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THE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
CONGRATULATIONS National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Class of 2016
Doug Collins • Hugh Durham • Mike Montgomery • Dominique Wilkins Mrs. Bob Boozer • Mark Aguirre • Jamaal Wilkes • Lionel Simmons
National Association of Basketball Coaches 1111 Main Street, Suite 1000 Kansas City, Missouri 64105 Phone: 816-878-6222 • Fax: 816-878-6223 www.nabc.com ______________________________________________ NABC EXECUTIVE STAFF Jim Haney Executive Director Reggie Minton Deputy Executive Director Carol Haney Senior Director of Internal Affairs Troy Hilton Senior Director of Corporate Relations and Association Affairs Stephanie Whitcher Chief Financial Officer Rick Leddy Senior Director of Communications Rose Tate Director of Membership Ebony Donohue Associate Director of Membership Mark Heatherman Senior Director of Special Events Janelle Guidry Director of Convention Wade Hageman Director of Corporate Relations Jenna Wright Director of Convention Housing Eric Wieberg Director of Digital & Social Media ______________________________________________ 2016-17 NABC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeff Jones, President, Old Dominion University Bill Self, First Vice President, University of Kansas Lorenzo Romar, Second Vice President, University of Washington Charlie Brock, Third Vice President, Springfield College Mike Brey, Fourth Vice President, University of Notre Dame Page Moir, 2014-15 Past President Ron Hunter, 2015-16 Past President, Georgia State University Mark Gottfried, Director, North Carolina State University Gary Stewart, Director, Stevenson University Jamie Dixon, Director, TCU Lennie Acuff, Director, University of Alabama in Huntsville Johnny Dawkins, Director, University of Central Florida John Calipari, Director, University of Kentucky Matt Margenthaler, Director, Minnesota State University, Mankato John Thompson III, Director, Georgetown University Tommy Amaker, Director, Harvard University Pat Cunningham, Director, Trinity (TX) University Bill Coen, Director, Northeastern University Ed Cooley, Director, Providence College Frank Martin, Director, University of South Carolina Matt Painter, Director, Purdue University Gary Waters, Director, Cleveland State University Dave Archer, Director, National High School Basketball Coaches’ Association-NHSBCA Bob Burchard, Director, Columbia College Thom McDonald, Director, Commissioner, Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Tom Izzo, Director Emeritus, Michigan State University Ernie Kent, Director Emeritus, Washington State University Phil Martelli, Director Emeritus, Saint Joseph’s University ______________________________________________ EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS NABC Executive Director: Jim Haney NABC Deputy Executive Director: Reggie Minton CPA: Brian Welch, Welch & Associates, LLC NABC General Counsel: Dennis Coleman, Daniel B. Adams, Ropes & Gray, LLP (Boston, MA) Board Secretary: Rick Leddy Board Consultants: Dan Gavitt, NCAA Vice President for Men’s Basketball Dan Guerrero, Chair, NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee and Director of Athletics, UCLA Kevin Lennon, NCAA Vice President for Division I Governance
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THE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
2017
COLUMNS From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hall of Fame Anecdotes And Upcoming Events Rick Leddy From the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Final Four Moves West, NABCF Benevolent Fund & NCAA Notes Jim Haney NCAA Eligibility Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Redesigned NCAA Eligibility Center Website National High School Basketball Coaches Association. . . . . . . 19 The Four Mentors You Need Rich Czeslawski National Center for Fathering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 You Are Special Carey Casey NABC Chaplain’s Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Almost There Pastor Donnell Jones
FEATURES Home Grown Heroes Head Hall of Fame Class of 2016. . . . . . . . 8 Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star Q&A With Oliver Luck – NCAA Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs . . . . . . 14 The Value of Sports Needs to be Purified. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Dale Brown Coach’s Clinic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fist Motion Delay Michael Holmes, UMPI COVER The Induction Class of 2016 for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Photo courtesy of David Riffel. PHOTO CREDITS Pages 8-11 - Courtesy of David Riffel; Page 15 - Courtesy of NCAA; Page 17 Top - Courtesy of David Riffel; Page 17 Bottom - Courtesy of Dale Brown; Page 22 - Courtesy of UMPI. Time-Out is published quarterly by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Printed by Allen Press.
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2016-17 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff Jones, President Old Dominion University
Bill Self, First Vice President University of Kansas
Lorenzo Romar, Second Vice President University of Washington
Charlie Brock, Third Vice President Springfield College
Mike Brey, Fourth Vice President University of Notre Dame
Page Moir, 2014-15 Past President
Ron Hunter, 2015-16 Past President Georgia State University
Mark Gottfried, Director North Carolina State University
Gary Stewart, Director Stevenson University
Jamie Dixon, Director TCU
Lennie Acuff, Director University of Alabama in Huntsville
Johnny Dawkins, Director University of Central Florida
John Calipari, Director University of Kentucky
Matt Margenthaler, Director Minnesota State University, Mankato
John Thompson III, Director Georgetown University
Tommy Amaker, Director Harvard University
Pat Cunningham, Director Trinity (TX) University
Bill Coen, Director Northeastern University
Ed Cooley, Director Providence College
Frank Martin, Director University of South Carolina
Matt Painter, Director Purdue University
Gary Waters, Director Cleveland State University
Dave Archer, Director National High School Basketball Coaches' Association-NHSBCA
Bob Burchard, Director Columbia College
Thom McDonald, Director Commissioner, Iowa Community College Athletic Conference
Tom Izzo, Director Emeritus Michigan State University
Ernie Kent, Director Emeritus Washington State University
Phil Martelli, Director Emeritus Saint Joseph’s University
FROM THE EDITOR, Rick Leddy
Hall of Fame Anecdotes And Upcoming Events Having just celebrated another holiday season, I hope most of us took time to celebrate the things that matter most in our lives. Holidays and other special events can foster a bevy of emotions as we reflect on the past and look ahead to the new year.
