Like Father Like Son- Paul Pressey & his son Phil Pressey -

Paul Pressey was possibly the best basketball player ever to play for the University of Tulsa; he had a long, successful NBA career. 

The 6'5" Pressey, nicknamed the Rubberband Man, led the Golden Hurricane to the NIT Championship.  The next year, he almost led Tulsa to upset the might Houston Phi Slamma Jamma Cougars in the NCAA Tournament.

Here he is as a Milwaukee Buck, going against Michael Jordan and the Bulls in an NBA Playoff game.

Be sure and check out his rebound over Michael Jordan, and don't miss his no look pass at the 3:44 mark.

Paul Pressey scores 19 points and has 11 first half assists in Playoff Upset of Michael Jordan and the BULLS

I was fortunate to see Paul's son play in high school.  My son Brock played for Holland Hall and the majority of the teams in their league were from Texas.  Phil Pressey was only about 5'7" tall, but could DUNK, shoot and had tremendous ball handling skills.

THEN
Almost two years ago, diminutive Missouri point guard decided he would go to the NBA.
April 10, 2013 ~
Phil Pressey is leaving Missouri for the NBA

“I feel the positives outweigh the negatives,” said Pressey, a 5-foot-11 point guard. 

“Whenever you’re making a decision like this you’re going to have people telling you that you should or shouldn’t do it. But at the end of the day it’s my decision and I talked to enough people to feel confident with my decision.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/10/4173368/missouris-phil-pressey-to-enter.html#storylink=cpy

Phil Pressey is leaving Mizzou

Players who declare have until April 16 to withdraw and retain their NCAA eligibility, but Pressey’s decision to hire Creative Artists Agency effectively shut the door on a possible return to Missouri, where he endured a roller-coaster junior season marked by spectacular highs and disappointing lows.

“I’m firm with my decision and I’m just ready to get things underway and start preparing,” Pressey said. “It’s not really a ‘testing-the-water’ situation for me. I know my decision, I’m ready.”

NOW
FAST FORWARD TO MARCH 13, 2015 

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens on Phil Pressey:

RE: Phil Pressey's performance off the bench:

I thought one of our best defenders on the floor, and the guy who spearheaded the whole night, was Phil Pressey. Evan (Turner) carried us in with his scoring; Phil Pressey’s defense was huge and Phil Pressey getting out on the break was huge. And then his ability to get to the foul line, break people down at the dribble, get to the rim a couple times when we’d got nothing going was huge. And I just credited him in our locker room; he didn’t play for a month. But he was a pro, and we’ve talked about that with him all the time, but usually he’s gotten a chance to play. But him responding and just being ready is a real testament to Phil.

RE: How Pressey stayed focused after not playing much recently:

I don’t think it’s hard for these guys to stay focused; I think it’s hard not to get down. And correlated with that is, your confidence can drop. So I had a talk with Phil about three weeks ago and just said, you know,  right after Isaiah (Thomas) came it’s pretty obvious he’s not going to play as much, right? When Isaiah’s healthy? But Phil – and I told him this – he’s a really valued member of our team. Like, in our organization. He works the right way, if he doesn’t play he’s the loudest guy on the bench, and if he does play he’s an energizer. And he’s not going to play perfect, but nobody is, and if you can sustain that and not get down and be confident there’s always a role for him. And that’s a great compliment. 

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/10/4173368/missouris-phil-pressey-to-enter.html#storylink=cpy

Matt Reynolds - Former Tulsa Celtic, Bishop Kelley Comet, Arkansas Razorback - NEW YORK MET?

So proud of former Tulsa Celtic Matt Reynolds​ for his achievements. And thrilled for his dad Gary, and lovely mom Joyce.  

Although he is a longshot to make the New York Mets opening day roster, he is making it difficult for Mets Manager Terry Collins.

"There's a lot of things he does you like," manager Terry Collins said. "Everybody I've ever talked to that's had this guy … has said, 'Look, you're going to love this guy. He's a baseball player.' So we're going to play him this spring."

So far this spring, Matt has played in 6 of the 8 Mets games; he is hitting .500 and last friday, he hit his first home run of spring.  And it was a doozy.

Here is the more "professional" version of the video; you can actually check out Matt's swing and the broadcasters description.
MATT REYNOLDS WALK OFF HOME RUN; NEW YORK METS SPRING TRAINING 2015

Though Matt will more than likely start the season at AAA Las Vegas, don't be surprised if he makes the jump to the big leagues this summer.   KEEP IT GOIN MATT.

Former Tulsa Celtic Matt Reynolds Seeks to Lead HOGS into NCAA College World Series

Matt Reynolds {Bishop Kelley HS}loved basketball and would have chosen to play college hoops had he not been such a hot commodity on the diamond.

I was fortunate to have the pleasure of coaching Matt when he was a tough little third grader. Displaying superb ball handling with both hands, it didn't take long to put him at point guard;  during junior high and high school he played many tournaments with the Celtics and was a great contributor to many of our championships.  

I have no doubt Matt would have been an excellent college basketball player had he chose that route.  I remember clearly when he battled head to head against Keiton Page during a Playing With Purpose practice, and Matt held his own just fine.

The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball program landed the basketball -baseball standout three years ago.  Reynolds was named ALL - SEC at third base and ALL SEC Defensive team also.

