DON'T BE SATISFIED WITH AVERAGE

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, and countless others that decided they wanted to achieve what others said was impossible… The only person holding YOU back from achieving greatness is YOU!  

JUMP STOPS CORRELATE WITH JUMP SHOTS

I don’t think there is much debate over the shooting ability of Ray Allen (Celtics) or Mike Miller (Heat).  Let’s take Ray.  If you will notice the he gives a little hop (Jump Stop) prior to receiving the ball.  “Ball is in the air and his feet are in the air.”  Catch and shoot (Its’ quick)! It is quicker than the other way.  I don’t believe you can change the method over night...it is going to take a true commitment but it is definitely worth the change.

Most coaches teach from the shoulder up etc.  I personally think it starts with the feet (Balance).  “Don’t sacrifice balance with the jump shot!!”

My best pupil was Nelson Franse at the University of New Mexico.  He was taught as a youngster the two step jump shot but it was too slow and he couldn’t get off quick enough.  So we changed his shot over the summer.  Nelson would go to the “Pit” everyday and spin the ball out in front of him and step into the ball with a jump stop and catch and shoot.  He MADE 100 everyday from the 3-point range and won several ball games for us with his outstanding shooting.  Note: When we did the R/F/S Rebounder/Feeder/Shooter drill daily Nelson would knock down 20+ shots in a 60 second turn.

Watch Ray Allen (Boston) or Mike Miller (Heat)...  It’s all about JUMP STOPS (hops) and being on balance squared to the basket.

(From Gary Colson on Fastmodelsports.com)

SWAGGER IS THE BY-PRODUCT... NOT THE PRODUCT

"For us the swagger was developed by demonstrated performance and from having a chip on your shoulder and from work ethic and from being the hardest-working team and from being a tough team and from playing with passion. And all of a sudden people said, ‘Miami plays with swagger.’ Well, then it only takes a couple years where you have kids that put on the uniform and think you automatically get the swagger because you wear the U. But they don’t want to do the things that made the U special."

- Alonzo Highsmith
(Thanks SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN, Miami Herald)

AFTER EVERY WORKOUT

At the end of a workout, there’s a tendency to want to head for the showers and rush back to the pressing issues of the day.  But how you transition via a brief recovery period will determine how well your body repairs itself and responds in the coming days.  Use this simple checklist to kickstart your body’s recovery process—and get the most out of each workout.

1. Reflect
It’s important to recognize what you’ve accomplished with your training and how it contributes to your long-term vision, not just for your physical well-being and athletic pursuits but how such commitment is fueling your success.  “You’ll feel great in the short-term regardless,” says Anthony Slater, director of performance at Core Performance.  “But it’s important to reflect on how you feel and connect it back to your goals.  That reinforces the behaviors you’ve chosen and is something people don’t do nearly enough.”

2. Track
There’s no shortage of gadgets and smart phone apps to log training and measure progress.  It can be a simple spreadsheet or even paper.  The important thing is to track your workouts, not only to give yourself a pat on the back, but also to have a reference point for the following workout, or to review months later.   Track everything from your weight, energy, productivity, and sleep, for starters - and see your progress charted over time.

3. Stretch
Active-isolated stretching is most effective after a workout when the muscles are warm.  This can range from a full routine to the three or four stretches that address any mobility issues you might have.  You can also do some reflection while you stretch.  What worked and what could you do better during the next training session?  “When you combine the stretching and the reflection, it allows you to shift gears and re-enter your day-to-day responsibilities and shift back into the real world,” Slater says. (Click here for a guide to active-isolated stretching.)

4. Refuel
To refuel you body after a workout, consume a mixture of carbohydrates and protein immediately afterward, preferably within 10 minutes of training.  At this point, your cells are wide open and screaming for nutrients, and by drinking a shake or another balanced carb/protein small meal, you expedite the recovery process and maximize lean muscle growth. (Click here for five delicious post-workout shake recipes.)

5. Cool down
If you have access to a 55-degree “cold plunge” tub, spending 1 to 3 minutes in it is a great way to decrease post-workout inflammation.  Alternating between a cold plunge and a hot tub (three to five minutes) stimulates bloodflow and muscle recovery with hardly an effort.  If you don’t have access to a hot tub or a cold plunge, you can get the same effect in the shower by switching between hot and cold settings.

(Thanks Pete Williams & Sefu Bernard)

COACHES (AND PARENTS) NEED TO LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER

Had a chance to speak at length with a first year Middle School coach this week at the Nike Higher Level Camp in Florida, who also happened to have her daughter at the camp.  (Important point here, this was her daughters first "intense" ball handling camp).

Her question was (paraphrased), "how hard do I push my daughter and after being here at this camp, I'm beginning to wonder if she even likes basketball"

Her daughter was a rising Freshman and seemed to only give noticeable effort when playing defense while scrimmaging.  On offense, her daughter was clearly not engaged.  The second thing that I noticed,  her daughter didn't give the same level of effort while working on individual ball handling drills, she would only give minimal effort.

Was she lazy?  Probably not.

Coaches do not have the time to push every athlete to reach their full potential.  As bad as that may sound, think about it for just a second... ever had an athlete that just doesn't seem to care?  How many times have you wasted a lot of time and energy into trying to motivate them and show them the right way to do things, only to have them remain in that state of giving only 70% on drills?

