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Merry Xmas too!

Tomorrow is one of those measuring sticks for the collective progress so far this season. Our Springboks are the only one's on the continent that can curtail Egypt's stranglehold. But just like the last time around it is a marathon not a sprint and this game is more of precursor to what will follow down the line.

Not too shabby a week on the reset.....

Fabian Pöll: even though his manager is in and out his minutes are stable and his GS and DMI has reacted accordingly. a ID pop is very nice to see, really wish his manager would have given him or would just go ahead and give him 1v1F straining. But kid is a beast, we will need him at his best to have a shot.

Jabulani Manzini: another guy who has been put overall on the right track. He could preorgess faster but he is still pretty god.


Sean Dunker: solid reset and a OD pop, not advancing in a spectacular manner, but a consistent one.

Jabulani Makeba: A HA pop and a excellent reset on GS and DMI. Really our best potential outside threat at this point.


Beau Bleek: A OD pop, but a flat reset makes him best used as a supplement as opposed to a main ingrediant. Still advancing well though.


Mxali Matomelaa: no pops and a ok at best reset, but he's as I have said before, our best defender so you gotta ride with the guy.

Ad Hayden: no pops but a very nice reset so his minutes hopefully will have added value

Khaya Nkosi: a IS pop, and a very good reset, another guy whos minutes should be of value.

Ngwazi Khomane: and another guy in a similar situation, no pops bt the reset suggest he should play well when on the court

Ayize Mini: good reset, nice spread of skills, not great but he will find his way on the court for a few minutes this week

Siphiwe Mamoepa: DR and JR pops give him a interesting look, a guy to keep a eye on in the future who might give some solid minutes in the right spot in the present.



The other members on the squad all are guys with serious potential, but who's lack of commitment from their managers is short changing their careers! Thanks to all who do make an effort to make your players better, not just for the u21 , not just yourself, but for the game as a whole because there is no game without a pipeline of talent.

Misr/Egypt is a tall task, though not my most daunting mounain to climb of theweek asi my league I face the team most likely to win the league on the road, and in the USA cup I have a date with Bigshots who is #1 in USA, defending NBBA champ, currently #4 in the world and atop the standings of B3.... but t lest I get them on my home court! for whatever that will be worth!

Last edited by Coach Lambini at 12/29/2019 6:21:43 PM

SPRINGBOKS SPREAD THIN BY MISR 84-72



Fabian Pöll (35 pts, 12 rebounds 4 block) won his scoring battle with the much more ballyhooed Awad Ahmad Bin-Sulaim (27 pts 19 rebounds 3 blocks) but the Springboks lost the war as Misr just had too much depth and coasted to a 84-72 win that was not close as the score would indicate. " That was a prime example of the ways of doing business in these two countries. we use a more free range crowd sourcing model, and it works most nights in continent. But the farming system that the Poland based staff for Misr has put into place allows for the level of detail they can give to their players. On Bin-Sulaim Lambini had this to say..." really a man dare I say a beast among boys, especially in the first half. Having a player of that talent sets the tone for the rest of the team. Fabian is a great scorer, and his defense has improved immensely in his time in the program. But in his opponent is the type of player I preach about trying to build."

Next p is a match against host Tunisia though at this point it is all window dressing as tickets for the second pphase have been secured log ago.



Last edited by Coach Lambini at 12/30/2019 6:12:21 PM

better luck next time

Egypt has that center. that guy is a menace! A lot of our guys could develop into something close to that guy in their respective ways, so don't get discouraged. And if you are perplexed as to why some of these guys are not developing fast as you would like, reach out to me and maybe we can formulate a plan. All things considered however I am very proud with what you guys do week in and week out and applaud your efforts.

Fabian Pöll: we had the GS/DMI thing licked then he gets dressed for a scrimmage and his minutes get thrown off. But he's fine.

Jabulani Manzini: A handling pop, which does add up and pay BIG dividends over time. Really nice reset, is he poised for a breakout during the latter half of the season? Time will tell....

Sean Dunker: solid reset, another driving pop, which is fine, time for his skills to become more focused on other areas. But it's cool.

Jabulani Makeba: solid reset, no pops, but no worries

Mxali Matomelaa: another OD pop, which is great, time for other skills to be accentuated however

Khaya Nkosi: HA and DR pop, which always works, good reset, solid though modest distribution of skills. Is coming along nicely however

Ad Hayden: IS and a FT pop. Good reset, hopefully he can get to elastic in core areas by seasons end.

Ngwazi Khomane: no pops, minimal level of acceptable on reset, fine.

Ayize Mini: A passing pop, he is developing a little slower than he should but his position in relation to height is strange, . who has ever heard of a 7'0" PG!?! Another case of commitment to one area being needed to facilitate growth.

Siphiwe Mamoepa: Modest TSP, but a very robust GS/DMI suggest a owner committed to his development. Needs 1v1 f training, has surprisingly already reached a level of elasticity on JR, a curious case indeed, but an intriguing one.

