Short and sweet today as I'm at home with a sick wife and crabby daughter. Big game tonight against the Gators - I'll have my take on it in the morning. Quick prediction - the Gators really need this one to make the tournament. It will be a tough, tough win for the exhausted Vols.
Basketball Recruiting News
You won't find anyone who cares less about recruiting news than me, but the news out of Knoxville is great right now. The Vols appear to have a back-up point guard for next year in Michigan's Daniel West, a couple of big bodies in East Ridge's Phillip Jurick and California's Renaldo Wooldrige and, the signature signee thus far, Georgia's Kenny Hall. The last of the bunch turned down Kentucky, UCLA and Georgia for the Vols.
The last scholarship available for the Vols is being saved for McDonald's All-American Scotty Hopson. If he picks Tennessee over Kentucky and Louisville (Hopson is from Kentucky), it will be quite a coup for the Vols. There is no doubt Pearl can recruit and his style of play is surely an easier sell than Billy Ball up in Lexington. For those worried about the post-Lofton Vols, it looks like everything is going to be just fine.
See you in the morning.
Good ole Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Can the Vols Win it All?
March Madness is four days old, but Vols fans are most worried about April when the Final Four heads to San Antonio. The question is this: Can the Vols bring home a championship this year?
Since Tennessee spent last week ranked as the #1 team in the country, it seems a no-brainer that the Vols can win it all. If you listen to the experts, however, the Vols are rarely mentioned as a tournament favorite.
So is Tennessee a contender or not?
There are six teams that seem to have the best chance of bringing home the hardware this year: Tennessee, Memphis, UNC, Kansas, UCLA and Duke.
Frankly, Duke probably is not as good as they have played this year, so they might belong in the Could Be Contenders category that includes Texas, Xavier, Georgetown and Indiana.
We'll add a few more teams to the discussion in my It Wouldn't Blow My Mind category: Louisville, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Stanford.
Beyond that, the rest of the tournament is in the Not Gonna Happen category. Sorry, UConn, Wisconsin and Butler.
That is a grand total of 14 teams who can win it all. That gives the Vols a 7% chance of winning it all. That is a wonderful number considering that for the last 99 years of Tennessee basketball, it was 0%.
What will it take for the Vols to emerge out of those teams? The biggest factor in the tournament is match-ups. If the Vols get a favorable draw, they could be in San Antonio without too much trouble. If the match-ups are bad, they might not get to the Sweet Sixteen.
The most glaring favorable match-up for the Vols is a team with weak guard play and limited depth. Pearl will press the begeezus out of this type of team and win the game at the end of the two halves. Another good match-up for the Vols would be an athletic team because, outside of Memphis, there is not a more athletic team in the nation than Tennessee.
Troublesome match-ups? Here are the things I worry about for the Vols going into the tournament:
1) Zone defenses - On paper, the Vols can shoot a team out of its zone. In reality, it is not as easy to shoot under the bright lights of the NCAA tournament as it is in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols have not seen too many zones this year, but Georgia's gave Tennessee trouble the entire game. The zone also slows down the game, which hurts Tennessee's depth advantage.
2) A physical defense - UCLA is the one team I don't want to see for this reason. The Bruins play a hands-on, bump-you style of man-to-man defense that entices teams to settle for jumpers all game long. The Vols played fairly well against Memphis's underrated man-to-man, but a physical game is not the Vols speciality.
3) A tournament-tested team - UNC, Duke, etc. These guys expect to be in San Antonio. As great as the Vols have been under Pearl, tournaments have been a different story. Tennessee has zero SEC tournament wins under Pearl. It escaped the 1st round two years ago against Winthrop when Chris Lofton made a miracle three-pointer from the deep corner, then was handled fairly easily by Wichita State. Last year the Vols made it to the Sweet Sixteen with an easy win over Long Beach State and a good win over Virginia, but blew a 20 point lead to Ohio State. There are still some tournament doubts about the Vols. Are they mentally tough enough? Does their style of play work in March?
It is premature and silly to predict a tournament champion before the seedings set up the match-ups, but there is no reason to think the Vols cannot win the entire thing this season. There is a reason the Vols are the #1 team in the RPI standings - they have played a brutally tough schedule and still only have three losses for the year. They have wins over Xavier, Gonzaga, Memphis, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Arkansas - all in the Top 40 according to the RPI rankings. They win on the road. They win close games. They can play full-court games and half-court games.
The question is whether they can play six good games in a row to earn Tennessee its first men's basketball championship.
Since Tennessee spent last week ranked as the #1 team in the country, it seems a no-brainer that the Vols can win it all. If you listen to the experts, however, the Vols are rarely mentioned as a tournament favorite.
So is Tennessee a contender or not?
There are six teams that seem to have the best chance of bringing home the hardware this year: Tennessee, Memphis, UNC, Kansas, UCLA and Duke.
Frankly, Duke probably is not as good as they have played this year, so they might belong in the Could Be Contenders category that includes Texas, Xavier, Georgetown and Indiana.
We'll add a few more teams to the discussion in my It Wouldn't Blow My Mind category: Louisville, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Stanford.
Beyond that, the rest of the tournament is in the Not Gonna Happen category. Sorry, UConn, Wisconsin and Butler.
That is a grand total of 14 teams who can win it all. That gives the Vols a 7% chance of winning it all. That is a wonderful number considering that for the last 99 years of Tennessee basketball, it was 0%.
What will it take for the Vols to emerge out of those teams? The biggest factor in the tournament is match-ups. If the Vols get a favorable draw, they could be in San Antonio without too much trouble. If the match-ups are bad, they might not get to the Sweet Sixteen.
The most glaring favorable match-up for the Vols is a team with weak guard play and limited depth. Pearl will press the begeezus out of this type of team and win the game at the end of the two halves. Another good match-up for the Vols would be an athletic team because, outside of Memphis, there is not a more athletic team in the nation than Tennessee.
Troublesome match-ups? Here are the things I worry about for the Vols going into the tournament:
1) Zone defenses - On paper, the Vols can shoot a team out of its zone. In reality, it is not as easy to shoot under the bright lights of the NCAA tournament as it is in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols have not seen too many zones this year, but Georgia's gave Tennessee trouble the entire game. The zone also slows down the game, which hurts Tennessee's depth advantage.
2) A physical defense - UCLA is the one team I don't want to see for this reason. The Bruins play a hands-on, bump-you style of man-to-man defense that entices teams to settle for jumpers all game long. The Vols played fairly well against Memphis's underrated man-to-man, but a physical game is not the Vols speciality.
3) A tournament-tested team - UNC, Duke, etc. These guys expect to be in San Antonio. As great as the Vols have been under Pearl, tournaments have been a different story. Tennessee has zero SEC tournament wins under Pearl. It escaped the 1st round two years ago against Winthrop when Chris Lofton made a miracle three-pointer from the deep corner, then was handled fairly easily by Wichita State. Last year the Vols made it to the Sweet Sixteen with an easy win over Long Beach State and a good win over Virginia, but blew a 20 point lead to Ohio State. There are still some tournament doubts about the Vols. Are they mentally tough enough? Does their style of play work in March?