In this particular situation, I began to watch her daughter and quickly noticed that every time she was put into the spotlight on individual ball handling drills, her effort immediately dropped as if she didn't really care one way or another.  My guess is, that it wasn't that she didn't care... it was more than likely that she felt exposed and insecure in her skills and abilities when compared to the other athletes at the camp (there were some die-hard ballers there).

As coaches, we often overlook that simple explanation and tag that type of player as being lazy and we give up on trying to motivate them.

After discussing this with her mom (and coach), it became evident that more ball handling skill work was needed to get her daughter over the confidence hump and to a point where she felt like she could compete with others.

Rather than label players as lazy, coaches need to look at the circumstances before giving up on a player.

4:13

THE GREAT EQUALIZER - COMPETITIVENESS

You can’t always be the strongest or most talented or most gifted person in the room, but you can always be the most competitive. 

There are bound to be days when you run into someone who is better than you.  What can you do about it?  You can compete, that’s what.  You can put forth so much effort that you cut your opponent down to size and force them to play below their abilities.  Competitiveness allows you to influence your opponent.

(Thanks Pat Summitt)

CHAMPIONS EXPECT TO WIN

Champions Expect to Win - When they walk on the court, they expect to win.  In fact they are surprised when they don't win.  They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes.  They win in their mind first and then they win on the court.

(Thanks Coach Bob Starkey & Jon Gordon)

DO YOU WALK IT LIKE YOU TALK IT?

Our summer workouts are optional, your choice to attend. Next season's playing time is also optional, my choice whether you play.

What few players really seem to understand, is that great players are made in the Summer... during the off-season.

If you are spending your summer at the beach, or sleeping in until noon, or using whatever other reason (excuse) you may have for not developing your skills and becoming a better player before the start of next season... you will NEVER become a better player.

Too many players these days think watching a DVD, going to a camp, or practicing in the driveway will magically propel them to the next level.  It doesn't work that way.

I hear it from players all the time... "it's too hot to practice"  "it's too cold to practice"  "I have too much homework"  "my coach never opens the gym"  ...too much of this and too much of that!  Realize that whatever  your particular set of circumstances are that is keeping you from becoming a better player... there's already a great player out there that had your exact set of circumstances when they were coming up... it's just that they found a way around those circumstances.

The real question is... do you put more effort into talking about becoming a great player, than you do in actually practicing to become that great player?

(Thanks Alan Stein & Vaughn Wallace)

FRIDAY'S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

I know I've been slacking off on the Blog entries for a while now and decided this morning that I will get back to it.

"Trust (from your teammates) doesn't develop from always doing the right thing. It comes from taking responsibility when you make a mistake."
- Simon Sinek

"Players are about their team. Pretenders are about themselves!"
- Joey Burton

"High school players play with their hands. College players play with their feet. NBA players play with their minds."
- Coach Holub

"You hit a bad shot, you have to get over it right there and then so you can get focused on the next one."
- Tiger Woods

"I am always ready to learn, though I do not always like being taught."
- Winston Churchill

"If losing doesn't sting, you don't need to be playing!"
- Coach Farris

"Self-discipline, competitive fire & self-belief. All the talent in the world is useless if you are missing any 1 or all 3 of these qualities."
- Chris Oliver

"Focus on your potential instead of your limitations."
- Tony Gaskins

SOME OLD SCHOOL TRIVIA

"During my rookie year with the Miami Heat, one of my teammates, Willie Burton, did something he shouldn't have done. When Jordan didn't score any points in the first quarter, Willie told Michael, 'Hey, we're shutting you down tonight. We're going to stop you.' Michael went on to score 56 points in the last three quarters. The worst thing about what Willie did was he wasn't the primary man guarding Michael. I was. So I have 56 unpleasant memories of Jordan from that playoff game." -- Steve Smith former NBA guard.

(Thanks 23isback.com)

MORE OLD SCHOOL TRIVIA

During a game in 1990 against the Orlando Magic someone snuck into the Bulls locker room and stole Jordan's "23" jersey before the game. Unfortunately the Bulls did not have a spare jersey, so they had to give Jordan a number "12" jersey with no name on the back. After that game the Bulls made sure to bring plenty of extra "23" jerseys to all future games to avoid having the same problem again.

(Thanks 23isback.com)

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

DRAFTING A PLAYER WITH HEART

In basketball, the difference between winning or losing can often come down to a single centimeter. That’s what Kawhi Leonard’s college coach always told him.

It could be a loose ball, a coin-flip rebound, a tip-in, a charge taken, a shot denied.

“You can’t take any play off,” said Leonard, the Spurs’ soon-to-be rookie forward. “Getting that loose ball could be the play that helps us win the game.”

The every-possession-counts approach that coach Steve Fisher preached at San Diego State helped transform Leonard from under-recruited high school prospect from Riverside, Calif., into one of the country’s best college players in two short years.

It helped Leonard transform SDSU from college basketball wasteland into a top-five NCAA program.

Thursday, it helped make Leonard the 15th pick in the NBA draft.

(Thanks Jeff McDonald)

SUPERSTITIOUS?

Jason Terry has never been the most popular opponent.  

And his mouthy style has never endeared him to many opponents, either. 

