Night Hoops by

Carl Deuker

Overview by Michelle Lau

Setting

• 2000s

• During high school year

• USA, Small suburb of Seattle

• Bothell High School

• Nick’s backyard

Exposition

Bothell High School

Nick’s backyard

Nick Abbott Protagonist• Sophomore• Basketball lover• Divorced parents• Good grades • Middle sized (point guard)•  Personality:

• Hardworking • Persistent• Loyal • Generous

• Other characters:• Trent: Sympathetic• Father: not as talented as his older son• Coach: selfish on the court• Luc: caring best friend

Trent Dawson Antagonist

Exposition

Characters Protagonist & Antagonist

• Aggressive• Quiet• Big and Strong =

rebounder • Talented

basketball player• Basketball lover• “troublemaker”

• Masters game on court

• Angry• Nick’s neighbor• Lack of effort in

academics

Other Characters

Exposition

Scott Abbott• Nick’s older brother• Talented basketball player• No interest in basketball• Father Abbott coaches him over Nick (Father

ignores Nick)• Loves music• Great academic grades• His girlfriend is a music player

Luke Jackson • Nick’s best friend• In Bothell High School• Sophomore• Basketball player• African American• Detests Trent Dawson

Father Abbott

• Father of Scott and Nick• Prizes Scott more • Coaches Nick about basketball • Big impact to Nick’s basketball plays• Divorced with ex-wife• Has new girlfriend

Coach O’Leary• Nick’s varsity coach• Likes Nick’s passion and game • Made Nick sitting on bench• Likes Trent’s talent in basketball• Always gives second chances to

people

Zack Dawson• Trent’s older brother• Troublemaker• Aggressive, big and

strong• Gives Trent his title• Was charged by the police

Rising Action

• Nick, Luke, Trent joins basketball varsity• Nick got Father Abbott’s complements• Wins numerous of games• From Father Abbott’s phrase “take the chances”,

Nick starts to become selfish on the court• Lack of teamwork• Nick then becomes the bench guy• Trent starts to miss practice• Trent’s father asked permission for Trent to practice

at Nick’s backyard• Nick fails in academics and his passion in

basketball• Nick sees Trent passion and changes his perspective

of him• Plays basketball outside at the yard together• Becomes best friends and learns the game on court• Both practices basketball and studies together

Rising Action

Primary Conflicts

Rising Action

Character vs. CharacterNick Abbott vs. Trent Dawson• Nick detests how Trent acts• Nick thinks Trent is a troublemaker• Detests each other• Nick, as the point guard, never passes

the ball to Trent, a talent basketball player

• In games, the team loses chances to score more points

• Trent was in fight with Nick because of his Nick’s attitude in basketball.

Character vs. SelfNick Abbott vs. Self• Father Abbott told

him to save chances for himself

• He starts to be selfish on the court as being the point guard

• Loses teamwork• Force his plays • Becomes bench guy• Fails in games and in

academics• Lost his passion

Secondary Conflicts

Character vs. SocietyTrent Dawson vs. Police• Zack and Trent involved in being

against a law, which they are wanted by the police

• Trent wasn’t really involved, it was all Zack

Character vs. CharacterNick’s mom vs. Father Abbott• Had long-term fights • Decided to divorce • Separates the family

Character vs. Characters

Nick Abbott vs. classmates & teammates • Trent was a detested student in Bothell

High• Nick became friends with Trent, and

soon became ignored by his good friends, even Luke

Character vs. CharacterScott Abbott vs. Father Abbott • Scott always hated basketball even

though his talent could bring him a super star title

• Father Abbott has forced him to practice what he doesn’t enjoy doing

• Father Abbott wants him to quit music

Rising Action

Climax

Trent and Nick both got back into the game because they learned the answer to their loved sport. Their teamwork have got them numerous of wins and everything just seems like the best it can go. Until, Nick was alone in the backyard one day, waiting for Trent. Trent was with his older brother Zack. Trent was next to the guns, gunshots, and a dead body of what was killed… Trent was involved with the police, but he have done nothing, it was all his brother. He has to make a choice if he would go to the championship and be in front of the police, or leave with his brother.

Climax

Falling Action

• Trent misses practice with his varsity team

• Trent misses school, and disappears for a few days

• Nick continues going to practices and is

cooperating well with his teammates, because they

have accepted Trent and Nick

• Trent sometimes will practice in Nick’s backyard

giving chances for Nick to have a talk with him

• He is still on his way deciding with the

championship waiting for him

Falling Action

?

?

Resolution

• The championship game started• Nick playing point guard cooperating well with teamwork• Waiting for Trent to be there• Zack was caught • At the end of the end of the game, Trent appears • They both walk out of the gym after the game enjoy the nice weather outside

Falling Action

Themes

• In any team sport, teamwork is the most important; “to win, sometimes you have to pass”

• Individual skills cannot win anything in team sports • Never force things, let it come to you• Sometimes, when the chance comes to you, step up and

take it, but don’t force the chance to come• Never judge people by how they look, act, and their

family background• Never give up• Practice makes improvement • When you fall, just try to pull yourself back up

Falling Action