Merrill: When You Don’t Have Discipline… You Don’t Win Ball Games
Date: May 21, 2008
With an ankle injury sustained in Game 3 of the Champville-Blue Stars playoff series, Jarred Merrill sat out in Game 4, unable to help the former overcome its guests. As a result, Champville and Merrill’s season ended with him on the bench. PMA Basketball caught up with the American forward to discuss his injury and the season in general.
How bad is your ankle injury right now?
“It’s still swollen a little but I’m recovering well.”
What was the diagnosis?
“I got an x-ray and it was negative...just a bad sprain. The doctor advised me to stay off of it for 10 days or so.”
Your season ended the worst way possible… with you on the bench. Describe to me how it felt sitting on the bench in the most crucial game of the season? “It felt bad. I wanted to play. I could have contributed a lot to the team.”
Is it safe to say you were very disappointed at how things ended, or was it somehow expected?
“I was disappointed, but when you don’t have discipline like our team then you don’t win ball games, especially at the end of the game where concentration, execution and discipline are the most important keys to winning. We lacked greatly in these areas all year long.”
How do you reflect on the past few months you spent in Lebanon?
“I really had a good time in Lebanon. My teammates and the coach were very easy to get along with and they were all good people.”
What was your best moment and worst moment?
“Probably my best moment was hitting the game winner in OT at Sagesse. [The worst one] was losing in the playoffs to a team I know we should have beaten.”
Would you say this was a positive experience?
“I think it was very positive, although we didn’t win as many games as I wanted to, and the fact that we lost in the first round, but some good things came from this. I did well individually to hopefully set myself up for better opportunities next season.
How satisfied are you with your own performance?
“Decent! I think it could have been even better if I had been put in better positions to score through motion offense and better offensive execution. We honestly never ran plays, so some nights you’re getting shots and some nights you’re not. We had a team where nobody knew their role, or knew their roll but weren’t willing to accept it.”
How could you have done better?
“I think I could have taken care of the ball better. I had some games were I had 4 to 7 turnovers. This is unacceptable!”
What’s next for you?
“Just hit the weight room really hard this summer and gain some weight. I’m looking to play somewhere this summer whether it is Mexico or South America. I don’t want to sit around until next season. I’m addicted to the game.”
...bravo 3lek
...tell marko to change
hatts off to Ballack