Men's Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach

[Chief00]

Who is the Men's Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach now? Travis or Chris West? Just want to check to see what others are hearing.

 

[Walker11]

Could your dream be coming true? In all seriousness, KO mentioning that Larrier needs to bulk up is concerning, all things being considered.

 

[Chief00]

My understanding is that Chris West is now the go to guy for MBB - what I don't know is what role Travis may still play - Chris is a higher pay grade under Bilais.

I do know it was getting pretty brutal with humor in the weight room per some football players - about the progress certain MBB players were making.

 

[nomar]

 

[James]

I know I sound crazy but if larrier starts the year under 200 there is a serious issue with the weight room. There is really no excuse for him not to have added 20 lbs in 12+ months of just practicing and going to class.

 

[david]

I ran track at Uconn some time ago and Chris West did a lot of our strength and conditioning. I remember we did a lot of squatting, lunges, cleans, core work, pull ups with weight belts, bench, etc. Nothing crazy or revolutionary, but maybe they do different things with the basketball team.

 

[JMick]

Everyone can give Chief crap about this, but this is definitely the #1 area I am almost in 100% agreement with him, our strength training and/or dietician the last few years has been pitiful.

 

[Chief00]

I have confirmed Chris West is now directly responsible for MBB.

 

[Thirty Three]

One thing people need to keep in mind is that the strength and conditioning coaches have a limited amount of time to work with the players under NCAA rules (like all coaches). The vast majority of responsibility for players getting stronger falls on the players (at least in basketball). The strength and conditioning coaches can give them a plan, a diet, a workout regiment, but it's mostly up to the players to dedicate themselves, impliment the plan, diet, workout regiment, etc, on their own time and stick to it.

Guys like Emeka, Ben and Hilton (who learned from Ben and Mek) were monsters because of their dedication to diet, and strength and conditioning on their own time. They all understood the importance of it for them, and had the drive and determination to be the best they could be.

Some guys like Facey and Hamilton are probably never going to really be able to "bulk up", they just aren't built for it. Do the players (or certain players) need to be held more responsible to dedicating themselves to the strength and conditioning program? It's possible, but I have no idea.

 

[Chief00]

I agree the player is accountable but needs to be given a program structure and oversight to get it done. S&C is now a critical component of any major college sports program.

 

[80shusky]

As a little follow up to @Thirty Three post some kids aren't going to put on a bunch of weight or muscle and also be in top cardio conditioning shape. It is hard to expect kids with fast metabolisms and slight builds to run, run, run all day, have great conditioning to run up and down the floor for 20-30 minutes a game and practices and still put on weight and to an extent muscle. I am not and was not a Division 1 athlete and obviously did not have the benefit of dietitians and coaches but I got to UConn at about 160 lbs dripping wet. Along with some friends of mine I worked out at a gym, for the first time in my life, for 4-5 days a week for my freshman through junior years. I was doing standard "amateur" type workouts bench, curls, presses, incline, stuff like that. While I did gain quite a bit of strength and was a lot more defined than when I started I did not add much mass at all and left UConn at 165. Now that I am 46, my metabolism has slowed down, I work 60 hours a week, have a mortgage, daughter etc. and no time to work out I'm an easy 190 on a good day. If I could only find time to do something about that....

 

[JMick]

As a little follow up to @Thirty Three post some kids aren't going to put on a bunch of weight or muscle and also be in top cardio conditioning shape. It is hard to expect kids with fast metabolisms and slight builds to run, run, run all day, have great conditioning to run up and down the floor for 20-30 minutes a game and practices and still put on weight and to an extent muscle. I am not and was not a Division 1 athlete and obviously did not have the benefit of dietitians and coaches but I got to UConn at about 160 lbs dripping wet. Along with some friends of mine I worked out at a gym, for the first time in my life, for 4-5 days a week for my freshman through junior years. I was doing standard "amateur" type workouts bench, curls, presses, incline, stuff like that. While I did gain quite a bit of strength and was a lot more defined than when I started I did not add much mass at all and left UConn at 165. Now that I am 46, my metabolism has slowed down, I work 60 hours a week, have a mortgage, daughter etc. and no time to work out I'm an easy 190 on a good day. If I could only find time to do something about that....

The "fast" and "slow" metabolism myth has been debunked. The variance between fast and slow metabolisms is ~100kcal/day which is barely statistically significant. They need to eat more and lift weights, it's really that simple. Some will have to eat and work out more than others, but it's necessary if you want to put on weight.

 

[Uconnrick]

If they need to gain some weight.......send them to my house. I happen to be an expert at it!

 

[Chief00]

How do the other college teams do it - kids are the same age, etc. ?

