Manigat quickly has become CU's leader

From the Omaha World Herald:

Jahenns Manigat went from lost freshman to a guy his Creighton teammates look to for direction in the span of a calendar year.

That rapid transformation is not lost on Bluejay coach Greg McDermott.

"He's made as good of a stride in one year as anyone I've been around," McDermott said.

His teammates' respect for the progress Manigat has made is shown in their selection of the sophomore guard from Ontario, Canada, as one of Creighton's three captains.

"He's our gel guy. He's everyone's best friend," Creighton forward Ethan Wragge said. "He deserves to be captain because he communicates the best."

That part, at least off the court, comes easily for Manigat. He's a gregarious jokester, that guy who keeps the locker room loose with a comment that cuts through the tension a long season creates.

But just as he's had to work to develop his skills, Manigat said he's had to put in time to become the team's vocal leader once the ball is tipped.

"Off the court, I have a pretty good personality and I've never been shy around people," he said. "But being vocal on the court is something totally different. It's about the stuff that needs to be communicated when you're playing games — helping guys through screens and making sure guys know where they're supposed to be.

"I think having a vocal leader was one of the things that was missing on last year's team, and I really didn't want us to struggle because of that. I'm just trying to make sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing."

Talk alone will only get a player so far. Manigat is backing up his words with an improved game on both ends of the court. Offensively, he scored 33 points in Creighton's first two wins. Defensively, he continues to show the growth that first started blossoming at the end of last season.

"The last 10 or 12 games of last season," McDermott said, "Jahenns was really doing some really good things. But he's taken it to another level this year with his leadership, his communication and his intensity on the defensive end of the floor."

Manigat started Creighton's final 15 games last season. He averaged 8.1 points and shot 55 percent from the field in the final 14. He often found himself matched up against the opposing team's best backcourt player.

Manigat used last season's solid finish as a base to build on this season.

"He really got into the gym and worked on getting a lot of 3s up," forward Doug McDermott said. "He knew he was going to get a lot of 3s because our frontcourt draws a lot of defenders."

Seventeen of the 18 shots Manigat has attempted this season have come from behind the arc. He's made 10 of the shots (58.8 percent) and also has seven assists while committing only two turnovers.

That's not the kind of production that his coach anticipated he'd be getting from Manigat when he first joined the program.

"A year ago, Jahenns was an awful defender and he really didn't understand how to play the game offensively," McDermott said. "He's really bought into what we've asked him to do, and I'm glad he's on our team. He's going to have a great career here."

Manigat's early struggles had him wondering what he had gotten himself into — he was the final recruit signed by former coach Dana Altman in April 2010. Altman left for Oregon later that month.

Like many freshmen, Manigat struggled to adjust to the speed and intensity of the collegiate game when he first got on campus.

"I remember after one early individual workout asking myself what was keeping me from getting on a plane and going back home," Manigat said. "That's something a lot of freshmen go through when the realization of how tough college basketball is hits them.

"I think a lot of the things I went through got me to where I am today. I'm a better player, more level-headed and more mature."

That experience has Manigat mentoring the new players that joined the program this season.

"I'm trying to help them through that transition," Manigat said.

His willingness to embrace such a role is one reason his teammates voted him a captain along with senior Antoine Young and junior Grant Gibbs. McDermott said it's the first time in his coaching career that a sophomore had been selected as one of the captains.

It's a responsibility that Manigat takes seriously.

"I'm honored," he said. "It's truly a special group. These guys really and truly are for me, being so far away from home, my brothers. I'm going to do everything I can to represent them and to help us have the kind of season that we all want."

The Process

"The scoreboard has nothing to do with the process. Each possession you look across at the opponent and commit yourself to dominate that person. It's about individuals dominating the individuals they're playing against. If you can do this...if you can focus on the possession and wipe out the distractions...then you will be satisfied with the result.

-Nick Saban

Don't Quit

"We were saying, 'Don't quit'. You never quit, even if it looks ugly. If you quit every time something looks ugly, you miss an opportunity to do something special."

-Chiefs Linebacker Andy Studebaker after the Chiefs 23-20 OT win over San Diego

Kellen Moore's Work Ethic

Good article on Boise St. quarterback Kellen Moore in last week's Sports Illustrated. His mindset is top-notch:

Moore is also working on his master's in kinesiology. And this fall he's immersed in an independent study project with left tackle Nate Potter. They're steeping themselves in the subject of "what highly successful people do to become successful," says Moore.

Among the books he's read on this topic: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin. Moore's preliminary conclusion: "There's no magic. A lot of times there's this misconception that people are just given this talent, that they never had to work hard to get where they are." Their common denominator, he says, is the willingness to submit to "that grueling, grinding, not-fun task, and to do it over and over. That's what successful people do."

He cites the 10,000-Hour Rule from Outliers, which holds that greatness requires the investment of massive amounts of time. Moore, it turns out, has been investing since at least the second grade. For show-and-tell, recalls Kris, he would draw a play on the whiteboard: "He'd tell the class, 'This is what the [Prosser] Mustangs are going to be running this week.'"

Your Best Effort

From "Stuff" by Dick DeVenzio:

What excuse do you give yourself for not doing your best every play of a game or every drill in practice? Have you ever considered a coach could watch you play, even on a night you score 20, and he could tell you dozens of things you never bother doing?