Matt will definitely be drafted in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft as he is rated as the #83 best draft prospect for the 2012 Major League Draft. (#36 in the Junior class!)

But right now he is trying to help his Hog team to Omaha for the College World Series.  Arkansas was sent to the RICE regional and upset the Owls in the early round.  Arkansas will play at 6 pm today to earn a trip to Omaha.

Reynolds was "managed" by his father Gary and it appears that all the hard work over the years has definitely paid off.  Strong, tough as nails during competition, Matt is also a fine young man.

I would love to see Matt make it to the big stage in Omaha.  A "hot" bat tonight could equate to an extra $100,000.00 or so in his signing negotiations.  So how about a couple of cranks over the fence tonight Matthew?

Here are some highlights from the first Regional game a few days ago;  you can see Matt, number 5,  make  4 defensive plays and also see him get hits in his first three at bats.  Oh yeah, he also stretched a single into a double and stole a base.

Congratulations on your fantastic college career Matt!  I know Joyce and your dad are so proud of you.

Great group of young men who joined together for a Hardwood Basketball Productions Tournament.

Players from Tulsa area high schools Union, Holland Hall, Broken Arrow, Edison, NOAH played unselfishly throughout the tourney and won the Championship trophy.

Players have dispersed to colleges around the country including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California and North Carolina to play college basketball.

Former Celtic has Career High to lead Denver to Victory

Several years ago it was apparent that Tyler Thalken (2nd row middle of picture of Tulsa Celtics after winning a HARDWOOD Productsions Basketball Tournament in 2006) had a nice three point stroke.
The red shirt sophomore from Tulsa's Bishop Kelley HS nailed all five of his 3 pt attempts and finished with a career high 19 points in Denver's Sun Belt victory over Arkansas State on Jan. 20th, 2011.

Congratulations Tyler! Keep it going.

Basketball Camp and Training FAQ | Point Guard College

As a former High School point guard on a State Championship team, I am almost jealous of the training aids and opportunities that today's youth basketball players have. Beginning with "watching" TV and You Tube videos. OMG!!
Back in my day, typically there was one NBA game on per week. Don't LOL...

I've heard great things about this "college"... if you have a serious player, you might want to check it out.

Keep dribbling, but keep your head up~

POINT GUARD COLLEGE

Be sure and tell them the Tulsa Celtics told you about them!!
(we don't receive a nickel from this endorsement, in case you were wondering~)

it's HERE!!!

Basketball Season.
Ahhhhhh....
October 15th.
Midnight Madness. Coach's whistle's piercing the gyms across college campuses all across the country.

College players have been playing every day...but, it wasn't "season" yet.
No Coaches allowed to Coach their recruits.

Now, they OWN those bodies.

It was 30 Years Ago ... Final Four -Indianapolis

Nolan Smith was 8 yrs old when his father died. Derek Smith was highly successful NBA performer for 9 years. Besides being one of the initiators of the "high five" hand slap, Smith had some incredible NBA performances as you can see in the above video. But it was what Nolan's dad did 30 years ago that makes this year's Final Four pretty interesting for me. You may call it a coincidence.

Since a friend gave me the James Redfield book called Celestine Prophecy around 1993, I've held a new belief regarding coincidences. In the novel, the main character undertakes a journey to find and understand a series of nine spiritual insights from an ancient manuscript in Peru.

Synchronicity. Like a book falling off a shelf at the library that ends up being exactly what you were looking for.

Derek Smith was a leading player for Louisville in 1980 when the "Doctors of Dunk" won the NCAA Championship. Coincidentally, or not, Smith and his fellow Cardinals knocked off UCLA 58-54 to take the title. And James Redfield [author of Celestine Prophecy] would definitely say, that it was not a coincidence that the 1980 Final Four took place in Indianapolis, Indiana; Yes, the same place that Nolan Smith and his Duke teammates will join Michigan State, Butler and West Virginia to battle for this years Gold Ball.

Smith's Career Game

Duke and Baylor were in slugout for 37 minutes with the Bears having more control during the 2nd half. I believe a "blown" call took a basket away from Baylor while at the same time kept Duke's postman from fouling out, and the Devils rode the inspired performance of Nolan Smith to earn their trip to Indy before a crowd of over 47,000 fans.

Smith popped in a career high 29 points to lift the Dukies to victory. With Baylor up 59-57 Smith scored Duke's next 7 points including a 3 pt dagger with 3:33 left to play that practically nailed down the Blue Devil victory. Baylor really appeared to be in control; but Smith's quickness and strength enabled him to penetrate the long and difficult Baylor zone, and he added 4 out of 6 from beyond the arc.

Since the day his father died, Smith took over and tried to be a ROCK,, even though he was just 8 yrs old.

Just after Derek died, Nolan wrapped his mom in his arms and told her, "I'm the man of the house now."

When interviewed after the Baylor game, he could have said the same thing.

It sure does appear that it's a script out of Hollywood. And the proper ending would seem to be another DUKE National Championship. With Derek Smith's son Nolan leading the way.

Now wouldn't that be a coincidence~?

"LUCKY" Cornell....wanna Re-Consider?

Ryan Wittman, Cornell vs John Wall, Kentucky.

Do you consider Cornell as being "LUCKY" to make it to the NCAA Sweet 16? Consider how this "TEAM" was put together in the first place.

