OUTGROWING SELFISHNESS

"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality."

- Joe Paterno

WHY WE ARE SUCCESSFUL

"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with help of Christ who gives me the strength I need."

Philippians 4:12-13

NACA NATIONALS DIV IV BRACKET RELEASED

Although we should be playing in the Division IV bracket this year, (we are playing up one division in D-III) and it's probably just as well.

Tabernacle (19-3) from Hickory, NC is seeded #1.  Remember them?

Back to back National Champs and three-time MVP & Player of the Year Caroline Luaghter -- the best college team in this tourney. 

Covenant Classical of Concord, NC (which we played in our final game last season) is ranked #6.

The Division III brackets should be released next week showing where we are seeded.  We know for sure that Gramercy (19-1) from Newport, NC will be there and will likely grab the #1 Seed in the D-III tournament.  

But that's okay... the #1 Seed has always been the "kiss of death" for Covenant.

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IT ALL STARTS WITH GREAT DEFENSE

In a recent interview following Team USA’s domination in the Olympic Games, Dwayne Wade let it be known that the team full of superstars learned a thing or two about playing Defense from Coach K.

Says Dwyane Wade, "for many players in the NBA, defense has always been secondary, but it became the main focus:

"You take the best players in the NBA and put them on one team, they’re all great scorers.  But then you tell them, 'Look, the way we're going to win is to be great defensively.'  Once you see guys buy into that, it becomes second nature.  Guys understand they can be dominant on that end of the floor, as well."

And they were.

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PASSION THAT HELPS YOUR TEAM

Anthony Randolph's intensity manifests itself on the court.

"It made him slap a hard foul on Boston's Kevin Garnett and stare down one of his all-time favorite players — in Boston. It provoked him to scream at Houston center Yao Ming after he dunked on him — in Houston.  It propels him to give up his body for a block, a rebound, a loose ball, tempts him to take his man every time."

What he's learning is the difference between positive and negative energy.

"I've got to watch myself sometimes, that's the thing I'm trying to work on now," he said.  "You've got to play mad.  I'm more aggressive when I'm mad. It's not that I'm mad at a person.  I'm just trying to go out there and go hard. Sometimes, I can get a little bit too excited, too amped up.  I've got to learn how to control it."

Coaches love players who play with energy, enthusiasm, and passion.  They appreciate the attitude and sense of urgency they bring to the court.  Teammates feed off this energy. 

The key, as Warriors veteran Stephen Jackson puts it, is channeling the energy in a constructive way.

"I love his passion.  I love his fire for the game," said Jackson, who has dealt with a similar quandary.  "That's something you can't teach.  That's rare. ... He's going to have to learn, just like I had to learn, that it's a fine line between having too much passion and hurting your team, and having passion and helping your team."

26 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS - PT. I

Success in basketball is dependent upon 26 basic principles.   Here are the first 10.

1.  Protect the ball.  Bad passes and low-percentage shots are the trademarks of a poor team.

2.  Be careful on a lay-up.  More games are won on lay-up shots than on any other, and more games are lost because of poor lay-up shots than by any other shot.

3.  Basketball is a game in motion.  Motion on the court is vital.  Too many players stand still and beg for the ball.  Players should always pass and move.  This action will take their defenders away from the ball and open up the court for a teammate.

4.  Always fake direction.  Faking is important because it tricks opponents into making defensive mistakes.

5.  Move to meet the pass.  Moving and meeting the pass is the trademark of a good baller.  Players who move and meet passes make it easy for teammates to get them the ball.

6.  When in trouble, make a V-cut.  A player in the wrong position on the floor should make a V-cut.  This will open up the floor.

7.  Don't think for your opponents -- be yourself.  Play your game and do not spend time trying to figure out what your opponents are thinking.

8.  One player cuts at a time.  Always remember -- only one cutter at a time.  Two players cutting at the same time allows the defense to be in a position to either double-team the ball or stop the play.

9.  Grab it -- don't tap it.  Effective rebounders grab and secure the ball rather than tapping it.  Same with passes – grab it – don’t slap it.

10.  Never force a shot.  Never shoot a shot if closely defended.  Before attempting a shot, make sure that you have teammates in rebounding positions.