It is premature and silly to predict a tournament champion before the seedings set up the match-ups, but there is no reason to think the Vols cannot win the entire thing this season. There is a reason the Vols are the #1 team in the RPI standings - they have played a brutally tough schedule and still only have three losses for the year. They have wins over Xavier, Gonzaga, Memphis, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Arkansas - all in the Top 40 according to the RPI rankings. They win on the road. They win close games. They can play full-court games and half-court games.
The question is whether they can play six good games in a row to earn Tennessee its first men's basketball championship.
SCSB Baseball Preview
Calling all baseball fans/blogger wannabees: I am looking for some help with a baseball preview for the blog. I don't have the time, energy or even desire to break down every MLB team, but if we put our collective minds together, I think we can put together a nice baseball preview here at the Scenic City Sportsblog. Pick your favorite team/teams and break them down by looking at:
Starting rotation
Bullpen (especially closer)
Batting line-up
Defensive depth chart - I just want starters
2008 additions/subtractions from 2007
Strengths and weaknesses
Projection for season
I'm hoping to start running the previews next week. I am taking Atlanta and Houston. Maximum Jack - care to preview the Red Sox? Latimer - D-Backs and Yanks? Anonymous - Mets, Rockies, A's, Cubs and your other 12 favorite teams?
I'll be emailing some of you soon to recruit your previewing abilities, but feel free to claim a team or two in the comment section. Once your preview is ready, email it to me at ccarpenter@gps.edu
Thanks - can't wait to compile this.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
UKan't - Vols Avenge Loss to Wildcats
The wildest week in Tennessee basketball history ended with a thrilling 63-60 victory over the resilient Kentucky Wildcats.
Here is the current state of Tennessee basketball: In the last week, Tennessee won at Memphis and against Kentucky while losing by one basket at Vanderbilt and the Vols Nation is panicking.
This afternoon's game looked to be a rout in the opening minutes as the Vols coasted to an early 20-5 advantage. Just when it looked like Kentucky was on the ropes, Chris Lofton picked up a second foul and the Tennessee bench let the Kats get back into the game. The Wildcats came out of the half on fire, turning the last 10 minutes of the game into a typical Tennessee/Kentucky slugfest.
To the bullets:
* Thank goodness we have Bruce Pearl and not Billy Gillispie. How boring are the Kats? The A&M Aggies were the same way. Kentucky avoided doing anything offensively for 30 seconds before running one of two plays to get a look. It might be smart basketball to play your horses the entire game (three players logged 40 minutes), but if it means slowing the game down to a crawl to do it, count me out. We'll see how long the Kentucky faithful can live with Billy the Kid's boring style if the wins don't come. Not exactly Rick Pitino, is it?
* The panic - Kentucky was down its best player (Patrick Patterson), in Knoxville and the Vols should have been looking for revenge after the first meeting AND the Vols only won by a basket.
Here is why you should not be panicking: 1) Revenge? The Vols seem much more concerned with a Final Four appearance than beating a bubble team, even if it is Kentucky. I did not see revenge in anyone's eyes. 2) Kentucky is a bad match-up for the Vols, even without Patterson. They have senior guards to handle the ball against the Big Orange pressure, they play a physical brand of defense that, if not called tightly, will make it hard for anyone to get decent looks and they are one of the few teams in the country that plays as hard as Tennessee. 3) They made some ridiculous shots to stay in the game.
* Lots to discuss in terms of personnel. Either Ryan Childress has the worst case of the flu ever or he is in Pearl's doghouse. He has been in my doghouse for a while, so I'm guessing the latter. No PT today.
* Jordan Howell played 5 minutes. He has been lousy for a while now and finally saw a big dip in his playing time. The Vols even used J.P. Prince at the point for a few minutes instead of Howell. His three-pointer today was awful looking. He did, however, secure a big defensive rebound late in the game.
* Before I return to personnel stuff, that reminds me of something that has made a huge difference for the Vols this year - rebounding from the guards. Everyone keeps writing that Duke Crews has solved the Tennessee rebounding issues, but I think it has more to do with Tennessee's guards getting involved inside. The Vols are not big, but 5 guys hitting the boards will make up for the lack of size. There is no way Tennessee competes with Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky on the glass if the guards are not chipping in.
* Ramar Smith logged 32 minutes today. At this point, I think Coach Pearl is telling Ramar that the Vols will go as far as he takes them. Smith has been a disappointment this year, especially in terms of his consistency. Today was better as he had just one turnover (a silly one, but still just one).
* Josh Tabb got more minutes today because of Chris Lofton's foul trouble, but showed why he has played so sparingly all year. The guy is an offensive liability. Not only can he not shoot or finish inside, but he also has no basketball IQ on the offensive end. There is a reason you are open, Josh - you can't make it. Stop shooting it! Ramar and J.P. have figured out it is best to pass up those open J's instead of bricking them. Josh has not figured that out yet.
* Wayne Chism is the most improved Vol from the start of the season. He has been a beast for the last week. The biggest difference to me is his brain. He is no longer looking for the 3 as much as the inside position. He is avoiding the stupid fouls inside. His over-the-screen show in the last possession that forced Bradley to give up the ball was beautiful. Chism does not make that play two months ago.
* Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith are both struggling to get open looks these days. It is not hard to guess why - we are in the second half of the conference schedule - but it would be nice to see a little more effort placed into freeing them up.
* Ken Harlin - "What a comeback!" as the teams go into the half? Kentucky was down by seven points. They were down 20-5 in the first few minutes of the game, then the teams traded baskets for a while before Kentucky whittled it down. "What a comeback!"? Really?
* Reason #145 Why I Love Bill Rafferty: he caught the running-the-baseline violation after the timeout immediately, then followed it up with a credible explanation for how the officials could have blown such a simple call (the timeout was granted before the in-bounds). Rafferty is so smooth and good that he gets lost in the color man shuffle. I'll take him over Vitale, Packer, Bilas...pretty much every other college guy. I still like Van Gundy and Hubie Brown better when it comes to all basketball, but Rafferty is the cream when it comes to college ball.
* Two examples this weekend of why I still don't like the foul-to-prevent-the-three play at the end of the game. First, Marquette accidentally fouled the shooter on the final possession against Georgetown who calmly made all three free throws. I would rather one three than three freebies. Second, the end of the game scramble against Kentucky could have been bad. Foul? When? I thought there was a great chance the Vols would try to foul a Wildcat in those final seconds and catch somebody throwing up a shot. Luckily, defending it worked just fine.
