The Dean’s List

February 5, 2014

 

I.  Inside the SoCon

And just like that we’ve passed the midway point of conference play!  With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it’s now all about college basketball.  Clearly, the story of the first half was the Chattanooga Mocs.  Just about everything went their way.  Z. Mason played at an MVP level, Casey Jones developed into an All-SoCon player and most importantly, Ronrico White returned from injury and provided a steadying influence in the backcourt.

But – and there is always something more - the SoCon regular season is far from over.   Davidson ended the Mocs 10-game winning streak, Elon is defending better, Wofford is riding a four-game winning streak and Samford and Georgia Southern are trending in the right direction.  It’s going to be fun watching the second half of SoCon basketball!

II. Websites

There are so many options for hoop fans, yet I wanted to share some of my personal favorites.  Listed below are sites that provide me with great insight, analysis and articles about college basketball:

· espn.com – The power of ESPN is simply too big to ignore.  Great writers and great information

· cbssports.com – Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander are two of the best writers in college basketball and Jon Rothstein follows college hoops like no one else

· nbcsports.com – The crawler on their college basketball site provides up-to-the minute information on Division I basketball

· soconsports.com – All everything Southern Conference

· mocsmania.blogspot.com – A great site for SoCon men’s basketball.  Terrific insight and analysis

· midmajority.com – A paid site that provides information regarding “the other 26 conferences”

· bbstate.com – Tons of information about every conference and school

· rushthecourt.com – They have independent writers from around the country which provides for some interesting commentary on all levels of Division I men’s basketball.  “The Morning 5” is must reading for fans

· kenpom.com – A paid site (modest $20 per year to access the site).  It is widely regarded as the premier site for college basketball analytics

· CoachGeorgeRaveling.com – A great site for coaches and teachers.  More than just basketball

 

III.    The importance of good assistants

While head coaches are the face of a college basketball team, many times it’s the assistants that can determine the success (or failure) of a program. 

All conversation regarding an assistant coach begins with recruiting.  It’s understood by just about everyone in the business that the lifeblood of any program is the recruitment of talented student-athletes.  Even though recruiting calendars and NCAA rules are constantly changing, the most critical responsibility of any assistant is evaluating prospects, sustaining a workable database and successfully recruiting student-athletes to a program.  But recruiting today is far more than just the identification of a prospect and judging the fit between talent and program - it's also about establishing and building relationships with those around the prospect - and much of that work must be done by the assistant coach.

As I reflect on twenty years in college basketball, a lot has changed.  While recruiting remains the top priority of every assistant coach, today’s assistants are required to be well-rounded if they are going to be successful.  An assistant is asked to deal with a wide variety of issues – on and off the court - in order to help manage a program.

In no particular order, I have determined the following areas to be of vital importance in the development of a college basketball assistant.  I also believe these traits are deemed critical if one aspires to run their own program some day:

 
1.      Recruiting:

As previously mentioned, recruiting is at the heart of an assistant’s job.  As I reflect, I would never change the level of seriousness I took during evaluation opportunities. 

2.      Player Development:

Right behind recruiting is player development / skill development as it relates to importance for assistant coaches.  Assistants need to be capable in their abilities to help develop players both in season and out of season. 

3.      Time Management:

Time management and handling crisis are keys to success in college athletics.   An assistant coach must understand that three or four things will come up in a day that were NOT planned or accounted for.  How a person reacts to these situations will, in many instances, determine their success. 

It’s critical to have the ability to multi-task as an assistant coach will no doubt be pulled in several different directions throughout the course of a given day.

4.      Technology:

First it was the growth of the internet, then it was the advent of the cell phone and then texting became the norm for casual conversation.  Now Twitter has become almost as common.  A coach who can maintain a strong social media presence has the ability to connect with the young generation of players.  But this must be done the right way as things can quickly spiral out of control in today’s virtual world.

5.      Watching Film:

It is my considered opinion that this is a critical area to learn about the game of basketball.  Remember, you can never watch too much film, especially during the off-season.  Like players, coaches can really improve their “game” in the off-season.

During the season an assistant must find time to watch at least one film of the next opponent even if it’s not their scout.  This will help develop a better understanding of the upcoming game – and they just might pick something up.

6.      Taking Notes:

Taking five minutes after each practice to write down notes can help an assistant as well the head coach.  I believe assistants need to spend time after practice evaluating what was good and what was bad.  They also need to evaluate themselves.  Taking five minutes to jot down notes will only help them reach their short-term and long-term goals.

I have also found that the best coaches learn from their players – so watching what they do, listening to what they do and understanding why they do it can only help make for a better coach / player relationships.

