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The Program On Toughness
I'm reading the book "The Program: Lessons from elite military units for creating and sustaining high performance leaders and teams." I'm really intrigued by their definition of toughness.
I love the idea that toughness is binary - you either are tough or you are not. It is an on/off switch, not a dial.
The Program defines tough as the ability to withstand and attack adversity or hardship while continuing to make good decisions that lead to mission accomplishments.
Toughness is binary. It is a 1 or a zero. We are, or we are not, physically and mentally tough. Thankfully, both are learned traits.
Often, coaches and business leaders will contact us about their team, explaining that they have team members who are tough, but when things "get bad," not so much. So the coach or business leader asks if they can put their team on a 0-10 scale. Our answer is always the same: no.
Toughness isn't a dial. It's an on/off switch. It's binary, a one or a zero.
Someone who is a "one" (a tough person):
- Has great habits
- Makes good mental decisions regardless of the adversity
- Is emotionally resilient; "cheerful in the face of adversity"
- Craves a challenge
Someone who is a "zero" (not a tough person):
- Has poor habits
- Makes poor mental decisions when faced with adversity
- Has no emotional resiliency; when things are good, they are happy and share their happiness. When things are bad, they are mad/sad/angry and they share their madness/sadness/anger.
- Avoids adversity
We are or we are not tough. We can do tough things, show toughness and exhibit the qualities of a tough person in a practice, game or business day. It doesn't make us a tough person; it just means that we are doing something tough or being tough at that moment.
Toughness, like any core value, means we are tough all the time and in everything we do.
Habits
Pete Strickland was the head coach at Coastal Carolina for a number of years, and before that an assistant coach at a bunch of different places including NC State, GW, Old Dominion, and Dayton. He's currently the head coach of the Irish National team.
I got to know Pete a little bit when he was an assistant coach and he used to go back and work Morgan Wootten's basketball camps outside of DC when I was a young coach trying to learn and make my way in the business. I picked up a lot from Pete watching him teach and coach at camps.
Pete used to give this talk to the kids at camp about habits. He'd pick a kid out of the crowd, ask him where he was from and who his big rival was back home. He'd put him in a scenario in the big game back home against his rival, with :07 seconds left and his team down by 1, with no time outs left. He'd have the other kids count down the final :07 seconds and he'd ask the player, "OK, in this scenario, down by 1 with no time outs left, against your biggest rival, packed gym, which habits are going to take over for you? Your good habits, or your bad habits?"
He'd then ask the whole group of kids to show their hands. How many people say his good habits are going to take over? How many people say bad habits? There would usually be a decent split between good habits and bad habits.
Pete would then tell the crowd that he couldn't answer the question, because he had never seen the young man practice. His point was the habits that will take over under pressure with the game on the line will be the habits you practice every day. If you practice good habits, those habits are going to take over. If you practice bad habits, those habits are going to take over. The answer is whatever habits you practice.
Practice good habits. I've always remembered that from Coach Strickland as long as I've been a coach. Isn't that what we are really trying to do as coaches? Figure out what the habits are that are consistent with winning, and get them to practice them every day. Hold them accountable for their habits.
It sounds pretty simple and it makes a lot of sense. But in practice, it's not that easy.
Think about how much you focus on habits in practice. It's easy to get caught up in the big picture, in what the whole thing looks like. It's easy to overlook habits if the overall result is something you can applaud and feel good about. And at the end of the day one of the real traps in coaching is that we want to feel good about what is happening with our teams. So we tend to overlook the stuff that doesn't make us feel good, especially if it's not having an immediate effect on the result.
So one of your players jogs back on defense in practice. He misses a shot and doesn't immediately sprint back, giving the offense and advantage. But your big man gets back and blocks a shot at the rim, saving two points. What are you coaching in this scenario? The bad habit was your shooter jogging back on defense, something that is surely going to cost you in games. But are you addressing that lack of hustle, or are you celebrating the blocked shot?
Say you've got an athletic kid who is a pretty good rebounder, but doesn't usually block out. He just goes and gets the ball. When a shot goes up, are you holding him accountable for the fact that he doesn't block out, or are you letting it go because he's going up and getting the rebound? There is a difference between accountability for the right habits and accountability for the result.