During the induction ceremonies in November for the 2016 Class for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, featured in this issue of Time-Out with a feature by the Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff, some members of the class reflected on their journeys to the hall, recognizing people who helped them along the way. Former DePaul star Mark Aguirre, the consensus national player of the year in 1980, spoke of his days growing up on Chicago’s west side. “There was a lady who lived next to our house and knew we didn’t have a lot to eat. She would make soup and bring that over for me on a regular basis,” said Aguirre. “When I went to a local playground late in the day to practice my shooting, a man whose house was on one side would come out of his garage and rebound for me. Those are people who helped me get here and I’ll never forget them.” Doug Collins was unheralded coming out of high school and left Illinois State as a consensus All-America and the top pick in the NBA draft. A three-time All-America and Academic All-America, Collins singled out two people for assisting him in college. “My coach, Will Robinson, was the first African-American coach in NCAA Division I basketball and he really didn’t know much about X’s and O’s in the game,” Collins said. “But he taught life lessons, he taught character and about being a good person.” A statue of Collins and Robinson now stands outside Redbirds’ Arena. Collins then surprised most of the gathering with a story about someone he met on his first day at Illinois State. “I was in the lunch line on my first day and a very nice lady handed me my lunch, then reached under a table and gave me a second sandwich. She told me that I was a big guy and probably needed the extra food,” Collins said.
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The long-time NBA player, coach and television analyst never forgot that act of kindness as he pointed to that lady from the lunch line, who was in the audience at the press conference and traveled to attend Collins’ induction. Moving on from the past to events coming up early in 2017, the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers week, when coaches wear sneakers on the sideline, is scheduled for January 23-29. For a second year, Coaches vs. Cancer will partner with Shoe Carnival and Princess Lacey’s Laces, in memory of eight-year old Lacey Holsworth, who was an avid basketball fan. Special gold laces will be available at coachesvscancer.org and all Shoe Carnival stores starting in mid-January. On the weekend of February 3-5, coaches will show their support for Coaches Powering Forward for Autism benefitting Autism Speaks. The coaches will wear the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece pin to raise awareness and acceptance of autism spectrum disorders. The NABC continues to seek clinic articles and/ or other informational pieces for the quarterly issues of Time-Out. In this issue, legendary coach Dale Brown has submitted We Owe Them Our Best, a timeless piece he originally wrote in June of 1990 and remains extremely relevant today. University of Maine-Presque Isle coach Michael Holmes has contributed Fist Motion Delay, a clinic article to extend a read-and-react motion game beyond the threepoint arc. Any current member of the NABC who wishes to make a submission for Time-Out should send the information to be published to Rick Leddy, senior director of communications, by email to RickNABC@gmail.com or by fax to 203-507-2053. The NABC staff will review all articles submitted and those accepted will be published as space permits in Time-Out.
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Jim Haney
Q&A with Executive Director Jim Haney Final Four Moves West, NABCF Benevolent Fund and NCAA Notes
It has been a number of years since the NCAA Final Four was in the Western part of the United States. What are your thoughts on Phoenix as the host city? The last time we held our convention in the western time zone was in 1995 when Seattle hosted the Final Four and the NABC Convention. This will be the first time Phoenix has hosted a Final Four so we all, coaches included, will enjoy a new experience. I believe the folks in Phoenix will do a wonderful job of hosting the Final Four and our convention. However, we should be cognizant that Phoenix is markedly different from Final Four host cities like Indianapolis, Houston, Dallas and Atlanta. Phoenix and the surrounding communities are true tourist destinations. As a result, there should be many local attractions our coaches may partake in. The weather should be excellent. Because the concentration of hotels is not downtown near the convention center where the NABC will be holding many of our meetings and clinics but spread out throughout the metro, transportation will be important for all coaches. NABC staff members are working with the NCAA, which provides the transportation and develops the transportation plan for the Final Four, to identify the best means for coaches to move from their hotel to the convention center downtown. In addition, Phoenix will be in the Western time zone. The convention will be most impacted on Saturday. The semifinal games will be starting at 3:07 pm. As a result, the schedule of NABC activities must conclude by midday to allow our coaches time to travel to the University of Phoenix Stadium. My final thought is the experience in Phoenix will be like no other. That is not a bad thing. It just will be different.
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We are hearing heartfelt reports of gratitude from coaches who have reached out to the NABC Foundation Benevolent Fund for financial assistance. What are your thoughts on the Benevolent Fund? We are receiving touching letters and emails from coaches who have received funds from the NABC Foundation and its Benevolent Fund. As touching as those letters of thanks are they do not compare to the applications we receive where the coach bares the financial challenges facing him and his family due to job loss, overwhelming medical bills for his spouse, child or himself or other calamity that he is enduring. Honestly, it makes you so thankful that you have a job and your family is healthy! In the midst of the joy of knowing we are helping coaches in need, we have concern that there are many coaches who are just now learning of the Benevolent Fund. We anticipate the number of applications we receive each year will rise, resulting in the need for more funds to cover those requests. The NABC Board in August established a $300,000 fundraising goal for 2016-17 and 100% participation from Division I coaches. The financial support for the Benevolent Fund is our coaches and their willingness to help their fellow coaches in need. We have a long way to go to reach both goals, $300,000 funding and 100% participation, but we will be pounding the drum for support. We believe our coaches will rise to this challenge!
