Wednesday, October 7, 2009

THE ULTIMATE "GLUE" GUY

Every coach asks their players to do the subtle, unglamorous things that don't show up in a box score, but few players truly understand the importance of doing so.

Every year, Sports Illustrated comes out with an All-Glue Team from college basketball. These are the players that do all the little things, many of which go unnoticed, that help their team succeed. This year they named Missouri’s J.T. Tiller as the leader among those chosen.

"He’s one of those kamikaze guys who do all the little things that add up to winning. He plays so hard and gives everything he has, and he has a huge impact on the game just from a defensive standpoint. Most guys don't get after it defensively, but this kid has no ego. Whether it's blocking a shot, deflecting a pass, getting loose balls, taking a charge, making a pass that leads to an assist, it doesn’t matter, he is all about winning."

This guy symbolizes every coaches dream player.

"I thought of myself as a defensive player coming out of high school. I thought that would be my way out," Tiller said. "Everybody else wanted to be the offensive threat, but I felt like for me to be seen I had to be the defensive guy stopping those offensive-minded people. I thought coaches would like that hard-nosed style."

(thanks coach Cooley)

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