7.      Learning to Run a Program:

While winning generally cures most ills, assistant coaches need to learn the art of running a program away from the court.

This is the area where an assistant needs to be self-motivated as well as self-aware in order to grow professionally.  Sure the “it” factor comes into play when dealing with the intangibles of running a program (dealing with the AD, booster relations and fundraising), but an assistant can also learn by observing others, including their own head coach.

8.      Developing a Philosophy:

One of the biggest catastrophes an assistant can make is to fail to develop a philosophy.  This is all encompassing – an assistant must have an offensive, defensive, leadership and motivational philosophy BEFORE accepting a head coaching position.  Sure, a coach will grow in the head chair, but they must have an idea of how they want to play the game and run a program well before taking that first job.

And remember, an assistant doesn’t have to develop the same philosophy of the head coach they are working for.  But if their philosophies differ, they simply need to remain loyal to the head coach and their way of teaching while working for them.

9.      Adding to Your Skill Set:

Always aspire to get better!   Remember, you either get better or you get worse.  You never stay the same as an assistant (this is true in any business).  Therefore, it is the obligation of every assistant coach to manage their portfolio of skills and add something each year.

10.  Aligning Yourself:

It is of paramount importance that young coaches align themselves with solid people.  The quickest way to derail a promising career is to work for someone that is going to cut corners or simply not do things the right way.

The importance of a good staff cannot be overstated.  If an assistant coach is solid in the areas mentioned above, I believe the odds of success for the program greatly increase.  I also believe the chances of becoming a head coach dramatically increase.

IV. The SoCon Ladder

Lots of change on the ladder this week as we were reminded the SoCon title still runs through Davidson.  While the Wildcats, Chattanooga and Elon remain at the top, we’re a long way from the finish line.  Most importantly, the fight for the all-important tournament first-round byes is now in full gear:

1.      Davidson – The Wildcats, who have won five in a row and eight of nine, flexed their muscles last Thursday as they handed Chattanooga their first conference loss in convincing fashion.  De’Mon Brooks also made sure the Player-of-the-Year award was not prematurely given to Z. Mason.   The win against The Citadel on Saturday was over shadowed by the naming of McKillop Court at Belk Arena – a well-deserved honor for the dean of Southern Conference coaches.

2.      UTC – The Mocs came back to earth in a loss at Davidson, but rebounded nicely in a home win against Furman on Saturday.  Casey Jones is a rising star and is helping keep the Mocs near the top of the ladder.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t secure a non-conference win for the league on Tuesday turning the ball over a season-high 24 times while losing to a very good Eastern Kentucky team.

3.      Elon – The Phoenix have started defending better and therefore they have to be considered a threat again.  Also, the seniors seem to have a sense of urgency and that is a really good thing for Matt Matheny.

4.      Wofford – The Terriers continue to move up the ladder by taking care of business.  Karl Cochran is now playing at the level most expected before the season started – that’s huge for Mike Young and staff.

5.      Western Carolina – I still believe the Catamounts will be a tough out in Asheville, but they need to smooth out the highs and lows before tournament time.  After a five-game winning streak they have now lost three of their last four.  Hopefully, the week off has given them time to get things together.

6.      Samford – Bennie Seltzer had his group trending in the right direction until a loss Saturday at Wofford.  They bounced back on Monday with a big win at Furman.  Now they get Davidson and Chattanooga at home this weekend.

7.      Georgia Southern – Jelani Hewitt is quietly having a terrific season (leads the league in scoring and steals, 2^nd in free throw percentage and 7^th in assists).  He is keeping the Eagles near .500, but tough sledding still remains.  Can Hewitt get some help to keep Georgia Southern in the race for a bye in Asheville?

8.      UNCG – No doubt the Spartans are playing some good basketball, but need to win.  Having lost four of their last five has put them in a tough situation.  With their remaining schedule (Elon twice, at Georgia Southern, Western Carolina, UTC, at Davidson and at Wofford), the Spartans will EARN a bye if they can finish in the top 5.

9.      Furman – It’s not been an easy going since the calendar turned 2014 as the Paladins have lost 8 of 9 in the New Year.  The good news is that sophomores Stephen Croone (18.3 ppg, 3.9 apg in league play) and Kendrec Ferrara (15.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg in league play) are having a breakout seasons.

10.  Appalachian State – With four of their next five at home, it’s now or never for the Mountaineers.  Let’s see where they stand on February 20.

11.  The Citadel – When it rains, it pours.  The Bulldogs just can’t catch a break.  Trying to end a 10-game losing skid at Davidson last Saturday became nearly impossible as the school named the Belk Arena Court after Bob McKillop.