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There was a lot of talk about studentathlete time demands in 2016. Where does that issue stand? The January 2017 NCAA Convention will reveal a lot. The Autonomy Five Conferences will be voting on a slate of proposals including those addressing student-athlete time-demands. One proposal would establish consistent regulations governing student-athlete participation in media activities. This proposal resonated with me. This particular issue was often discussed by the NABC Ad Hoc Group on Student-Athlete Time Demands as a problem for our players. The Ad Hoc Group included a recommendation that this matter be addressed and it’s great that it is included in the proposals. Another proposal would require no athletically related activities with the exception of competition to occur between 9 pm and 6 am. After a home contest that concludes after 9 pm, there would be no athletically related activity for an eight-hour period. Again this proposal had the support of the NABC’s Ad Hoc Group. Another proposal would require no athletically related activity for a seven-day period beginning the day after a team’s last contest. In addition, the institution would provide a student-athlete 14 additional days off during or outside the playing and practice season during the academic year. The Ad Hoc Group supported the seven-day, no athletically related activity. The Ad Hoc Group spent considerable time discussing a travel day counting as a day off. Student-athlete survey results reflected their desire to not count the travel day as a day off and there should be a day off that does not include travel. Some teams charter, others fly commercially, some bus and some travel by vans. During the season, teams could be playing three games in a seven or eight day period. Conference schedules vary as well. Because teams throughout NCAA Division I travel differently and other complications, the Ad Hoc Group did support a travel day counting as a day off. However, the Southeastern Conference proposed that travel after a competition that resulted in the team returning to campus
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between midnight and 5 am may be considered as a day off provided that the institution provides a continuous 24-hour period free of athletically related activity following the return travel. The Ad Hoc Group also supported institutions developing a student-athlete time management plan for men’s basketball. The Autonomy Five Conferences will be voting on that proposal as well. One final point to be made relates to any of these proposals supported by the Autonomy Five Conferences may be adopted by other conferences or individual institutions. The NCAA recently established a Competition Committee for Men’s Basketball. What is the purpose of the committee? The NFL and NBA both have competition committees where selected owners, general managers and coaches serve. The Men’s Basketball Competition Committee will include athletic administrators, conference office administrators, student-athletes and coaches. The Committee is to develop strategic principles in order to maintain men’s college basketball to be true to its original rules, playable, watchable, popular and relevant. Among the areas to be considered will include health and safety, sportsmanship, integrity, game operations, game presentation, technology and statistical trends. The Competition Committee will make recommendations to the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee for final approval.
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Home Grown Heroes Head 2016 Hall of Fame Induction Class By Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star
If the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 had a theme, it might be home grown products. Most of the eight-member class, especially the players, didn’t stray far from home when it came time to select a college. They were hometown heroes who became standouts at nearby campuses. Compare that path to those taken today, where it is not unusual for the best prep players to shuffle from school to school, in high school and college, without regard to location. Mark Aguirre was a product of Chicago’s west side
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playgrounds who helped Westinghouse High to a Public League championship as a senior. DePaul assistant coach Joey Meyer, son of head coach Ray Meyer, led the recruiting and Aquirre committed to the Blue Demons. Playing with Terry Cummings, Aquirre became college basketball’s best small forward and in 1980 was the national player of the year. He couldn’t have imagined going anywhere but DePaul, among the nation’s top programs during his time there, which included an appearance in the 1979 Final Four. “I used to watch film for an hour with Ray Meyer in the basement of the gym, film
you had on the reels,” Aquirre said. “We would talk in depth about everything, about or lives. That’s what a coach is.” Lionel Simmons led South Philadelphia High to the Philadelphia Public League championship in 1986. But he got hardly any looks from the Big East powers. He stayed home, attended La Salle, and turned in one of the most productive careers in the game’s history. Over four seasons, Simmons, the “L-Train”, averaged 24.6 points, was a three-time conference player of the year and national player of the year in 1990. He ranks third on the Division I men’s career scoring list with 3,127 points, and that’s without scoring 40 in a game. The 6-7
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forward is the only college player to surpass 3,000 points and 1,100 rebounds in career. Simmons led the Explorers to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and the program went 100-31 in his four years. “It’s an incredible honor, I’m humbled to be part of this,” Simmons said. Doug Collins didn’t start until his senior season at Benton High in Illinois, and then traveled some three hours south to attend Illinois State, which became a Division I program during his sophomore season. “I was a very late developer,” Collins said. By the time Collins departed, he was a consensus All-
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America, averaged 29.1 points and scored 2,240 over his career. The court at Redbird Arena is named in his honor and a statue of Collins and his coach, Will Robinson, stands outside the building. Robinson was the first black coach in Division I. “Basketball is the greatest team sport ever, but it’s so hard because you’re taught to be the best individual you can be,” Collins said. “It’s up to the coaches to put it in a team concept so your team can win.” Jamaal Wilkes grew up in Ventura, Calif., moved to Santa Barbara in high school and attended UCLA, becoming a two-time consensus All-America and winning the 1972 and 1973
NCAA championships with Coach John Wooden’s Bruins. Wooden once was asked to define the ideal player. “I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive rebounder and outside shooter,” Wooden said in 1985. “Why not take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that.” When Hall of Fame master of ceremonies Doug Gottlieb read the quote, Wilkes said to this day he had no idea Wooden felt that way about him. “It still sends chills down my spine,” Wilkes said. “He had a lot of great players. I’m flattered.” Bob Boozer was born in Alabama and moved as a
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child to Omaha, Neb., where his father found a job at a meat packing plant. Boozer grew to 6-8 and starred at Tech High. But Nebraska didn’t try to recruit him. His high school coach had received a letter in 1955 saying the university had “already reached its quota of Negroes.” Boozer looked over the state border to Kansas. He considered Kansas, but Wilt Chamberlain was there and Boozer wanted to create his own legacy. Kansas State welcomed Boozer and the Wildcats under Coach Tex Winter embarked on one of their greatest eras. K-State and Boozer beat Kansas and Chamberlain in 1958 to capture the Big Eight championship and reach the Final Four. In 1959, K-State won another conference title and finished as the nation’s top team in the AP poll.