But the superstitious Terry claims the Spurs tried to trick him in one of his best known beliefs. 

Terry prepares for an opponent by wearing the shorts of the next day’s opposing team. This compulsion has left “The Jet” desperately tracking down the right trunks after a bad night. But a network of rival equipment managers and fellow NBA players usually take care of Terry. 

But after Terry’s groin shot to Michael Finley during the 2006 playoffs, he doesn’t have many friends with the Spurs. And the team tried to trick him by giving him a pair of practice shorts rather than a game-worn pair several years ago. 

“It’s gotta be the real thing,” Terry told ESPN.com. “Now, San Antonio tricked me about three years ago when they gave me some practice shorts, and I tried them. And they ended up beating us. So that doesn’t work.” 

Terry told ESPN that his worst shorts he has worn were a pair once worn by former Utah point guard John Stockton. 

“Stockton didn’t give them to me, but I got them from the actual ball kid in the arena,” Terry said. ” When I looked at them, I knew they were his, because they were the shortest thing out there, and then they had his No. 12 on the inside.” 

Terry’s wife, Johnyika, isn’t a fan of this compulsive practice. But her husband doesn’t care. 

“Nah, she doesn’t like it,” Terry said. “But hey, it works for me. Got a lot of wins.”

(Thanks Tim Griffin & LM Otero)

STYLE INSTEAD OF SUBSTANCE?

Championship-caliber teams don't get worse as the biggest series of their season progresses. They don't fumble, stumble and crumble under the sort of spotlight that requires them to be committed, aggressive and accountable.

I've used boxing metaphors before, because no sport better blends the human condition with the spectrum of sports. So in many ways for the Heat, they were Mike Tyson in Tokyo. They were intoxicated with the paparazzi following. They were the life of the Finals party. They were the popular pick to win it all, even after some flaws were exposed early in the series.

And then they got popped in the mouth, and started scrambling around the ring searching for a mouthpiece instead of getting up to answer the count.

And as a result, the Mavericks -- those takers -- snatched a championship from the Heat's waste. But here's where the Tyson-in-Tokyo analogy ends. What the Mavericks accomplished was no upset.

Team won out over top-heavy talent. Determination beat out distraction. Substance overcame style.

(Thanks Michael Wallace - ESPN)

KILLER CROSSOVER

When you stand just 5-foot-6, you usually aren't considered a basketball prodigy. When you are just a 17-year-old sophomore in high school, you usually aren't considered a pro prospect. Aquille Carr -- in what many will consider a surprise -- apparently is both.

The quick-as-lightning, high-scoring, show-stopping point guard from Patterson (Md.) High School returned from a recent tournament in Milan, Italy, with a $750,000 contract offer that conceivably could be worth nearly $1 million.

Carr was the best player in the tournament, averaging more than 40 points per game. Checkout the full article here.



(Thanks Rivals.com)

SMART PLAYERS

Came across a good read on Joey Burton's blog about smart players and decided to pass it along...

Smart basketball teams play with poise. Smart teams never appear ruffled by anything that happens. They're fiercely competitive to be sure, but they play with controlled aggression. They extract the utmost from the individual skills of each player and then blend those skills into their team game. Smart teams don't beat themselves; they consistently win the close ones.

The fact is, I've never seen a championship team in any sport that didn't play smart. And while smart teams may not always win championships, they are always competitive. It's no surprise that those teams are comprised of players who think the game-who make productive plays under pressure and seldom, if ever, make game-costing errors. They consistently outthink their opponents. They master the game's finer points, the little details that almost always determine the difference between a W and an L.

"Play smart," says Jerry West. "Your brain is as much a weapon as your legs and arms."

The ability to make the correct split-second decision and execute a critical play consistently is a key attribute of a great player. Regarding the mental game within basketball, Phil Jackson says, "It's not how hard you play, it's how smart you play." I agree with Phil, with the caveat that if you don't play hard it may be too late to play smart. Smart players always play hard. It's not that great players stop to mull over a decision as to what to do next. They anticipate what needs to be done, which enables them to do the right thing.

(Thanks Joey Burton, Basketball Insights)

THE TRUE TEST OF TRUST & TEAMWORK

With 1.7 seconds left on the clock and down by three, the Spurs season would be decided by their next shot attempt.  Greg Popovich drew up a play for a 3-pointer, and surprisingly, it wasn’t for one of the experienced “Big 3” that had hoisted four championship trophies in the past seven years, but instead for undrafted rookie Gary Neal.

Say what?

“It’s kind of a great feeling; Coach Pop draws the play up and you see you’re going to get the shot and nobody looks around and questions it or anything like that,” Neal said.  “It was great walking out of the huddle and your teammates are happy with you getting the shot and expecting you to make it.”

“I think it was a very good call by Pop,” Manu Ginobili said.  “It was the kind of play that's designed for him to take a shot like that because he’s the one with the quickest release.”

As a sidenote, Ginobili said after the game "It was mid-September and I was working out and he showed up one day.   They told me that this was the new shooter we had.  I’m not lying when I say that I saw him miss the first 20 shots he took.” 

Says a lot about the Spurs chemistry and trust in each other by giving him the final shot without any objections from the team.

(Thanks Andrew McNeil of ESPN)

DO YOU MAKE TOO MANY EXCUSES?