Undoubtedly there are many things that you should do that you don't. But if you really want to be a good player..if you strive to do the little things consistently, there won't be any doubt in anyone's mind what kind of player you are. People may not say that you are great or wonderful or fantastic, but coaches will do better than that. They will say YOU CAN PLAY.

There is no higher compliment in the game.

The Little Things Go a Long Way

Green Bay Packers WR Greg Jennings on his study habits and work habits. Here is the full article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Says Jennings:

"I approach the game a little differently. I think the No. 1 thing that separates the men from the boys (at wide receiver) is the mind-set. A lot of guys talk about being the best but some don't really have the mind-set that it takes to be the best.

"Honestly, it's more of a mental (test). My physical assets are there; I'm going to display those. It's your study habits, your work habits throughout the week. That goes a long way."

The Red Bandana

The Intensity of Kevin Garnett

From Last February:


While the Celtics were on their post-All-Star road trip, ESPN the Magazine's Eddie Matz got a chance to be a fly on the wall for the Celtics practice in San Francisco, paying close attention to Kevin Garnett's manic practice habits.

“Garnett doesn’t do easy. When assistant Lawrence Frank begins a walk-through of the Golden State offense, Garnett interjects, “Why we walkin’ through it? The Warriors ain’t gonna be walkin’ through it!” Just like that, it’s starters versus subs, and even the stars, following the lead of their motivational big man, go all-out. Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen make this a veteran squad, and veteran squads understand how quickly championship windows can close.”

Low Maintenance, All Work

Heisman Trophy winner and rookie Saints RB Mark Ingram is getting rave reviews from his new teammates in New Orleans:

"I respect him for his demeanor," Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "He comes in, a Heisman Trophy winner, prolific runner in college and all he wants to do is work and all he wants to do is get better. You can respect that. You can admire that more than a guy that feels entitled to something. I feel like that's the last thing that Mark Ingram feels right now is that he's entitled to anything. He goes out, he proves his worth every day in practice and shows that he can play."

Never Satisfied

It is the simple fact that I have had to scratch and claw for everything to get where I'm at. Even though I was a first round pick and a pro bowler I never feel like I've arrived. I don't think I'd be in the position I'm at today if it weren't for all the setbacks and people telling me I couldn't do it. It is what drives me to be great.

-Clay Matthews Jr.

Michael Jordan: Mind of a Champion

Random Thoughts from Kevin Eastman

Every now and then we should just sit and think. Never know what you will come up with.


• Success has a price and players have to know that they have to pay it just as much as you and your staff have to.

• Success does have downpayments: work ethic, discipline, preparation, consistency.

• We are the sum total of the experiences we've had and the people we've met. What have you done? Who have you associated with?

• Preparation is so important because it can help eliminate fear and doubt.

• Before we can eliminate excuses that keep us from improving we have to recognize what those excuses are. Write down your top three excuses and then eliminate them for the next month. This will create a habit of not using them any more!

• It's very important to take a close look at your locker room. Whose voices are being heard? Are these the messages that you would want being sent?

• What messages are on your locker room wall? May seem corny but it's something that players will see -- and probably read -- almost every day!

• Never be concerned about repeating a message; repetitive verbal teaching is a great form of teaching. Teaching doesn’t always have to be physical.

Post Development

Brandon Jennings Offseason Workouts

Article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Bucks PG Brandon Jennings and his offseason workouts:

"I'm just getting back to the basics of basketball," said Jennings, who worked out regularly at the team's training facility before the NBA lockout was imposed July 1. "Just working on my fundamentals. Getting set back last year with the injury made me have a different approach to the game. It's not (taken for) granted.

"Next year will be my third year and I need to establish myself as one of the best point guards and one of the best players in the game. It's just trying to get better and better every day. Working with Scott Skiles (before the lockout), getting in the weight room, dedicating the summer to strictly basketball. It's going to be my third year, so it's time to become an all-star."

Shortly before the lockout was imposed, Jennings was asked if he had been working harder than he normally would at that time of the year.

"I haven't worked this hard since I was 18," said Jennings who will turn 22 in September.

Skiles praised the work Jennings put in at the team's training facility before the lockout.

"Brandon has always been a hard worker, to a large part because he loves to be in the gym," said Skiles. "He was working out like it was September . . . very serious and very focused."

Since Jennings can no longer work with the coaches, it's now on him to continue with the workout program that was provided by the coaches.

Jennings wasn't kidding when he said he was getting back to the basics both in his pre-lockout workouts - mainly with assistant coach Bill Peterson, who was also impressed with the positive daily work habits Jennings brought to the gym - and on his summer "to-do" list.

The left-handed Jennings has worked on improving his right hand since he came into the league, and that mission continues - dribbling and passing with his right hand as well as taking contact around the basket and finishing with his right hand.

He has also worked on other very basic things such as catching the ball with two hands, his foot work and balance and his hand-eye coordination.

The Bucks would also like Jennings to tighten up his shot and shoot the ball with a more consistent form.

Jennings has a tendency to shoot off-balance sometimes or from different spots on his body. The Bucks want Jennings to improve at getting the ball in his shooting pocket - the starting point of his shot - staying balanced, and releasing the shot from the same spot on his body every time.