Steve Johnson: not the highest potential guy on the board, but still has a baseline TSP that shows real potential, especially in terms of his viability to the u21. But no real focus seems to be getting made on his direction.

and as before, the other remaining guys are in similar position. I need to get motivated and reach out to the collective to see if I can get some motivation going. But all things considered we are where we need to be in terms of reaching worlds for next season, it's just I would like to find a way to go in as champ.

We get the host Tunisia this week, should be a fairly routine affair though it is always possible they may throw out maximum effort to steal a win. however I don't see that happening as for all intents and purposes the field is set for the next round.


Last edited by Coach Lambini at 1/4/2020 11:38:40 AM

SPRINGBOKS SURVIVE SLOPPY EFFORT SNEAK PAST TUNISIA 86-81

In a contest consisting of a seasons worth of mishaps in a forty eight minute time frame the RSA u21 stayed out of it's own way just enough to topple a game Tunisia 86-81. Fabian Poll was his usual self with 23 points and 8 boards and Jabulani Makeba and Ad Hayden also scored in double figures to pace the scoring efforts.

Afterwards in his press conference Coach Lambini had this to say: " Perhaps it was experimenting with the lineups a little bit which caused the disjointed effort That and combined with the decision to spread out the offensive focus perhaps had a lot to do with how the game manifested itself. All I know is we turned the ball over way too often (18-8) and the free throw shooting about did us in (13-30 compared with 21-24) . But these are all correctable mistakes and it's easier to have teachable moments after a win. I was happy though about the resiliency the kids showed when this thing threatened to get int a dangerous situation. I also like the fact that we managed to get a lot of guys meaningful minutes tonight as that only helps us going forward."

After leading 21-16 after the opening period the baby boks saw Tunisia go on a slight spurt to control the action in the second period though the boks did managed to draw even at intermission 39-39. In the 3rd Tunisia scored twelve of the first sixteen to take a 51-43 edge, but a 11-2 rally put the boks back in front 54-53. After the third it was a 59-58 edge for the boks but Tunisia took the first six of the period to take a 64-59 edge but from there the boks made their final push pulling ahead by 12 at 85-73 before some suspect free throw shooting accounted for the final margin.

Nice summary as usual. Thank you.

Your weekly update....

Fabian Pöll: the dmi and gs seem maxed and the IS has gone legend. Looks like he is being put in line for some out of position training, how that manifest where he matriculates skill wise will be interesting to see in the upcoming weeks

Sean Dunker: a conversation with his manager has led to a focus on getting his offensive focus more in order. Pops in js and jr and steps in that direction.

Jabulani Manzini: no pops but again a robust reset. A couple of more pops with the various inside skills is anticipated and will be very useful.

Jabulani Makeba: no pops, training can be led in a variety of directions though guard skills are most valuable to our cause.

Mxali Matomelaa: a HA pop for our designated defensive stopper. A 1v1f focus and maybe some concentration on shooting will make him more complete down the stretch.

Beau Bleek: no pops and a sagging reset is a cause for concern. But he still has solid value built in.

Khaya Nkosi: very much the same, just with a better overall reset.

Ad Hayden: another guy at a crossroads.

Ngwazi Khomane: and more of the same, though slightly more advanced HA and DR is encouraging.

Ayize Mini: his progress is stuck, his reset sagged , a focus towards something is in order, I say just hit those inside skills and see where the chips fall

And the remainder of the roster is in much the same bag. For those caught at the crossroads contact me and we can figure out the best way to move forward. I will check the database to see if there are any diamonds in the rough but at this point we are who we are and it's just a matter of getting just a little bit better. Get your guys their minutes, and shoehorn getting meaningful minutes in league games as that really does encourage development. This week is Senegal with 2nd place on the line, both teams look pretty equal in effect just slightly different in composition though I think we have more overall depth. I hope the game plan I will be putting forth will best accentuate our core strengths. As always my door is open to your inquiries and input.

Last edited by Coach Lambini at 1/12/2020 8:13:27 AM

SPRINGBOKS SQUANDER SECOND HALF LEAD, FALL TO SENEGAL 70-69

In a game that showcased their shortcomings the baby boks blew a double digit lead in the final period and a half dropping a difficult 70-69 decision in a game not decided until literally the final second. This contest showed several flaws in the South Africa scheme. First is outside of Fabian Pöll there is not a consistent scoring presence. Mr. Pöll produced a robust score line (29 pts 12 boards 3 steals) but the rest of the squad struggled mightily. This was in many ways however the byproduct of losing Sean Dunker early in the contest as his overall ability to create his own opportunities helps the rest of the offense run smoother. Another issue is the rebounding is starting to look suspect, a 49-44 deficit including 17-13 on the offensive side was slight but it was when these opportunities came along and SENEGAL being able to capitalize that turned the table. Also once again the issues with free throw shooting had direct impact as a 8-16 Springbok effort versus 11-17 for the opponent is another area where the deficiency dealt a deadly blow.


Speaking to the embedded reporters afterwards CL commented. " Better to get this wake up call now rather than later. The last two weeks have shown the talent level of my opponents is better than what meets the eye. Dunker going down was huge, we missed his overall energy. We got to develop a second or third option for Fabian, he cannot do it alone. The issues that have cropped up are correctable. We will see these guys probably two more times. Hopefully we can produce a better effort."

