Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="diggerfoot, post: 5009311, member: 1673"] Apologizing on the BY? What kind of rebel are you?! :) There have been seasons when Auriemma did not use a deep rotation because there was no bench. Last season for example. There also have been seasons when Auriemma had a deeper bench but did not use them, such as Bent and Irwin before their senior seasons. There have been seasons when an unheralded HS recruit such as Gardler was ninth player in a deep rotation that often used 10 players, who became crucial in some tight games such as Rutgers. There have been seasons when the unquestioned #1 player in the country led the team in minutes with an average slightly over 27 (Bird). There have been seasons when the players who came in at the end were effectively the third string. Big Rig for example. Deeper rotations helped stretch many leads in dominant seasons, starting early in the game, rather than come in for mop up time. While it’s true there are always calls for using a deeper rotation as the norm for a year, I seldom see it suggested as the key strategy for a tight game. At best I see a lament often made that some players had not been used more throughout the year so that they were prepared to step in if foul trouble or injury contributed to a tight game. With so much variety in terms of bench length and talent over the years, and how they were used for a rotation, it’s fair to assume there are a variety of motives for hoping there is a deeper rotation this year. The tenor of the OP coming after last season, plus the oft expressed desire for a deeper rotation as the norm, led me to think that is the focus of the thread, but I could just as easily be the one who is wrong. If so, I apologize. :p I have been on your side of the argument in regards to how a short rotation can win championships, with ND using only six rotational players as my often cited example. However, each of those players were elite and in the position and role for which they were best suited. In an injury plagued year for the Irish they at least lucked out in that regard, unlike a situation in which a team might be using a natural point guard as their power forward. Playing out of position additionally adds an extra tax on mental focus. As an endurance athlete, I also have been on your side of the argument that an elite athlete can handle the physical demands of a 40 minute basketball game. But I also know that most endurance contests allow for the mind to zone out for stretches, such as with marathons, which is not an option for a basketball game. Mental fatigue, the inability to maintain focus for an extended time, is real and can be due to either genetic or environmental factors, or both. Having a deeper rotation as a norm that compensates for injury, fouls or mental fatigue in a tight game has been demonstrated not to be necessary to win championships, but has been demonstrated to make winning championships easier. In a 39 game season it would be great to have a deep rotation for at least 35 of those games in preparation for the other four. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach