is a big number, but Grinnell has had multiple guys break the 75-point barrier throughout the years, including a kid who dropped 89 just last year. Griffin Lentsch scored that 89 against Principia, while also netting "only" 15 three-pointers. Arsenaut's frenetic system is predicated on shooting as many three balls as possible, from anywhere on the court, and simply running the opposing team out of their shoes with a blitzkrieg of full-court traps (hence why so many lay-ups are given up). There is just no way a team could prepare for that type of onslaught, let alone keep up and double and triple team all game long.

His teams have consistently averaged more than 120 points per game for over a decade and have led the nation in scoring for all divisions 15 of the past 17 years. And Arsenault is able to get his teams to play that way because he shifts his players in and out of the game in five-man hockey-style waves, each wave of players never playing more than two minutes at a time, which ensures fresh legs for Grinnell’s players while those on the opposition wilt. Grinnell also has what it calls “primary shooters,” three-point gunners who the team focuses on constantly feeding the ball and who often times will be told to not venture across half-court on defense and instead stay back for a quick cherry pick three.

They don't play hoops. They play pinball.

Let's also break down Grinnell's record books. This is Pioneer coach David Arsenault's system philosophy, by the numbers.

Single Game Scoring
1. Jack Taylor - 138
2. Griffin Lentsch - 89
3. Jeff Clement - 79
4. Steve Diekmann - 69
5. Steve Diekmann - 60
6. Steve Diekmann - 60
7. Ed Brands - 59
8. Steve Diekmann - 56

Three-Point Field Goals Made Single Game1. Jack Taylor - 27
2. Jeff Clement - 19
3. Jeff Clement - 16
4. Griffin Lentsch - 15
5. Steve Diekmann - 14
6. Steve Diekmann - 14
7. Ed Brands - 14

Three-Pointers Attempted Single Game
1. Jack Taylor - 71
2. Jeff Clement - 52
3. Griffin Lentsch - 33
4. John Grotberg - 31
5. Steve Diekmann - 30

Grinnell Team Points Per Game Through the Years (Small Sample)
1998 - 110.6
1999 - 114.0
2000 - 103.6
2001 - 118.2
2002 - 124.9
2003 - 124.8
2004 - 126.8
2011 - 133.0 and 21 three-pointers per game through 11 games

http://www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mb...old/mbkrecords

I dunno. Several of the highlights had the kid going one on one with players from the opposing team. They didn't show too many fast break points or 3s in transition...

Regardless, I'd have made it a point to stop the kid, regardless of what it did to the final score. They ended up losing by around 70, so it's not like focusing on the player lighting you up was going to make it any worse.