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Boozer, who died in 2012, averaged 25.6 points as a senior, his second All-America season.
“Had never been to a tournament before we came,” Wilkins said. “We built something special together.”
One player who did leave his environment to attend college was Dominique Wilkins, who played in high school in Washington, N.C., and was part of Hugh Durham’s first recruiting class at Georgia. The program immediately improved.
Wilkins left after 1982 and the Bulldogs reached the Final Four the next year, and to this day, Durham, also a member of the Hall’s 2016 Class, is the only coach to lead two programs to their lone Final Four appearance. Florida State in 1972 was the other.
The Bulldogs had never been part of the postseason, until Wilkins led them to the 1981 NIT.
“But there’s no doubt Dominique and his teams created the momentum for us and turned things around,” Durham said.
Wilkins, who went on to a stellar NBA career earned the nickname “Human Highlight Film” for his slam dunking prowess, led the team to three victories and a NIT Final Four appearance in 1982. These two teams marked the beginning of eight straight postseason appearances for the program.
That 1972 run with the Seminoles was notable for another reason. Durham coached against Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, North Carolina’s Dean Smith and UCLA’s Wooden in successive games, losing only to Wilkes and the Bruins. The victory over Kentucky in the regional final was Rupp’s final game as a coach.
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Durham’s career lasted until 2005, when he finished at Jacksonville. He’s a career victory leader at all three programs. Durham actually retired from Georgia after the 1995 season and returned in 1997. Once asked why he came back, Durham said he answered the question with a question. “I asked, ‘Do you know when Walker, Texas Ranger comes on TV?’” Durham said. “He said no, not yet. I said I did, Saturday night at 10 o’clock. When you’re sitting around the house on Saturday night waiting for Walker, Texas Ranger to come on TV, it might be time to do something else.” Mike Montgomery also led three programs, starting with Montana in 1978 before moving to Stanford and taking the program to national prominence. The Cardinal reached the Final Four in 1998, marking the
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program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since winning the 1942 championship. After two years with the Golden State Warriors, Montgomery spent his final six years in coaching at California, and took the Golden Bears to the postseason every year. Montgomery was part of the planning of the College Basketball Experience and Hall of Fame when he was a member of the NABC Board of Directors. “I’m a little overwhelmed and I wasn’t sure I’d feel that way until I got here and started looking around,” Montgomery said. “There are so many people who had so much to do with the success I had.” The group included three NBA overall No. 1 draft selections: Aquirre in 1981, Collins in 1973 and Boozer in 1959. Another
common thread is Olympic participation. Boozer delayed his entry to the NBA and spent a year in AAU basketball to participate on the great 1960 U.S. team with Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas. Aquirre was a member of the 1980 team that boycotted the Moscow Games. Collins was set to be the hero of the 1972 Munich Games competition when he sank two free throws after a hard foul with three seconds remaining against the Soviet Union, only to have those seconds replayed multiple times and resulting in a onepoint loss. That was a bitter memory for Collins. Nearly every other basketball moment for him, and all in the Class of 2016 inducted in the ceremony on November 18th in Kansas City, were among the happiest of their lives.
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• AP, USBWA, UPI and Sporting News National Player of the Year (1980) • James Naismith Award winner (1980) • Two-time consensus first-team All-American (1980, 1981) • Led DePaul to the Final Four as a freshman in 1979. • Selected No. 1 in the 1981 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
• Two-time consensus first-team All-American (1958, 1959) • Led K-State to the Final Four in 1958 and No. 1 ranking in the final regular-season poll in 1959. • Averaged 25.2 points per game — the second most in school history. • Selected No. 1 in the 1959 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but delayed going pro in order to compete on the goldmedal and Hall of Fame 1960 Olympic men’s basketball team.
• Took over a Stanford program that had been absent from the NCAA Tournament for more than 40 years and returned the Cardinal to the Tournament within three seasons. • Reached the NCAA Tournament 12 times at Stanford with 10-straight second-round appearances and a trip to the 1998 Final Four. • Naismith College Coach of the Year (2000) • Four-time Pac 12 Coach of the Year (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004) • Recorded 25 winning seasons out of 26 as head coach at Montana, Stanford and Cal. • John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)
• Only player in NCAA history to score more than 3,000 points and record 1,100 rebounds. • Scored 3,217 career points—the third most in NCAA history. • Naismith, Wooden, AP and NABC College Player of the Year (1990) • Consensus first-team All-American (1990) • NCAA record for most consecutive games with double-figure scoring (115).
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• Averaged 29.1 points per game over the course of his three-year career. • Named both an All-American and Academic All-American at the finish of each of his seasons, including becoming ISU’s first consensus first-team All-American in 1973. • Illinois State’s first recipient of a full basketball scholarship • School record holder for career points (2,240) • Selected No. 1 in the 1973 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
• First and only coach in NCAA Div. I history to lead two different schools to their lone Final Four appearance (Florida State, Georgia). • First and only coach in NCAA Div. I history to be the all-time most successful coach at three universities (Florida State, Georgia, Jacksonville). • Recruited and coached Florida State’s first African American basketball scholarship athlete in1966-67. • Coached fellow inductee Dominque Wilkins at Georgia (1979-82). • Came out of retirement at age 60 to help rebuild the Jacksonville program, transforming it into a conference contender.