Is it okay for practice to start a couple of minutes late every day because two kids are still in the training room, or hanging out in the locker room? If it is, you are overlooking the importance of being on time. It's still possible to have a great practice if you start 5 minutes late, but you are overlooking a really important habit. Does the specific message you give to your players really matter?
I'm reading a book called "The Program" which studies the cultures of elite military units. One of the things they say all the time is "The standard you walk past is the new standard." The point being if you just walk past something and let it go, without addressing it, that is the new standard you've set for your team. If your kids are throwing their dirty laundry on the floor in the locker room and expecting someone else to clean it up, and you see it and don't address it - well, that is the new standard for your team.
Think about the habits you want your team to establish. That is really what we are coaching. There are so many things that we "walk past" in practice because the result turned out okay or we just don't seem to have time. We are "locked in" on certain things, and we overlook the basic habits.
Our job as coaches is to hold them accountable for the right habits every day. That is what translates into the games and sets you up for success. Figure out what habits are important to you and your team, and coach them on those habits every day. Hold them accountable when their habits don't meet your standards. Training them on their habits is essential in a high-performing culture.
Individual Achievers vs. Managers
I really enjoyed this podcast from Ryan Hawk with Jim Clifton, who is the CEO of Gallup. Clifton talks about the research they've done that statistically backs up what is most important to organizations. And his conclusion is that managers of people are extremely important to the success of the organization.
One great point he makes is about differentiating between individual high-achievers and good managers. Clifton says that every organization should differentiate between the people who are just really good and really productive at the job, and the ones who are fit to lead other people. He actually makes the point that he, even though he's the CEO, isn't a very good manager. He spends most of his time talking to clients. He has other people who manage the organization. And he points out that any organization should have a pathway to advancement for high-achieving individuals that doesn't include management or leadership.
So many organizations - including our own teams - end up with the wrong people in leadership positions. And I think Clifton has hit on a great point here - just being a high-achiever as an individual doesn't necessarily make you a great leader. We do this with our teams all of the time. The best players are generally expected to be the leader, even though talent really isn't an indicator of leadership ability.
I learned early on in my head coaching career that I had some great players who really weren't comfortable as leaders, and I was making a mistake by trying to force leadership on them. I learned they just needed to go out and be great players, and I needed to find leadership from my best leaders, not my best players.
I always say this - I can name 90% of the captains out there on any team. They are the best players, the loudest players, and the oldest players on the team. But being old, loud or talented really aren't the characteristics of great leaders.
Clifton isn't dismissing the importance of leadership here, and neither am I. But there should essentially be two paths to the top of your organization. The high achievers should be able to get to the top of your team without necessarily having to be captains or leaders. They should be counted on to be great players. And there needs to be a path to leadership - becoming a captain - that is available to the people on your team who are the best at it. And that doesn't have to involve talent.
Find a definition of leadership that works for your team and fits your personality. But make sure that definition allows your best leaders to step to the front, and sets a tone where they will have a voice regardless of how good they are.
Individual high achievement doesn't necessarily translate to leadership. So our organizations should not be built that way.
The Pacers New Culture
A look at how the Pacers new management team went about building their culture with the "Three T's" - Togetherness, Toughness and Trust.
Love the way they engaged their players:
“Looking back, I think the most important thing that we did as a front office was get our players’ input,” Buchanan said. “We asked Darren Collison, ‘What do you want from a front office?’ At the time, Boston had just traded Isaiah Thomas after he had played in the playoffs right after his sister died. He said, ‘Do you want the honest truth? Players in our league don’t trust front offices, for the most part. You guys can just trade us – regardless of how loyal we are to the team.’”
When asked how the Pacers could earn back their players’ trust, Collison said, “I want to know ahead of time if I might be traded. I don’t want to find out on Twitter or ESPN.”
After hearing similar things from veterans like Thaddeus Young, Al Jefferson and Cory Joseph, the front office reached an agreement with their players: If they entered serious trade discussions, they would inform each player involved in the possible deal – but if the deal fell through, the player needed to stay committed to the organization.