Came across another great nugget about "excuses" on the PGC Blog that every player should read...

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Excuses are for mediocre players.  Forget them.  There are thousands of excuses available to all losers.  To have a good excuse is to have what every other loser in the history of the world has had.

Don’t make the ridiculous mistake of thinking that your particular brand of excuse is somehow more valid than the last 20 million that have been uttered.  You can hope your mother will believe you and maybe your girlfriend - or at least they may sympathize and keep their mouths shut if they don’t, but everyone else knows an excuse when he hears it.

Your particular excuse is just as stupid as everyone else’s.  There.  Now you know it.  Now you are free to accomplish things, and to work, and to concentrate.

Forget about excuses. They are enormous wastes of time and words.

"A successful person is not one who has found the right set of circumstances, but rather, one who has Developed the right set of attitudes."
- Dick DeVenzio

(Thanks PGC)

THERE IS AN "I" IN TEAM

Don't buy into the myth... there IS an "I" in team - it's personal accountability... our choices impact our teammates.

SPORTS SCIENCE - THE TRIANGLE OFFENSE

Great explanation of the Triangle Offense used by the Lakers and why it has been so successful.

PHIL JACKSON... SHAMAN OR COACH?

I'm NOT a Lakers fan... but I have been intrigued by their troubles on the court this season, given the abundance of talent they have to work with.

Came across an article in the LA Times this morning that mentioned a few of the things Phil Jackson recently did to help prepare the team for the playoffs.  Now I realize that most athletes become somewhat superstitious on a winning streak (whether they admit it or not), so should I be surprised with what I read this morning???

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 The feeling around the Lakers' practice facility has been more rigid leading up to Sunday's playoff opener against New Orleans, Jackson's cadence reflecting the importance of what lies ahead for a team that hasn't always seemed to be of championship timber.

He undertook his annual team exorcism last week, lighting a bundle of sage and taking it through the downstairs area of the Lakers' training facility — the trainer's room, the locker room, then onto the court and into the weight room.

It's his way of getting rid of bad spirits, of cleansing whatever ails the team during the regular season. He started it a bit earlier than usual, putting flame to incense after the Lakers sustained their first five-game losing streak since 2007. They won their final two regular-season games.

"The intensity is way higher from the players and coaches," forward said. "You can tell it's starting to turn a little bit."

The group meditation sessions haven't started in the playoffs yet, but they're on the way too, important chapters in Jackson's metaphorical book on postseason success.

He also instructed video coordinators Chris Bodaken and Patrick O'Keefe to insert clips of the movie “True Grit” into game video throughout the first round. Jackson told players to take particular note of the movie title, for obvious reasons.

None of this is new to Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who first started experiencing it all as a player under Jackson in the early 2000s.

"I remember that Phil's voice and his demeanor would change when we got to this point of the year," he said. "You just knew there was no messing around in practice and it was serious. I used to keep everything loose and joke and laugh in the regular season. I like to have fun, but even for me it was like, 'OK, leave that part of it alone.' Even to this day, I don't crack a smile or anything else because it's serious time."

(Thanks Mike Bresnahan)

THE REAL RUDY

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Two hours before the Lakers played the Kings Wednesday night, a man and his 13-year-old daughter walked up to Kobe Bryant.

Bryant had already been on the court for two hours and normally doesn't take a break from his pregame shooting routine for pictures and autographs, but he had just heard the girl finish a stirring practice rendition of the national anthem and happily obliged as the man thanked him and introduced himself and his daughter.

"I'm Rudy Ruettiger and this is my daughter Jessica Ruettiger," he said. "She's singing the national anthem before the game."

"Rudy?" Bryant said as a smile came over his face. "The movie?"

"Yeah," Ruettiger said.

"That movie changed my life," Bryant said.

Suddenly the roles were reversed and Bryant was the star-struck fan who wanted a picture.

Bryant was a sophomore at Lower Merion High School when he first saw the movie "Rudy" in 1993. He would see it at least a handful of times in theaters and by his estimation, "a hundred" times on tape. Bryant said the film motivated him to work harder than he ever had before and continues to inspire him to be the first one at the practice facility and the last to leave.

"When I saw it I told myself if I can play as hard as Rudy with the talent I have, anything's possible," Bryant said. "I've met a lot of people in my life but that one there, man, that one [messed] me up."

Ruettiger and Bryant spoke about adversity and the importance of giving back and inspiring those who might look up to them as role models.

"We talked about struggles and I said it's not how hard you take a hit, it's how hard you get back up," Ruettiger said. "When you hit a certain status in life you want to help people. It meant so much to hear him say that the movie changed his life. It blew my mind. I couldn't believe it. What do you say to a guy like Kobe who is so excited to meet you?"

As Ruettiger walked away with Jessica and his son Danny, Bryant turned to a Lakers staffer who had just walked onto the court and pointed to Ruettiger.

"You want to meet the person who's had the biggest influence on my life?" Bryant said. "That's Rudy. The real Rudy Ruettiger."

(Thanks Arash Markazi, reporter and columnist for ESPNLosAngeles.com.)