Consider Jeff Foote, Cornell's 7-foot center. His college career began as a 205-pound walk-on player for St. Bonaventure. His mother, Wanda, worked as a nurse at an Elmira, N.Y., hospital. When Cornell guard Khaliq Gant was sent to that hospital for treatment after injuring his spine in a January 2006 practice, she noticed the attentiveness of the Cornell coaches and players.

Wanda, who be-friended the Cornell coaches, suggested to Jeff that he consider a transfer to Cornell.

During the next three years, Foote gained 50 pounds and became an All-Ivy League player and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Earlier this season, he battled Kansas big man Cole Aldrich to a draw: 12 points and six rebounds for Foote; 13 points and nine rebounds for Aldrich.

Consider Ryan Wittman, the sharpest of Cornell's three-point sharpshooters and the son of former Indiana star Randy Wittman. Cornell Coach Steve Donahue has noted how lucky the Big Red got in getting Wittman. That good fortune started when the player sustained a deep thigh bruise that hindered him throughout his senior year of high school. Big Ten schools doubted his athleticism, so Wittman fell into Cornell's lap.

He became only the fifth Ivy League player to score 2,000 points in a career.

Many consider Wittman to be among the best 3 pt shooters in the country. [John Wall on the other hand, is likely to be in the NBA next year; his speed, gracefulness and competitive nature is something to behold.

Consider Louis Dale, the 5-foot-11 senior point guard. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Dale drew no interest from programs in the Southeastern or Atlantic Coast conferences. So he created a video tape of his high school highlights and a scrapbook of clippings and sent them to various schools. Only Cornell responded with an invitation to make an official recruiting visit.

Donahue prepared the usual charm offensive. But it wasn't needed. When he arrived on campus, Dale handed the coach a $400 check his mother wrote to pay for the application fee.

He became an All-Ivy League player.

Consider Jon Jaques, a native Californian best known as a blogger for The New York Times. In his first three seasons, he scored 33 points in 34 games. He did not get off the bench in this season's first three games.

Then a teammate's injury created opportunity. After a freshman failed to seize the chance, Donahue tried Jaques. On a team that leads the nation in three-point shooting accuracy, Jaques has made 47.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and averaged seven points.

Having won its third straight Ivy League championship, Cornell beat Temple and Wisconsin last week to post the school's first ever NCAA Tournament victories. No Ivy League team had won a NCAA Tournament game since Penn in 1979.

It's a veteran team with eight seniors. All roommates in an off-campus house the team shares.

On a teleconference Tuesday, Wittman noted how well those veteran players have bonded.

"Really strong team chemistry," he said. "That really makes basketball fun."

I remember Wittman's dad as being a great shooter. Kentucky better not give him to many open looks tomorrow night or everyone might consider Kentucky choked.

But, I don't think Temple or Wisconsin choked......it was just that Cornell got LUCKY.

Tommy Mason Griffin- "house 4 momma?"

Although the Oklahoma University basketball program has not confirmed it, and we know how people can change their minds,,,as of now,, it appears likely that Tommy Mason Griffin, one of college basketball's PREMIER point guard talents, will be getting PAID TO PLAY when he dribbles next year in competition.

NBA? Overseas?
Time will tell.

This is open for discussion.

It was reported yesterday that TMG's facebook page said:

"its a official dat i am leavin skool and enterin draft so if yue see me and ask me y i aint doin anotha yr yue mite get ignored."

Hmm.. OK.

And this morning, he added this:

"Dat walk inside a spot niggas wisperin dats him ..dats dat nigga who hoop...dey dnt see da shit behind da scenes...so dats y i work 2 get mii motha a house and stay on dat hollywood status...triple treo we almost dere...for now da struggle continues"

Not for certain that this is HIS story,, as it might be lyrics to a song,, but my guess is the "triple treo" might be TMG, Willie Warren and Tiny Gallon. Three McDonald All Americans who didn't quite become OU's Tremendous Trio.

Coach Capel has been recruiting hard since they were ousted [blown out!] of the Big 12 Tourney by in state rival Oklahoma State. It was assumed before the year began that this was Warren's last year.

It'll be too bad for Sooner followers if Gallon and Griffin leave....as it appears they will... as they are enormous talents.

University of Richmond Coach Chris Mooney

Richmond Spider head coach Chris Mooney, 37 and a Princeton graduate who previously was head coach at the Air Force Academy.

When his Richmond contract was extended last March, Mooney said,"The biggest thing is I think we've brought in both good players and good kids who have been good students . . . Overall, the program, the foundation, is very strong right now."

Rumors are swirling that he may be a top candidate at Seton Hall University.
Mooney is familiar with Seton Hall's Northeast recruiting base and runs a system (Princeton-style offense, match-up defense) that may allow an underdog to achieve in the highly competitive Big East.

Also, Mooney's Spiders began gaining traction in the A-10 by becoming one of the league's best defensive teams. Seton Hall this season allowed an average of 75.4 points, 15th among 16 Big East members.

Does Character matter in Basketball??

Tad Boyle led Northern Colorado Bears to a 25-8 record and their first ever post season appearance.

"This didn't just happen overnight," Boyle said. "They worked. They worked hard, and they've turned into a great group of young men. They have great chemistry and great character.