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THE HARDER YOU WORK

The harder you work, 

the more you accomplish. 

The more you accomplish,

the better you feel. 

The better you feel,

the more you like it.

The more you like it,

the harder you work.

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THE POWER OF ENTHUSIASM

Never underestimate the power that enthusiasm can generate.  It turns boredom into an atmosphere of excitement.  It lifts up those around you and creates and stimulates the overall team environment.  It is the catalyst that propels an athlete from mediocre to amazing.

Enthusiasm is contagious... and so is the lack of it. Nothing is more important to a team than the power of enthusiasm.

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1st Selection...

Great article about Haley this morning.

TOURNAMENT MVP

Congratulations to Rachel for earning the Final Four MVP honors! Rachel played BIG this weekend accumulating 24 points (on 42.8% shooting), 22 rebounds and 8 steals.

2008-09 PCC CHAMPIONS!

The long anticipated game with Central started off waaaaay to close for comfort!  For the second straight game, our offense was Missing In Action. We ended the 1st Qtr trailing Central 9-6.

We ended the 2nd Qtr ahead by 7 points (22-15) on two 3's by Rebecca. Opened the second half much in the same way... desperately seeking our offense.  

Neither team scored in the first five minutes of the 3rd Qtr until Hannah deflected a Central pass which led to an easy basket by Chelsea.  We then went on a 15-2 run to close out the Qtr and that was enough of a lead to trade baskets for the rest of the 4th Qtr and eek out a 44-26 win.

Putting Central in our Club 30 was pretty sweet as well.

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IT'S WHAT WE DO

Our performance today in Game 1 of the Final Four against Aletheia was anything but dominating.

We only got to the FT line 4 times, had 30 TO's, played uninspired defense for the entire first-half and had to battle a variety of mental issues including the officiating and nervoussness.  Today's game was completely uncharactaristic of Lady Lion basketball.

We meet Central in the championship game tomorrow.  Fortunately, they didn't look much better in their match against Grace.  

FINAL FOUR WEEKEND

The bitter taste of last season's Final Four has lingered for far too long and it's time to remedy that.  News Herald article.

FIRST TWO SELECTIONS ANNOUNCED

Got a phone call from Brad Milner at the News Herald this afternoon informing me of the "official" announcement for the first two athletes to be named to the Freedom All-Star Classic East girl's team....

... Haley Sheffield!  The announcement naming her as one of the first selections will be in the paper this weekend.

Although he didn't mention Megan McDonald (Bethlehem pictured here) this afternoon, he did previously tell me that she will likely be on the team as well.

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CENTER OF ATTENTION

Could a girl steal the show at the McDonald's All-American festivities in Miami this year?  Not since Candace Parker threw down a nasty dunk in the All-Star game has there been this much aniticipation to see the girls game. 

Six-foot-eight Brittney Griner (center, No. 42) is averaging nearly a triple-double for Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas, and is ready to take her game to a national stage.

The teams were announced today for the eighth annual game that will be played in Miami, Fla., on April 1.  

A USED UP DRIBBLE CHANGES EVERYTHING

A used-up dribble changes all the rules of defense. Suddenly, no one needs help, the ball cannot penetrate to the basket, and a pass must be thrown within five seconds.  

That means it is time to climb all over your man. Overplay her so she cannot get to the ball.  If you're guarding the man with the ball, get in her face... and try to force her into throwing a bad pass or an off-balance pass that is rushed.  

Don't double-team a man who has already used her dribble.  Stay on your own man and prevent the pass.  Don't be content to let your man use up her dribble and then just stand there, away from her, as though you still respect her speed and dribbling ability.  When a man has used her dribble, get on her -- all over her (without fouling).

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You Don't Need Tremendous Power For A Lay Up!

One of the main reasons why players have trouble making lay ups is because they have no touch.  No matter if you are going 100 mph to the hoop, or if you are under control off a fundamental jump stop, you must be able to execute an overhand lay up with a soft touch. 

When you begin practicing your lay ups aim for the top corner of the square, however after you master that attempt to shoot them higher and higher off the backboard. 