CHAMPIONS EMBRACE ADVERSITY

"Desiring fair treatment is the province of the mediocre. Champions don’t want to be treated like everyone else. Champions don’t want to be put on an equal plane with others, they welcome the opportunity to show what they are made of under all sorts of conditions. They don’t worry what has happened to anyone else. They are eager to demonstrate what they can do." - Dick DeVenzio

(Thanks Sefu Bernard)

PLAYOFFS ARE HERE

A Spurs fan, a Mavs fan, and a Lakers fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves his team more.The Mavs fan insists he is the most loyal. ''This is for the Mavericks!'' he yells and jumps off the mountain. Not to be outdone, the Spurs fan is next to profess his love for his team. He yells "This is for the Spurs!" and pushes the Lakers fan off the mountain.

UNDERSTANDING SHOT SELECTION

"When it comes to shot selection, you must differentiate between a bad shot and a missed shot.  A missed shot can still be a good shot."

- Sefu Bernard

TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO BUILD TEAMWORK

On a recent flight I sat next to a woman with wisdom.  And, of course, wisdom is what we learn after we know it all.  That’s who and what she was: A wise person who could teach others simply by how she lived. 

As we chatted, she shared that when she first moved to a certain big city with her husband and three young children, not one neighbor came to greet them.  The weeks went by, they unloaded boxes and hung pictures and drapes, but nobody welcomed them to the neighborhood.  So one day she told her kids, “Let’s bake cookies for all!” —and they did.  Then, loading up their little red Radio Flyer wagon, they spent a Saturday morning delivering fresh, still-warm homemade cookies and big smiles to their new neighbors, up and down the street.

Upon hearing her story, I commented, “Um, gee, that’s really something.  Your family was the new family in the neighborhood and yet you took cookies to people!?”  Her response was wise.  Leaning toward me with a hint of mischief in her eyes, she nearly whispered, “Sometimes you just gotta teach people how to live.”

(Thanks John G. Mille, Authorr)

BE LIKE BRAD...

Since Butler's unimagined run (again) through the land of the giants in the NCAA tourney, Brad Stevens has become the most talked about coach since Wooden.  Looking more like a player than a coach, what is it this young coach has figured out that the older seasoned coaches have missed?

I came across a great read by John Miller (via Sefu Bernard of PGC) that gives us some insight into his thinking. The entire article can be read here.

(Thanks Sefu Bernard)

THE NEXT NBA POINT GUARD PHENOM?

Aquille Carr is being touted as the next phenom point guard to hit the NBA... and he's only a Sophomore.



(Thanks SI.com)

10 DAYS TO PROVE IT

Zabian Dowdell arrived in Phoenix with 10 days' worth of clothes, two Bibles and a copy of a letter saved on a laptop.  He wrote the original letter to himself a decade ago, by hand in the bedroom where he grew up, 595 words with the title I Will Make It.

He was 16 then, a basketball player in a football town, worried that college recruiters would not notice him in Pahokee, Fla.  "Nothing will stop me from making it to the NBA," Dowdell wrote.  "I am on a mission."

After going undrafted in 2007, Dowdell rode the bench in France, dodged paper airplanes thrown from the stands in Italy and stayed up until 3 a.m. in Spain to watch NBA games on his computer, still seething at the fellow point guards drafted instead of him.  When his mother stumbled across his old letter while cleaning out his room, she typed and e-mailed it to him, sensing he could use his own motivation.  Dowdell recognized the defiant tone of his younger self and saved the e-mail, to read whenever his resolve was tested.

Last October, after the Suns cut him out of training camp for the second year in a row, Dowdell rejected a $750,000 contract in Europe and took $13,000 from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League because Tulsa offered something Europe did not: the possibility of a mid-season NBA call-up.

Finally, at age 26, after three seasons in Europe and two stints in the D-League, summers spent running on golf courses and shooting jumpers past midnight, Dowdell finally signed an NBA contract... a 10 day contract.  He took those 10 days and played his way into a regular season contract.

What is it that you want to do or want to accomplish?  Are you on a mission?

(Thanks Sports Illustrated)

WILL YOU BE READY?

Trailing Florida in the second half of the Southeast Regional final, Butler coach Brad Stevens did the most preposterous thing: he put Chrishawn Hopkins in the game.

The Indianapolis product had played seven minutes total in the previous two months. He had scored two points in that time. He had failed to even remove his warmups in 13 of Butler’s last 18 games.

So when Stevens turned and called, "Hop!" even Hop was a bit startled.

"That was a pretty tough situation to be in," he acknowledged.

But assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry gave him some brief encouragement -- "Just play, don’t be scared" -- and there went Chrishawn Hopkins to the scorer’s table. Nobody in America could have guessed he’d help save Butler’s season.

Down nine with just more than seven minutes to go, Hopkins drove to the basket and fired a pass to big man Matt Howard for a layup. On Butler’s next possession, Hopkins let fly a 3-pointer that swished.

"They tell us to shoot when we’re open and don’t hesitate," Hopkins said. "It felt good as I let it go."

Next thing anyone knew, Gators coach Billy Donovan was calling timeout. The Florida assistants were undoubtedly squinting at their scouting reports, wondering who No. 20 was. Their lead was cut to four and would never again be more than two possessions.

And the Bulldogs were swarming Hopkins to congratulate him on the biggest minute of his basketball career.

"It shows he’s always ready to go, which is one thing we emphasize," said sophomore center Andrew Smith. "You always need to step up and be ready when you’re asked."