* Last one - Tyler Smith is so good that we just take him for granted. There is nothing spectacular about his game like Lofton's shooting or Duke's energy. He is pretty unorthodox with his inside finishes too. None of that matters. He does everything for the Vols these days. When the game is on the line, he gets the ball. I love the set they keep running for him where he catches it near the wing and fakes the hand-off to Lofton. As the entire defense shifts because of the respect Lofton gets, Tyler drives the opposite, cleared-out direction for something easy. No power forward can guard him on the perimeter.
Seriously - he deserves to be the SEC Player of the Year. Who more? Lofton is great, but has been inconsistent this year. Shan Foster is great, but only in Memorial Coliseum. The PotY is not coming from an NIT team, so why not Tyler?
The schedule gets easier now, right?
Nope - at Florida on Wednesday night. The Vols then host the '86 Celtics on Saturday before finishing the year against Teen Wolf's Beacon Town Beavers next week.
Here is the current state of Tennessee basketball: In the last week, Tennessee won at Memphis and against Kentucky while losing by one basket at Vanderbilt and the Vols Nation is panicking.
This afternoon's game looked to be a rout in the opening minutes as the Vols coasted to an early 20-5 advantage. Just when it looked like Kentucky was on the ropes, Chris Lofton picked up a second foul and the Tennessee bench let the Kats get back into the game. The Wildcats came out of the half on fire, turning the last 10 minutes of the game into a typical Tennessee/Kentucky slugfest.
To the bullets:
* Thank goodness we have Bruce Pearl and not Billy Gillispie. How boring are the Kats? The A&M Aggies were the same way. Kentucky avoided doing anything offensively for 30 seconds before running one of two plays to get a look. It might be smart basketball to play your horses the entire game (three players logged 40 minutes), but if it means slowing the game down to a crawl to do it, count me out. We'll see how long the Kentucky faithful can live with Billy the Kid's boring style if the wins don't come. Not exactly Rick Pitino, is it?
* The panic - Kentucky was down its best player (Patrick Patterson), in Knoxville and the Vols should have been looking for revenge after the first meeting AND the Vols only won by a basket.
Here is why you should not be panicking: 1) Revenge? The Vols seem much more concerned with a Final Four appearance than beating a bubble team, even if it is Kentucky. I did not see revenge in anyone's eyes. 2) Kentucky is a bad match-up for the Vols, even without Patterson. They have senior guards to handle the ball against the Big Orange pressure, they play a physical brand of defense that, if not called tightly, will make it hard for anyone to get decent looks and they are one of the few teams in the country that plays as hard as Tennessee. 3) They made some ridiculous shots to stay in the game.
* Lots to discuss in terms of personnel. Either Ryan Childress has the worst case of the flu ever or he is in Pearl's doghouse. He has been in my doghouse for a while, so I'm guessing the latter. No PT today.
* Jordan Howell played 5 minutes. He has been lousy for a while now and finally saw a big dip in his playing time. The Vols even used J.P. Prince at the point for a few minutes instead of Howell. His three-pointer today was awful looking. He did, however, secure a big defensive rebound late in the game.
* Before I return to personnel stuff, that reminds me of something that has made a huge difference for the Vols this year - rebounding from the guards. Everyone keeps writing that Duke Crews has solved the Tennessee rebounding issues, but I think it has more to do with Tennessee's guards getting involved inside. The Vols are not big, but 5 guys hitting the boards will make up for the lack of size. There is no way Tennessee competes with Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky on the glass if the guards are not chipping in.
* Ramar Smith logged 32 minutes today. At this point, I think Coach Pearl is telling Ramar that the Vols will go as far as he takes them. Smith has been a disappointment this year, especially in terms of his consistency. Today was better as he had just one turnover (a silly one, but still just one).
* Josh Tabb got more minutes today because of Chris Lofton's foul trouble, but showed why he has played so sparingly all year. The guy is an offensive liability. Not only can he not shoot or finish inside, but he also has no basketball IQ on the offensive end. There is a reason you are open, Josh - you can't make it. Stop shooting it! Ramar and J.P. have figured out it is best to pass up those open J's instead of bricking them. Josh has not figured that out yet.
* Wayne Chism is the most improved Vol from the start of the season. He has been a beast for the last week. The biggest difference to me is his brain. He is no longer looking for the 3 as much as the inside position. He is avoiding the stupid fouls inside. His over-the-screen show in the last possession that forced Bradley to give up the ball was beautiful. Chism does not make that play two months ago.
* Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith are both struggling to get open looks these days. It is not hard to guess why - we are in the second half of the conference schedule - but it would be nice to see a little more effort placed into freeing them up.
* Ken Harlin - "What a comeback!" as the teams go into the half? Kentucky was down by seven points. They were down 20-5 in the first few minutes of the game, then the teams traded baskets for a while before Kentucky whittled it down. "What a comeback!"? Really?
* Reason #145 Why I Love Bill Rafferty: he caught the running-the-baseline violation after the timeout immediately, then followed it up with a credible explanation for how the officials could have blown such a simple call (the timeout was granted before the in-bounds). Rafferty is so smooth and good that he gets lost in the color man shuffle. I'll take him over Vitale, Packer, Bilas...pretty much every other college guy. I still like Van Gundy and Hubie Brown better when it comes to all basketball, but Rafferty is the cream when it comes to college ball.
* Two examples this weekend of why I still don't like the foul-to-prevent-the-three play at the end of the game. First, Marquette accidentally fouled the shooter on the final possession against Georgetown who calmly made all three free throws. I would rather one three than three freebies. Second, the end of the game scramble against Kentucky could have been bad. Foul? When? I thought there was a great chance the Vols would try to foul a Wildcat in those final seconds and catch somebody throwing up a shot. Luckily, defending it worked just fine.
* Last one - Tyler Smith is so good that we just take him for granted. There is nothing spectacular about his game like Lofton's shooting or Duke's energy. He is pretty unorthodox with his inside finishes too. None of that matters. He does everything for the Vols these days. When the game is on the line, he gets the ball. I love the set they keep running for him where he catches it near the wing and fakes the hand-off to Lofton. As the entire defense shifts because of the respect Lofton gets, Tyler drives the opposite, cleared-out direction for something easy. No power forward can guard him on the perimeter.
Seriously - he deserves to be the SEC Player of the Year. Who more? Lofton is great, but has been inconsistent this year. Shan Foster is great, but only in Memorial Coliseum. The PotY is not coming from an NIT team, so why not Tyler?
The schedule gets easier now, right?
Nope - at Florida on Wednesday night. The Vols then host the '86 Celtics on Saturday before finishing the year against Teen Wolf's Beacon Town Beavers next week.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tennessee Talk for February 27, 2008
During the Revolutionary War, British General William Howe initially dominated George Washington and the rag-tag rebels. Historians believe Howe enjoyed these victories a little too much and too long, allowing Washington to get his bearings and figure out how to successfully win the war.After rising to #1 in the polls this week, I wish we had had a little longer to enjoy it and Saturday night's victory. Instead, we walked into The Battle of Trenton and got ambushed.
