It’s been a long time since my days of playing pick up basketball, but when I was playing a few times a week in college, one thing always rang true. I didn’t care if my teammates were limited in skill, but I couldn’t stand it if they didn’t understand the importance of ball movement and off-ball play. I still have nightmares of playing two on two with a random kid who once stood on top of the three point arc and continuously shouted “Hey man” until I passed it to him for the game. Every time I relented and gave it to him, a brick off the rim and a sprint for a long rebound was the reward I received. Maybe it’s because I grew up on the movie “Hoosiers” or maybe it’s haunting memories of that kid, but I have a special appreciation for teams that move the ball. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen two teams who play the right way with ball movement. The Southland boys basketball team and the Blooming Prairie girls basketball team both have a solid grasp on using spacing and passing to make the defense work hard. That’s not to say neither team ever attacks the hoop; in fact the Rebel boys have plenty of explosive athletes. But they don’t mindlessly drive to the hoop every time they get the ball. Both teams play in control and both teams play for their teammates.  While it is frustrating to play with someone who doesn’t pass or cut to the hoop, it is pure joy to play with players who understand that the open player is the best player and the extra pass can be the difference between winning in and losing.  I give a lot of credit to Southland head coach Scott Koenigs and BP head coach John Worke for having their teams playing the right way.  With both programs having young rosters, they will be fun to watch for the next few years.   The post Hulne: BP girls and Southland boys are playing a beautiful style of basketball appeared first on Austin Daily Herald.