Coach Boyle added, "The longer I coach, the more of a premium I put on character -- and we are very fortunate to have kids of great character.... who have made themselves into very good basketball players."

Are you UPSET with SELF? ~ ONLY N OKLAHOMA

Bill Self.

Coach Self.

Grew up in Oklahoma.

Played some pretty heady basketball for Oklahoma State.

Coached ORU.

Coached Tulsa University. Took the Cane to Elite 8 and pushed the North Carolina Tar Heels to the edge before succumbing and just missing out on a FINAL FOUR for the Hurricane.

Coached Illinois.

Took over as head honcho for the Kansas Jayhawks and their storied basketball program.

T. Boone Pickens, gazillionaire deluxe, tried to lure Wild Bill back to Stillwater but Bill decided to stay put in Lawrence.

Although Self didn't move back to Oklahoma, you wonder if he ever wants to step foot in the state again. {I know he well, since his family still lives here!}

Why do I say that? How about I give you four reasons why, namely:

1. It was March 18th, 2005, around five years ago when the heavily favored JAYHAWKS were ambushed by the mighty squad from BUCKNELL.
2. The last two times Self brought his #1 Ranked Jayhawks to his alma mater, the ORANGE from aggie land knocked Kansas for a big LOSS.
3. [Stillwater Loss; 2 in a row!!]
   
4. And just hours ago,,, in the OK CITY NCAA REGIONAL at the Ford Center, Northern Iowa from the Missouri Valley Conference ended Self and the Jayhawks season with another SHOCKING DEFEAT.

And take a look at who hammered the final nail into the Kansas coffin.

Ali Farokhmanesh.

Ali who? Ali, you know, the kid who attended junior college his freshmen year because no D-1 wanted him on their team. Could you blame them? Maybe 5'10" tall, and not a great jumper, and not super quick. Gosh,, ya think there will be a recruiting RUN on Ali Farokhmanesh type players now? Hah! Don't count on it!

But "he can PLAY!", those who knew him kept saying. Well, his first juco coach was so impressed that HE didn't even play Ali. Poor Ali!

So he moved on to another junior college for his second year. That is where Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson saw something he liked in the "not your stereotypical Division I #2 shooting guard!"

Back to Self.
Having kind of a BAD STREAK here in Oklahoma performances, dontcha think?

Could it just be KARMA?
Payback for not returning to our roots (while being offered MILLION$ of Dollar$ to do it!) can be a very stinging, painful experience.

What March Madness is all about..ST MARY's GAELS

St. Mary's Gaels have just knocked off the #2 Seed Villanova Wildcats 75-68 propelling the group to the school's 2nd NCAA victory ever and into the SWEET 16 next week in Houston.

This game follows an equally impressive first round upset victory over the #7 seed Richmond Spiders on Thursday.

Coach Randy Bennett and his band of Gaelic warriors could be featured in a "HOW TO" video on winning basketball with great teamplay. Even watching on the television, I can FEEL the very special feeling that we in sports get when we see a group of individuals place their own goals behind the TEAM goals.... and as we watch,,, we know we're witnessing a special chemistry that can best be labeled as TeamWork.

I remember the acronoym T E A M,,, Together Everyone Achieves More. And Bennett has certainly assembled the key ingredients, and as chef, has created a splendid Gaels masterpiece. Regardless of what happens next week in the Sweet 16 game, Bennett and the Gaels followers have been treated to a very special season!

Thanks goodness for March madness as I only saw brief glimpses of their midnight [CST & EST] clashes with Gonzaga and other conference games.

Style~
Impressive!!! The TOUCH passes, the spacing, the TOTAL focus of each player on doing whatever is required,, on every shot,, on both ends of the court. Three point shooting, strong post play, and the unselfish attitude contribute to their success. That attitude comes from one source. The Coach.

Great Job Coach!

Kansas versus Kansas State- Clemente

K-State missed their first 12 shots of the half, yet trail by just 4 points at halftime.

Denny Clemente, K State guard from Puerto Rico, is a superb jump shooter off the dribble. Incredibly fast,,, he is a one man fast break. His speed is tough to contend against. But what impresses me most is how fast he can get his shot off. When he puts the ball on the court, he is so smart at using his available pics, and when he picks up his dribble, it's a "no wasted motion" thing of beauty. Quick release personified.

I don't think K State has the front court that can beat Kansas, but the guards are as good as any pair in the country.

It was Twenty Years ago Today~ Sgt. Hank Gathers Left us & Showed us how to PLAY

Jack Patton asked me a question about Loyola Marymount on a previous post about the Loyola Marymount fast break, and coincidentally it was exactly twenty years ago today that the college basketball world was stunned by the sudden.. on court death of Hank Gathers. I felt the urge to reminisce and share a touching story.

Twenty years ago today, March 4th, Hank Gathers Passed away. I'm going to tell you an incredibly touching story...but first let me share some background.

Today's basketball players probably don't recognize the name. Hank Gathers. Believe me, Gathers was an incredibly talented basketball player....let me just tell you a little bit about him.

Raised in the Raymond Rosen Projects in North Philadelphia, Gathers had his sights set on making the NBA when he was 12 yrs old. Thinking every rebound was his, and that he could make every shot he took, Hank became a cocky, 6'7" strong, athletic forward for the LMU Lions. A beast on the boards. A terror to contain in the paint.

