Announcement

**BradleyBrave** · 01-08-2008, 12:10 AM

Maybe, but teaching fundamentals is something that never stops. If JL thinks that is the case, he's mistaken. This team got markedly better when a Hall of Fame 'teacher' of the game was on the staff. The year prior to that, those same talented players were making dumb mistakes like playing bad defense, not boxing out, turning the ball over, and not finishing games. The next 2 years when that man was on the staff 'teaching', the team played better, played smarter, and won 44 games. You can recruit the smartest players in the world, but if you aren't drilling fundamentals into their head day after day after day, they're going to lose them. I don't care how good you are at something, if you don't practice it, your skill deteriorates. It holds true for fundamentals. I don't think our players lack the necessary basketball IQ. I don't think they're being taught very well.

Case in point - Andrew Warren on Saturday night. BU misses a shot in the final 15 seconds of the half as the shot clock was winding down. WSU secures the rebound, but the shot clock buzzer goes off. PJ Cousinard, thinking that it was the halftime buzzer, let's the ball go. Andrew Warren picks the ball up with 13 seconds left, up by 10. Conventional basketball wisdom, even for the lay person, says hold it for the last shot. What happens? Andrew Warren takes 2 dribbles and jacks a 22 foot 3-pointer with 11 seconds left. WSU not only gets the rebound, but gets fouled on the other end, leading to 2 free throws. We now have a 4-5 point swing taking a surefire double-digit lead and possibly 12-13 point halftime lead down to 8, and a slight lift that WSU takes into the locker room. Is Andrew Warren a 'dumb' player? No. I think he's got a pretty good basketball IQ. But he made a mistake that would get most high school players an earful, if not some pine time in the 2nd half. That's just one example, but I think it's telling on the intelligence of our team overall. Jeremy Crouch is one of the headiest basketball players we've had in a while, yet he's making mistakes this year that he hasn't made since grade school. How is that?

If smart players play dumb basketball, who do you hold responsible?

**bu fan 9** · 01-08-2008, 12:24 AM

BradleyBrave what you said reminds me of a Steve Merfeld coached Evansville team. What do you think?

**BradleyBrave** · 01-08-2008, 12:36 AM

Originally posted by bu fan 9 View Post

BradleyBrave what you said reminds me of a Steve Merfeld coached Evansville team. What do you think?

Eh, I am not sure I agree with that. I recall Merf's teams in his first 3 years at EU doing the same things to BU that the opposition is doing to us now. Merf had a great record at Hampton, and I thought had some real bad luck and not much to work with at EU. I don't think Merf is the problem, because I don't think he really has any influence right now. What I said and what I have seen reminds of JL's first 3 years.

**Dallas Brave** · 01-08-2008, 08:10 AM

Let's be realistic. Bradley needs to have a coaching and development program that is consistent like SIU's program and Creighton's program have been over the years. For BU to compete on the national level, we need to be able to take 2-3 (and an occasional 4 in the future) star rated HS players and have a coaching staff competency that develops them to the next level. DC is a good example. If the guy didn't have development needs, he would have gone on to a program like UNC, Kansas, UCLA ... therefore, if BU is going to have solid post players, we need to have a coaching staff that is capable of teaching big man fundamentals. JL has a competitive advantage in recruiting guards and know how to coach guards.

Consequently, JL needs to assemble a staff that excels at developing players. Coaching staffs are just like the starting 5. Each needs to play his role. JL does somethings at a very high level. He recruits well, he motivates, he is passionate, he is committed ... all things that say he will do very well as a college coach. The rest of the staff needs to augment the areas that JL is not as strong in ... I would say coaching big men is one of those areas. Defensive fundamentals might be another one.

If the coaching staff should ever hint that the problem is that this highly rated group of recruits is the problem, then I think you start seeing transfers and that would be a disaster.

**Braves4Life** · 01-08-2008, 08:34 AM

I TOTALLY disagree Dallas! Look at the number of 1-2 star players from the Les Era that developed into fine players.............many of who are playing professionally overseas and making good money (not to mention the previously little known and low-rated POB).

I'd bet if you take the after-graduation salaries of players from the Les era, and the percentage playing professionally, that it is significantly higher than previous BU coaches and higher than most other Valley teams.

Now, ask yourself, how many of Les' recruits really expected to be playing professionally after college? And Les' staff can't develop talent?!