#1 - Fun, But Done
Yesterday, I convinced myself that the Vols would play well and defeat the Vanderbilt Commodores. From the opening tip, I did not really believe it. There were so many things working against the Vols, it felt like an insurmountable task. First, there was the letdown factor after the much-hyped game against Memphis. There was the fatigue factor after playing such a physical, intense game on Saturday night. There was Memorial Coliseum, a weird, wild environment that is so tough on opposing teams. There was the revenge factor after the first Vanderbilt meeting. There was the fact that Vanderbilt is a really good team.
In the end, the Vols lost by 3 in a game it should have won. I am disappointed, but only mildly so.
It is funny how statistics can prove your eyes wrong. I expected to write about how poor free-throw shooting killed the Vols, but the reality is that Tennessee was just under 70% from the line.
Another fallacy is that the officiating killed Tennessee. I didn't think it was terrible, but a little shaky at times. The numbers show that team fouls were pretty much even. If Vanderbilt had lost the game, I imagine Commodore fans would be shouting about Ogilvy's foul trouble (What did he do to earn his 3rd? That is called "posting up.").
The biggest factor was Tennessee's terrible shooting - 32% from the field. Give Vanderbilt credit - they defended Tennessee well throughout. Lofton had tough looks, JaJuan never got going, they kept Prince out of the lane and challenged everything inside.
They also took care of the ball. Eight turnovers means Tennessee was not running the other way with numbers for easy lay-ups. If you have to score with your offense every trip down, your shooting percentage will be lower.
Tyler Smith was a beast despite his flu problems and Chris Lofton was fantastic as usual. The rest of the guys...
Tennessee is getting nothing from the point guard position right now. Ramar Smith makes bad decisions with the ball and is not a threat to shoot from outside of five feet. Jordan Howell is not a threat to drive the ball and his shooting looks terrible right now. Luckily, Tennessee's offense does not rely too much on the point guard position, but the lack of efficiency there is concerning.
Wayne Chism continues to improve, but Duke Crews still looks slow and sluggish. He missed a few chippies inside (he was not the only one) and got pushed around by the Vandy bigs. Ryan Childress offers nothing right now off the bench. In a game where Vanderbilt was harassing the perimeter and its best post-player was saddled with fouls, there was an opportunity for Tennessee's posts to play big. They did not.
Other observations:
*Anyone know why the Vanderbilt crowd consistently booed Jordan Howell? Or was that the Tennessee crowd?
I'm not ready to give up on Howell yet, but he needs to play better. He was bad against Memphis and a liability last night. The most glaring example was when Tennessee tried to hold the ball for the final shot of the 1st half. Howell's job was to dribble down the clock, but he panicked with the ball and drove into a dribble handoff with Lofton next to the sideline. A quick Vanderbilt trap meant Tennessee had to burn a timeout - a timeout that would have been nice to have after the Vandy freshmen missed two free throws at the end.
If your senior point guard cannot handle the ball for 20 seconds in that situation, there is a problem. Furthermore, what does it say about Ramar's play that Howell is getting so many minutes?
*Basketball is a tough game to officiate, but there were far too many, "What was that?" calls last night on both sides.
*Am I the only one who thought UT looked softer and whinier than the private school 'Dores? There was a lot of crying going on from guys like Chism, JaJuan and Prince.
*The announcers did a great job of emphasizing just how tough it is for visiting coaches at Vanderbilt. It is a totally unique and different set-up that causes lots of problems. I love it.
*The announcers, however, won't escape without some scolding. Chris Lofton is one-dimensional? The guy is one of our best on-ball defenders, rebounds well from the guard spot and has a weird knack for finishing inside. "Hot" press got old too.
*Anybody see Kevin Stallings' post-game interview? He is impossible not to like. He talked for a good minute about how difficult the game was for Tennessee and yet they almost won. That guy had every right to pound his chest about beating a rival team and he did not.
I heard this once - no idea if it is true. After Kevin O'Neill bolted Knoxville, Kevin Stallings was a candidate to be the next UT head coach. The story I heard is that Stallings' wife was upstairs while the coach met with Tennessee officials about taking the job. She heard a conversation in one of the rooms between a Tennessee official and some other coach, the gist of which was, "We are about to offer the job to Stallings, but are you sure you don't want it?" Stallings' wife told her husband what happened and Tennessee ended up with Jerry Green.
No idea if that is true or not.
Candace Parker Turning Pro
This is not a shocker. She red-shirted with an injury, so she will have her degree by the time she leaves. I love Parker and her contributions to the Lady Vols, but it bothers me that she will be including in senior ceremonies. She is not a senior. If she wants to turn pro early, fine, but something about being treated the same way as a senior bothers me. I'm not sure it is a rational annoyance, but it is one nonetheless.
Fulmer Responds to Criticism
Coach Fulmer decided to respond to this column in The Knoxville News-Sentinel with this retort.
Fulmer is correct in many regards, though I don't think Adams' article is terribly off-base either. It is embarrassing to see so many current and former Vols in trouble. I wish Fulmer would acknowledge that while also holding up the Vols who have done great things after football.
Does it do any good for Fulmer to publicly engage this debate? Does anyone take a reactionary journalist seriously when he calls for the coach's head after a few off-season arrests? I wish Fulmer had stayed above this debate.
Good ole Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Scenic City Mailbag
You would be surprised at just how much (pretend) mail I get. (Fake) People want to know how I feel about a variety of (made-up) topics. I get (no) emails, faxes and letters in the mail asking for insights into all things sports and beyond.
Because of this (self-delusional) demand, I will (when nothing else is interesting me) occasionally answer these (phony) letters from my (3 people) sizable fanbase.
Let’s open up the mailbag:
Abraham in Springfield, IL (via telegraph): The Vols won a great battle, a civil war if you will, on Saturday night. Can the Vols continue their dominance of the state of Tennessee tonight against Vanderbilt?
I would be a fool at this point to ever bet against Coach Pearl and his ability to motivate the boys. The Vols give Vanderbilt all kinds of match-up problems. They can run five different post-defenders at Ogilvy down low. Their depth will give Vanderbilt fits at the end of the halves. The press caused big problems in the first match-up.
The Vols also have several things to address after the Memphis win. Ramar needs to limit his turnovers. Lofton has to be itching to get going offensively again. Tyler is emerging as an all-SEC player right now. I expect Tennessee to play very well tonight.
Bill in Little Rock, AR: What were your thoughts on the Bruce Pearl/Erin Andrews encounter Saturday night? Seemed fine to me.
For the most part, I had no problem with it because I think Pearl would have done the same thing to Dick Vitale or Bill Rafferty. However, you probably should not do the same things to Erin Andrews that you would Dick Vitale.