• Part of the record-setting UCLA 88-game win streak (1971-74) • Three Final Four appearances with two national titles (1972-74) • Two-time consensus first-team All-American (1973, 1974) • Three-time first-team Academic All-American (1972, 1973, 1974) • Member of the 1971 UCLA 20-0 freshman team with Greg Lee and Bill Walton
• Second-team All-American (NABC, UPI) and third-team All-American (AP) in 1982 • SEC Player of the Year (1981) • Averaged 21.6 points per game in his three collegiate seasons (1979-82) • Selected No. 3 overall in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. • Coached by fellow inductee Hugh Durham at Georgia. • Went on to a legendary NBA career with nine All-Star selections, seven All-NBA Team selections and one NBA scoring title (1986).
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Oliver Q & A Luck with
NCAA Executive Vice President Of Regulatory Affairs
In recent years, you have heard about the NCAA’s plan to raise the academic standards for high school students planning to compete at the Division I level in fall 2016 and beyond. The new standards raise the minimum GPA in NCAA-approved core courses from 2.0 to 2.3. They also require 10 of these core courses (seven in English, math, or natural/physical science) to be completed prior to a student beginning their senior year of high school. With the majority of the 2016 class now evaluated by the NCAA Eligibility Center, the NABC had an opportunity to sit down with Oliver Luck, NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs, to get an update on how the new standards have impacted this year’s class.
NABC: As you know, our
coaches play an important role in ensuring students are aware of the NCAA standards and striking an appropriate balance between time on the court and in the classroom. Can you give us a sense of why the NCAA has academic standards for initial eligibility and why members felt the standards should be raised?
LUCK: Thanks to you and
the NABC for your interest in this topic and for the support you have given us in educating coaches, students and families about these changes. Personally, as a former student-athlete, athletics administrator and parent of student-athletes, I have seen first-hand the critical role coaches play in guiding young
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people to the right information to help them make the best decisions for their future. The NCAA is thankful for the partnership we have had with the NABC on this and many other topics. To answer your question, the overarching goals of NCAA academic standards are to help students be more prepared for the rigors of a college classroom and stay on track to complete their degrees. Our research team continues to evaluate the academic data we collect on studentathletes, and we regularly review that data with our member committees, including the Division I Committee on Academics, which is made up of college presidents, athletics directors, faculty and others who determine what adjustments need to be made to maximize the number of
student-athletes obtaining their degrees. The changes that were implemented for the first time this year were approved in 2011, but we allowed time for education and for students to adjust their academic plans to meet the new standards.
NABC: With the time
allotted for education and adjustment to the new standards, can you give us a read on how the first year compares to previous years? We are interested in the broad impact across all students but obviously have a special interest in the sport of basketball.
LUCK: We have been
generally very pleased with how students performed relative to the new standard. There was some concern, both internally and externally, that
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the number of nonqualifiers and academic redshirts would exceed our forecast. But, as often happens, our students rose to the challenge, and the numbers we have seen this year are very much on par with what we have seen in previous years. Specifically, in 2014, 92.8 percent of students recruited by Division I schools were academic qualifiers, and in 2015, that number was 93.9 percent. In 2016, under the new standard, that number is 92.6 percent. For men’s basketball, the 2015 number of academic qualifiers was 88.9 percent, and in 2016, 85.4 percent. It is important to note that students who did not meet the full qualifier standard this year now have the opportunity to meet an academic redshirt standard beginning, which accounted for another 0.6 percent of all certifications and 1.0 percent of men’s basketball certifications. Academic redshirts may receive an athletics scholarship and practice with their team but may not compete during their first year on campus.
NABC: Any thoughts on what contributed to these results?
LUCK: I’m sure it was
a combination of factors, including setting a realistic new bar through evaluation of historical data and soliciting feedback from groups like the NABC. The implementation timeline also allowed for education and adjustments to be made by students, families, and their guidance counselors. Finally, and maybe most importantly, I think the
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partnership with the high school community, both on the academic side and athletics side, was critical in helping us get the message out and to drive awareness of what students needed to do to meet the new standard.
NABC: Looking ahead,
what advice can you give students and coaches as they work together to meet these new standards?
LUCK: I think first and
foremost, make sure they know the standards. We have a number of great resources available for free on our website, www.ncaa.org/ playcollegesports, ranging from brochures to one-pagers to an online NCAA Initial Eligibility course developed in partnership with the National Federation of High Schools. For students interested in competing for an NCAA school, we recommend registering with the Eligibility Center during sophomore year and submitting a transcript and ACT/SAT score to us after junior year so that we can identify any areas you may need to address prior to graduation. We just launched a redesigned website at www. eligibilitycenter.org.
NABC: Finally, can
you give us any insight into where you see NCAA academic standards going in the future and anything coaches can do to support those efforts?
LUCK: We will continue to
evaluate our academic data relative to graduation rates of NCAA student-athletes. While I don’t see any major change on the immediate horizon, our membership is focused on helping studentathletes coming onto campus be academically prepared for the academic work and keeping them on track to graduate as they participate in their sport. As for coaches, I would ask that they continue to encourage their studentathletes and parents to familiarize themselves with the NCAA standards if they are interested in competing for an NCAA school. Coaches also play a key role in building good habits around balancing sports with the classroom, time management and general health and wellness. These behaviors will serve students well in college and in life.
