Comments on: Basketball Origins http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/ get more game Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:42:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Greg Herr http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-164 Greg Herr Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:18:39 +0000 http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-164 Helter skelter? That explains Harvard 105, Penn 97 at the Palestra when you were at Harvard. Wish I had been at the game, but eventually I had to leave Penn and get on with my life. Is there a game tape for that one out there? You and Adam seem to differ on how much confusion you can tolerate to bring the tempo of the game up. Maybe coaching high-schoolers (or NTLers), eventually you get tired of the turnovers. There's also some odd sense of relativity at play here. When my wife comes to a game, sometimes I'll ask her afterwards, "Did you see me running out there?" and she'll reply, "I saw you walking." Ouch. Helter skelter? That explains Harvard 105, Penn 97 at the Palestra when you were at Harvard. Wish I had been at the game, but eventually I had to leave Penn and get on with my life. Is there a game tape for that one out there?

You and Adam seem to differ on how much confusion you can tolerate to bring the tempo of the game up. Maybe coaching high-schoolers (or NTLers), eventually you get tired of the turnovers.

There’s also some odd sense of relativity at play here. When my wife comes to a game, sometimes I’ll ask her afterwards, “Did you see me running out there?” and she’ll reply, “I saw you walking.” Ouch.

]]> By: Steve Bzomowski http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-163 Steve Bzomowski Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:31:32 +0000 http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-163 Damian - - Another way of looking at it is, they weren't particularly threatened by us! A lot of the "going to other teams' practices" was a function of in those days, the start date for practices was a uniform October 15th for all Division One schools; however, the Ivies, in their never ending quest to be different, to stand apart, started a week later. Aha! The Harvard Athletic Department, to their everlasting credit, paid for the coaching staff to travel to different programs ("professional development"), with those programs coaches' permission, of course, to "observe" their practices. I knew Coach K and his top assistant at that time, Pete Gaudet, (one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST people I ever met in coaching) from their association with Roby and my having worked Duke's camps for years, so I went and watched Duke for a bunch of seasons. We also went to BC when Gary Williams was there (we lost by one to them a few weeks after that) and, as mentioned elsewhere, Providence when Pitino was coaching. For a young coaching staff as we were, it was invaluable, a coaching experience of a lifetime. Damian - - Another way of looking at it is, they weren’t particularly threatened by us! A lot of the “going to other teams’ practices” was a function of in those days, the start date for practices was a uniform October 15th for all Division One schools; however, the Ivies, in their never ending quest to be different, to stand apart, started a week later. Aha! The Harvard Athletic Department, to their everlasting credit, paid for the coaching staff to travel to different programs (”professional development”), with those programs coaches’ permission, of course, to “observe” their practices. I knew Coach K and his top assistant at that time, Pete Gaudet, (one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST people I ever met in coaching) from their association with Roby and my having worked Duke’s camps for years, so I went and watched Duke for a bunch of seasons. We also went to BC when Gary Williams was there (we lost by one to them a few weeks after that) and, as mentioned elsewhere, Providence when Pitino was coaching. For a young coaching staff as we were, it was invaluable, a coaching experience of a lifetime.

]]> By: Steve Bzomowski http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-162 Steve Bzomowski Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:14:23 +0000 http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-162 It's from the title of his book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSmart-Take-Strong-Basketball-Philosophy%2Fdp%2F0803264488&tag=netolabastita-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325" rel="nofollow">"The Smart Take From the Strong"</a></a>. I loved the book but the part I liked best was when he said the teams that gave them the most trouble seemed to be the teams that were "helter skelter". At Harvard Basketball, we were nothing if not helter skelter. I swear, I am certain, he was talking about us. After all, we did manage to beat them four years in a row, sometimes telling our players to do things in games, run certain defenses for instance, that WE hadn't even practiced. And if we barely knew what we were doing, how could they know and therefore be prepared for it? Impossible. It’s from the title of his book: "The Smart Take From the Strong". I loved the book but the part I liked best was when he said the teams that gave them the most trouble seemed to be the teams that were “helter skelter”. At Harvard Basketball, we were nothing if not helter skelter. I swear, I am certain, he was talking about us. After all, we did manage to beat them four years in a row, sometimes telling our players to do things in games, run certain defenses for instance, that WE hadn’t even practiced. And if we barely knew what we were doing, how could they know and therefore be prepared for it? Impossible.

]]> By: John Klein http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-161 John Klein Wed, 21 Mar 2007 01:47:44 +0000 http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-161 Just today I was talking to my son about Pete Carrill and the Princeton offense. We were talking about the chances of the Marist College women beating their next opponent. What was the exact quote from Mr. Carrill? I told my son it was,"The strong steal from the weak but the smart steal from the strong". Just today I was talking to my son about Pete Carrill and the Princeton offense. We were talking about the chances of the Marist College women beating their next opponent. What was the exact quote from Mr. Carrill? I told my son it was,”The strong steal from the weak but the smart steal from the strong”.

]]> By: Damian http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-159 Damian Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:07:12 +0000 http://hoopstips.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/basketball-origins/#comment-159 I find it fascinating and inspiring that you were able to go to other coaches' practices (as you've outlined before) while being an assistant at a potentially rival college. Speaks volumes to the giving nature of the game. I find it fascinating and inspiring that you were able to go to other coaches’ practices (as you’ve outlined before) while being an assistant at a potentially rival college. Speaks volumes to the giving nature of the game.

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