(Thanks ESPN)

FRIDAY'S QUOTES

“You are doing one of three things during practices and games. You are getting better, staying the same, or getting worse.”
- Coach Rebecca Tillet

"Great Teams Have Great Teams"
- sign in Butlers Team Room

"It's amazing how much knowledge you can receive if you just LISTEN."
- Christopher Michael Jones

“If you tell me you desire to play at the collegiate level, yes...I have to hold you at a higher standard. My job is to prepare you.”
- Coach Stewart

"Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."

“Soft, selfish or stupid. You can be one of these things, but you can’t be two [and remain on the team].”

- Jeff Van Gundy

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Mike Thomas, boys head basketball coach at Kalamazoo Central High School found himself in a tough situation while in East Lansing this past weekend. His situation wasn’t on the sidelines late in the State semi-final or Final game at the Breslin Center for the MHSAA tournament. Nope, it was the MORNING of the State championship game in which they were in for the third straight year.

Three of his players decided to do what a lot of teenagers try and do... they broke curfew the night before and the young coach (only 28 years old) had to make a difficult decision.

Do you allow the players to play? After all... it IS the championship game... right? Or do you send a message that the TEAM depends on each other to be ready and selfish behavior will not be tolerated?

The coach suspended all three players for the entire game, one happened to be a starter.  I personally think it was the right decision.  All too often coaches preach about all the life lessons sports teach, it's nice to finally see one of those lessons in action.

Oh yeah, The Kalamazoo Central Maroon Giants won the championship without the three players.

(Thanks Coach Finamore)

6 TYPES OF TOUGHNESS

Came across a great read on the PGC Blog regarding the often used (yet often misunderstood) word in sport - toughness.  Here are six type of toughness...

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Mental Toughness
Championship players are continually focused on the areas of their game they can control. They aren’t focused on a referee’s poor call or a teammate’s mistake. These players know they can only control their own effort, enthusiasm, and attention to detail. They keep focus on those areas of their game rather than on other external factors. Are you mentally tough enough to fight through the usual excuses; including fatigue, boredom, and blaming others?

Injury Toughness
See Steve Nash. Nash’s face has been bloodied and beaten up over the years, and he has a constant back injury. That must all be very painful; however, it hasn’t stopped him from participating in many games and practices with his teammates. Are you tough enough to play through a minor amount of pain, so long as no further or more damaging injury could arise?

Verbal Communication Toughness
Point guards are always communicating; providing verbal instruction and encouragement to their teammates on the court, in the weight-room, and even on road trips. A great point guard communicates clearly, concisely, with consistent enthusiasm, and the appropriate tone. Are you tough enough to provide on-going and non-stop communication with your teammates on an everyday and every-drill basis?

Physical Toughness
The best guards invite and welcome contact. Basketball IS a contact sport. On the offensive end, you have to connect with the first punch. On the defensive end, you have to make the offensive team uncomfortable with your defensive presence. Are you tough enough to not allow a bump on the hip or slap on the wrist from finishing a strong, powerful dribble move to the basket?

Body Language Toughness
Psychologists say that over 90% of what we communicate is non-verbal. However, few players are aware that (based on how they stand and position their bodies), their actions and words often are incongruent. Are you tough enough to act present and engaged in every moment of your life, both on the court and off?

Improvement Toughness
Successful people in life have a resilient desire for improvement in every aspect of their life. With improvement comes change, and with change comes the discomfort of the unknown. Special players welcome that awkwardness, knowing improvement is on the horizon. Are you tough enough to face some temporary inconvenience for the end goal of permanent improvement?

(Thanks PGC and Lyndsey (Medders) Fennelly)

PLAYING WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE

As I sat watching Uconn destroy Duke last night in a 75-40 nail-biter (cough cough), I couldn’t help but notice the difference in style each of the teams played… and what a difference one style made versus the other.

The one word that best describes UConn’s game is “quick.”  The moment fingers touch leather they are in a race to get to the basket on the other end of the floor.  They attacked without hesitation and most of their scoring came off of fast breaks. 

Duke on the other hand, didn’t push the ball up the floor with any sense of urgency.  Instead, they were content with allowing UConn’s defense to get down the court and get set up… which made it far more difficult to get an easy basket in transition. Why would you willingly allow a defense to setup before trying to score?

Unless of course you wanted to lose by 35 points...

SPORT SCIENCE AND FREE THROWS

An interesting Sport Science on the art of free throws.

THREE TRAITS SHARED BY LOSERS

Came across a blog entry by Coach Dawn Redd (Beloit College) discussing 10 Traits Shared by Losers and thought I'd drop a couple of the most common and destructive to team chemistry here.

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When you hear the word "loser" you think of awful people with no ambition in life.  But that's not always the case, sometimes they are incredibly talented, charming, and fun people to be around.  Sometimes they're your captains, your leaders, and the people of influence on your team.  They can sometimes even look like winners...until you delve a little bit deeper.  Both winners and losers are skilled, but losers have an innate quality that will eat away at the fabric of your team.

Three Traits Shared by Losers:

Indifference: They're the folks you look at and think, "if only they would only work hard, they'd be so good."  But they won't work hard, because they're fine with just getting by.