"We don't feel like there's anything wrong with his shot or anything he needs to really correct other than just shooting the same shot all the time," said Skiles. "Brandon has a lot of ability and a lot of talent and it just needs to revolve a little bit more around tightening up his fundamentals.

"There's no magic dust to any of this. If you have some level of talent, which he clearly does, and then if you have the work ethic to go with it, usually you get better. He's always been kind of a gym-rat guy and so it's not a whole lot different other than there's a real hungriness to him."

Bob Hurley 60 Minutes Interview

Living in the Moment

Forward Abby Wambach of USA Soccer:

"I was nearly brought to tears just thinking about how surreal this all seems," Wambach said after scoring the deciding goal to lead the USA into its first Women's World Cup final in 12 years with a 3-1 victory against France.

"I feel like I have to give all of myself and more of myself in order to secure wins, and of course I am willing to do that," she said. "I feel like I have to make sure I don't regret a moment. I want to smell what the stadium smells like. I want to breathe in all of this experience, because who knows if I'm going to get another shot in four years? Who knows if I will be healthy? Who knows, who knows?

"These moments are rare, these feelings are extreme, and I just hope to keep it going forward, and if we can get that win on Sunday (in the final), you will see the happiest human being on the planet."

Brady's Intangibles

Rip Hamilton Moving Without the Ball

CP3 Workout

Chris Paul Nike Skills Camp

Stephen Curry Shooting

Dell Curry Shooting Drills

Jordan on Offense

The Value of Hard Work

UCONN guard Shabazz Napier on what made former teammate and NBA lottery pick Kemba Walker so good:

"I won't say I can replicate what he did. But one thing he taught me and the rest of our team is the value of hard work. You go out there and give it your all no matter what. Every practice we had, he practiced like he was a guy that was trying to make the team. He's the star of our team, but you looked over at him and he was always pressing himself, challenging himself. It was like he was a walk-on."

Jordan Flu Game- 1997 Game 5 Finals

Marquette Basketball Practice

Marquette Boot Camp

Jordan's Defense Part I

Mavs Team Attitude

"We just kept playing. That just shows the character of this team. No matter how old you are, we understood how to play the game, by passing the ball and making sure that we didn't take shots where three or four guys are on you. We just made the extra pass. We didn't care who put the ball in the basket."

-Jason Kidd

Urgency

"I don't allow myself to sit back and relax now. In these playoffs, one win or one loss can switch the whole momentum. You don't ever want a snowball to start. I don't allow myself to sit back all of a sudden and be satisfied.

"We got one more big win hopefully to get, and then I can be satisfied."

-Dirk Nowitzki

Ray Allen on Shooting

More From Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle

Said Carlisle: "Persistence is our game. We're an old-school team. We're not high-fliers. ... Our game is near the ground. We have to play with brains and guts."

Defense is Simple

"The schemes we're using aren't very complex. It's just all about hard play."

-Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle

Kobe Bryant/Chris Paul Workout

Mental Toughness from Dallas Mavs

"I think mental toughness comes from believing in yourself and at the same time not getting rattled," center Brendan Haywood said. "If a team runs off eight, nine, 10 points in a row, you don't get rattled, you stay the course, you stick to the plan and you don't fray from the team system. That's mental toughness to me."

How can we make our teammates better?

Good article in Sports Illustrated on the leadership of Colorado Rockies teammates Carlos Gonzalez & Troy Tulowitzki:

CarGo and Tulo have formed a thriving partnership, not just in the middle of the order, where they bat third and fourth, but in the clubhouse.

"We talk all the time about how to set the right tone," Gonzalez says. "We do our running in the outfield, and we're talking about how we can help our teammates. Is somebody in a slump? What can we do for him? What can we do today to make this team better?"

Defense helps morale

From ESPN.com:

More so than engaging the gang, the Lakers' defense has brought the group together at a time when team chemistry cannot be overstated in its value to winning.

"It's kind of like this bond that starts to happen," Lamar Odom said. "Intensity picks up. Communication picks up. Eye contact amongst each other kind of picks up and collective energy and synergy picks up."

"When things work [on defense], it helps morale," Kobe Bryant said. "It helps generate momentum and the right kind of energy that you need to win games -- even more so than offensively."

Bulls' Deng relishes role

"I feel like as a team everyone has a role all year. Guys have done a good job of bringing something to the team every time. The position I'm in, a lot of times, I'm guarding the other team's best perimeter player. I know if I play with a lot of intensity, everyone's going to pick it up. I know our defense is the key. I've always been able to score and rebound. But defense is something I'm trying to add."

-Luol Deng, Bulls Forward

When your best players are coachable, it makes your team coachable

Here is an article on Bulls point guard Derrick Rose and his leadership progression. Many of the quotes are from Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau:

Several times this season, Rose has said he enjoys Thibodeau's intensity and that Thibodeau knows he can yell at Rose because Rose, who is equally intense, can take it. "You say scream. I say coach," Thibodeau said.

"When your best players are coachable, it makes your team coachable. That sets the tone for everything. The way he works and studies and is never satisfied and is so unselfish and totally into winning, that's what makes him so special.