Here is a simple rule in life for all men: keep your hands off all women who are not your family. It might seem like a good idea and might even be innocent when you put your hands on another woman, but it always comes across as creepy.
Remember when Clay Aiken put his hand over Kelly Ripa's mouth? Innocent enough, but she did not like it. Now, if Ripa had put her hand over Aiken's mouth it would have been no problem. If Erin Andrews had demonstrated defense on Pearl, it would not have bothered the boisterous coach. Whether it is a double-standard or not, it is a simple reality that guys ought to keep their hands to themselves.
I think the "Father of Two Daughters" in me is coming out right now.
Jimmy in Atlanta, GA: Coach, how are you feeling about my Braves this season?
Not good. I cannot get excited about signing Glavine even if though the Braves desperately needed starting pitching. I no longer have any hope of seeing Mike Hampton pitch again either. That means the Braves are basically the same team that could not capitalize after the Texiera deal and the collapse of the Mets.
How are the Braves going to compete with the Mets or Phillies? The Mets were better than the Braves before they added Johan Santana. The Phillies, even with Lidge's injury, have better pitching and an All-Star infield. For the Braves to make the playoffs, they must have a better year than at least one of these two teams which does not even factor in other Wild Card contenders like Milwaukee, St. Louis and the entire N.L. West.
As much as I love the young talent on the team, I think this will be a .500 year.
Richard in California: Love the blog. Now that Sampson is out at Indiana, what is your take on the entire situation? Don't you feel sorry for the players?
You have to feel sorry for them. If I were D.J. White or Eric Gordon, I would not understand how this could happen.
"Phone calls? We lost our coach over phone calls?"
The Indiana players seem to love Sampson and are rightfully upset about his dismissal. I think they have handled the situation beautifully so far. After initial anger, they loaded up and won at Northwestern. They paid tribute to their coach with his initials on their sneakers, but played hard for the university that ran him off.
There was an ESPN.com piece this week encouraging Indiana to sit out the post-season this year because of Sampson's dealings. I whole-heartedly disagree with that idea. If Indiana wants to punish itself in this manner, do it to next year's team. This team has already been punished enough for something its coach did off the court. These kids have done nothing wrong, so punishing them even more is cruel and unjust.
If Indiana wants to do more than just dismiss Sampson, it could start with the dismissal of the A.D. that hired the known cheat in the first place. That would make much more sense than punishing the players.
As for the next coach, there is no way it will be Bob Knight. No way. If I were the Hoosier A.D., I would definitely make a play for Bruce Pearl. If Pearl won't leave Tennessee, I would expect an Indiana guy like Steve Alford, Lawrence Frank or Randy Wittman to be in the mix.
George in Crawford, TX: Who you like in Texas and Ohio next Tuesday? Those are two of my most favoritest places.
I'm going with McCain on the Republican side. Call it a hunch.
For the Democrats, I think Obama wins both fairly easily. At this point, Hillary needs a substantial anti-Obama vote to win and I just don't see that happening. I think Democrats are satisfied that Obama can 1) win in November and 2) be a good president. If that holds true, more people will come out to end the fight than will come out to prolong it.
There was an excellent editorial from my one-time golfing partner Eugene Robinson about how the media is going easy on Hillary right now. She has lost 11 straight primaries, is trailing in national polls, is losing the $ battle and, yet, there are very few calls for her to concede the race. If the reverse was true, would there be calls for Obama to give it up already?
As for Ralph Nader joining the race, I don't think it will matter at all. Nader screwed things up for the Democrats in 2000, but had little/no impact in 2004. If Obama gets the nomination, I cannot see any sort of protest vote for Ralph. At this point, it saddens me to see such a good man ruining his legacy with repeated runs for the White House. He used to be an irritant to big business and corporations; now he is just an irritant.
That makes a small dent in the ol' mailbag, but it is a start. Vols/Dores tonight - I'll have Tennessee Talk up in the morning with thoughts on the game.
Because of this (self-delusional) demand, I will (when nothing else is interesting me) occasionally answer these (phony) letters from my (3 people) sizable fanbase.
Let’s open up the mailbag:
Abraham in Springfield, IL (via telegraph): The Vols won a great battle, a civil war if you will, on Saturday night. Can the Vols continue their dominance of the state of Tennessee tonight against Vanderbilt?
I would be a fool at this point to ever bet against Coach Pearl and his ability to motivate the boys. The Vols give Vanderbilt all kinds of match-up problems. They can run five different post-defenders at Ogilvy down low. Their depth will give Vanderbilt fits at the end of the halves. The press caused big problems in the first match-up.
The Vols also have several things to address after the Memphis win. Ramar needs to limit his turnovers. Lofton has to be itching to get going offensively again. Tyler is emerging as an all-SEC player right now. I expect Tennessee to play very well tonight.
Bill in Little Rock, AR: What were your thoughts on the Bruce Pearl/Erin Andrews encounter Saturday night? Seemed fine to me.
For the most part, I had no problem with it because I think Pearl would have done the same thing to Dick Vitale or Bill Rafferty. However, you probably should not do the same things to Erin Andrews that you would Dick Vitale.
Here is a simple rule in life for all men: keep your hands off all women who are not your family. It might seem like a good idea and might even be innocent when you put your hands on another woman, but it always comes across as creepy.
Remember when Clay Aiken put his hand over Kelly Ripa's mouth? Innocent enough, but she did not like it. Now, if Ripa had put her hand over Aiken's mouth it would have been no problem. If Erin Andrews had demonstrated defense on Pearl, it would not have bothered the boisterous coach. Whether it is a double-standard or not, it is a simple reality that guys ought to keep their hands to themselves.
I think the "Father of Two Daughters" in me is coming out right now.
Jimmy in Atlanta, GA: Coach, how are you feeling about my Braves this season?
Not good. I cannot get excited about signing Glavine even if though the Braves desperately needed starting pitching. I no longer have any hope of seeing Mike Hampton pitch again either. That means the Braves are basically the same team that could not capitalize after the Texiera deal and the collapse of the Mets.
How are the Braves going to compete with the Mets or Phillies? The Mets were better than the Braves before they added Johan Santana. The Phillies, even with Lidge's injury, have better pitching and an All-Star infield. For the Braves to make the playoffs, they must have a better year than at least one of these two teams which does not even factor in other Wild Card contenders like Milwaukee, St. Louis and the entire N.L. West.
As much as I love the young talent on the team, I think this will be a .500 year.
Richard in California: Love the blog. Now that Sampson is out at Indiana, what is your take on the entire situation? Don't you feel sorry for the players?
You have to feel sorry for them. If I were D.J. White or Eric Gordon, I would not understand how this could happen.
"Phone calls? We lost our coach over phone calls?"
The Indiana players seem to love Sampson and are rightfully upset about his dismissal. I think they have handled the situation beautifully so far. After initial anger, they loaded up and won at Northwestern. They paid tribute to their coach with his initials on their sneakers, but played hard for the university that ran him off.