He was 23 at the time, and played for Loyola Marymount [Ca.] under head coach Paul Westhead who was notorious for being the ultimate coach of run and gun basketball. High speed, full court pressing, attacking running game were his trademarks.

Westhead had previously been a head coach for three different NBA teams and also coached for 9 yrs at LaSalle. Offensive players LOVED playing his style. Last year he took over the head coaching position of the Oregon Ducks women's program!
In 2007, Westhead coached the Mercury to a WNBA championship, making him the only coach to win a championship in the NBA and the WNBA. But this isn't about Westhead.

Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble transferred from USC to play for Westhead at LMU on the other side of town. It became the Hank & Bo show. The year before his death, the 6'7" Gathers led the NCAA in both scoring (over 32 points per game!) AND rebounding (just under 14 RB's per game!). How good was Gathers? His warrior mentality and confidence meant he would never back down.

Loyola Marymount was the media darling with their fan friendly,, free style run-and-gun offensive attack. A month before his death, LMU headed east to play a nationally televised game before a sell-out crowd in Baton Rouge against Louisiana State.

LSU had a pretty good youngster by the name of Shaquille O'Neal. Also on that squad was Stanley Roberts, 7'0" and 285 lbs, who also had a nice NBA career. They had an all american guard named Chris Jackson. The game began and Gathers had his first FIVE shots blocked from what Coach Westhead remembered!! About 14,000 LSU faithful were going nuts as their star studded Tigers looked like they would destroy the high scoring Lions on the Tiger homecourt. But Gathers, Kimble and company did not go down easily.

It was a track meet and a game of runs; LSU held a 72-58 lead at halftime. Loyola was leading the country in scoring and LSU Tiger Coach Dale Brown had decided he was going to run with LMU, arguably the best conditioned team in the country. Gathers recovered from the BLOCK festival to finish with 48 points; 20 of 35 field goals and 8 of 11 free throws. [Many fans never noticed, but Gathers would shoot his free throws both right handed and left handed.]

LSU held on to win what might have been the most entertaining game ever in college basketball. The Tigers were forced into overtime before winning 148-141.!

The twin towers O'Neal and Roberts combined for 41 points including 19 of 22 combined from the field. But Gathers and Kimble and their teammates were something special when they would steal, rebound, or grab the ball as it came through the basket they attempted to defend. And they clawed their way back into the game. [Opponents scored often and early against the Lions.]

OK,, what happened to Hank? Exactly one month and one day after the memorable nationally televised game at LSU, Gathers was playing against Portland in their conference quarterfinals.

Terrell Lowery [who later played baseball for the Texas Rangers after a several years playing here in Tulsa with the Drillers] made a steal and fed Gathers for an alley oop dunk. There was 13 minutes left in the first half, running back on defense, Gathers slapped hands with Lowery before collapsing at half court.

The crowd went silent.

With Gathers mother, Lucille Gathers Cheeseboro, and other family members courtside, Gathers died. Five days later he was buried. Projected as an NBA lottery pick, his heart failure made his performance a month earlier even more impressive.

Kimble, who led the NCAA in scoring that year, said, "People identified with his greatness on the court, but he was even greater as a person."

NCAA RUN by Gathers-less LIONS
Five days after Gathers was laid to rest at Sharon Hill cemetery in Philadelphia, LMU began an improbable run through the tournament before falling to UNLV one game short of the Final Four.

"It was all a blur to me," Kimble says softly. "When that ball went up in the air, guys were playing for the love and respect of Hank."

HONORING HANK
In honor of his fallen teammate, Kimble elected to shoot the first free throw in all four of the NCAA Tournament games LEFT HANDED. Oh my god...I remember seeing video of each of those shots.

Tears mounted each time I watched; it made the "game" seem so trivial. I remember thinking the free throws were more important than who won the game!! I will never forget the feeling I had as Kimble readied his left handed shots. Amazingly,,,or not....Bo converted all four of the left handed charities.

Forty-four for Life Foundation
Today, through his non-profit Forty-four for Life Foundation (44forlife.org), Kimble continues to honor Gathers' legacy. The foundation raises money to donate defibrillators and educate people around the world about sudden cardiac arrest.

"It's all about giving back to save lives," Kimble says.

"It's a sign of respect for Hank."

Jack, thank you for asking about Loyola Marymount's pressing defense. Although you may be right about it being the "key" to their fast break, they were equally good at breaking after MADE baskets! While leading the country in scoring, they may have had the worst defense based on opponents scoring. But Lowery and Tony Walker were ultra quick, and Kimble and Gathers had the basketball smarts to make numerous interceptions and steals.

My dad, Len Morton, used to broadcast Tulsa University basketball games in the 60's and 70's and a lot of the stat sheets were handwritten during the game. I used to devour those stat sheets after each game. I found this box score of that unbelievable game.

#44 Eric "Hank" Gathers ~ I hope you are resting peacefully Hank!

Coaching~ Teacher_ John Wooden Interview

"Your students. No two are identical", John Wooden said.
"Your players. No two are identical" he said.

He "taught" basketball.

One of my heroes. I heard him speak at Friends of Finance at the University of Tulsa about 4 years ago; he was much younger then,,, I think he was around 94 yrs old!!! Incredible speaker. Awesome man. Possibly the greatest coach ever....a true teacher.