"When you have a player with that talent that has those intangibles, it makes your team special. A big part of leadership is helping sell the vision of the team to teammates. He does that by example and he's being more vocal now."

Butler Goes Down Its Way

Terrific article from Yahoo Sports Dan Wetzel about teammates helping each other after a difficult lose:

HOUSTON – Shawn Vanzant sat in the corner of the Butler locker room, sobbing, his teammates said, at an almost uncontrollable level. Next to him was Matt Howard, a towel draped over his head, the tears coming just as hard.

Together, the two seniors had shot 3 for 23, an absolutely abysmal, crushing performance in the biggest game of their lives. Connecticut was outside clipping the national championship nets. In here it was just hell, the aftermath of a great team gone bad – 12-of-64 shooting, a record-low 18.8 percent from the floor, losing 53-41, the fewest total points in a title game since the shot clock was invented.

Vanzant thought it was his fault. Howard felt no better.

And that’s when Ronald Nored, eyes red and tear-filled as well, noticed his teammates, got up, crossed the locker room and reminded everyone what this entire pursuit is about.

He pulled Shawn Vanzant up off his stool and hugged his friend, physically and emotionally attempting to lift him out of his depression. After a few seconds, Nored stepped over to Howard and did the same.

And soon enough, his teammates followed.

One after the other, from the freshmen to the managers, from the benchwarmers to the starters, every last Butler Bulldog was taking a moment to remind each other, particularly those bottomed-out seniors, that this was about a lot more than some basketball game.

“It [was] hard for me to watch; it’s hard for me to talk about,” coach Brad Stevens said of the scene, his voice catching and his eyes watering behind his glasses.

“But it’s the best part of the story.”

The story of Butler, the one that’s captured underdog hearts for two consecutive NCAA tournaments, was always about a group finding a way to be better than its individual parts.

The Bulldogs were a family, they said. They were a brotherhood, they reminded. They believed they could reach back-to-back NCAA title games when there was no logical reason to think such a thing was possible. This is what all kinds of teams say, of course. And it’s easy to be a family when the shots are falling and victories are piling up and you’re shocking the world night after night. It’s another when you take the grandest stage in college basketball and proceed to experience a failure of historic proportions.

Butler hit just 3 of 31 shots inside the arc. It made just six baskets in each half. At one point, the Bulldogs missed 13 in a row. They clanked open shots and blew gimmes they make in their sleep. As much credit as the long-armed Huskies’ defense deserves, in the back of every Bulldogs’ mind was the thought that they gave this away by playing the worst game of their lives at the worst possible moment.

“All the people who played in the game think they let us down,” Stevens said. “And that’s ridiculous.”

That’s also when everything gets tested. Butler blew it and that’s when fingers tend to get pointed and playing time gets questioned and selfishness can rise up. If only he had made that lay-up. If only he had knocked down that open jumper.

“It’s very easy to just think about yourself and be frustrated in the situation,” Howard said.

Instead, the Bulldogs showed all the talk was real. They did it one hug after the next. One whispered “I love you” after another. One pat on the back and look into the eye and honest bit of concern.

The harder some cried, the harder the rest worked to ease the pain. Stevens stood in that locker room, took it all in and saw the kind of miracle for which coaches strive – collective support in the lowest and rawest of moments. Kids caring about kids. Perspective and purpose on display. It may not get you a clipped net, but that’s some kind of championship in itself.

“Hard, hard to put into words,” Stevens said, his voice trailing a bit.

“It’s probably the great thing about sports,” assistant coach Matthew Graves said.

Nored said he never hesitated. Once he noticed Vanzant in such a state, the game didn’t matter. Only his friend did.

“That’s what we’re here for, we’re here for each other,” Nored said. “In the big picture, who really cares about basketball? It’s about the guys in this locker room. I wanted Shawn to know we don’t really care that his shot didn’t go in; we care about him.”

Howard, just a half-hour later, could only marvel at the entire thing. Butler had come to win the title on Monday, but when he gathered the team pregame in the tunnel, he told everyone to forget what was at stake.

“Don’t think about the national championship,” he shouted. “This is our last time playing together.”

With that, the Bulldogs broke huddle and sprinted out into the dome. A couple hours later, his message meant more than ever. The national championship was gone. The appreciation of playing together was not. He couldn’t hide under that towel after the game. His teammates wouldn’t let him.

“[They] come over and give you a hug and tell [you] how much [they] love [you] and appreciate [you] and that is what this team is about,” Howard said.

“It’s really uplifting because no matter the result, they want to be a part of this team and that is all that’s on their mind. They want to pick you up. “It’s a special group. That’s the only reason we’ve been able to do what we have.”

They talk a lot about the “Butler Way” around here, although no one has a specific definition of it. Mostly it’s about being selfless, not caring who gets the points or the headlines or the accolades. Here on the night of a bitter, bitter defeat, Brad Stevens was reminded it can mean a whole lot more than that.

“You know if someone has to go 12 of 64 and lose that game and do it that way,” he said, “these guys have the character to handle that.”

