Fans watch March Madness for lots of reasons, like big plays down the stretch, highlight film material, or to because they love a particular player or a team. But for the true student of the game, coach or player, the viewing experience is different. We watch for the “thousands of little things” (DeVenzio, 1983) that make up championship teams. We watch people like Zack Novak from Michigan look his teammates in the eye during a dead ball and say something meaningful to them. We watch Sydney Carter from Texas A&M get in someone’s bubble, force them to the manure strip and keep her palms up without reaching. We watch for the love of the game, but also to study it as we appreciate the finer points of the game that go unnoticed to average fans.
Here’s a list of three things to watch for that is packed with links to expand on each concept.
- Shot Selection. Teams that love easy shots score more points, at the end of the game that’s all that counts on paper. Dena says, “If you boil winning and losing down to one thing it would be shot selection”. Good teams avoid first pass shots as a habit and they recognize that no shots are forced but rather chosen.
- Control. Watch for good point guards to display control by alternating the current and avoiding momentum dribbles. From staying poised in the paint to the balance of racing the basketball with control in high pressure situations, control is a crucial thing to watch for as teams separate themselves from the good, the great, and the best.
- Spirit. Championship teams have heart from the way they practice and transition from drill to drill to the way the respond to mistakes in games, you won’t see champion droop after mistakes. They are cheerful, engaged, and always encouraging. Their communication is alive with reminders and you see a lot of eye contact. This one is the most important and enjoyable things to watch for during March Madness.
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Thanks for sharing Emily! Lots of subtleties for coaches and players to look for while they watch the tournament…it’s even a great reminder for those of us who teach these things.
Mano Watsa
Thanks Mano, I love seeing these teaching come to live and the tournament is great catch the good stuff happening. Thanks sharing here!
Two things have stood out to me so far. One is the number of offensive fouls being committed. The announcers of course are blaming it on the arc under the basket that makes it easier for the officials to make the call. I see that too many players that are attacking the basket out of control, jumping off one foot and HOPING, something good happens. As we know the best way to demonstrate control and avoid the offensive foul is using the dynamic jump stop and finishing off two feet.
That leads to the other thing that has stood out to me and it was the play by Peyton Siva of Louisville in the final minute of their game against New Mexico. With the Lobos on a run late in the game Siva drove the lane and engaged not two but four defenders, but instead of jumping off one foot used a nice little jump stop, peeked then found his big man Dieng for a slam dunk as he cut to the basket thus sealing the win for Louisville. I have watched Louisville several times this year and have seen Siva do this quite often. It is no wonder that he was named Big East Tourney MVP.
Hi Coach Jimmy J, hearing from people like you makes this blog really come to life. Thank you! When you know what to look for the games become that much more interesting and enjoyable. Those are both great points to support HuPPPPy (and how to take advantage when others don’t!). I would love to hear more from others about what they are watching and noticing in the tournament, the PGC like subtitles of the game. PLEASE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION! Thank you all!
Really great observations, Coach. There’s so much younger players can learn from observation, if they make the time to do it (“put down he Xbox”) and have pointers on how to do it. Most players (and some coaches) don’t seem to understand this kind of observation (as opposed to highlight real plays and Xs and Os observation).
Thanks for chiming in Bill, your participation in KTTG has been awesome. I love the suggestions in your email. We will try to bring some of them to life! Thanks again!
http://youtu.be/Td9FpWY0RkA Here is a link to a play that demonstrates why going off two is beneficial. Oladipo is extremely athletic but struggled during this game and has struggled for the last few games finishing at the rim. Here late in the game at a crucial point he goes off two absorbs the contact and gets the and1.