The arrangement worked well. Buchanan said that in 2017-18, two different trades nearly happened and both sides held up their end of the bargain. Indiana’s front office told the two players about the potential trades once the talks became serious and, after the deals fell through, both players didn’t let the news affect their commitment to the team.
When Victor Oladipo joined the Pacers, he was impressed by the front office’s communication with players and willingness to listen.
“I haven’t played on many teams, but based on the teams I have played on, it’s pretty rare for upper-management to take the players’ input and opinions to heart and really try to apply those things throughout the entire program,” Oladipo explained. “For them to do that, it just shows what kind of people they are and it shows what kind of organization we’re trying to build.”
Also love the "Reset" button in the training room on the way out to the court.
Whining
A big part of being a great competitor is handling the emotions that go along with competing. The intensity of competition can make that very difficult, but great competitors have the ability to move on to the next most important thing - the next play - regardless of what just happened.
If you are constantly arguing over foul calls or complaining about something, you aren't showing that you are a great competitor. You are actually showing the opposite. The guys who spend most of practice locked in a conversation/argument with the guy they are guarding about who is fouling who, or who spend extra time on the floor when they get knocked down to let everyone know they think they got fouled - those guys aren't great competitors. They are hurting their team.
We often excuse bad behavior by saying someone is just really competitive, and I hate that. Somebody who is arguing over calls or whining because they're getting fouled isn't showing his competitive side. He's showing an immaturity that is hard to win with.
I can't stand the guy who takes the ball to the hole, ends up on the ground, and takes his time getting up and jogging back because he thought there should have been a whistle. Making it clear to everyone that you think you got fouled, and therefore you aren't going to hustle back into the play is a sign of your own personal weakness. It's not a sign of a competitive edge.
Practice and games are intense and emotional. Obviously at times we are all going to get upset. But fighting for calls or showing your displeasure in another way that affects your ability to move on to the next play isn't showing me how much you want to win. It's showing me I can't win with you.
Stop whining. Stop arguing over whether something was a foul or not. Stop bitching to the assistant coaches in practice. And stop with the drama every time you go to the rim, trying to show the world that you feel that you got hit. First of all, it's annoying as hell to be around. No one likes it. And secondly, it's likely hurting your team and your actual ability to compete in some way. Great competitors, kids that you can win with - they aren't doing that.
Handling the emotion that comes with competition is a big part of being a great competitor. Bitching about the stuff that you can't control doesn't make you a great competitor. Great competitors fight through the tough stuff - right or wrong - and move on to the next play.
Defensive Emphasis
So much of coaching is not what plays you run, but what you emphasize. What is important to you as a coach. Because your players are reading you every day, and they know what is important to you. It's a lot more than what you say. They read your reactions, your emotions, your tone. They can tell what you like and what you don't.
I've always said there are two kinds of coaches - those who clap when the ball goes in the basket in practice, and those who get pissed. I'd say at least 80% of coaches probably clap when the ball goes in. We all like a well executed play that results in a clean bucket. The problem is, in practice, when the ball goes in it is going in against your defense as well.
I think a great defensive mindset can separate teams and programs. It's just not that common to have a team that thinks defense first. Players aren't brought up that way. They don't go to the park in the summer to dive on loose balls. So it takes a lot of preparation and effort to train your team to think defense first.
Try and get used to being upset when the ball goes in in practice. Don't applaud the good offense, hold the defense accountable for the mistakes. they made. Your team will take on your mentality, and if you are thinking defense first they will do the same. Train your staff, your managers, and your players to see the game through a defensive lens. You'll create a mentality that can separate you from most of the teams in your league.
Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?
There is a pathological mismatch between the attributes that seduce us in a leader and those that are needed to be an effective leader. If we want to improve the performance of our leaders, we should focus on the right traits. Instead of falling for people who are confident, narcissistic and charismatic, we should promote people because of competence, humility and integrity. Incidentally, this would also lead to a higher proportion of female than male leaders — large-scale scientific studies show that women score higher than men on measures of competence, humility and integrity. But the point is that we would significantly improve the quality of our leaders.
Brad Underwood - Changing His Approach
Really good look by Matt Norlander at how Brad Underwood basically threw out his coaching approach and started over, to help make Illinois an NCAA team again. Not an easy thing to do for a coach who's 56 years old and has had a ton of success. Adapt or die in any business.