The game had been a nightmare. The embarrassment of all those misses will linger. The frustration of so many good players failing to make simple shots will haunt them. But it won’t happen alone. Not with these guys. Not after Ronald Nored hugged Shawn Vanzant in the corner of that locker room and just wouldn’t let go

One Shining Moment

He'll do whatever it takes

VCU guard Joey Rodriguez's high school coach Reggie Kohn on his toughness:

“Whether it was a real game or just three-on-three, Joey was willing to dive headfirst into the bleachers. For a guy his size, you have to be tough. He has that willingness to fight for every possession and for every ball. His mind-set is ‘if there’s a loose ball, I’m getting it 100 percent of the time.’ Whether he has to push you into the bleachers or tackle someone. He’ll do whatever it takes.” -

Attitude adjustment sets Butler on another magical Final Four ride

Great article in the Chicago Tribune about how Butler overcame a tough losing streak during the season through a change in their overall attitude:

Butler's frustration mounted so high that Stevens sensed the need to do what good coaches do. He let his players take ownership of their team in a way necessary for it to grow. But before turning over the meeting that changed their season, Stevens told everyone he needed to improve too. That's when senior Zach Hahn actually shouted at his coach. "I had had enough at that point and yelled, with a few choice words, 'It's not about what you guys are doing, we've got to be better,' " Hahn said. "

Everybody agreed.

" Everybody agreed that a team built on attitude needed an adjustment and that the mid-major powerhouse had developed a major ego problem.


"We kind of got the big head a little bit," Mack said. "We had to get people back to doing things we'd been doing."

Butler hasn't lost since.

"Our whole thing when you come to Butler is it's not about you," guard Ronald Nored said. "The focus is sacrificing everything for your teammates, your school and each other."

Butler Way isn't just an access road in front of some academic buildings. It's the aw-shucks, almost corny method Stevens has used to attract fundamentally sound players and build a program special enough to be the first non-power-conference school to reach back-to-back Final Fours since UNLV in 1990-91.

"It's not brain surgery," Stevens said. "You can buy a book, you can read about it. People know what the critical components of success are. Everybody in every business and every industry talks about values, mission and vision. The key is holding to them."

The line at the souvenir store inside Hinkle Fieldhouse snaked out the door. One older couple made sure to remind me that the Milan High team immortalized in "Hoosiers" lost in the 1953 Final Four the year before winning the state title. That's the script they see their Bulldogs following this weekend. On the court, as players met the media, fans of all ages took pictures and sought autographs considered priceless in a state that loves God, corn and basketball — not necessarily in that order.

"One of our core principles in our locker room is humility," Stevens said. "If you don't have that, you're not here. You've got to respect everybody."

Somebody mentioned to Stevens that he has gained enough respect to be compared to Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams. It's deserved praise but dangerous too. Around here, they would take losing Stevens harder than losing to VCU.

"That's nice for people to say, but like I tell our team, 'You're only good if you're good today,'" Stevens said. "We also say, 'You're good if you play good. You're great if you do that every day.' "

It would be great for college basketball if Butler won it all playing by these rules, especially in a sport where so many coaches make their own rules.


When Stevens reflected on the pivotal Youngstown State loss, he remembered telling Howard that the three-game losing streak would be "the most valuable thing you took from Butler."

Stevens also recalled the cartoon his coach at DePauw University, Bill Fenlon, sent to encourage him through the rough patch. It's an image of a dejected superhero sitting alone under a palm tree on a deserted island. The thought bubble read, "Oh, yeah, I can fly."

"That was kind of the way we were," Stevens said. "We had the ability but we were down. We weren't far from being good. It's easy to get caught up in the negatives, but they didn't. That is the most rewarding thing about this team."

Clint Hurdle positive on the Pirates

New Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is taking over the Pirates with many wondering why he would put himself in such a tough situation, being that the Pirates have been one of the least winning teams in the MLB in the last 20 years. He has taken on the task with lots of energy and enthusiams. Here is a little from an espn.com article: Hurdle has charged his entire coaching staff with this mission: Bond with these players. Do whatever it takes to forge a connection that keeps this entire locomotive steaming down the same track. "I'm not talking about a Kumbaya campfire thing," Hurdle quipped. "We just want to make sure, from a coaching standpoint, we don't have any 'oh-no' coaches here. And by that I mean, we've all had a coach in our life where, when you saw this guy coming, the first thing you thought was, 'Oh, no. Here we go again.' We want to open up the line of communications where they see us walking up to them and they go, 'I wonder what he's got for me today.'"

Poise & Great Communication

Here is an excerpt from a New York Times article on Butler coach Brad Stevens: "Sometimes we'll be in the huddle during a tight game and look up at coach Stevens and he's just so calm," senior Zach Hahn said. "You wonder 'How's he doing that?' But it definitely has an effect on everyone else. We don't get rattled easily." Butler sophomore Chase Stigall said Stevens is a master of motivation, with an ability to mold his style to fit different players. When the Bulldogs were on a three-game losing streak in February — something unheard of for many of the players on the current roster — Stigall said Stevens didn't panic or do anything desperate. He just did what he does best, communicate. "He has a different way with every player," Stigall said. "When he's tuning into a certain player, he has a different way of treating each guy. He knows that my high school coach was a yeller, and he knows that I can be yelled at and that's how I respond the best. Other people can't respond to that — and he knows it."

Leader of the Huskies

"I'm just trying to do the best I can do. Whether it's scoring, talking, getting their confidence up or giving an assist, I'm just trying to do whatever is possible to enhance this team."