As a little follow up to @Thirty Three post some kids aren't going to put on a bunch of weight or muscle and also be in top cardio conditioning shape. It is hard to expect kids with fast metabolisms and slight builds to run, run, run all day, have great conditioning to run up and down the floor for 20-30 minutes a game and practices and still put on weight and to an extent muscle. I am not and was not a Division 1 athlete and obviously did not have the benefit of dietitians and coaches but I got to UConn at about 160 lbs dripping wet. Along with some friends of mine I worked out at a gym, for the first time in my life, for 4-5 days a week for my freshman through junior years. I was doing standard "amateur" type workouts bench, curls, presses, incline, stuff like that. While I did gain quite a bit of strength and was a lot more defined than when I started I did not add much mass at all and left UConn at 165. Now that I am 46, my metabolism has slowed down, I work 60 hours a week, have a mortgage, daughter etc. and no time to work out I'm an easy 190 on a good day. If I could only find time to do something about that....

 

[superjohn]

I agree the player is accountable but needs to be given a program structure and oversight to get it done. S&C is now a critical component of any major college sports program.

Eating, sleeping and working out. It really isn't that hard.

 

[80shusky]

How do the other college teams do it - kids are the same age, etc. ?

So you are maintaining that only UConn kids of the 300+ Division 1 basketball programs out there don't get bigger and stronger while they are with our program? No other schools graduate skinny basketball players? And is it every one of our kids that doesn't get bigger and stronger?

 

[Kitaman]

I have confirmed Chris West is now directly responsible for MBB.

Is this good or bad or more of the same?

 

[Chief00]

So you are maintaining that only UConn kids of the 300+ Division 1 basketball programs out there don't get bigger and stronger while they are with our program? No other schools graduate skinny basketball players? And is it every one of our kids that doesn't get bigger and stronger?

Read your earlier post.

 

[Kitaman]

Eating, sleeping and working out. It really isn't that hard.

It seems football players fare better and perhaps quicker than bball players. Although agility is not as important in that sport, but still they bulk up quite nicely over a 4 year span.

 

[Chief00]

Is this good or bad or more of the same?

Good question - I think it's good. The Athletic Dept has effectively recognized the problem that has been obvious to many of us and have taken action.

I think when the NBA "experts" came out in various news stories saying Hamilton needed to do two things - get stronger and shoot better - that is something I believe got KO 's attention. Travis is a KO guy so I think it was a tough conclusion - whatever Travis's role is going forward - it's clear Cbris West has "Direct"'responsibility over MBB. He is more of a tradition strength guy and that's what we need.

 

[Chief00]

Just found this.
Chris West:
UCONNHUSKIES.COM :: University of Connecticut Huskies Official Athletic Site

Travis - interestingly only one of just two non intern coaches with no bio/responsibility link on S&C website.

UCONNHUSKIES.COM :: University of Connecticut Huskies Official Athletic Site

 

[James]

As a little follow up to @Thirty Three post some kids aren't going to put on a bunch of weight or muscle and also be in top cardio conditioning shape. It is hard to expect kids with fast metabolisms and slight builds to run, run, run all day, have great conditioning to run up and down the floor for 20-30 minutes a game and practices and still put on weight and to an extent muscle. I am not and was not a Division 1 athlete and obviously did not have the benefit of dietitians and coaches but I got to UConn at about 160 lbs dripping wet. Along with some friends of mine I worked out at a gym, for the first time in my life, for 4-5 days a week for my freshman through junior years. I was doing standard "amateur" type workouts bench, curls, presses, incline, stuff like that. While I did gain quite a bit of strength and was a lot more defined than when I started I did not add much mass at all and left UConn at 165. Now that I am 46, my metabolism has slowed down, I work 60 hours a week, have a mortgage, daughter etc. and no time to work out I'm an easy 190 on a good day. If I could only find time to do something about that....

here's the thing. If you are a 19 year old with pro aspirations to be "paul george" as larrier was quoted, you can't loaf around for a year and come in your playing season the same frigging weight. nearly 6'9 prospects should easily be able to bulk 10-15 during a 12 months span while continuously working on their game and adjusting. frankly its completely tied into player and skill development as @aceboon posted about in other threads; you fill your frame , expand your game and basketball iq. Purvis put on crazy mass in storrs, but it didn't really coincide with his overall skill development. He was too bulky at times on the court and not slithery enough to 'snake' pnrs ( hoop term).

 

[Thirty Three]

Just found this.
Chris West:
UCONNHUSKIES.COM :: University of Connecticut Huskies Official Athletic Site

Travis - interestingly only one of just two non intern coaches with no bio/responsibility link on S&C website.

UCONNHUSKIES.COM :: University of Connecticut Huskies Official Athletic Site

While West heads men's basketball's strength and conditioning program, he took a backseat to Travis when he hired him. Travis has a PHD in human performance from Alabama and has worked for the University of Alabama with their (highly succesful) gymnastics and football programs, as well as working for the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks, among others. West felt Travis was better qualified/suited for the men's basketball position and decided to devote more of his time to men's soccer. As far as I know that's how things still stand.

 

[Chief00]

Are you sure Travis worked for the Seahawks and Raiders? I thought West did. Also, are you sure he did football at Bama? I have not seen these things reported anywhere else.

 

[Thirty Three]

Are you sure Travis worked for the Seahawks and Raiders? I thought West did. Also, are you sure he did football at Bama? I have not seen these things reported anywhere else.

My bad. After double checking I found out that he interned with both the Raiders and Seahawks. I'm sure his info is out there somewhere if you look.