**Majik45** · 01-08-2008, 09:20 AM

Great blog by Wessler today about this very topic:

http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php?/wessler/article/bradleys_seven_virgins/

**Beninator** · 01-08-2008, 09:42 AM

And again, Wessler is dead on accurate with his blog today.

I think that this thread coresponds to ghunts thread asking about the major difference in college basketball over the past 25 years. I see the lack of instruction in fundamentals in major league baseball as well.

MCD, the more we talked about this subject last night, the more I thought that you were on to something. Then I remembered reading an article over the summer in which JJ Reddick talked about the lack of instruction on fundamentals on AAU teams. (sorry in advance guys but the other college team that I like and follow is Duke)

Anyway, here is the link to the article in which Reddick talks about the lack of instrucion on fundamentals at the AAU level. I know that we are talking about JUCO transfers with us, but I belive the problem with fundamental instrucion is more wide spread than AAU.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/highschool/wb/126846

and probably the best quote from the article from Reddick:

"For your average kid that goes and plays AAU, he's really not getting much playing time. He's traveling here and there, but when is he working on his game? When is he developing the fundamentals and the skills to get to the next level? It places the onus on the high school coach, then, to improve his fundamentals from November to March -- it's difficult to do."

**Dallas Brave** · 01-08-2008, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by Braves4Life View Post

I TOTALLY disagree Dallas! Look at the number of 1-2 star players from the Les Era that developed into fine players.............many of who are playing professionally overseas and making good money (not to mention the previously little known and low-rated POB).

I'd bet if you take the after-graduation salaries of players from the Les era, and the percentage playing professionally, that it is significantly higher than previous BU coaches and higher than most other Valley teams.

Now, ask yourself, how many of Les' recruits really expected to be playing professionally after college? And Les' staff can't develop talent?!

First of all, I am a huge JL fan, but I'm also cursed with calling it as I see it and I have been known to be wrong on more than one occassion

I didn't mean to imply that JL can't develop kids. He has as you indicated. What I am saying is that is not fair to blame the players for current situation. The buck begins and stops with the coaching staff. That is is what leadership is all about and I would expect that JL would say the same thing.

My point above is that BU's coaching staff has to be tailored in a way to develop the 2-3 star recruits at all positions. These kids will need fundamentals coaching as do almost every player. My other point is that JL has many strengths as a head coach, especially in the area of recruiting and coaching guards. But, IMHO, one of his strengths is not coaching big men and he needs to augment his staff to have someone that can coach the bigs. Does that guy exist on the current staff??? I don't know, but we have not seen one of the richest classes of big men develop ... and again, I believe the buck stops at the coaching staff for that.

ph · 01-08-2008, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by Dallas Brave View Post

But, IMHO, one of his strengths is not coaching big men and he needs to augment his staff to have someone that can coach the bigs. Does that guy exist on the current staff???

In one of the most curious comments from the BU camp this year.
I remember about 5 games into the season, and it was asked, "Where's RA?" The answer "He is practicing with (redshirt) Anthony Thompson"
Is RT getting all of our bigs development time?

**Da Coach** · 01-08-2008, 01:13 PM

Originally posted by ph View Post

In one of the most curious comments from the BU camp this year.
I remember about 5 games into the season, and it was asked, "Where's RA?" The answer "He is practicing with (redshirt) Anthony Thompson"
Is RT getting all of our bigs development time?

I think you meant AT.
But I don't think there is just a limited amount of time the coaches have to spend with the big men, and their interest in AT is not taking up time that could be spent on the others. From what I hear, they work-out all the big men a lot, both individually and in team drills.
AT does get extra work, only because they can work him on game days, and the others never get hard workouts on game days.

**BUBraves2006** · 01-08-2008, 02:05 PM

I still firmly believe that the two best players from this recruiting class will be Sam Maniscalco and Anthony Thompson, when all is said and done. But, with AT in the mix next year, we had better rework the offense a little so that he will get touches (along with the other interior players).

We can still be a perimeter-oriented team, but the inside game needs to get a little respect. I can't rememberhow many times last year we made open threes because our big guys passed well from the interior. Our shooting percentage has gone down from the outside partially because we don't have as good of shooters but at times, we also don't get as many wide open shots. (We often can't hit wide open ones either ...)

**mrcoachdude** · 01-08-2008, 11:12 PM

My original post was not meant as a slam to our recruits or the coaching staff.....just think there is much to be taught and much to be learned......

It WILL happen.....

Announcement

Unconfigured Ad Widget 7

Fundamentals...

Fundamentals...

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Unconfigured Ad Widget 6