-Uconn guard & 1st Team All-American guard Kemba Walker after his team beat San Diego St. to advance to the Elite 8

It Always Starts With Defense

"We have a lot of confidence. When our mindset is right on defense, we seem to work harder on offense. When we're not as focused on defense, it kind of leads to our offense. We just go through the motions. So it always starts with defense."

Bulls forward Luol Deng after the Bulls beat the Hawks last night

Shot Selection

Quote from Arizona forward and All-Pac 10 player Derrick Williams on efficiency:

"Just think about it. If you're shooting 20 times a game, of course you're going to score at least 20 points. But I want to get to the free-throw line, not take bad shots, just be the most efficient player I can be. I only need to shoot open shots."

Says Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller:

"I know it sounds too good to be true when you're talking about a kid who is as talented as he is and as good of a kid as he is," Miller said. "But that's what makes him a special kid.

"It's easy to coach your team when you have your best player on board."

When Things are Hard, They Don't Pass the Blame

“Our kids acted this season like I wish our society wouldact. That means that when things get hard, they don’t pass blame. They don’t run away from it. They don’t roll their eyes. They don’t quit.”

-K St Coach Frank Martin on his team fighting through a midseason slump to reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Butler All-Access

Looking for guys who have "gotten over themselves"

"We get guys who want to do their job and go home and aren't impressed with the hoopla. One of the keys is to bring in guys who have gotten over themselves. They either want to prove that they can play in this league—or they want to prove nothing. They fill their role and know the pecking order. We have three guys who are the best players, and everyone else fits around them."

-Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs Head Coach

Outwilling Your Opponent

"I think what wears opponents down is, you can't get him to slow up. He's gonna try to outwill you. We talk a lot about that with our team. If you're really good you can outwill another team.

"Kemba is probably the personification of that. ... You know what? If I could have every player find what he finds, then we wouldn't even be talking about us not being the Big East champion or winning the national title. It's the greatest gift a player can have."

-Jim Calhoun on UCONN's Kemba Walker

Bill Self on Toughness

From the Kansas City Star:

Self defines tough basketball as staying focused in the now, chasing every rebound or loose ball with two hands, remembering to play defense with your head and feet when the other team’s in the bonus, things like that.

“And even when we played poorly, we guarded and we rebounded,” Self says. “That’s usually the toughness stats that show up the most.”

Summer Two-A-Days help Rose & Friends Turn Potential Into Polish

LOS ANGELES -- St. Monica High School sits near the corner of Lincoln Blvd. and Washington Ave. in Santa Monica, an intersection of potential and stardom. There is nothing inherently impressive about the St. Monica basketball gym -- "It's pretty small," said trainer Rob McClanaghan, "and a little grimy" -- except for the NBA players who walked through the doors last summer and kept coming back.

Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love arrived at St. Monica last May, full of promise, but still in need of polish. They had just finished their second season in the pros. Rose made the All-Star team. Westbrook wowed in the playoffs. Love was not even a full-time starter yet.

They worked out six days a week at St. Monica, McClanaghan putting them through full-court and half-court game simulations, peppering them with hypothetical questions: "How good do you want to be? You want to be an All-Star? You want to be an MVP? You want to be a champion, or lose in the conference finals?" McClanaghan's assistant was a 3-foot black football pad he used to punish the players so they would not forget what it feels like to rush into a power forward.

The group trained twice a day, once at 9 a.m. and again at 6 p.m., in their white T-shirts and practice shorts. Sometimes they came straight from photo shoots still wearing makeup. When McClanaghan tried to give them one Sunday evening off, they showed up anyway. When other NBA players stopped by and went half-speed, the regulars told them to stick with the program or drop it. "The intensity was unbelievable," McClanaghan said. "Russell would do something great and you could see Derrick and Kevin telling themselves they would do even better. It became their gym."

As the summer wore on and word spread, coaches in Southern California went to St. Monica just to watch. Former Lakers general manager Jerry West made an appearance. What they witnessed were three young players preparing each other to take one simultaneous leap into the elite. "We put so much pressure on those workouts," Rose said. "You felt like you couldn't miss a shot in there."

While Love and Westbrook had their own summer to-do lists, Rose built a jumper almost from scratch. A transcendent driver, Rose rarely used to take outside shots because he could easily race to the rim, with his Iversonian crossover. But as opposing teams sagged off him, he found fewer driving lanes, and grew frustrated that he could not make defenses pay. He shot 26.7 percent from three-point range last season, and on the rare occasion that he let fly, his release was low and his arc flat. The ball invariably smacked the front of the rim. McClanaghan told him, "If you can just get to 39 or 40 percent, where guys have to respect you, it will be over."

McClanaghan lifted Rose's release point, gave him the mantra "no short shots" and made him hoist upward of 1,000 threes a day at St. Monica. Rose's practice percentage ticked up, from 60 to 68 to 72. It became clear that defenses were not going to sag off him anymore, but to take advantage of openings he had to throw himself into big men as often as he slithered around them. "I spent a lot of time getting hit by that pad and trying to finish off it," Rose said. By initiating contact instead of avoiding it, Rose has already attempted and made more free throws than he did all of last season.

He has also identified yet another way to expand his game. He plans to spend this summer developing post moves. He already knows the perfect workout partners and the ideal place.

