Frustrated Harrington wants more thunder from his Blue Storm

The Blue Storm offense isn’t generating much thunder, and that’s frustrating Southwest Illinois College men’s basketball coach Jay Harrington.

His angst bubbled over after a 61-55 Great Rivers Athletic Conference game against Kaskaskia College in Centralia on Wednesday, when the Blue Storm were held to 60 points or less for the third time in four games and failed to get off a game-tying shot in the final moments.

“I called time out when we were down two and set up a play, but the two players I substituted didn’t know where to go and we couldn’t get a good shot,” he said. “It’s just very frustrating right now.”

Freshman Jaalam Hill, a product of Waggner High School in Louisville, Ky, has been the leader on the Blue Storm offense and pitched in another 15 points against Kaskaskia.

But after having dropped five of their last seven, the Blue Storm has fallen to 7-9 on the season. That streak includes an especially frustrating 97-96 loss to Wabash Valley on Dec. 10.

On the flip side of the struggling offense has been a defensive effort that has held opponents to 70 points or less in seven of 16 games.

“We’ve done a good job on defense all year and that’s what makes this even more frustrating,” Harrington said. “We’ve got kids who are good shooters who won’t shoot the basketball and we’ve got kids who aren’t good shooters, taking shots trying to be heroes.”

SWIC will be busy as it returns to action at 3 p.m. Saturday when it plays host to John A. Logan College. The Blue Storm then play at Vincennes, (Ind.) University on Jan. 25 and Southeastern Illinois College on Jan.28.

Harrington is hoping for a better effort from his young players.

“The thing with a lot kids these days is that they think they are entitled to things. They think that they are entitled to playing time even if they miss seven straight shots and turn the ball over five trips down the court. That’s not the way it should be and certainly isn’t the way it is in this basketball program.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 8:58 PM with the headline "Frustrated Harrington wants more thunder from his Blue Storm."