Selfishness: Losers are selfish, it's all about them.  If they do something great in a game, they're excited and seeking out high fives.  But if they make a mistake, they withdraw and reject any efforts by their teammates to console them.  These are the players that make it difficult to maintain any sort of team chemistry.

Disrespect: While winners spend tons of time studying film and finding out how to be a better athlete, losers slide by on natural talent.  As the rest of the team is scouring over their scouting reports pre-game, the loser sits in the locker room texting their friends...they don't respect the game or the effort that is essential to become good at it.

(Thanks Coach Dawn Redd)

THOUGHTS TO PONDER

“From a defensive stand point, have a presence about you - even if you can't guard the guy, act like you can.”
 - Bill Self

“Seeing the game with your eyes AND your mind gives you an advantage. Always ask yourself "what is going to happen next?" and then be ready!”
 - Coach Farris


"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."
 - Jim Rohn

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities but we cannot dodge the consequences.”
 - Robin Marks

“Improvement is up to the individual. A coach can't make you better...they can show you what to do to improve, but only YOU can do what it takes to make you better.”
 - Coach Farris

WHAT'S THE SECRET?

In this modern, saturated hoops age, every variation of every new X's and O's scheme is treated with slack-jawed wonder.  Tell us more of this dribble-drive motion, oh wise one.  Aspiring coaches and hoops aficionados grasp at any potential advantage, any cunning angle, any minor evolution in the game of basketball.

So when one team has quietly been the best defensive unit in the nation for not one but two consecutive seasons, the first thought that comes to mind is this:

There has to be a secret.  The Secret.

In other words: What does Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton know that the rest of the country doesn't?

"I don't think I have any original ideas," Hamilton said.  "What we do is just try to be consistent with what we teach our players.  We try to hold them accountable for everything we do."

Come on.  It can't be that simple, right?

Thing is, it just might be.  To hear Hamilton describe it, the key to building a defense that has allowed the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the past two seasons -- the first program since the John Thompson-coached Georgetown Hoyas in 1990-91 to do so -- boils down to the simplest of principles.  It's stuff any high school freshman learns (or, at the very least, should learn): participation, effort, teamwork, fundamentals, focus, accountability.

"They're just certain fundamental things that I think most coaches would like to see their players execute," Hamilton said.  "We try to have our players understand that defense is something that everyone can participate in.  It doesn't have anything to do with your quickness, your speed, your athleticism.  It's your ability to stay focused and be consistent each time the ball moves to a certain place.

"That's when you have a team defense," Hamilton said.

(Thanks ESPN's Eamonn Brennan)

Sport Science examines Baylor's Brittney Griner

(Thanks ESPN)

HELPING PLAYERS MATURE AND SEE THE BIG PICTURE

According to Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, there are seven people who are the most talked about, most recognized people in the state of Florida: the head coaches at Florida State, Florida and Miami, and the quarterbacks at Florida State, Florida and Miami.

And, of course, the governor.

“Those seven people,” Fisher said he tells his first-year starting quarterbacks, “that’s how you’re measured.  You have to put into perspective how people are going to listen to you, see you.  People are going to see you, know you, listen to everything you say, everything you do.  So understand something: Nothing’s off the record, and there’s no time somebody’s not watching you.” 

He’s right.

(Thanks ESPN's Heather Dinich)

PLAYING HARD IS A GIVEN...PLAYING WELL IS THE GOAL

At the varsity level, playing hard is a given... the goal is to play well. Playing well involves understanding concepts that apply to certain situations throughout a game, where you as a player (or your team) can have a distinct advantage over your opponent... if you pay attention and take advantage of those situations.

4:13

THE TRUE VALUE OF A BASKETBALL CAMP

The true value of a basketball camp is not measured by how much a player sweats or how tired they are at the end of the day.

I've attended many camps where the athletes are asked to run sprints and suicides, in addition to conditioning drills.  Why?  How does that help YOUR game?

It's definitely not measured by the number of celebrity NBA athletes that show up and throw down a couple of nasty dunks to get the approval of the campers.  That may be a cool thing to watch, but exactly what is it that they are doing that help YOUR game?

Too many camps these days are just going through the motions to make money and the athletes aren't getting their monies worth... they're just happy to be in a gym again.  Don't mistake activity for progress.  If the drill or the instructor isn't giving YOU something that will directly impact YOUR game in a positive way... then why are you doing it?

The true value of a basketball camp should be based on what the athlete is able to observe, learn, practice (with correction), and take back with them to use and help them once when their season starts.

Online registration is now open for the "2011 Ready for the Game Camp"

4:13

GREAT READ... WHY WAIT ANY LONGER? STEP OUT & DO IT!

There’s nothing special about wanting to become a D-I player or coach… every player or coach dreams of this and has big aspirations. What is special, is when you choose to do something about it.

I came across this article this morning that is not only inspirational, but should serve as motivation to anyone wanting to achieve something bigger. Step out and do it!

(Thanks Winning Hoops & Boston Globe's Bob Ryan)

HMM... I DID NOT KNOW THAT

Just watched the Arizona vs Texas game and noticed something that I'd be willing to bet few coaches (and probably 99% of players) do not know... on the Inbounds pass, the passer cannot call a Timeout after the referees 4 count or it results in a technical foul.

