Girls basketball ... Dayum!

El Dorado and Camden Fairview are two of the better girls basketball teams in South Arkansas. They proved that this week by advancing to the finals of the BancorpSouth Oil Belt Tournament.
El Dorado beat Monticello and Fairview nipped Conway before the Lady Cardinals upended the Lady Wildcats 41-40 on a buzzer-beater Thursday night.
The game was certainly exciting and hard-fought. The players gave it everything they had. From a competition standpoint, it doesn't get any better in the NBA than what spectators saw Thursday at Wildcat Arena.
From a fundamental standpoint?
Dayum!
So far this basketball season has been a blur of bad passes, double dribbles, missed layups and just plain wretched play. And, I've made it a point to only see the better teams.
What in the hell has happened?
Not only do kids not play pick-up basketball anymore, apparently, they don't even watch the sport on television. A few years ago, I complained that girls could only dribble with their strong hand. Nowadays, they can't dribble with either hand!
Hell, they can't even catch the ball!
Everytime a shot is missed (which is practically everytime a shot is taken) it's followed by a scrum on the floor because no one seems to have the ability to catch the carom. Every pass results in a mosh pit. Between the traveling calls and jump balls, you're lucky if you see 20 seconds of action between whistles.
I don't mean to be a constant complainer but ... Dayum!
I've been a staunch defender of female basketball players in my 20 years as a sports writer. I know how good girls can be at the sport when they're dedicated and work hard at it. Good, fundamentally-sound female basketball players should be applauded and celebrated, which I have done in the past and look forward to doing in the future.
But, I have to be honest and call it like I see it.
With a few exceptions, girls basketball in South Arkansas is unwatchable. It's the worst I've ever seen, not just in my career, but in my entire life.
No fundamentals. No basketball sense. Not even an ability to catch the ball.
I just ... I don't know what to say ... Dayum!