Team Speed (and Hustle!)

[Bigpetunia]

A few years ago, I was watching a televised tennis match between Serena and, I think, Sharapova, and, in typical fashion, they were blasting the living crap out of the ball, back and forth, back and forth. Chris Evert was a commentator, and, during a brief break in the action, they showed a flashback to a match several years earlier between Chris, and, I think, Martina, who was probably the biggest hitter of her day on the female side. My wife, not a sports fan, was, uncharacteristically, watching with me and, referring to the flashback, said, "Geez, it looks like they're playing in slow motion!" Of course, she was absolutely correct...such was the dramatic evolution of the women's game.

I invoke this episode because although it's a rarity for me to watch two complete ball games in one day, yesterday, after watching UConn play, I later tuned into the Duke/Maryland game. Almost immediately, I recalled that earlier tennis episode. It looked to me like a fundamentally different game. Now Duke, in my opinion, is kind of a slow team anyway, but even Maryland was, I thought, unbelievably sluggish by contrast. The loafing up the court in transition would have had Geno literally standing on his head on the sideline.

Geno's various formulae for success are no secret. They are out in the open for all to observe. Do other coaches just not see this stuff? Do the see it, but do not have sufficient command to demand it from their players? I want WCBB to get better, to have more great teams and, most of all, more great rivalries. We all agree that the onus is on other programs to improve. Even if other teams lack the same level of talent, they can still impose a culture of hustle, can't they?

 

[UcMiami]

Nice point, and I see this contrast all the time and coaches playing Uconn often comment on the speed. And I think it is mental speed as well as physical speed that sets them apart - they think the game faster than most players.

One note on tennis and other 'equipment' games - the increase in equipment performance has a large impact on the game as well.

 

[JavaMan]

One note on tennis and other 'equipment' games - the increase in equipment performance has a large impact on the game as well.

Ahhh, maybe our women are wearing the new revolutionary and radical "Air Geno" women's basketball shoes.

 

[rocky rococo]

Miami, great point about the mental speed. A big part of what makes MoJett so deadly is that she's actually thinking as fast as she's playing. Anyone who has ever played any level of organized ball knows how impressive (and challenging) that is.

 

[Sonny44]

A few years ago, I was watching a televised tennis match between Serena and, I think, Sharapova, and, in typical fashion, they were blasting the living crap out of the ball, back and forth, back and forth. Chris Evert was a commentator, and, during a brief break in the action, they showed a flashback to a match several years earlier between Chris, and, I think, Martina, who was probably the biggest hitter of her day on the female side. My wife, not a sports fan, was, uncharacteristically, watching with me and, referring to the flashback, said, "Geez, it looks like they're playing in slow motion!" Of course, she was absolutely correct...such was the dramatic evolution of the women's game.

I invoke this episode because although it's a rarity for me to watch two complete ball games in one day, yesterday, after watching UConn play, I later tuned into the Duke/Maryland game. Almost immediately, I recalled that earlier tennis episode. It looked to me like a fundamentally different game. Now Duke, in my opinion, is kind of a slow team anyway, but even Maryland was, I thought, unbelievably sluggish by contrast. The loafing up the court in transition would have had Geno literally standing on his head on the sideline.

Geno's various formulae for success are no secret. They are out in the open for all to observe. Do other coaches just not see this stuff? Do the see it, but do not have sufficient command to demand it from their players? I want WCBB to get better, to have more great teams and, most of all, more great rivalries. We all agree that the onus is on other programs to improve. Even if other teams lack the same level of talent, they can still impose a culture of hustle, can't they?

Opposing coaches know it and undestand it. They don't have the fortitude and energy it takes to implement it. Plain and simple they just want everyone to like them.

 

[BigBird]

Years ago, Bob Knight was teaching his motion offense to a team. He reminded them of the importance of "purpose" in basketball. It is simple to explain and undertsand, but not so simple to do consistently. His key point was that everything must be done for a purpose. If you don't know why you're going to a spot on the floor, then you're doing it wrong. You pass for a reason, you stand for a reason. Everything is intentional and purposive.

Great notion. But few teams, often including Knight's, could typify this principle. UConn is as close to Knight's sense of "purpose" as any team I've ever seen. Any opposing coach who scouts UConn can see what they do and how they do it. But they can't stop it. It is an almost completely purposive offense. A random, reactive defense by the Huskies' opponents cannot, and obviously does not stop a planned, methodical, and rapidly moving offense. The numbers don't lie.

What makes the offensive schemata so effective is that there are options off of options, off of other options. And the reason this offense works is excellent coaches who invent it, and players who can and will do the necessary hard work to run it. With purpose.