"Really, he gave up control of his team in a lot of ways, which is something most coaches cannot part with."
"Everything I've been trying to establish this program has been trying to find a way to win when the ball doesn't go in. At the end of the day, that's what this was all about." - love this approach to coaching from Underwood.
When To Foul Up 3
NC State fouled Virginia with a 3-point lead with 8.2 seconds to play to keep Virginia from getting a potential game-tying 3-pointer off. Sean McDonough immediately said "there's a lot of time left for that foul."
I like that foul. It may seem like you want to wait until :07 or :06 to foul, but I'm fouling under :10. You really can't foul under :03 because you are in serious danger of fouling a shooter at that point - you know they are going up. So if you tell your team to foul under :07 you only give them 4 seconds to foul, and figuring that out on the floor during the final possession is hard. It also allows the team to get into the front court and possibly attempt a shot as you go to commit a foul. I don't like a 4-second window to foul in the front court when the other team is desperately trying to get a 3 off. Too much bad stuff can happen there.
I'm fouling under :10, trying to foul before they get the ball settled in the front court and have a chance to attempt a realistic shot. If I have to make some free throws and foul again, I'm fine with that. You should have a chance to get your best free throw shooters to the ball. And if you miss, you then have to guard the other team coming full court in what is likely :05 or less. I'd rather have that with a chance to put the game away, then allow them to get a tying 3 off.
NC State did miss one free throw after they had fouled on purpose, so Virginia got the ball back and a chance to tie or win, down 2. But they didn't get a chance to set anything up and ended up with a forced 3 that had no chance. I like the foul any time under :10 when I'm up 3.
I Have A Dream
If you've never actually watched the speech you should take the 20 minutes to do so. Incredibly powerful.
Hall of Fame
I was fortunate enough to get inducted into the Little East Hall of Fame recently. In 2016 I was inducted into the Rhode Island College Hall of Fame after coaching there for 9 years, and the league started a hall of fame a few years back. It's really a tremendously cool honor. I grew up in New York rooting for the Yankees, and the words "hall of fame" meant the elite in any sport. Not that I'm comparing division III basketball to playing in Yankee Stadium, but I grew up revering what "hall of fame" meant. To hear my name next to those words is quite an honor.
A bunch of my former players, coaching staff, managers and some family members came up for the weekend and went to our PC-Butler game on Friday night as well as the RIC-Keene State game on Saturday where they had the ceremony. Spending time with so many former players was a great time to reflect on the things we accomplished and how we went about it. It made me think simply about how I got to the Hall of Fame.
When people used to ask me about the consistent we had year after year at RIC (8 straight NCAA Tournaments, 11 league titles - regular season and tournament - in 9 years) I would always tell them the same thing. Come watch us practice. That was the best answer I could give. Just come by practice and watch the way our guys competed for each other every day. Our guys bought into something that was uncommon, and the way we laid it on the line for each other every day - with no one watching, with no immediate reward - it was truly special. That is what made us consistently great.
We established standards for how we were going to compete, and we held our guys accountable for it every day. But I was a first-time head coach taking over a group of players who had never experienced high-level success, and were working on their 3rd coach in as many years. I knew what I hoped it would look like, but I really wasn't sure what I was doing. There was a lot of walking out of that gym thinking "ok, thank God no one is watching, because that didn't work." But I'm reminded of the fact that Gregg Popovich actually thanks his players every year for allowing him to coach them. And it makes total sense. Because those players allowed me to make mistakes, they allowed me to demand excellence out of them, they allowed me to be hard on them and hold them to a high standard. Had they not been willing, would I have been comfortable continuing to push them the same way? I doubt I would have. But because of those players, I left Rhode Island College armed with the knowledge that I knew how to build a championship culture, and to maintain elite success year after year. That is really hard to do. But everyone of those players who showed up in the Murray Center gave that to me. They gave me the greatest give a young coach could ever ask for - they believed in me.
