Basketball from a fans perspective

Published Monday through Friday

Coaching boo-boo
This is not what you believe it to be its something totally different.  I once worked with a former track coach who’d gone to work as a trainer in private industry.   We developed a friendship and he would often share coaching stories when time allowed.  Coach told me he once had from his description a “natural” sprinter. When he began working with the student suggesting tips to improve his time it actually worked as a detriment.  He informed me his sprinter registered slower times after he began coaching him.  Where am I going with this story you ask?  

Basketball players often have unorthodox shots however it’s often the manner they learned as youth players.  Shawn Marion had a 16-year NBA career and one of the stranger shots in the NBA. Bol Bol is a 5-star prospect and the number three prospect in the Class of 2018, Lonzo Ball Laker rookie will begin play in the fall.  Bol and Ball are mentioned as needing work on their shooting mechanics.  I make no claim regarding my ability to coach shooting however coaches for both these youngsters might keep in mind “help but don’t hurt.”

Interesting
ESPN.com ran a story which college coach has the best job in each of the 50 states?  Some coaches were easy winners John Calipari and Dana Altman for example, my eyes focused on the State of Nebraska.  Nebraska has several Division I programs at first glance we might believe the University of Nebraska job would be the best in the state.  I had to search Google to discover the Cornhuskers coach is Tim Miles.  

As for Creighton I know the name Greg McDermott without a search.  The Cornhuskers likely have the largest athletic budget but get this they selected Creighton University.  How about the fact long-time Creighton Coach Greg McDermott turned down the opportunity to coach Big 10 Ohio State.  The school once a member of the Missouri Valley moved to the Big East Conference in 2013 where Creighton continues to be competitive on the court.    

He said what?
According to USA Today Austin Rivers was so concerned about the Michael Eaves ESPN story he picked up the telephone and made a call.  He contacted former Clipper point guard Chris Paul to clarify why Paul requested a trade.  Rivers claims Rivers indicated there were no problems between the two and he (Paul) “Just wanted a new challenge.”  We can only believe what we are told and that’s the story Rivers claims Paul is stating.  We hear young Rivers version of the story so we are faced with a choice we can choose to believe him or the report of Michael Eaves.  

All dressed up and no place to go
The names were familiar although we failed to comprehend until they were placed in the same group.  Tom Crean, John Thompson III and Thad Matta will be hired somewhere if they are patient.  They were winners at Indiana, Georgetown and Ohio State respectively until recently, the schools decided in favor of a change.  

The highly competitive world of college basketball leaves a coach with little “wiggle” room you lose you better update your resume.  I expect all will appear this upcoming season as analyst on one of the many sports networks.  To my knowledge the trio of Crean, Thompson III and Matta have no left-over NCAA baggage for any prospective school to check out.  It appears each appeared to run clean programs.