After being tied after the first period the books surged to a 8 point lead at intermission. This grew to a dozen at 50-38 early in the third. However from that point the scoring stagnated and Senegal was able to take advantage. However after falling behind 68-65 in the final minute the boks rode on Fabian Pöll's back to a pair of buckets to reclaim the lead 69-68 with :13 remaining. But on the deciding possession the failure to block out on a miss have the Senegalese a second chance as the follow with :01 left gave them the lead for good. On the boks final desperate effort a wild three point shot was errant and the collapse was complete.

With the defeat the baby boks finish the first stage 5-2 and in 3rd going to the next round robin phase.

After last week's unfortunate "incident" it's time to regroup. But with Morocco on tap let's go ahead and "round up the usual suspects". As always the recap is based upon TSP.


Fabian Pöll: I have got to get some consultation from others in this game as to how to get him more touches. Barring a long term injury (hold my breath) he will end up as the leading scorer in the history of the program . But boksburg in his quest to make him a great player sacrificed a lot of build to get him that pretty inside shot. Yet i got to manufacture more opportunities for him to do what he does best. With a great guard it is pretty simple to do this, with a front court player .

Sean Dunker: good building blocks for the future, not just for the u21 but beyond.

Jabulani Manzini: best distribution of skills that are helpful. How he develops the rest of this season will have a lot to do with how this team performs because he is able to handle duties down low that Fabian to be honest cannot.

Jabulani Makeba: solid distribution of skills with a shot that hopefully will get better so we have a solid scoring threat for the 2 or the 3 position.

Mxali Matomelaa: our defensive stopper de jour . His manager plans to squeeze more move level of OD before tackling other duties.

Beau Bleek: on the shelf this week with a mild ankle sprain. Will return soon and hopefully his movement will be beneficial to our needs.

Khaya Nkosi: solid array of skills with several approaching elasticity.

Ad Hayden: very similar situation with slightly different distribution. Got pressed into action last week after dunker went down, did not play poorly but was pretty invisible.


Ngwazi Khomane: another guy coming along but at a little bit of a crossroads.


Siphiwe Mamoepa: I may have said this last week, but this kid is a real diamond in the rough. He's only 19, he is developing well in crucial attributes and he is being used in a way by a manager who sees the long term potential I see. Great potential is one thing, maximizing that potential is another, this player in time will be a great example of the latter.


Ayize Mini: And this guy is a great example of the former. But he's getting there and his manager does care.


Steve Johnson: looks like he is seeing minutes, but he also lost in the shuffle on his club team. Maybe he can move more to the forefront in the near future but for now he is in the background.


And then is the balance of the called up roster who to be honest are all languishing in hell. Which is sad because these guys could be something special.


My apologies if my tenor has become more abrupt . But after that loss to Senegal last week, to steal a line from the late Carroll Rosenbloom who owned the Baltimore Colts of the NFL when they were upset by the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, I was embarrassed, I do not like being embarrassed. Now it falls on me because I did not make better contingency plans, going forward I plan to better compensate for these types of situations. But that game, much like the Colts-Jets was a fluke fluke. Bad as we played, and over the final quarters and a half it was truly insipid we still almost survived.


Last edited by Coach Lambini at 1/19/2020 10:10:23 AM

SPRINGBOKS OFFENSE GOES MISSING, BUT DEFENSE DOES IT' S JOB! RSA 70 MOROCCO 54

A Moroccan defense dead set on containing Fabian Poll did it's job holding him to 14 points. But Manzini and Makeba picked up the slack scoring 23 and 17 respectively as the Springboks survived a sub par 37% shooting effort by holding the Moroccans to a paltry 26% as the Baby Boks moved one step closer to securing a semi final berth with a workman like 70-54 victory in front of a packed house at Roger Water.

Considering the locale Coach Lambini afterwards was full of Pink Floyd references for the baffled assembled press corps. " well tonight it was us versus them. Though at this time I am biding my time. Of course comparing the progress of these two programs is Apples and Oranges. However with the stagnant nature of our offense over the last several weeks I am saying wish you were here to former standouts from the squad two seasons back. Alas Solomons and Mthebe are not walking thru that door.Of course it would help if Beau Bleek makes a return, the team doctor on his club team needs to take up thy stethoscope and walk. however if we are to be able to truly compete for the AfroBasket title we must kick this into interstellar overdrive. One of these days I hope we can be fearless enough to take that bold step. In regards to what it will take to get to the level where we can raise that championship trophy I have to ask The gold is in the? When asked WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ON? I mean Wot's...uh..the deal? , coach replied, it just One of my turns. Naturally the show must go on, and we will have to run like hell. Though if will be interesting to see if these are the happiest days of our lives or if this is the final cut. At this point Coch asked the flabbergasted 5th estate if there were any further questions he concluded the press conference by stating "I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like, it's got a bell and basket and things that make it look good" as coach then proceeded to pedal off stage to the surreal bewilderment of all.

Last edited by Coach Lambini at 1/21/2020 11:21:50 AM