-------------------------------------
From cnnsi.com

Staying Even-Keeled

"I think his approach has been pretty even-keeled, and I think that certainly helps him. Doug's not one that is going to get too disappointed in himself for too long when things aren't going right, nor is he going to pat himself on the back for very long when things are going well.”

-Creighton Coach Greg McDermott on his son Doug earning Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year & Player of the Year

Your Best Player Sets the Standard

“When your best player is also your hardest worker, you’ve got a chance to do something. Your leaders help sell the vision of what our standards are going to be, what we’re trying to accomplish. And that’s to never take anything off — a practice, a play, a possession.”

-Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau on PG Derrick Rose

Last Opportunity

"Any time you're approaching the last opportunity in anything you do, you want to maximize your experience. If someone is going to beat me, they're going to get my best shot."

-Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame Shooting Guard

Do You Want to Win? Don't Do These Things

By Jay Bilas, ESPN

I had a great discussion recently with one of college basketball's best coaches about a Bill Parcells concept regarding how teams lose games. Parcells is credited with saying that you have to understand what causes you to lose because until you do, you will never truly understand how to win.After thinking about it, speaking to several coaches about it and consulting so many of the basketball materials I have collected and been given by some of the best coaches I have known, I came up with a list of things in college basketball that cause teams to lose. This list is by no means exhaustive or original, but these principles have been emphasized by many of the best coaches in the game.

1. Defensive Breakdowns

Teams with defensive breakdowns lose. The best defenses are difficult to score upon and do not allow open shots. The best defenses are "help defenses" that require little help because they guard the ball well by closing out under control to take away the open shot and because they take away the middle drive. The best defenses sustain a physical and intense defensive effort, play the ball and communicate at a high level, and they do it consistently throughout the game. Bob Knight has said that action is quicker than reaction, and help defense is the solution. If the defender containing the ball gets beat, he must have swift and decisive help, and the helper must be helped with a similar sense of urgency. The best defenses are committed to taking away any open shots and forcing one quick and contested shot, with five defenders committed to getting the ball before converting to offense.

2. Outcompeted on the Glass

The best teams understand the worth of additional possessions and make rebounding a priority on both ends. The best teams understand that defensive rebounding is a five-man effort to deny the opponent the opportunity to get additional possessions to score before you can. The best teams understand that offensive rebounding allows you to get additional possessions to score before your opponent can. The best teams are committed to going to the glass and not surrendering to or staying attached to blockouts, but instead overcoming obstacles to pursue the ball with both hands and secure it.

3. Losing the Free Throw Battle

The free throw line is the best and most efficient place from which to score on a basketball court. The best teams work with a purpose to get to the free throw line, coach to get to the free throw line and hit free throws when they get there. The best defenses keep the opponent out of the middle, play tough and physical defense without fouling, and understand that there is no such thing as "fouls to waste." Fouls should not be wasted, and when a substitute enters the game with no individual fouls, that is not license to commit a needless foul and put the opponent closer to the bonus. Getting into the bonus earlier takes away opponents' aggressiveness, and putting the opponent into the bonus takes away your aggressiveness.

4. Losing the Turnover Battle

The best teams understand the value of the ball, and being loose with the ball provides the opponent additional possessions and results in empty possessions for your team. The turnover total is not the best marker -- it is the turnover margin, because that is the number of additional possessions gained or lost based upon how each team values the ball. Some teams protect the ball better and other teams have more takeaways than miscues. The key is the additional shot attempts gained by valuing the ball on offense and defense.

5. Poor Shot Selection and Offensive Execution

The best teams consistently work for and take high-percentage shots and are committed to passing up early, contested shots to find a teammate with an open one. The best teams are committed to working together and are not hung up on "my" shot, understanding that every shot is "our" shot. The best teams understand roles and have all five players on the court working hard to get open and be threats to score. The best teams understand that working hard to get a good open shot and taking it is not selfish. Taking bad shots, such as contested shots early in the clock, is selfish.

6. Poor Communication

The best teams not only talk, they listen. It does no good to have five talkers on the floor unless you also have five good listeners and actors. The best teams are connected to one another on offense and defense, and are connected to the bench. Whether at home or on the road, breakdowns in communication result in corresponding breakdowns in Nos. 1-5 on this list. Communication is a skill, and the best teams value communication as highly as any other aspect of the game.

You can't come to practice pouting

Bo Ryan on staying consistent as a player and coach:

"I just want our players to be as consistent in their work ethic and how they take care of the ball and the little things that we talk about all the time to give yourself a chance," said Ryan, whose team hasn't suffered back-to-back losses since the 2008-'09 season. "I don't dwell on the loss.....

"People that come to our practices, you have no idea what happened the game before and there is a purpose to that. I've always been like that. I tried to be like that as a player because I was told by my coach if things didn't go well. . . you can't go to practice pouting. It doesn't help anything."

Duke's Thornton makes defense his priority

DURHAM (AP):

Duke freshman guard Tyler Thornton's passion for defense dates to his time in grade school, when he played center and called out directions to teammates from the low post.

"He takes pride on that end of the floor, where, 'I've got to own my man and not let him be a difference maker,'" said Steve Turner, who coached Thornton at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.

