Hoops Notebook

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

2011-2012 Season is Upon Us

The start of the 2011-2012 season is upon us. Teams all over the country are getting ready for the first official practice. Division 1 and Division 2 coaches have had some time to be on the floor with their players, but at the Division 3 level this will be the first time we are allowed to step on the floor with this team.

The first 4 days of practice for us at Saint Mary's coincides with our fall break. This is great for us. We will have 7 or 8 practices in after 4 days. It really gives us a chance to get a lot of things done and to lay the foundation for a lot of the things we will be doing this year. We like to think of it as something somewhat similar to an NBA Training Camp.

As an assistant coach I am putting the final touches on the players notebooks, getting all of our practice gear organized, shoes, locker room, making sure we have everything we need for practice, balls pumped up, etc. We as a staff are also continuing talks about things we would like to do offensively and defensively. I am very lucky to be working for a head coach who gives his assistants a lot of opportunity to share their thoughts, he gives us chances to grow as assistant coaches, he wants us to think like head coaches as well. He is also my father, so that makes all of this a bit unique as well.

One other important aspect that can't get overlooked at this time of the year is recruiting. With the start of practice here, we still have to make sure we do at least 1 thing in recruiting every day. Coach Landrum has been all over this fall visiting kids at school and introducing ourselves. We feel this is important to start to build our relationships with them. Kids don't grow up wanting to go to Saint Mary's. It's like that for many division 2 and 3 schools. Their connection has to be through us as a staff, which will then allow for them to see all the great things our school has to offer.

We are very excited to get going. Our first game is 37 days from now in Dallas, TX. It will be a great way to start the year and continue to develop chemistry on and off the floor. I will update this as much as I can throughout the year. Hopefully a couple times per week at least. I will continue to share information on our team, player profiles, and other basketball information I come across throughout the year.

Like Bart Scott of the Jets says in this interview, "Can't Wait"

2011-2012 Schedule

Date		Opponent	Location	Time/Result
University of Dallas Tip-Off Classic
11/18/2011		University of Dallas	Irving, Texas	8 p.m.
11/19/2011		Austin College	Irving, Texas	TBA
UW-Oshkosh Thanksgiving Classic
11/25/2011		University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	Oshkosh, Wis.	1 p.m.
11/26/2011		University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	Oshkosh, Wis.	3 p.m.
11/30/2011	*	Carleton College	Northfield, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
12/3/2011	*	St. Olaf College	Winona, Minn.	3 p.m.
12/5/2011	*	Saint John's University	Collegeville, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
12/7/2011	*	Concordia College	Moorhead, Minn.	7:45 p.m.
12/14/2011		Viterbo University (Wis.)	Winona, Minn.	7:45 p.m.
1/4/2012	*	Gustavus Adolphus College	St. Peter, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
1/7/2012	*	Macalester College	St. Paul, Minn.	3 p.m.
1/11/2012	*	Bethel University	Winona, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
1/14/2012	*	Augsburg College	Winona, Minn.	3 p.m.
1/16/2012	*	Hamline University	St. Paul, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
1/18/2012	*	Carleton College	Winona, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
1/21/2012	*	University of St. Thomas	Winona, Minn.	3 p.m.
1/25/2012	*	Saint John's University	Winona, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
1/28/2012	*	St. Olaf College	Northfield, Minn.	3 p.m.
1/30/2012	*	Concordia College	Winona, Minn.	7:45 p.m.
2/4/2012	*	Macalester College	Winona, Minn.	3 p.m.
2/8/2012	*	Gustavus Adolphus College	Winona, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
2/11/2012	*	Augsburg College	Minneapolis, Minn.	3 p.m.
2/13/2012	*	Bethel University	Arden Hills, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
2/15/2012	*	Hamline University	Winona, Minn.	7:30 p.m.
2/18/2012	*	University of St. Thomas	St. Paul, Minn.	3 p.m.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Good Shooters vs Poor Shooters

Mark Price

Ray Allen

Reggie Miller

10 Characteristics of Good and Poor Shooters

1. Good Shooters spend time each day on proper shooting technique. Good Shooters use a chair to "form shoot" for 10 minutes before taking their first shot at the basket.
Poor Shooters spend time on their shooting technique when they "have time." Poor Shooters grab a ball and go to the three point line to begin launching shots.

2. Good Shooters work on moving without the ball and "prepare" the shoot the ball before ever catching it.
Poor Shooters wait for their turn to shoot then think about getting a shot off.

3. Good Shooters start close to the basket and make 5 straight before moving back.
Poor shooters shoot from all areas of the floor "hoping to make it."

4. Good Shooters study other good shooters and follow their habits
Poor Shooters shoot the ball the same way without any help from others.

5. Good Shooters study the path of the ball and where the ball hits the rim. They make adjustments based on
where the ball hits the rim; long/short, right/ left.
Poor Shooters judge their shooting accuracy solely on whether the ball goes in or not.

6. Good Shooters square up to the basket before shooing, called "Ten Toes."
Poor Shooters are not concerned with alignment they just want to quickly get their shot off.

7. Good Shooters shoot from an athletic position known as Triple Threat position. One quick movement from triple threat produces a solid shot.
Poor Shooters catch the ball in an upright position then take time to bend their knees before shooting. Poor Shooters do not play in triple threat.

8. Good Shooters use their whole body to shoot the shot. They know that their LEGS make shots with good form.
Poor shooters shoot the ball with their upper body only and throw the ball at the basket instead of shooting it.

9. Good Shooters follow through consistently by "throwing their hand into the basket."
Poor Shooters are inconsistent in their follow through resulting in inconsistent results.

10. Good Shooters understand the importance of BALANCE before, during and after the shot! The feet are always under their head.
Poor Shooters shoot off balance from all different kinds of angles. Their feet are rarely under their head.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Nick Saban on Being Great

" I don't think it's normal to be great. I think it's special. The human condition is to be average and to survive. And everybody assumes that everybody wants to be as good as they can be all the time, but that's not true. If that was the case, everybody would be doing fantastic out there. So it's special to be as good as you can be. It's special to work to reach your full potential. It's special to go do it every day, day-in and day-out and never give yourself a break."
--Nick Saban

Shaka Smart on Players Leading

Coach Smart says his team does not elect captains -- they simply have leaders

1. Take care of yourself (be one time, go to class, etc)

2. Lead vocally (positivity, communicate, talk)

3. Lead by being the hardest worker on the team

4. Can you call out your teammates and say what needs to be said? (Be unpopular)

5. Be an extension of the coaching staff

.....Team first at all times

.....You are the team, the team is you

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Want To Be Successful?

How Bad Do You Want It?