There was an ESPN.com piece this week encouraging Indiana to sit out the post-season this year because of Sampson's dealings. I whole-heartedly disagree with that idea. If Indiana wants to punish itself in this manner, do it to next year's team. This team has already been punished enough for something its coach did off the court. These kids have done nothing wrong, so punishing them even more is cruel and unjust.
If Indiana wants to do more than just dismiss Sampson, it could start with the dismissal of the A.D. that hired the known cheat in the first place. That would make much more sense than punishing the players.
As for the next coach, there is no way it will be Bob Knight. No way. If I were the Hoosier A.D., I would definitely make a play for Bruce Pearl. If Pearl won't leave Tennessee, I would expect an Indiana guy like Steve Alford, Lawrence Frank or Randy Wittman to be in the mix.
George in Crawford, TX: Who you like in Texas and Ohio next Tuesday? Those are two of my most favoritest places.
I'm going with McCain on the Republican side. Call it a hunch.
For the Democrats, I think Obama wins both fairly easily. At this point, Hillary needs a substantial anti-Obama vote to win and I just don't see that happening. I think Democrats are satisfied that Obama can 1) win in November and 2) be a good president. If that holds true, more people will come out to end the fight than will come out to prolong it.
There was an excellent editorial from my one-time golfing partner Eugene Robinson about how the media is going easy on Hillary right now. She has lost 11 straight primaries, is trailing in national polls, is losing the $ battle and, yet, there are very few calls for her to concede the race. If the reverse was true, would there be calls for Obama to give it up already?
As for Ralph Nader joining the race, I don't think it will matter at all. Nader screwed things up for the Democrats in 2000, but had little/no impact in 2004. If Obama gets the nomination, I cannot see any sort of protest vote for Ralph. At this point, it saddens me to see such a good man ruining his legacy with repeated runs for the White House. He used to be an irritant to big business and corporations; now he is just an irritant.
That makes a small dent in the ol' mailbag, but it is a start. Vols/Dores tonight - I'll have Tennessee Talk up in the morning with thoughts on the game.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Reading Too Much Into a Loss - The Memphis Tiger Dilemma
The dilemma facing John Calipari and the Memphis Tigers right now is how to deal with Saturday's loss at home to the Tennessee Vols. It was a devastating loss for the Tigers. Perfect season - gone. #1 ranking - gone. Best team in state - gone. What now? Does Memphis reevaluate its offensive system after being exposed as a team that cannot shoot the basketball? Does it make line-up changes after getting so little from Robert Dozier? Does it shift its defensive focus to something more conservative in the hopes of keeping Joey Dorsey out of foul trouble?
Or does Memphis look at this game and say, "We barely lost to a great team...it happens"?
It is far too easy to be fat and happy after victories and Chicken Little after defeats. From the Tennessee end, it would be easy to bask in Saturday's victory rather than address the sloppy turnovers throughout, the inability to get into their press (which they did try a few times), the poor shooting from key perimeter players like Chris Lofton and Jordan Howell and the continued inability to convert free throws.
From the Memphis end, it would be easy to forget that the Tigers led the game in the final minutes. Based on the post-game commentary, the Tigers were thoroughly exposed on Saturday. They cannot shoot. Their offense does not work down the stretch of close games. They were out-hustled and out-coached.
I heard ESPN's Doug Gottlieb question the Memphis offensive philosophy (which used to be called the Drive & Kick, now it is the Dribble Drive Motion) because it did not work in the game's final possessions. Sounds pretty good until you watch the game's final possessions. With Memphis down one point, the Tigers used the DDM to get a 3 footer from post-man Robert Dozier. He missed the shot, got his own rebound but wrestled teammate Joey Dorsey for it and traveled.
According to Gottlieb, the Tigers ought to rethink their offense after Saturday's finish. Really? They got a high percentage look in the paint. They even got the rebound. Is that a philosophy or coaching problem or just a kid missing a shot?
Coach Cal is too good to fall into the Chicken Little trap. He will challenge his guys to be more scrappy after the Vols got to so many 50/50 balls. He will continue to focus on free throws. He might even push Derrick Rose to take more of a scoring role after lighting up the Vols.
He won't panic.
Memphis is good. Really good. Losing one game to a talented rival does not change that.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The #1 Team in the Country - The Tennessee Volunteers
I'm not sure if I can write coherent sentences right now, let alone an entire entry, but here goes:Tennessee is the #1 team in the country. Not in football. Not in women's basketball. In men's basketball.
Can you see the smile on my face coming through these words?
Forget paragraphs - let's just run through the highlights and thoughts on the game:
* First, what an atmosphere! If John Calipari really thinks this rivalry would be better served to move to Nashville, he is insane. I know he worries about Pearl invading Memphis for talent, but that game tonight had to make some 5 star recruits want to play at FedEx Forum for college. It was electric.
* Memphis came out smoking hot, but early leads are false leads. Nobody is going to shoot that well for 40 minutes. I hated the zone look, but the packed in man-to-man worked.
* Derrick Rose is the real deal. Jordan Howell did a terrific job on him defensively, but that kid kept knocking them down. I don't know why he passed it at the end.
* JaJuan Smith kept us in the game at the beginning and had 10 huge rebounds. I expected both teams to come out tight, but instead they both came out firing.
* Tyler Smith is a stud. As much as I was impressed with J.P. Prince in the second half, it was all about Tyler Smith down the stretch. He might be the most underrated player in the country.
* CDR and Chris Lofton were offensive no-shows, but Lofton made the big free throws down the stretch and Douglas-Roberts did not. Lofton struggles from time to time with taller defenders who don't help off him, but he gives the Vols so much defensively and because he opens the floor for penetration just by standing outside the arch.
* Bruce Pearl and Erin Andrews was uncomfortable.
* Joey Dorsey is a beast, but it is hard for someone as strong as he is to stay out of foul trouble in college basketball. He will be a better professional player than he is a college one.
* J.P. Prince surprised me. He is a Memphis kid who has been terribly inconsistent all year long. He is prone to whining and softness, but he looked possessed tonight. Those were two HUGE free throws down the stretch.
* Bruce Pearl always fouls up 3 points at the end (see my previous entries for my thoughts on the subject). I called it as Rose brought the ball up the floor and, sure enough, it worked. The long rebound scared me, but Lofton was the perfect person to get that board. There was no doubt he was going to make both of those free throws.
Tonight was a special night of college basketball not just for Tennessee, but for the game period. This has been a bit of a downer year as far as regular season games go - there hasn't been anything even close to a game of this hype and play - but these two teams put on a show tonight. There was one possession where all ten players on the floor looked too exhausted to execute anything. Three or four guys went out with injuries and everyone of them came back for more.
For Memphis, they won't have another test like this until the second round of the NCAAs. For Tennessee, they might only enjoy their #1 for two nights. The Vols visit Memorial Coliseum in Nashville on Tuesday night for a game against Vanderbilt, a team the Vols humiliated in Knoxville last month.
