My brother was a sophomore on the Varsity roster that had just made it to the State Tournament preparing to play in front of thousands in legendary Rupp Arena. Affectionately referred to as the "Sweet Sixteen" totaling 16 champions from their respective regional tournaments; the state of Kentucky finishes the season with one true champion … Continue reading State Tournament
Season Part Three
There aren't too many people that would've predicted how the season finished across the country. "Control what you can control." These words have never seemed to ring more true than in the moment. There is a lot of uncertainty right now beyond the realm of basketball and rightfully so, however a lot of the circumstances … Continue reading Season Part Three
Future Rule Changes
Innovation in basketball is largely influenced by the rules governing the game. From the Original 13 Rules to the NIT Experiment there is always a discussion for how to improve the game. The first contest ever recorded finished 5 to 1, compare that now to the top defensive-rated teams in the NBA keeping opponents right above … Continue reading Future Rule Changes
What Loses Games
Many times, it is easy to talk about what wins games. We put such a premium on this, that we sometimes fail to talk about #WhatLosesGames. In many cases, these can be direct opposites. As I break down what loses games in this article, we will take a look at on & off the court … Continue reading What Loses Games
What Wins Games
Don't spend too much time looking for the recipe; the biggest ingredient to winning more games is talent. As much as coaches want to play the role of fixing the flawed like your favorite rom-com flick; there has to be a foundational skill-set to work with to facilitate competitive balance. But, when talent is equal … Continue reading What Wins Games
Post-Season Preparation
This will be the second consecutive year where we will not be competing during the postseason. It is not where we want to be, however, it provides polarizing experiences from a coaching standpoint to learn from comparing the first two seasons as a head coach competing on a higher level. The best teams have one … Continue reading Post-Season Preparation
Season Part Two
I consider the playing season to be broken up into three segments: preseason/out-of-conference, conference, and postseason. Progressively there is a narrowing focus to incrementally grow as a team in preparation for the next. The early part of the season is the installation and integration phase. Depending on the level, each basketball calendar works differently; here … Continue reading Season Part Two
Alumni Connections
Connecting with the alumni of a basketball program should be one of the top priorities of the athletic administration and head coach. Naturally, over the years, there are athletes that come and go through a program, that in one era or another, has captured the true essence of that school's culture. With this culture sometimes … Continue reading Alumni Connections
Player Burnout
When I was competing as a student-athlete (Division III), Christmas Break was pretty much the commitment period. We would have a mandatory week off over the holidays being able to go back home to see our families and friends. This was a time to retain that brief sense of zero responsibility and limitless leisure that … Continue reading Player Burnout
Winning Streak
When you find yourself in the middle of a winning streak, one of the best things that you can do is keep doing what you have been doing. One of the mistakes that can be made when on a winning streak is to change what has been working, to something that you have not been … Continue reading Winning Streak
Coach's Climb 