Enjoy~

Coaches/Parents: Excellent Hoop Drills

If you are a youth coach, or a parent, and want to help your team or your kids improve their basketball skills then check out these excellent drills.

This first video is from Gannon Baker. He is one of my favorite online teachers. He is a Nike and NBA skills trainer and has worked closely with LeBron James, Vince Carter, Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams, and Kobe Bryant at each of their Skill Academies. [You HAVE to admit that those five players form an impressive list of players who also have chosen to LEARN from Gannon.]

Ganon also has trained multiple NBA stars such as Chris Paul and Jerryd Bayless and is currently Amare Stoudemire's Personal Skill Development Coach. In addition, Ganon has authored 42 Instructional Basketball DVDs in eight years and has started his own production company, GBake Productions.

Enjoy and Learn.

In Basketball- FIVE Fingers= Team

Five fingers (people) = Team.

You have five players on the court at all times.

How good is YOUR team? Do your fingers work together as if they were one hand?

The talent and ability of each finger, coupled with how well they mesh together like a hand, will determine how good your team is.

It is very simple.

Yet, not easy.

Let's explore the offense side of the equation today. At the core, these three concepts are basic, and cut to the chase:

1. If a person can't pass, the ball stops moving.
2. If a person can't shoot, he or she will always be open.
3. If a person can't dribble, he or she cuts their value to the team by one third. (AND, if a person can't dribble, the defense will attack that person.)

Each "finger" is critical to the success of the team~

The team pictured above, Tulsa Celtics-2006, meshed and possessed the skill set which enabled them to win three highly competitive tournaments in a row. We didn't "practice" together very often, as the players were from different schools including Cascia Hall, Jenks, Bishop Kelley, Union & Holland Hall. But they all could play,,, and at least during these tournaments, all six players were focused on being a TEAM...... maximum effort with no concern other than stopping each opponent from scoring, and working the ball until we had a quality shot.

This post is about the key components of offense. Defense is simple too....and the five "fingers" working together, again, is the critical factor.

FREE Basketball Tips for Parents and Coaches!

Yes, we will send you ongoing FREE basketball tips to your United States Postal Address. You can submit your mailing address at the end of today's discussion with our special guest.

Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints "Point Guard" Quarterback!

Many football analysts marvel at the way Drew Brees runs through his progressions and most of the time makes brilliant decisions. Obviously, he couldn't do that without having an incredible offensive line that allows him time to evaluate the defense.

It is very similar to the POINT GUARD on the best basketball teams; they have to read and make the pass which will most effectively advance his or her team closer to a quality shot.

Although the QB is typically the only football player that has to distribute the ball to the best possible receiver, in basketball, the championship teams play as if they have five QB's [or point guards], although typically there will be ONE that handles the ball more than the others.

We are very excited and pleased to welcome Brian McCormick, a highly qualified basketball trainer & author from California, to discuss what some feel is a lost art in this day of 3 pt shots and dunks.

Brian:

Thanks for allowing me to share my beliefs on this subject. Young players struggle in regards to using "court vision". Inexperienced or less skilled players devote more attention to protecting the ball, which affects their vision, and they lack the anticipatory skills gained through experience. Also, many coaches teach players that the ball is supposed to go to one specific player at one time, so players develop tunnel vision for this player and miss open players five feet away in the other direction.

To develop better individual players and offensive tems, all players – not just the point guard – need to develop the scanning and anticipatory skills of a quarterback. During a Feast Week game, Len Elmore said that he did not believe that college players need more passing practice right after he criticized the team’s passing skills. I think Elmore – like many coaches – considers passing practice to be the stationary two-line passing drills used to introduce the basic passes. These are form passing drills, and he is probably right: college players probably do not need to engage in form passing drills.

However, players at every level need to practice passing in live environments. These players did not need to develop the movement elements of the pass, but the perceptual elements. Most importantly, they need the anticipatory and scanning skills.

Celtic Coach:

With our Tulsa Celtic team we did some half-court and full-court scrimmaging where dribbling was outlawed. I remember one weekend tournament after we used that drill extensively and it was amazing how it impacted our passing game.

Brian:

That's a great drill. We use various offensive advantage passing games to develop confidence in passers before moving to more pressure passing drills. I also vary the drills from games like 2v2 Gael Passing to 3v3 Full Court/no Dribble to 4v4 Volleyball Passing. I have started to use 5v5 Full Court/no dribble to incorporate the full requirements of scanning the court and anticipating the opening. By taking away the dribble, the defender has more confidence to pressure the ball and the passer has to work harder with their pivots to create a passing lane and protect the ball.

Celtic Coach:

Brian, when I drilled younger players on the basic fundamentals, we worked hard on PIVOT drills, and feel it is one area of basketball that many players lack even at the high school level.

Brian:

When I watch players, the ball handler’s body posture has a big impact on their ability to scan the floor or anticipate where they should pass. Players who do not use their pivot foot limit the range for their passes which condenses the court and increases the pressure. To be effective offensively, players have to be comfortable pivoting under pressure to see the entire court and keep their shoulders directed toward the offensive basket. The only way to develop this comfort is to practice pivoting against defensive players, and no-dribble passing drills are one way to put players in these situations.

Thanks Brian! We appreciate your time and look forward to visiting about more HOOP SPECIFICS in the future.