Turner was at Comcast Center on Wednesday night as defensive-minded Thornton made his first career start near his hometown in Duke's 80-62 defeat of Maryland.

Thornton isn't as gifted a scorer as some of his teammates, but he is providing a boost in other areas as No. 5 Duke (20-2, 7-1 ACC) prepares to host N.C. State (12-10, 2-6) at 6 p.m.

Thornton's ball handling ability allows ACC scoring leader Nolan Smith to catch the ball on offense in different places where he can be more effective. Thornton's on-the-ball pressure also adds a dimension to Duke's defense.

"I love playing defense," Thornton said. "So when the coaches were recruiting me, they noticed that was a strong point of my game, and they told me to bring that here."

At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Thornton's chances of playing a significant role for Duke were slim. Another freshman, Kyrie Irving, quickly demonstrated that he was one of the best guards in the nation.

Thornton also was behind sophomores Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins in the rotation. But after Irving injured his right big toe on Dec. 4, Thornton needed to play a larger role.

He made a big impact with four steals in Duke's first meeting with Maryland on Jan. 9. He provided help for a slightly gimpy Smith in 22 minutes against Wake Forest on Jan. 22 and played a season-high 28 minutes against the Terrapins on Wednesday.

He has nine steals since the Jan. 5 win over Alabama-Birmingham; only Smith and Curry have more during that time.

"When I got here, I knew what my role was going to be," Thornton said. "Once I committed to that role, I was going to find my way on the court, regardless of the circumstances."

Having an Identity

"We play a certain way, and it's not just when you want to. We have a style; this is how you play. Don't matter who's in there. We set picks, we get our shooters open, we get our scorers open. If you're a post presence, you know your job, you know your role. You come outside that role, then it's another guy behind you ready to do what you was supposed to do."

-Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett's Passion

Here is a blog post from Kevin Eastman's website with a list of leadership thoughts on Kevin Garnett:



• He always looks for teaching opportunities to help young players become “true professionals,” from the way they dress to the way they prepare for the game and for practice, to the way they interact with teammates.

• He lives the “team concept” every day in every way. In fact, last year Kevin wouldn’t do interviews without Paul Pierce or Ray Allen with him because he didn’t want the team to be “his” team; he always wanted it to be “our” team.
• He demands that the coaching staff coach him, call him out, correct him -- so that he can become a better player. He understands that coaching is not criticism, but a very important part of his improvement.

• He works on his game just about every day of our 287-day season. Understands that repetition is the key to being good.

• He is competitive and committed: he plays just as hard whether we are ahead or behind and whether he had 3 shots or 30 points.

• He shows everyone that the great ones just want to get better; always wants to know anything that will make him a better player.

• He often says, “it’s about what you are willing to sacrifice; that’s our way of life here with the Celtics. It’s about putting the team and winning before anything else.”

• He often says, “in order for this thing to work, we all have to sacrifice.”

• He always talks about defense: “We said from Day 1 that we were a defensive team that could also score.”

• And the ultimate sacrifice in today's me-oriented world Kevin says, “from Day 1 we said this is Paul’s team.” Everyone else wanted to make it Kevin’s team but he knew Paul deserved it because Paul had been with the Celtics during tough times.

The list could go on and on, but the point is that true leadership is not about oneself. It is the ability to get not only the most from your own ability but true leadership also means getting the most out of every teammate’s ability as well. Kevin does this by example, by teaching, by his public comments and by his unending commitment to team over self.

Cassel learned from on of the best

Here is an article from the New York Times on Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, who had a tremendous 2010 season. Cassel was drafted in the 7th round 2005 by the New England Patriots.when the Patriots picked him up as a free agent. This article talks about how Cassel learned his work ethic and leadership skills from Tom Brady:

Drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round in 2005, Cassel became Brady’s shadow. He arrived at the facility to work out before the first scheduled activity of the day because that is what Brady did. Everything he knows about being a leader, he learned by watching Brady, who won three Super Bowls before Cassel’s arrival.

“He’d always yell at me and say you can’t make the simple mistake,” Cassel recalled, “because how are you going to yell at your receivers, your running backs, your linemen for making simple mistakes if you’re making them?”

Once, Cassel said, he made the simple mistake of forgetting about a noon conference Brady had added to the schedule. When Cassel showed up on time for a 12:15 meeting, Brady glowered.

“He was furious,” Cassel said. “He asked me where I had been at 12 o’clock, and I remember saying: ‘Why didn’t you come get me? Because I was in the building, I was just eating lunch.’ And he said: ‘Because I’m not responsible for you. You have to be accountable for yourself.’ ”

Coach McCarthy on building a culture

"You have three choices in life when looking at any situation. You can take a positive angle, a negative angle or no angle at all.

"I clearly believe in positive mind-sets. Positive needs to be the starting point. I believe in positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is a useful teaching tool, but it is a short-term teaching tool.

"At the end of the day, when you're building a program, it's all about culture. Positive culture equates growth, and that is very important to me - that everyone in our program continue to grow."

Defense & Rebounding

"When we're setting goals (we said) what we're going to have to do to make this a special year, we must focus on defending and rebounding and being tough," guard Ben Hansbrough said. "We addressed those goals at the very beginning of the year. We continue to carry that mindset with us."