So how do you get to the hall of fame? Obviously you have to have great talent, and we had that at Rhode Island College. I'm comfortable saying that we had the best team in the league the first year I took over, and I recruited none of those players (we finished tied for 2nd). I was lucky. And I believe we had the best team in the league every single year of the nine that I was there. We were picked to win the league by the coaches 8 of the 9 years I was there, and the one year I wasn't we were picked 2nd. We won the regular season 6 of the 9 years, and finished 2nd twice and 3rd once. We played in 8 straight LEC championship games and posted a 21-3 record in the conference tournament. We won 83% of all of our league games, and I'm comfortable saying we probably had the better players in almost all of them. Talent matters, and we had a lot of talent. Elite talent gets you to the hall of fame.
But the fabric of our program, what really made us special, was what we did in that gym every day when no one was watching. This weekend was a great reminder of that. Seeing so many different kids from so many different backgrounds - white kids from Newport and Maine, black kids from Fall River and the Bronx - who are still incredibly tight and connected just like they were back then, reminded me of how many great teammates I coached. They talked about how much they missed shell drill or running 8-6-4-2 sprints, and told stories about winning up at Keene or at East Conn. They made fun of some of the stuff I used to say, and laughed at their teammates who seemed to bear the brunt of my ire back in the day. But there they were, sitting in the Murray Center together one more time. Teammates again, teammates forever.
Most importantly they thanked me for holding them accountable and for holding them to a high standard. That is what really resonated with me. They talked about their jobs and their families, and how the standards of our program helped them achieve at work, or in graduate school, or in life, just because they were used to competing. They talked about how our program and culture were still a big part of their lives.
One of their teammates who couldn't attend was John Weir, who was a junior on my first team and helped lead us to the Elite 8 in his second year. John recently became a father for the first time and was unable to get away for the weekend to come up to the ceremony. But he called me to say he was sorry he couldn't make it. And he told me on different occasions "Coach, I really just want to say thank you. When I was going to become a father, everyone told me it was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever done. And they were right. Being a father is awesome, but it is a ton of responsibility. So I want to thank you for holding me accountable the way you did, and for demanding that I compete at a high level every day. Because I wake up in the morning knowing I'm tough enough to handle whatever comes my way with my family, and I owe that to you and the way we worked every day. So thank you." That is really why I coach.
I was reminded by John Weir and the other players this weekend that we many more great teammates than elite players. We had a room full of guys year after year willing to sacrifice, to commit, to compete at a high level and do to a ton of hard stuff without worrying about the results. What we did at practice was hard, it was uncommon, and it wasn't always fun. And these guys embraced it with each other, and competed for each other. They weren't so much about winning as they were about not letting one another down. That is a very powerful force. They competed for each other at a high level because they had great respect for one another - because they were great teammates. Great teammates get you to the hall of fame.
In fact, what I learned from those guys was that was the true reward - the ability to compete with each other every day. Laying it on the line without fear. Giving up everything you have for your teammates, with no one watching, because your teammates were counting on you. And they were doing the same for you. That was the true gift that athletics gave all of us - full measure. Walking out of the gym every day when no one was keeping score, knowing you had given everything you had to the team, surrounded by people who had done the same. Full measure. That was the gift.
It was their effort, their willingness to sacrifice, and their commitment that held me accountable and made me a better coach. When you are lucky enough to coach a team like that, you had better bring it every day. You. can't let them down, or their compete level will expose you. That is an incredibly special feeling to have as a coach.
I've said this before and I truly to believe it - I'll put our practices at RIC, the way our guys competed for one another and against one another, day in and day out, up against any practices at any level anywhere. I've still never seen or been a part of practices like the ones that took place in the Murray Center with those RIC teams.
The hall of fame is a tremendous honor, one that I will cherish forever. But what makes it feel so good is the relationships that still hold true to this day, same as they were in an October practice in 2007. The bond that was created through a willingness to compete, day after day, without fear. It's an honor I accept on the shoulders of a unique group of young men, who cared more about their teammates than they did about themselves. That is really what makes the hall of fame special.
John Hollinger
Cool Q+A with John Hollinger, a Virginia alum who helped start the basketball analytics revolution with his PER rating in the 90s.
Fouling To Get Another Possession
I love what San Francisco did at the end of the first half in this game against Pacific. Pacific's point guard is a 36% free throw shooter, so they fouled him on purpose to get the ball back.