If you would like to join our OFF-LINE mailing list for "FREE COACHING TIPS FOR YOUTH BASKETBALL PARENTS AND COACHES" please send us your name and mail address to FREE YOUTH BASKETBALL COACHING TIPS!

Keep Dribbling!! ..........but don't LOOK at the ball~

Stanford Basketball Coach - Fantastic Leadership

Before leaving Columbus, VanDerveer, a former guard at Indiana University, played in a pickup game against her Ohio State players. She played another with her new Cardinal players upon arriving in Palo Alto. Shocked by the disparity in talent at the two schools, VanDerveer wondered if she had signed on to a nightmare.

But she was enticed by the beauty of the campus, the magnitude of the University and the very adversities that argued against her decision. "It was kind of like the ultimate challenge," she says.

Five seasons later, Stanford went 32-1 and won the NCAA title.

As she looks back now, VanDerveer, 56, is crystal clear about how good a fit Stanford has been for her.

To read entire article click here

Dribbling: Work Hard - Persistence - Pays Off

Success is very simple.

Simple does not equate to "easy".

Decide on a GOAL.

List all the "mini-achievements" / goals that will be necessary to attain the #1 Goal.

Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve the GOAL?

Playing basketball demands hard work. One dimensional players are not sought after by coaches. True, a great "shooter", or "shot blocker" that can do little else CAN have a place on certain teams... and play pivotal roles. But the player who is skilled in overall skills and understands the game is much more valuable to a coach. Why not be an all around player that is an exceptional shooter, or incredible lock down defender?

Check out the drills, tricks and capabilities of this "ball handler". Truly a magician with the ball. Every basketball player can improve his "worth" by being persistent and putting in the hard work to improve their ball handling skills. Advanced ball handling.

A Coach is a Teacher~

John Wooden - One of my Heroes!

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward

I previously shared a wonderful experience I had with John Wooden. "Coach" is known for his string of NCAA Championship titles, AND his Pyramid of Success
I read that John Wooden, 98 years young, was named the greatest Coach of All Time. He is one of my idols, and is quite an amazing man.

Little Tip~ Nice Reward ~ Youth Basketball AND up!

Coached 5 games last weekend in a Jim Cox Hardwood Productions basketball tourney; before one of our games, watched the end of an 8th grade game. In the last minute, the ball went out of bounds and the offense had the opportunity to execute one of their inbound plays.

The man assigned to pass the ball in from out of bounds, raced to stand by the official and had both his hands out begging for the ball. After a second or two, the ref handed him the ball......but guess what? Two of his four teammates were not in position. In fact, they were not even watching as their teammate took control of the ball.

The Coach on the sideline yelled, and basically their "success" on the play was defined in that they didn't lose possession. They brought the ball in bounds but had no advantage, and no opportunity to score on the play.

So what is the TIP?
The person taking the ball out of bounds....needs to.....TAKE THEIR TIME GETTING TO THE BALL.
And conversely, the 4 teammates need to get to their spots QUICKLY, before their teammate gets to the ball.

It's amazing how important inbound plays can be for teams. Our Celtic group had about 4 plays we ran, and one of them worked three straight times in a high school game against a quality team coming off a State Championship season. It was amazing!

Let me know if you'd like me to give you the play.

There is only ONE BALL

Basketball has 10 players on the court at one time. Five per team.
There is only ONE basketball.
So, almost 100% of the time, 90% of the players will not have the ball in their hands.
Guess what the best coaches and scouts are watching when they are recruiting players? They are watching how the players play when they DON'T have the ball.

One of my favorite basketball blogger/tweeter is Eric Musselman. He tweeted recently that: "Basketball is played on the flight of the ball NOT on the catch."

Getting position, creating space, blocking out, going for deflections or interceptions,,, these are what the greatest basketball players are doing while the ball is in flight. Wasn't it Carly Simon who sang, "AN TISS A PAY TION".... ah yes!

So, from elementary school through high school, the BEST coaches teach the 9 guys without the ball what they're supposed to be doing, and HOW they should be doing it.

Working without the ball. Away from the ball screens. Use your teammates or your opposition as PICKS without their knowledge to create space and passing lane.

And when a shot goes up, regardless of offense or defense,, every player should know what to do. Position. Block out. Drop back safety. See the ball, run to where it is GOING to be....and then go for it with all you've got. Think Dennis Rodman. [for those of you not familiar with the flamboyant, crazy Rodman, he is regarded as one of the most relentless rebounders in basketball history; played with Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls [the Michael Jordan era!]. His off court activities is a whole different subject!

I love what Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said about rebounding:
"Rebounding is a wrestling match AND a fist fight."
You better be tough when you go against the Spartans~

Bottom line: Basketball is the ultimate team sport; defense and offense is a FIVE PRONGED attack or defense. Learning how to be successful on the court, is an ongoing process and the best teams and coaches, improve dramatically from the beginning of the season until it's tournament time.

Water ~

Our most precious resource. If it was scarce in our country, the cost would be OUT OF THIS WORLD~ Guess what? One out of six people IN THE WORLD,,, do not have access to clean and safe water. That is why I've selected this organization as the one we are helping for the next year. From July 4th 2009 until July 4th 2010, I am committing to help this charity expand and grow in their improving this horrific safe water ratio.

WHY WATER.
Right now, 1.1 billion people on the planet don't have access to clean and safe drinking water. That's one in six of us.

charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. charity: water gives 100% of the money raised to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need. Just $20 can give one person in a developing nation clean water for 20 years.

Versatility~ a coaches ace in the hole

When you have a player that is more than one dimensional, it allows the coach more options with fewer players; a way to attack an opponents weak areas. Lack of turnovers, being able to make the correct pass and deliver it to the right area in a rhythmic fashion is ultra valuable. A few nights ago in the Lakers "lucky" victory at Orlando, Kobe Bryant kicked out the ball to Derek Fisher who unleashed his lefty bomb that sent the game into overtime.

Defending, rebounding, scoring, shooting, ball handling and being selfless is a pretty good arsenal for a young basketball player. Add to that a touch of height, and lots of physical upside, and you have quite a prospect.

Check out Brock Morton, Class of 2009.
17 yr old w/ tremendous upside-
6' 4 1/2" 194
High schools ALL TIME LEADING SCORER that has pass first mentality-
2nd All time Rebounding
As 15 yr old sophomore, moved from wing to Pt Guard halfway through soph season and led team to 8 straight victories-
2008 AAU - led his team in scoring each game at Adidas 64 tourney in Las Vegas last July; including 15 of 23 from beyond 3 PT arc in the tournament. [shot 50% from field, and 40% from 3 pt. line during senior HS season where he led his sophomore laden squad to 21-4 record]
Great court vision- makes the RIGHT pass~
Extremely low turnover ratio-
Uncanny on offensive boards-
Great leader- team captain AND MVP last 2 seasons
All State last 2 years-
All Conference 3 years
28 on ACT-
Class of 2009-

7 Minute Highlight - Combo Guard - Versatile -ball handler, Shooter, Distributor, Rebounder

Overview of Brock Morton Class of 2009
 

Brock was used strictly as a #2 guard for Team Oklahoma, his AAU team from last summer. Several coaches say Brock could be similar to Blake Stepp [Gonzaga] or Pat Calathes [Florida]. The bottom line with Brock is that he will do whatever the coach asks of him, and whatever the team needs.

Small Ball Anyone?

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."- Mark Twain

Agility and Shooting Drill for Serious Hoopsters~

This video shows an agility drill and shooting drill that any serious basketball player could incorporate into their workout. UCLA's Jrue Holliday is actually doing the workout at the Sacramento Kings training facility.

At :36, Holiday does a standard box agility test where he shuffles, sprints and backpedals around the cones. Since this agility drill can easily be set up and measured, it's very popular. Coaches can compare players times and evaluate improvement.


The shooting drill is a two-spot shooting drill, basically a "catch and shoot" off the curl & then off a flare (1:07). then a one dribble pull up jumper.
At 1:07, he does a standard two-spot shooting drill, shooting off the curl and then off a flare. At about 1:54, he moves to one-dribble pull-up jump shots.

Having a purpose when you work out improves your personal time management, and allows you to maximize the time you allot for improving your game.

Zig Ziglar, one of the most popular motivation guru's, had a great quote that I made my 5th grade Tulsa Celtics memorize.

He said:
"The HARDER you are on yourself,,,,, the EASIER Life is,,,, On you!!!"

Assistant Coach - Calipari Style~ Think like a Head Coach!

My first year in high school at Tulsa Memorial high school, I made varsity; it turned out to be the last year of Coach Doug Dugger's long and successful coaching career.  One of his traits, as I was warned by the seniors, was his love of watching game film.  At times, when the only noise was the old school projector running the click click click of the black and white video tape,,, it was very difficult to stay awake.  Laying on the hard court, flipping from leaning on my left hand supported by my left elbow, flip flopping to the right hand and elbow support, to the old hands-clasped behind the neck and LIFT position, after the first hour to hour and a half, it became increasingly difficult to stay awake. 

Tulsa Memorial High School Basketball note: My senior year the Memorial Chargers won their first State Championship by knocking off Oklahoma City Northwest Knights in the championship game. Twenty years later, in 1994, the Chargers captured their 2nd championship. They added a third Championship in 2006.

Compare that to what writer Darrell Bird learned when he interviewed Kentucky assistant coach John Robic regarding the use of tape.

"The first time these guys will see any film will be at the pre-game meal the day of the game. That's it," Robic said. "Cal puts a lot of emphasis on us, not the other team, so we're not a big film program at all. Never have been.

"We didn't watch an entire game film once in the last four years. We want everything short, concise and to the point. Even when us coaches watch film, it's cut down so Cal can watch it without ever hitting the remote."

The same is true for film from his own team's recent play.

"Cal may just say, 'Have them pull out this, this and this and we'll watch it before practice,' " Robic said. "I guarantee it won't be more than five minutes of tape. I think that has a lot to do with Cal coming from the NBA, where you don't have time."

John Robic has been on John Calipari's coaching staff for 13 years beginning at UMass, Memphis and now Kentucky.

"I know what he's thinking when he's thinking it," Robic said.

He also said you won't see even ONE of the assistant coaches watching the games with clipboards, or keeping statistics during the game.  He wants all five of his assistants to act like they are the boss.

"We don't take notes or do stats during the game. He wants us to coach," Robic said. "You're not going to see five guys with clipboards. You're going to see no guys with clipboards. Cal wants us to be thinking like a head coach all the time."

Click this to read Bird's entire article.