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THE VALUE OF SPORTS NEEDS TO BE PURIFIED. WE OWE THEM OUR BEST. by Dale Brown (June 1, 1990) They come in every variety. Some swagger to hide their fears. Some are full of hesitation and their selfdoubt is written in their every gesture. Some are loud and their speech says the world is their turf, just for them. You can barely hear some, suddenly they seem limited to a whisper. Some wear the newest fashions, the “in” attire and some come in tatters with busted tennis shoes. Some are white and some are black. Some are short and some are tall. They all have one thing in common, they can play basketball and we went and got them. We cajoled and promised. We painted bright dreams. We sat in their homes by the hour and in the gyms. We talked and talked and wrote letters and called them on the telephone. Getting them. That’s what recruiting was all about. Getting them.
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And suddenly, like Captain Marvel after a “Shazam!” there they are, in our midst, and just as suddenly there comes over us an awesome realization. These children, these talented kids with a basketball, are ours. They are ours to improve and to perfect their skills. We will try to make them faster, more accurate, more attuned to every aspect of the game we coach. We will succeed with some. We will fail with some. Some will go on to the good life and some will fall by life’s wayside, old children with busted dreams. So, is that it? Is that our obligation to them? Is that what this calling of coaching is all about? I think not. I believe that those parents who send us their most precious possessions, their hopes for the future, their tomorrow’s, and the kids themselves are due a lot more from those of us who dedicate ourselves to this profession. We owe them a vision of life, and it cannot and must not be limited to what happens on a basketball court. We owe them a sense of right and
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wrong and we must tell them what we do, for better or worse, will have consequences, that inevitably there will be a piper to pay.
We must teach them that there is not a law of nature that the end always justifies the means. More wrong has been committed against humanity with that flawed philosophy than perhaps any other. We must show them the dignity within themselves, and equally important, to respect the dignity of others. We must teach them that their word is sacred, that what they say must be true, for if not, they are only shells and not men.
We must teach them that the education that they will receive in the classroom is invaluable to them and a far better accomplishment than playing basketball.
the conclusion of all else. Time and time again, we must tell them good-bye. As we study them, now men, we must study ourselves. What have we done with them? Are they better? Worse? Are they more than when we got them? Less? They are living records of our own failures and successes. Really, that is what coaching should be about. Other people’s lives and what we help them to do with those lives. Legendary coach Dale Brown, who guided the LSU Tigers for 25 seasons, was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
We must broaden their vision of their world so that their lives are not focused on the next game to
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The NCAA Eligibility Center recently redesigned its registration website at EligibilityCenter.org. The new, mobile-friendly website simplifies the registration process with fewer questions, clarified instructions and more specific help materials. Profile Page: Student-athletes who are not sure where they want to compete in college or who plan to compete at a Division III school should create a free Profile Page. Students should expect 15 to 30 minutes to complete a Profile Page. If a student with a profile page decides to play at the Division I or II level, they can transition to a Certification Account and pay the registration fee to begin their certification process. Certification Account: A student-athlete must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school. A student must also create a Certification Account before they can make official visits to a school or sign a National Letter of Intent in Division I or II. Registration for a Certification Account typically takes 30 to 45 minutes. Tutorials and frequently-asked questions about the new website are available by visiting the “How to Register” page at NCAA.org/PlaycollegeSports. As coaches, you are an integral part in helping spread the word about what students must do to meet the NCAA standards. We need your help in emphasizing that from the beginning of ninth grade, courses and grades are more important than ever. Remember this simple formula for initial eligibility: 4x4=16. If your high school students complete four (4) English courses (one per year), four (4) math courses, four (4) science courses and four (4) social science courses, with the required core course grade point average, they should meet the Division I requirement for 16 core courses.
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ONE of the most significant
enhancements in the new EligibilityCenter.org is a new account type, giving college-bound studentathletes the opportunity to make the best decision about their college choices earlier in their high school careers. Students may now choose from the traditional certification account for Division I and II schools, or a free profile page for those attending Division III schools and students who are not yet sure where they want to compete.
Below is a checklist that will help your students as they go through the NCAA registration and certification process. Grade 9 • Students should ask their counselor for a list of your high school’s NCAA core courses to make sure they are taking the right classes. Grade 10 • Students should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at www.EligibilityCenter.org. Grade 11 • Students should again check with their counselor to make sure they will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses. • They should take the ACT or SAT and submit scores to the NCAA using code 9999. • At the end of the year, they should ask their counselor to upload official transcripts to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Grade 12 • Study hard and finish their last NCAA core courses. • They can take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and submit scores to the NCAA using code 9999. • Complete all academic and amateurism questions in your NCAA Eligibility Center account at www.EligibilityCenter.org. • After they graduate, ask their counselor to upload the final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
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2) The peer mentor: This mentor is someone who is in a similar position to yours. A coach who is currently going through the same battles, can offer a different perspective on the same situations, and allow you to return the favor. The opportunity to mentor someone else is pivotal in the growth of a coach. Many coaches fear, or forget, this mentor relationship because the coaching profession has become increasingly competitive and it may seem odd to enter a mutual mentoring relationship with someone you may compete against. Resist that thought, and embrace what could be the most important relationship you make outside your staff!
The Four Mentors You Need by Rich Czeslawski, NHSBCA Director of Development & Communication
Over the past 10 years, a disturbing trend has surfaced in the coaching community. Coaching turnover is rampant, and careers are being cut short at an alarming rate. This trend was first discussed at an NHSBCA meeting at the Final Four several years ago, and we have kept our eye on it ever since. Many reasons for the trend were brought to the table in open discussion, but the most often mentioned were: • Increasing parental involvement/expectations • Lack of administrative support • The use of social media making everyone’s opinion public • Lack of a true offseason • Competing with outside influences • Decreasing interest from fan bases All of the symptoms above pointed to an overarching theme of coaching burnout as the cause of the trend. To help reduce coaching burnout, our organization is putting together resources to help coaches in these areas. Strategies to help cope with stress, manage time, develop relationships with parents and administrators, embrace social media, and take care of the body and mind are forthcoming. Another possible reason the coaching carousel is spinning out of control is that too often coaches are getting jobs before they are ready, and are left to fend for themselves without an established support system. The need for good mentoring is more prevalent now than ever, and this is another way the NHSBCA hopes to support its members in the coming year. Here are four mentors every coach should seek to add to their lives: 1) The traditional mentor: This doesn’t necessarily have to be an “old school” coach, but you want to find someone who has been there, done that. Someone who may not even be able to relate to the nuances of coaching today’s players, but can give you valuable perspective and act as a barometer for situations as they get more and more complicated. This mentor usually does a great job of keeping you grounded and focused on the big picture.
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3) The outsider mentor: While the peer mentor is often feared or forgotten, the outsider mentor is rarely even thought of. This is someone who is successful in some area outside of coaching. They may be a business leader, an educational administrator, or just someone you admire for the person that they are. They don’t need to know a thing about basketball, and are often more impactful when they don’t. They provide a global perspective that helps you take the basketball blinders off and focus on the biggest picture, life. This mentor often serves as a moral compass for you and can guide you through things going on in your life off the court as well. 4) The ever-present mentor: Kevin Eastman is one of the most insightful clinic speakers on the circuit right now. If you ever get a chance to spend time with him or hear him speak, don’t miss it. With a grin on his face, Kevin talks about all of the “clinics” he attends in the comfort of his own home (or hotel room). He then lets you in on his secret, by pointing to all of the books, videos, podcasts, etc., that are readily available for coaches to learn from. In the same vein, one of the seven principles for a good life passed down to John Wooden by his father was, “Drink deeply from good books”. Start by finding a book or video that you identify with, and then follow the path that leads you down. Invariably, each book/resource you find will lead you to an exponential number of others like it. In the rare instance that the book or article you are reading does not cite another resource, seek out the author and ask them who their major influences are. Using this strategy, you will quickly compile a list of mentors whose thoughts you can have at your fingertips at a moment’s notice. The most valuable resources available to coaches are other coaches. Be willing to share ideas, and be open to getting new ideas from others and you will build a support system that will keep you in the fight! About NHSBCA The National High School Basketball Coaches Association is an organization uniting the 30-plus states that have State Basketball Coaches Associations to work for the betterment of the game. The NHSBCA also serves as the High School Congress within the NABC. The NHSBCA is the national voice for high school basketball coaches, working to foster high standards of professionalism and to support coaches.
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You Are Special by Carey Casey, CEO, National Center for Fathering
There are many profound benefits that young people can gain through participation in sports and other competitive pursuits. But if there’s one that seems to become more and more important in my mind every day, it’s this: you are special. Now, what do I mean by that? Looking back on my life, I know I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my involvement in athletics. I had some success, so sports gave me a place to fit in and a common denominator with other people. I also developed greater confidence, which helped me blossom in just about every other area of my life. And “special” can apply to every participant. When I tried wrestling, I was not good, but I learned a lot. And in football I played with guys who were not gifted in skill positions, so they blocked for others. Through it all, we discovered more about who we were and what strengths each player brought to the team. Our unique characteristics came forward, and through the battles we faced together we built strong relationships and grew to appreciate what was special about each teammate. I believe this is an attitude that would serve us well as coaches, friends, parents, co-workers, spouses, and in any other role.
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In practical terms, words are our main tools here, and I hope you’ll take them out of the toolbox and use them in choice ways for all the people in your life. And I realize that much of this may simply seem like affirmation and praise: you tell a child or player what makes you proud when you watch him, point out the gifts and abilities you see—and make sure your positive comments far outweigh anything you might say about things he or she could do better. Any kind of affirmation is fair game, but when was the last time you looked at someone important in your life, right in the eyes, and said, “I just want you to know, you are special”? When have you said this to your players, your children, your spouse, your neighbor? As I have had opportunities to interact with some of the strongest, fastest, greatest athletes in the world, even with all the money and fame that they have, I know many of them would give just about anything to hear from their father or another mentor in their lives, “You’re special.” “I believe in you.” “You have what it takes.” “You’re a winner, no matter what.” We all need to know that we are special—wonderfully and fearfully made—from the least of us to the greatest. From all appearances, my family members are doing well—my bride Melanie, my four children, their spouses, and my nine grandchildren. The people I work with are very capable and confident. Still, I know that everyone needs to feel special as much as possible.
We all have feelings of inadequacy or face doubts from time to time. Too often we take the people in our lives for granted and don’t express our appreciation to them. So, as a coach, father, or any other leadership role you are in, start being intentional about affirming others. When you’re alone, practice saying, “You’re special to me,” or something very similar, so it doesn’t sound strange or contrived coming out of your mouth. Then, have the courage to start saying it to people on a regular basis. Look them right in the eyes and affirm them for who they are! I know it will make a huge positive difference for them and for you. And do you know one of the best benefits about this? When people go through life believing they are special, it becomes contagious. They naturally start looking for ways to bless and affirm others in a similar way, and it will continue to spread from there. Coach, all of this can begin with you. Be a positive force in the lives of your players and everyone else around you. Tell them how special they are. Carey Casey is CEO at the National Center for Fathering (NCF) and author of Championship Fathering. He is married with four children and nine grandchildren. The vision of NCF is to have an actively engaged father or father figure in the life of every child. See more articles and resources for dad at www.Fathers.com or contact NCF at Dads@Fathers.com.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the NABC.
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ALMOST THERE Donnell Jones Pastor, Grace Covenant Church DC www.GraceCovDC.org
Are we there yet? So much more than a simple question, this expression so dominates our thoughts that we scarcely ever embrace much less enjoy here. In life we seem to be always pursuing THERE. Wherever there is or whatever there is, THERE is where we want to be. THERE not HERE. Here is on the way. Here is temporary. Here is just a necessary moment to get there: a means, not the end. Here is the place from which we express desperate hope for THERE. Who can wait to get THERE? A coach is always thinking about THERE. A coach is constantly contemplating the next recruit, the next practice, the next game, the next point, the next rebound, the next timeout, the next win, the next tournament, the next championship, the next contract, the next next. As a coach, you worry to the point of exhaustion in overtime. When will we get THERE? If we get THERE, how long can we STAY THERE? No sooner than we arrive, THERE suddenly becomes HERE again. So dissatisfied with here we set out for there again. It takes considerable effort by people, enormous energy, time and money to get there. Seems like as soon as we get there, HERE we go again. And again since we are more interested in THERE than HERE, we continue the pursuit. Anxiety about THERE makes it so hard to rest and catch our breath HERE. Oh that our soul would learn the purpose of being HERE. Here is where we grow. HERE is where we learn to endure. HERE is where we stand. HERE is where we believe. HERE is where we learn to trust.
HERE is where we apologize. HERE is where we forgive. HERE is where we stop making excuses. HERE is where we have the tough conversations we would rather avoid. HERE is where we tame our tongue. Here is where we make it about others. HERE is where it’s no longer about what we want. HERE is where we choose to continue HERE. So what do we do now that we are HERE? Think of HERE as the new THERE. I’m HERE now! I’m present NOW, not worried about LATER. The goal of life is not to get THERE! It is not some grand moment where we exhale a great sigh of relief as if we have arrived THERE. That place is not THERE. The place of exhaling is just the rest between reps in life’s gym. HERE is where we train. It’s our workout. The great sigh of relief is a part of HERE not THERE. It’s where we get a drink of water, sit for a moment, catch our breath, gather ourselves just before the next set. Instead of worrying about THERE, we can have peace about HERE. So THERE! We are HERE now! The secret to being ALMOST THERE is learning to BE HERE.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:33-34
Pastor Donnell Jones is pastor of Grace Covenant Church in Washington, D.C., Character Coach for the Maryland Terrapins and Chaplain of the NABC.
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Fist Motion Delay By Michael Holmes, UMPI
While it would be great if every game afforded coaches the luxury of superior talent, many head coaches face rebuilding programs, low-budget/low-endowment situations, or conference rivals who have strong traditions and always seem to be at the top of the league. With a shot-clock rule that rewards individual plays versus good team possessions, it is becoming gradually more difficult for “systems” to compensate for relative lack of athleticism; however, for those willing to undergo the sales pitch—we call it “brainwashing” here—to have players buy in, there are still methods for controlling the tempo of the game and giving less talented players the opportunity to be successful against more powerful rivals. We take our read-and-react motion game and extend it beyond the three-point arc. We call it Fist, and is simply a 10-second delay series designed to make the defenders move, over-extend, and drop their mental defensive intensity. If we have a positive First series, there are two potential outcomes. The first one is that we get a backcut or back-screen to free a player for a lay-in. If we have called Fist, we only allow our players to score on a lay-in from 30 seconds to 17 seconds on the shot clock. The second desirable outcome for Fist is ball possession. If the defenders soften pressure and allow us our cuts and screens, but take away the lay-up, we are still successful in controlling tempo if we have possessed the ball for 13 seconds prior to engaging in our normal offensive attack. DIAGRAM A: The initial setup of Fist Motion Delay looks like this (we don’t use a number system, but for the purpose of clarity we will number the players in a traditional manner).
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The reads are relatively simple for the first entry. 4 and 5 simply read the defending guard on their side. If the guard is above the offensive post (tight to the guard), the post should align himself to back-screen and release the overplayed guard. If the defending guard is below the post in a soft man, we know we will be able to enter the ball to the wing, so the post should begin to align himself for a back-screen on the point guard once the ball has been passed. DIAGRAM B: To keep the action moving, the receiving guard will dribble the ball back to the middle as the point guard fills his vacancy (we can screen him to get back to the spot if necessary). Ideally, we want the ball now to travel to the second side of the floor, with the weak side tandem now making the same reads as we did initially. However, let’s assume that our dribbling guard decides to hit the post instead of the guard. In that case, we will make two basket cuts, up dribble our post, and keep the sequence going back to a third side as shown. DIAGRAM C: When the shot clock reaches 17 seconds, it triggers our traditional motion series. At 17 seconds, we enter to the next side in sequence, and get a screen from the strong post at the top of the key for the weak post. While the cutting post will read this, in a majority of cases he will make a shuffle-type cut to the strong block, while our screening post pops to create a high-low relationship. DIAGRAM D: At this point, we have approximately 10-12 seconds to make two more quality screens and reads out of our motion set. We practice a great deal in the last ten seconds of the shot clock so that this play late in the clock will not cause anxiety. The quicker the movements in the delay portion of the possession, the greater the chance that the defenders will get “loose” in their weak-side help positions or in overplays of passing lanes. We do not use Fist Motion Delay all of the time, and if our match-ups are good enough, we may not use it at all in a game. It is, however, almost essential in the programs I have inherited to have some means available to shorten possessions, halves, or entire games to put our players in a position to have the best opportunity to win despite the size, skill, or speed discrepancies.
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DIAGRAM A
DIAGRAM B 1
1 3
3
2 5
2 5
4
DIAGRAM C
4
DIAGRAM D 2
3
2 5
4
3
1 5
4
1
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