It's all about calculating expected points per possession, and then trusting the percentages. We've done this before, and not only does it create an advantage if you can get an extra possession, it also gets into the head of your opponent. If a bad free throw shooter knows you might come after him and foul him at anytime, it can crush his confidence and make him not want the ball in his hands.
More coaches should be thinking about stuff like this.
Jim Clifton - CEO of Gallup
3 things he would tell managers to maximize the potential of their teams:
- Understand that your team members have more differences than they do things in common. Do not lead them like troops.
- Know them by their strengths, not their weaknesses.
- Make sure they know their personal development is important to you. When you ask them the question - does someone at work encourage my development? The difference in productivity between those who answer yes and those who answer no is "spectacular."
Declarative Statements
Whoever asks the most questions wins. It's a great strategy for conversation. It's a great strategy for an interview. It's a great strategy for leadership. And it's a great strategy for coaches as well.
Whoever asks the most questions is going to learn the most. In any interaction, when you ask questions you'll get information. It might not always be the information you want, but you are going to learn more when you ask questions. So if I want to learn more about my team, the more questions I ask them the better.
Coaches talk a lot about trying to create ownership with their teams, but often struggle to do it. Asking questions is a great way to create ownership. Get your team talking about what they see, what they want and what they need to do. Get them to say it. When they verbalize what they want and what they are trying to do, you can hold them accountable for their own words. Hearing them say it and holding them accountable for it is very powerful. This is what you told me you wanted, and this is how we are going to get there.
Declarative statements can stifle the leadership and ownership of your team. But most of us feel like as the head coach we are supposed to be making declarative statements. The head coach is the decision maker, so he's supposed to tell people what to do. This is what I see, this is what we are doing, this is how we are going to do it. It's the traditional way leadership is supposed to work.
Certainly there are times when your team needs to be told what to do. I'm not saying the head coach isn't the primary decision maker. But when you walk into practice or the film room and you make declarative statements you have to be careful. You are suppressing any disagreement, thought or creativity you might find from your players and your staff. And you should want disagreement. You should want your team and staff to think differently and to feel comfortable expressing themselves. That is how you get the most out of individuals and your entire organization.
I think a lot of coaches make declarative statements because it makes them feel comfortable. They are in control, they are the leader, and they want everyone to know that they know what is going on. We are getting killed in transition. We are going to do a better job on the glass. We will throw the ball inside. We have to guard the ball better. When you walk into practice and make those statements, you feel like you have control. But you are also telling everyone else what to think. It creates groupthink, which is a direct enemy of progress. It's something I personally try to avoid at all costs.
When the boss makes statements about what is going on and everyone nods their head and moves forward, he feels comfortable. He gets affirmation for what he believes, and he can feel better, like the team is making progress. This is especially comforting when a team is struggling. You need a solution, so you watch film, talk with your staff and figure it out. Then you go in front of your team and tell them what is happening and what has to change.
Instead of making statements, ask your teams questions. Instead of coming in and saying this is what we have to do to get better, ask them what they think you need to do to get better. Do the same with your staff. Instead of yelling at them to stop turning the ball over, ask them what they say when the made the pass. Find out what they were thinking. Instead of telling them they aren't running hard enough, ask them if that's as hard as they can run. Get them to say it. Learn what's going in their head. And get them to take ownership of it.
Whether you know it or not, if you come to the office every day telling people what you think is going on with your team, you are telling them what to think. You are limiting the ability of both your players and your staff to help you. Ask questions, don't make statements. You will get better feedback from your team on how to coach them and your players will take more ownership of what you are doing.
Bilas on Officiating
Jay Bilas with an interesting take on officiating - not officials - and how it is having a negative impact on the quality of play in college basketball.
I will say his point about freedom of movement is one I agree with. It doesn't seem like it is being enforced as much as it has been the past three or four years. Interesting that the fouls being called are down.
From his column on ESPN.com:
The most important and impactful factor in the drop in level of play has been officiating. Let The Bilastrator be clear: The most important factor has not been officials, it has been officiating. The officials in college basketball are excellent, and they are well-trained, well-paid and highly competent professionals who have performed and continue to perform consistently at a high level. The officials, generally and overall, do a great job.