EVEN THE STRONGEST BECOME STRONGER WITH TEAMWORK

Zig Ziglar often shared a story about the Giant Belgian Horse. A breed of horse that can stand 7 feet tall and weight 3,000 pounds. Alone, the Giant Belgian Horse can pull approximately 7000 pounds.

However, harness him to another Giant Belgian and together they can pull over 15,000 pounds. Sounds pretty impressive doesn't it? But, horse trainers have learned that when you teach a team of horses to work (pull) together, rather than trying to pull independently of one another, they can pull up to 25,000 pounds. That's almost double what the same two horses can pull working independently!

Teamwork matters, but just because you have 5 players on the court or 15 on your team doesn’t mean that they are working together. Look at the horses, two of them together produces only slightly more than their sum. The story only becomes interesting when the horses get on the same page and start pulling together as a unit: that’s when the real productivity happens.

(Thanks Better Basketball)

DO YOU EVER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Take 4 minutes of your day to watch this video... well worth the watch!



(Thanks theLLaBB)

END OF SEASON DISAPPOINTMENT

I came across a GREAT read this morning from a post by Sefu bernard at PGC Basketball regarding player disappointment and felt it was definitely worth sharing.  Here are some excerpts from the post (it's a letter from a player to a coach, asking for some advice, along with the coach's response).  The entire post is located here.
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"...I’m writing to share with you some feelings I’ve been having since my season came to an end.  Perhaps part of it is knowing that I’ll never get the chance to play competitive basketball with some of my teammates ever again.  Perhaps part of it is just missing spending time with the guys in the locker room, or out at team dinner.  Either way, it’s been a tough pill to swallow for me.  This year it just felt as if the dream and the goal of winning the State Championship had kind of slipped through our hands, and it was really just two games away…and the fact that I think this was our best shot, is maybe irrational, but something that makes it harder.

It’s tough to really get it all out there on the page, but that’s about the best I can do as far as explaining my thoughts for now. Any words would be greatly appreciated."

(Coach's response)

"First off, congrats on a GREAT season.  I say “great” not because of your record or how far you got (or didn’t get) in the playoffs.  The ‘congrats’ is because (based on your email and on what I know about who you are) you gave this basketball season, your team, your coaches, your school, and yourself the very best you had to give.  I realize that may sound hollow to you in this moment, but one day, when your career is over, I promise you that this will be the one thing you will be most proud of, and it’s what will give you the most peace about your career, no matter how many championships you win or don’t win.

But for now, I can totally understand and relate to everything you have said.  I’ve been there.  More than once…

• My senior year of high school, we lost in the game to go to “State” (a big deal in Texas because only 4 teams go). My goal since 6th grade was to win a state championship. I was devastated.
• One of the main reasons I went to the University of Virginia was to win a national championship. My sophomore year of college, after being ranked #1 most of the season, we lost to Tennessee in overtime of the national championship game. Devastated again.
• My junior year, again after being ranked #1 all season, we lost in DOUBLE OT of the national semi-finals to Stanford. Once again…devastated.
• My senior year, after all the best players on our team had graduated and I had become the unquestioned team leader, we played as the underdog all year. We made it all the way to the Elite 8 and lost to Ohio State in the game to go back to the Final Four when my coach called time out just as I was releasing the game-winning 3-pointer. I hit nothing but net as the buzzer sounded, but it was waived off because the ref said my coach called the time out with .7 seconds on the clock. That was the way my college career ended. Devastated times a thousand.

Unless you’re the team that wins the last game of the season, I have never been able to figure out how to feel anything *but* sadness and disappointment at the end of a season, at least for a while.

I think you just need to allow yourself time to grieve.  The word “grieve” may sound crazy because I know it’s not like anybody died or there was any great “tragedy.”  But you *have* suffered a profound loss.  Your season (which you cared deeply about) is over; you will never play on this particular team (which you gave so much of yourself to for so many months) again; and you will never be high school teammates with some of those guys again (and those kinds of bonds are rare and special and hard to replicate in the “real world”).

People who have never experienced those kinds of losses can never understand just how much all of that hurts.  You gave yourself completely to something, and it didn’t turn out like you wanted.  And to make it even worse, now it’s gone.  Over.  Done.  That’s hard and it hurts.

Everything you’re feeling right now is appropriate and even good.  Don’t resist it.  Be sad.  Be disappointed…Until you’re not anymore (and it will go away, I promise).  And then, you will do what every great athlete and every great hero does…you will pick yourself up, dust yourself off, dream your next dream, and you’ll go at it again…even though you know the risk and how much it will hurt when it’s over.  But really, that’s the only way to fly in my opinion.  Way more fun, exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling than living a life where you play small and never put your heart on the line for anything that matters to you.

And one last thing…while winning a championship *would* feel really sweet and could be incredibly rewarding, the truth is that even THAT feeling will pass after a few weeks or even days.  And then you would STILL have to feel the sadness and disappointment of not playing with some of your teammates again and of not ever having this particular team together again.  So don’t fall into the trap of believing that winning a championship will make you not have to feel the pain of the ending of something you love.  Granted, it would make it a lot easier and is the preferable way to end a season.  But what’s *more* important is always that you gave your best in every moment, regardless of whether or not you were fortunate enough to be on the team that won the last game of the season.

(Thanks Sefu Bernard and PGC Basketball)