College basketball’s popularity is at an all time high. The game
offers many strategy and plots undetected by the average fan.
Through the eyes of a successful college coach, learn how to
intelligently watch college basketball this season.
1. Do Your Homework- Print a page of information from ESPN’s web
site on each team and review it. Study each team’s record from last
season, current record, schedule, leading scorer, rebounder, and
play maker. Note the respective coaching backgrounds and records.
Extensive information is available in many magazines prior to the
season.
2. Study the Coaches- Personalities come out in coaches and their
players during games. How long have they been head coaches? How
successful have they been? Check for clothing styles. Do they wear
traditional suits or do they dress down with a sweater or turtleneck.
Do they sit or stand during the game? Are they calm or crazy on the
sidelines? Do the players emulate the personality of their coach on
the floor? Notice how they deal with officials, especially early in
the game. Coaches will fight for turf early and throughout the game.
What are the contract terms of the coaches? Notice the difference
between a new, energetic coach and an established coach. How does a
coach in the last year of his contract react under the bright lights?
If the Athletic Director is sitting directly behind the bench, it’s
usually not a good sign for the coach!
3. Watch the Players- Players wear emotion on their sleeves during
games. Watch for facial expressions, frustration, exhilaration, body
language, and determination. Notice the length of their shorts,
headbands, and hair styles. This will tell you a lot about who they
are. Tattoos are commonplace these days and the variety is
incredible. Determine who is the captain and shows leadership on the
floor. Who are the freshman and which players are experienced? How
do they come in and out of the game? Players covet playing time. Do
they show emotion as they hit the bench or during time outs?
4. Don’t Watch the Ball- This skill separates the novice fan from
the knowledgeable fan. If you’ve never done this, try it. You will
find that it is much more difficult than you think. Most of the real
action occurs away from the ball. Train yourself to not watch the
ball, but focus on the other eight players. Where is the ball going
next? A knowledgeable fan can anticipate the next move on the floor
by watching away from the ball. Who are they setting picks for? What
play are they running and why? Do they want to get the ball inside
to the big men and are they successful?
5. Be the Coach- Being a student of the game will make you the coach.
You can coach from your Lazy Boy chair! Make strategy part of your
viewing enjoyment. Know the time and score at all times. Decide when
you would call timeout, what you would scream at the officials, when
you would substitute players, and how you would utilize your
coaching staff and bench. Is your best player getting enough shots?
Why or why not? If the opponent’s best player is killing you, what
adjustments will you make to slow him down or stop him? Will you
play man to man defense or a zone? How about a box and one junk
defense? At the end of the half or the game, what play will you run
to get a sure basket. At the end of the game, choose your best
defense or best offensive strategy to win the game. Good luck,
you’ll need it! CHALLENGE-Pretend for one night that you are the
head coach. Take ownership of the game and the outcome. Become the
coach before, during and after the game. Imagine the emotions and
excitement that are a real part of coaching. Experience the pregame
nervousness and anxiety, the game time sweat and roller coaster of
emotions, and the post game highs or lows. Remember, you will take
credit for the loss and give your players the credit for the win. In
losing, you must answer to the media, your administration, alumni,
fans, and your wife. A daunting task, don’t you think? Give it a try
and you will have a tremendous appreciation for all coaches and
players who play competitive athletics at this level.
6. Analyze Timeouts and the Bench- These are emotionally charged
situations. During timeouts notice the player’s attentiveness or
lack of interest. Is the head coach or an assistant coach doing the
talking? Is he coaching or venting frustration? When players come
out of the game, does the head or assistant coach assist them, or do
the coaches even acknowledge them? Do they sit by the coaches or
down the bench? Are they content with returning to the bench? Notice
how teammates react to them.
7. Feel the Passion- Put yourself on the floor, on the bench, and in
the locker room at halftime. There is a lifetime of emotion poured
out in one single game. Television can never do justice to what
actually goes on during a game. Feel the passion!
8. Be a Free Throw Coach- Analyze the various styles of free throws.
Which styles are most efficient? Most players have a routine before
shooting. For fun, go run a few miles at a fast pace, then try to
shoot a free throw in front of a hostile arena filled with 15,000
fans screaming for you to miss. It’s not as easy as you thought, huh?
9. Style of Play- There are a hundred ways to play the game of
basketball. Each coach is comfortable with a specific style. These
could be conservative, run and gun, or any combination. Playing
styles often times reflect the coach’s personality and background.
Defensively, some coaches drop players back to protect their goal,
while others send five players to the offensive boards. Some employ
zones while a majority of coaches play man to man. Some coaches
press full or half court and some don’t press at all. Some play only
7 players, while other coaches use all 12. Some shoot the ball
quickly in the shot clock (35 seconds), while others milk the clock
for a good shot. As you watch games, determine which style leads to
consistent success. What are the common threads among teams who
consistently come out on top? You may be surprised!
10. Most Importantly, Don’t Forget the Treats!- Remember, you don’t
own the outcome of the game. Putting food on the table and keeping
your retirement home will not be determined by whether your team
wins or loses. Watch games for their high entertainment value and
soak in the enthusiasm the games create. Enjoy and come back
tomorrow night for more action.
Article Summary- Millions of people are attracted to college
basketball on television. A small percentage of people truly know
how to watch the game with all of its passion, drama, and strategy.
This article will give you the opportunity to become a knowledgeable
fan and office expert. These guidelines will help you add enjoyment
and expertise to the art of watching your next game.Randy Brown
has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball
consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at
http://www.coachrb.com for free
resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and
writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally
published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a
successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach
Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa
State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference
Championships and 5 NCAA apprearances. His efforts have helped
develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and
Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at
rb@coachrb.com. |