Regardless of what happens from tonight forward, this was a historic night for Tennessee basketball. A wonderful, historic night.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
All-Time Mocs
The starting five for the Mocs' 25th Anniversary team were announced today as:Gerald Wilkins
Willie White
Brandon Born
Tim Brooks
Lance Fulse
The last two are different from my own list. I cannot believe Johnny Taylor was left off the list (he was the top honorable mention). I thought Brooks might make it and I have fond memories of Lance Fulse (remember those free throws to beat Marshall and take UTC dancing?), but Taylor led the Mocs to the Sweet Sixteen. How is he off the list?
I'm sticking with my starting five of Wilkins, White, Born, Taylor and Nelson. My second-team is Fulse, Brooks, Derrick Kirce, Chad Copeland and Mindaugus Katelynas. I'll round out my roster with T.O., Bart Redden (I loved that guy as a kid) and Bennie Green, who famously punched an ETSU female cheerleader after a loss.
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Great B-Ball Debates (Part 5) - Q & A
To wrap up our week of basketball debates, I'm going to drive-thru some of the dangling questions and controversies of the game. Without further adieu, let's hoop it up:
Rules Questions
Change the lane to the international trapezoid?
Yes and no. The international lane, for those who don't know, has the exact same free throw line but juts out to move the post blocks away from the basket. The advantage of this lane is that it moves the post players away from the basket to open up cutting and driving lanes. It also discourages back-to-the-basket basketball because it is difficult to post up so far from the rim. I love this because cutting and driving basketball is exciting while post-up basketball tends to be slow and dull.
I hate it for one reason - it looks stupid. Maybe I could get used to it, but it is not as aesthetically pleasing to me as the current version.
Move back the 3-point line?
Yes. The NCAA will do this next year and it is long overdue. Trust me on this - scoring will increase once the line is pushed back. The NBA learned this about ten years ago when it moved the line closer to the basket. It led to poor shooters attempting the shot and less room for the offense to work. Next year, the college game will see an increase in scoring because only good shooters will try the deeper 3's instead of everyone doing it. It will also force the defense to move out away from the basket another foot which means more room for driving, cutting and getting open. That means more scoring and more excitement. This is a great idea.
Increase fouls allowed before disqualification?
Yes. I actually like Jeff Van Gundy's idea of not disqualifying anyone (no other sport does it), but that seems unlikely to happen. The college and high school games should at least go to six fouls before disqualification. We see it far too often - great games ruined by foul trouble. Remember the Roy Hibbert vs. Greg Oden match-up from last year? Both guys were forced to sit with foul trouble.
If one more foul was allowed, the best players would be on the floor more often. It would also allow referees to properly call the game as there would be less fury about someone picking up a foul.
There is no way that it would lead to more fouling. Why would it? Fouling loses you basketball games, it does not win them. I just don't know what the argument against doing this would be.
Enforce the traveling/palming/carrying rules more closely?
No. I'm a purist in many ways, but I like the game to have some flow instead of being a whistle-a-thon. As a high school coach, I see Rule Happy Referees all the time. They care more about enforcing some stupid rule than simply officiating the game. The NBA does it right - let the game flow. Phil Jackson wrote about the "spirit of the rule" that so many referees fail to understand. Unless the violation gives the player an advantage, let it slide.
Flopping - a technical foul?
Yes! The flopping must stop. It ruins the game. If technical fouls can be issued for illegal defense (in the NBA) or leaving the coach's box, they can be assessed for pretending to get fouled. If a player is in position and run over, it is a foul. If a player falls before contact is even made, it is a technical foul.
Here is the easiest way to justify this: it is dangerous. With offensive players off their feet and concentrating on scoring the basketball, there is something dangerous and dirty about a defender sliding underneath to draw a charge. The offensive player is unprotected and comes crashing to the floor because of this defensive action. Before someone else gets hurt this way, change the rules to eliminate it.
Free Throw Assignments - old way or new way?
This year, the college men have been pushed up the block one spot. The idea was to eliminated the pushing under the boards on free throws.
It has failed. Instead of the inside defensive man pushing backwards, the offensive player is now pushing harder to get closer to the goal. I wish the NCAA would return to the old way unless it wants to change the rule to not allow anyone into the lane until the ball hits the rim. I don't like that rule much either, but it makes more sense to put the defender on the second block in that situation because that is where most free throw rebounds fall.
Strategy Questions
Foul Trouble - Sit Them or Play Them?
Tough one. On the one hand, you want to make sure you have your best players down the stretch to win the game. On the other hand, you might not be in a position to win if you are not playing your best players. Referees will sometimes decide a player is fouling all the time and quickly whistle him, but other times referees seem to realize that someone is in danger of fouling out and give him some slack.
I usually sit guys with foul trouble so I have everyone at the end of the game. It also depends on the player - is he smart enough to avoid a dumb foul or is he likely to clobber someone without realizing he will be disqualified? You must know your personnel, but I usually play it safe here.
End of Game - Call timeout or Play On?
You are up one point with 10 seconds left. Your defense breaks down and now you trail by one. QUICK! Do you call a timeout or have your guys attack right away?
I like to attack. You must have your team prepared to do so or they are likely to be so deflated by losing the lead that they will not know what to do (remember how Syracuse let four seconds run off the clock after Keith Smart's game-winner?). If you are prepared to do it, you can catch the opposing defense in transition or even patting itself on the back to get a good look. Calling a timeout means the defense will be set and prepared to take away your best option.
This strategy does not apply to the NBA because you can move the ball to halfcourt with a timeout. It makes no sense to waste clock dribbling it up.
End of Game - Set play or isolation?
Isolation. I know it is irritating to watch a team rely on a one-on-one situation to win a game at the end, but there is a reason it happens so often. First, you want your best player to take the shot. If you can put the ball into his hands, you do it. If the game is tied, you want to make sure you don't give the ball back to the other team (either you win or you go to overtime), so timing a set play is not ideal. Finally, a foul is most likely to be called on the ball than away from it, so the chance of getting to the line is best when the ball is isolated in one spot. A set play that involves screening and cutting can be blown up by physical defense, which is usually allowed at the end of the game, but referees will usually not allow a dribbler to be bullied even in this situation.
Opponent is on a run - timeout or play through it?
Play through it. John Wooden and Phil Jackson advocate letting their teams play through these runs while most other coaches are willing to burn a timeout to fix things or just stop the momentum. While I have used momentum timeouts, I would rather play through the spurt and save them. Timeouts are important, especially in high school when the clock does not stop on made baskets. In the NBA, timeouts allow the ball to be moved to halfcourt at the end of the game. They are highly underrated. If your team knows you are not going to bail them out with a momentum timeout, they will learn to play through the adversity.
