Tournament strategies - apply them all season

For a basketball coach, player, or fan there simply is no better time of the season than championship tournament time! Big tournaments (at the university, college, high school, and club levels) are taking place all over the U.S. and Canada. It is always interesting to hear the messages and philosophies offered by coaches at tournament time. Some would contend that the concepts, such as those offered below, should apply ALL season, not just in the most important tourney. Ask yourself if you should be applying the following lessons all the time:

• "Focus on how you have to work, or what you have to do, to be your best right now" (John Calipari, Men's BBall HC, Kentucky)
• "It is all about matchups" (Bruce Pearl, Men's BBall HC, Tennessee)
• "You should have to beat good teams to get to where your team wants to go" (Bill Self, Men's BBall HC, Kansas)
• "He just told us to run our plays......Coach really settles us down and calls good time outs at the right time" (Cape Breton Capers player Jimmy Dorsey on Head Coach Jim Charters)
• "If you start thinking about where you are playing or who you are or what your seeding is then you are not going to last very long...simply say 'we're going to play whoever we draw and we're going to do the best we can'" (Bob Knight, ESPN analyst and former Men's BBall HC, Texas Tech, Indiana, etc)
• "The bottom line is that he gets his guys to play mentally tougher on every possession more consistently. They execute technically, compete physically, and never beat themselves" (Chris Oliver, Men's BBall HC, Windsor commenting on what distinguishes Head Coach Dave Smart and the Carleton Ravens)
• "We need to make sure we're focused in and we're playing the way we need to play...we have got to defend and rebound" (Tom Izzo, Men's BBall HC, Michigan State)

MSU thinks outside the box, sleeps inside the gym

Be creative. Think differently. Make memories. See the game another way. Foster leadership in your players. These are all wonderful ideals. Go to the link below and read the story that outlines some creative thinking by the men's basketball program at Michigan State.

http://www.greenandwhite.com/article/20100302/GW0201/3020334/1026/GW0201

Essentially, they needed to change things up, bring in something fresh to replace a stale atmosphere, improve communication, and develop a better cohesion and chemistry. How did they do it? A sleepover at mid-court - they camped out on the floor of their home gym. Not only that but it took place the night before an important game. For now, it seems to have been a good idea. In a few weeks, if they win it all, it will be a legendary idea. Regardless, they embraced a change. The best part of all, as described by Head Coach Tom Izzo, is that "it was a player decision" and showed initiative. His players took responsibility, offered a solution, and put it into action.

Thoughts from the book "Destination Basketball"

In their recent book, Destination Basketball, authors Andrew Hemminger and Dave Bensch provide coaching insight from 29 successful NCAA coaches. Essentially, the two college students from Ohio traveled thousands of miles to personally sit down and interview some of the best male coaches that have ever walked the sidelines. By way of example, a few interesting answers follow:

• when John Beilein of Michigan was asked what he tries to improve as a coach, he responded with "communication." He then went on to say that it's not WHAT a coach knows but rather what a coach can get his players to know. As a result, he looks to hire assistants that are excellent communicators.
• Bruce Weber of Illinois mentioned, when developing and executing his program philosophy, an underlying rule is that "no job is beneath you." This is very similar to what Coach Don Meyer at NSU has always promoted - "everybody picks up garbage."
• when Bo Ryan of Wisconsin was asked what he hopes his players will take away after being in their program, he commented that he hopes "they will be good neighbors" after they leave him. First, they will need to look after the needs of their own families and then be considerate citizens, help in the community, give back, and be good neighbors. Again, this is the "servant attitude" that many coaches promote - unselfishness, thinking of others.
• Tom Izzo of Michigan State wants to be remembered as a coach that told his players what they needed to hear, NOT what they wanted to hear. He firmly believes that physical and mental toughness are keys to every type of success in life. He feels that part of his role is to combine his players' individual goals (recognizes that all people are partially selfish) with Spartan team goals. Asking for individual goals shows that he cares about his players - they then care about what Coach Izzo wants for the team.

Overall, a good read - quick and easy too. Consider it when looking for a gift for a coach, or even treat yourself to a well-deserved book. For those of you that prefer to order online, good options are amazon.com and chaptersindigo.ca.