However, officials are not allowed to call what they want, when they want. They answer to their bosses, the conference supervisors and the NCAA supervisor of officials. The officials also answer to the rules committee and the directives and emphases thrust upon them. To this point in the season, the supervisors and the rules committee have failed the officials and, by extension, have failed the game. Too many unnecessary emphases and interpretations have been put on the officials, and it has taken their attention off of what is most important ... no ... what is absolutely vital to a high level of play: calling the clear fouls in front of them.Get the best of ESPN sent to your inbox The ESPN Daily delivers the biggest sports news and moments every weekday.Sign me up!Privacy PolicyRead the Latest
Many well-intentioned people and committees put forth initiatives to promote "freedom of movement" and return it to the college game. The game had become far too physical, and actions to impede ball handlers and cutters that were and are fouls had been ignored for too long and had gone uncalled. In a game in which players were getting better and better, more and more athletic, with a shorter shot clock and a 3-point line, scoring was annually going down and had reached historic lows. The past few years, those in charge of the game had done a fabulous job of addressing the fouling and impeding of ball handlers and cutters. But this year, those in charge of the officials have not been as vigilant as in the past few years.
With the freedom of movement initiative, officials were mandated (not asked -- mandated by their superiors) to call the clear fouls being committed, especially the impeding of ball handlers and cutters by illegally disrupting rhythm, speed, balance and quickness. Officials did a great job of consistently calling hand-checking, arm bars on ball handlers and illegal contact in the post and on shooters. As a result, scoring went up significantly, and went up without the gains coming from free throws. In short, the game greatly improved, and players and coaches adjusted nicely. The freedom of movement initiative was far less painful than expected, and the gains were clear. The credit belonged to the supervisors for being vigilant and resolute in executing the mandate, and to the officials for doing exactly what they were required to do.
Well, the gains made have been lost this season. Freedom of movement in college basketball is dead. Actions that were clear fouls over the past three seasons are being allowed, including hand-checking and arm bars to illegally impede ball handlers, and illegal contact on cutters to impede and disrupt. Post play has become more physical. Yet, foul calls are down. Again, foul calls are down. Fouls are not down, fouls are way up, and fouling is not defense. Officials are not calling clear fouls this season. There is no more important factor in the level of play than the substantial erosion in freedom of movement.
Again, to be clear, this is not a problem with officials, it is a problem with officiating. The responsibility for this erosion is on the shoulders of the administrators, the supervisors of officials and conference commissioners. Until this substantial erosion is addressed and fixed, we will not see the level of play improve. It is that simple.
Lastly, a word on the officials themselves. College basketball has an excellent corps of officials in today's game. If you believe otherwise, please watch game film from two decades ago and earlier. Officiating was horrifyingly bad back then as compared to now. Officials have never been better than they are today. Officials are more professional, in better condition and on top of far more today than ever before. Yet, the game has demanded more than ever from officials, too. Truthfully, it demands too much. This year, officials are having to police flopping and the coaching box, two meaningless things that have taken away from primary duties. Officials have to be arbiters on the floor and must also be appeals judges on replay. The demands on officials are, quite frankly, ridiculous. The officials should be allowed and encouraged to focus more on the play on the floor rather than the temporal and silly whims of a committee. We, as a game, continue to get in the officials' way, and all of the demands upon officials have had a negative impact upon officiating and on the level of play.
That is not to say we cannot differ with a call here or there, or debate a rule. The officials are paid professionals, and their calls on the floor are the law. The officials' calls are final and not subject to change due to fan opinions or media commentary from the sideline. There are a few officials out there who feel that those not wearing stripes have no business opining on their calls and should remain silent (unless agreeing with every call). Well, they are wrong in that belief. If the actions of coaches and players can be dissected on the floor, so can officials' calls be similarly discussed and opined about. Those officials who believe otherwise are wrong.
Chaos At Notre Dame
Interesting article from a year ago about how Brian Kelly created chaos at Notre Dame practices after a bad loss to Miami. I've always wondered why we spend so much time controlling the environment in practice when we play in completely uncontrolled environments.