On a meaningless side note, I have fond memories of calling these momentum timeouts as a 4th grader when I played little league basketball. Even as an 9-year old swingman, I understood when my team needed to collect itself and fix a few things defensively. You can imagine the look on my coach's face when I decided he needed to take a timeout.
Rebounding - block out or go get the ball?
Block out. I lost this debate at my previous school with my head coach. We did not work on blocking out at all, but instead focused on going up to get the ball. I hated it. I think there is time to find a man to seal out before going to get the ball. If I have a seven footer on my team, I might let him slide on boxing out because it is not as necessary. Otherwise, put your butt on somebody.
With that, we wrap up our week-long basketball debates. Let the discussions begin...
Rules Questions
Change the lane to the international trapezoid?
Yes and no. The international lane, for those who don't know, has the exact same free throw line but juts out to move the post blocks away from the basket. The advantage of this lane is that it moves the post players away from the basket to open up cutting and driving lanes. It also discourages back-to-the-basket basketball because it is difficult to post up so far from the rim. I love this because cutting and driving basketball is exciting while post-up basketball tends to be slow and dull.
I hate it for one reason - it looks stupid. Maybe I could get used to it, but it is not as aesthetically pleasing to me as the current version.
Move back the 3-point line?
Yes. The NCAA will do this next year and it is long overdue. Trust me on this - scoring will increase once the line is pushed back. The NBA learned this about ten years ago when it moved the line closer to the basket. It led to poor shooters attempting the shot and less room for the offense to work. Next year, the college game will see an increase in scoring because only good shooters will try the deeper 3's instead of everyone doing it. It will also force the defense to move out away from the basket another foot which means more room for driving, cutting and getting open. That means more scoring and more excitement. This is a great idea.
Increase fouls allowed before disqualification?
Yes. I actually like Jeff Van Gundy's idea of not disqualifying anyone (no other sport does it), but that seems unlikely to happen. The college and high school games should at least go to six fouls before disqualification. We see it far too often - great games ruined by foul trouble. Remember the Roy Hibbert vs. Greg Oden match-up from last year? Both guys were forced to sit with foul trouble.
If one more foul was allowed, the best players would be on the floor more often. It would also allow referees to properly call the game as there would be less fury about someone picking up a foul.
There is no way that it would lead to more fouling. Why would it? Fouling loses you basketball games, it does not win them. I just don't know what the argument against doing this would be.
Enforce the traveling/palming/carrying rules more closely?
No. I'm a purist in many ways, but I like the game to have some flow instead of being a whistle-a-thon. As a high school coach, I see Rule Happy Referees all the time. They care more about enforcing some stupid rule than simply officiating the game. The NBA does it right - let the game flow. Phil Jackson wrote about the "spirit of the rule" that so many referees fail to understand. Unless the violation gives the player an advantage, let it slide.
Flopping - a technical foul?
Yes! The flopping must stop. It ruins the game. If technical fouls can be issued for illegal defense (in the NBA) or leaving the coach's box, they can be assessed for pretending to get fouled. If a player is in position and run over, it is a foul. If a player falls before contact is even made, it is a technical foul.
Here is the easiest way to justify this: it is dangerous. With offensive players off their feet and concentrating on scoring the basketball, there is something dangerous and dirty about a defender sliding underneath to draw a charge. The offensive player is unprotected and comes crashing to the floor because of this defensive action. Before someone else gets hurt this way, change the rules to eliminate it.
Free Throw Assignments - old way or new way?
This year, the college men have been pushed up the block one spot. The idea was to eliminated the pushing under the boards on free throws.
It has failed. Instead of the inside defensive man pushing backwards, the offensive player is now pushing harder to get closer to the goal. I wish the NCAA would return to the old way unless it wants to change the rule to not allow anyone into the lane until the ball hits the rim. I don't like that rule much either, but it makes more sense to put the defender on the second block in that situation because that is where most free throw rebounds fall.
Strategy Questions
Foul Trouble - Sit Them or Play Them?
Tough one. On the one hand, you want to make sure you have your best players down the stretch to win the game. On the other hand, you might not be in a position to win if you are not playing your best players. Referees will sometimes decide a player is fouling all the time and quickly whistle him, but other times referees seem to realize that someone is in danger of fouling out and give him some slack.
I usually sit guys with foul trouble so I have everyone at the end of the game. It also depends on the player - is he smart enough to avoid a dumb foul or is he likely to clobber someone without realizing he will be disqualified? You must know your personnel, but I usually play it safe here.
End of Game - Call timeout or Play On?
You are up one point with 10 seconds left. Your defense breaks down and now you trail by one. QUICK! Do you call a timeout or have your guys attack right away?
I like to attack. You must have your team prepared to do so or they are likely to be so deflated by losing the lead that they will not know what to do (remember how Syracuse let four seconds run off the clock after Keith Smart's game-winner?). If you are prepared to do it, you can catch the opposing defense in transition or even patting itself on the back to get a good look. Calling a timeout means the defense will be set and prepared to take away your best option.
This strategy does not apply to the NBA because you can move the ball to halfcourt with a timeout. It makes no sense to waste clock dribbling it up.
End of Game - Set play or isolation?
Isolation. I know it is irritating to watch a team rely on a one-on-one situation to win a game at the end, but there is a reason it happens so often. First, you want your best player to take the shot. If you can put the ball into his hands, you do it. If the game is tied, you want to make sure you don't give the ball back to the other team (either you win or you go to overtime), so timing a set play is not ideal. Finally, a foul is most likely to be called on the ball than away from it, so the chance of getting to the line is best when the ball is isolated in one spot. A set play that involves screening and cutting can be blown up by physical defense, which is usually allowed at the end of the game, but referees will usually not allow a dribbler to be bullied even in this situation.
Opponent is on a run - timeout or play through it?
Play through it. John Wooden and Phil Jackson advocate letting their teams play through these runs while most other coaches are willing to burn a timeout to fix things or just stop the momentum. While I have used momentum timeouts, I would rather play through the spurt and save them. Timeouts are important, especially in high school when the clock does not stop on made baskets. In the NBA, timeouts allow the ball to be moved to halfcourt at the end of the game. They are highly underrated. If your team knows you are not going to bail them out with a momentum timeout, they will learn to play through the adversity.
On a meaningless side note, I have fond memories of calling these momentum timeouts as a 4th grader when I played little league basketball. Even as an 9-year old swingman, I understood when my team needed to collect itself and fix a few things defensively. You can imagine the look on my coach's face when I decided he needed to take a timeout.
Rebounding - block out or go get the ball?
Block out. I lost this debate at my previous school with my head coach. We did not work on blocking out at all, but instead focused on going up to get the ball. I hated it. I think there is time to find a man to seal out before going to get the ball. If I have a seven footer on my team, I might let him slide on boxing out because it is not as necessary. Otherwise, put your butt on somebody.
With that, we wrap up our week-long basketball debates. Let the discussions begin...
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