Live LOW & Watch Your Game GROW

When you begin to execute a lay-up, you must always play the game from low to high.  Too many players play the game stiff legged and fail to tap into their full explosion capabilities because they refuse to play low.  

By playing low you will have better body control and balance, and will be a strong finisher around the basket.  The only time you should be high is when you are exploding to the hoop and releasing your shot to score!

FORCE A MISTAKE, NOT STEAL THE BALL

Forget the idea of stealing the ball from your man.  You can only get the ball from your man if she makes a mistake.  Too many times, trying to take the ball from your man is likely only to get you a foul or throw you off balance, which makes it way to easy to beat you off the dribble. 

Your thinking should be to force a mistake, not get a steal.

Contain your man and force her into a situation she is uncomfortable with. Most players will look to get rid of the ball when they feel pressured.  When you think of stealing a ball, you should think of stealing it from the air.

In other words, think of stealing a pass, not a dribble or a ball being held.

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NEVER FOUL A DIFFICULT SHOT

Game after game players go driving into the basket and get themselves too far underneath or stretched out, and their only opportunity to shoot is some off-balance whirling, loop-dee-loop toss up and then some eager but unwise defender swings at the ball and fouls. 

Don't try to prevent a low percentage shot that you are happy for them to take.  Let them have those crazy low percentage shots.  Whirling, loop-dee-loop throws don't go in that often. But they are constantly fouled.

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EVEN A WIDE OPEN SHOT

Most players, even lazy ones, give the impression they are ready to play good defense during the first five seconds of any defensive play.  As a result, any shot taken after only one pass is likely to be well defended and followed by five players blocking out for the rebound... followed by a fast break.

Two to five seconds on defense, no cuts to guard, no man to chase, no screens to get over or through, no fakes to worry about.  One pass and the shot goes up.  

It should be obvious, when you think about this, that the first-pass shot should be refused -- even if it is a wide open good shot.

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CHASING THE BALL vs. DENYING THE PASS

Watching the boys in the championship game against Emmanuel on Saturday, reminded me of one of the major mistakes teams often make when they are behind late in a game.  

Emmanuel was trying to waste time off the clock by spreading out and playing "keep-away."  They made multiple passes back and forth while our boys scrambled to follow the ball trying to get either a steal or a foul.

If you want to play good defense at the end of a game, you have to make it very difficult -- ideally impossible -- for your man to receive the ball.  The objective isn’t to chase the ball from reciever to receiver as the boys were doing.  Instead, you have to realize that your objective is to prevent the passes in the first place by covering the receivers so well that making the pass isn’t even an option.  

Good players know their job is to prevent perimeter passes in spite of screens and other diversions.  When a team is behind near the end, it takes extra-effot to get the ball back. Don’t chase the ball around the floor, instead, stick to your man and don't allow her to be an option to the passer.  Shut the passing lane down and we will get the ball back.

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#1 CAUSE OF LOSING GAMES

Bad shots, probably more than anything else, lose basketball games, yet bad shots are ridiculously common. Go to any gym and you will see more bad shots taken than good shots.  

Players seem to love taking bad shots.  Winning teams are most often the teams who pass up low percentage shots and wait for better ones.  

What is the difference between a 45% shot and a 60% shot? Not much.  A bit more time.  A step closer in.  A bit more confidence and certainty about getting the best shot possible. 

Look for the "easy" shots...not the low percentage shots the defense wants you to take.  

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Pat Summitt's Team Motto

Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt on the Lady Vols' motto:

"Our little motto is 'Offense sells tickets, but defense wins games and rebounds win championships.' 

That’s the way we have really taught our philosophy to our young student-athletes.  If you are going to go on the road and be successful, you better play great defense and you better rebound, because shooting is sometimes off.  

Sometimes you’re on and sometimes you are struggling to make shots and the only way you can win in those circumstances is your defense and your rebounding, so we really emphasize those two."

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CAN YOU GET THERE WITH ONE DRIBBLE?

You should learn to score from everywhere with just one dribble. That means, when you get the ball in shooting position (at a distance you can shoot from) you should expect to be able to get to the basket in one dribble.  

It is a matter of wanting to get there in one dribble, practicing (like we have been practicing), and developing the habit of attacking the basket.

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