Guard Matt Miller drove into the lane and scored a layup while being fouled. As the 13-year-old headed to the foul line he did the stirring the pot celebration – twirling his right finger over his open left palm – made famous by NBA star James Harden, while teammates smiled.
Yes, the Malibu Elite offense was cooking last Saturday at the 1st Place Sports Complex in Chatsworth. After being down 10 points at the beginning of the second half, the summer basketball team stormed back into their contest against Grind and Shine, another travel ball squad, and was only down one point.
Malibu coach Richard Harris said energy was key.
“The game changed because of the energy we had,” said Harris, also the Malibu High varsity coach. “Once we got more of our energy people into the game, we came back.”
The Malibu Elite wound up losing the contest 32-29, but Harris and his brother, assistant coach David Harris, really liked the play the 14U squad displayed during its comeback from the 16-6 deficit at the beginning of the second half.
There was the step back three-pointer 11-year-old Cameron Swist hit over a defender that he followed up with a confident head bob. Elite players hustled for loose balls on the floor. There was Malibu’s defense that drew traveling violations on the Grind and Shine offense on consecutive possessions. And then there was 14-year-old Weston Hartuv’s steal and fast break layup.
Miller said the Elite fought hard during the contest
“I thought it was super fun,” said Miller, who scored 15 points. “I feel like we came out really good. Everyone knew the plays really well.”
Eighth-grader Jordan Wilson said the team’s comeback in the second half will help build team chemistry and momentum for the summer. The forward said he and his teammates want to be a force to be reckoned with.
“Coming from Malibu, people don’t think that we are the best at basketball or the best at football,” Wilson said. “They think we have it easy, but I think we can become one of the best teams in the area.”
Assistant coach David Harris said playing talented teams from across the Los Angeles area is a good thing.
“They get to see the adjustments they need to make and see what they need to work on in practice in order to get better,” he said.
In order to give hoopsters more time to improve their basketball skills, the Harris coaches started the Malibu Elite – originally the PCH Rockets – last September. The travel basketball program has around 20 player ages 11-14 divided between a 12U and a 14U team.
The squads played in the American Roundball Corporation league in the spring. Last Saturday was the first game day of the summer. The coaches said the Elite squads will play one to three games a week depending on player availability.
Richard Harris, the head coach, said the teams are improving in play.
“The growth I see in them is usually what I get from my varsity players when they first start,” he said. “The cool thing is they are growing together. It is really going to help us when they get to the varsity level.”
The coach said playing together in the summer gives Elite players an advantage.
“They are building a comradery that you only see with teams that have been around awhile,” Richard said. “All of these guys are friends. They know each other’s strengths on the court and it helps them to perform. This puts them ahead of a lot of our varsity and junior varsity players who haven’t played with each other from a young age.”
Fourteen-year-old guards Weston and Justin Pilot said they hope to play varsity basketball at Malibu High in a few years. The two said playing with the Elite gives them a chance to know the varsity team’s coaches.
“We get to learn the plays and the style of play,” said Justin.
Harris said the Elite program is a preview of varsity basketball for the players and coaches.
“Usually with travel ball you are playing with a random group of players and the coach is a random coach – you are going to go to a different high school and the coach is going to have different expectations,” he said. With this group they are learning to play as individuals, as a team and they receive information that can help them in high school.”