Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Importance of Recruiting Strategy

Any successful team needs talent to compete at a high level.  It is as essential to determining how good a program can be as offensive and defensive systems, in-game strategy and adjustments, and preparation.  It is extremely difficult to win without at least a couple of high-caliber players.  

What often gets overlooked when discussions turn to recruiting is overall strategy and the execution of that strategy.  It is the tendency of analysts to grade recruiting classes based on a numerical designation for each player.  I read recruiting blogs all the time and I see analyses that say something like "Team X signed 3 Top 100 players for next year.  They have the 6rd best recruiting class in the country."  What I do not see often is commentary on how well the players who have signed with a school will fit into the system at that school.  Even less common is commentary on executing a recruiting strategy for programs who don't sign the "best of the best" players.

Some schools go after the absolute creme de la creme and sign those players every year.  A great example is North Carolina.  Roy Williams and his staff go out and get a ton of top tier talent.  Since 2008, UNC has successfully recruited 10 McDonald's All-Americans.  Similarly, Duke has 10 McDonald's All-Americans since 2006.  Obviously, those programs are two of the best in the country, because they bring in the talent and, most of the time, the players they get adjust to their system and are productive.  Kansas is up there too.  They have 5 MAM's since 2006.  Not coincidentally, Duke, UNC, and Kansas are the last 3 NCAA Champions.  While having top flight talent with regularity is advantageous, it isn't the only way to field a top tier team. 

There are other programs which land the occasional McDonald's all American and recruit "second tier" players, but still enjoy great success.  Syracuse, Connecticut, and Michigan State are good examples of teams who fit this mold.  Boeheim likes to recruit players who work well in the 2-3 zone Syracuse plays.  They always have rangy forwards who can challenge wing shooters, At least one enormous forward/center who clogs the lane and rebounds. They usually have at least one scoring guard as well.  Syracuse has developed a system that serve them well and doesn't require top 50 recruits every year to sustain it.

UCONN always has a shot blocking center.  They have deliberately sacrificed offensive polish for defensive presence at the center position with Hasheem Thabeet and Emeka Okafor as prime examples.  Calhoun and his staff have assured defensive continuity over the years by bringing in raw centers who they develop over a couple of years.  Thabeet stayed in college for 3 years and Okafor was at UCONN for 4 seasons.  UCONN develops talent and supplements it with the occasional superstar.  They find players who play their up tempo system and develop them.  Calhoun has sent a ton of players to the NBA over the last 20 years.

Michigan State gets their McDonald's All-Americans, but they don't comprise the bulk of their teams.  Tom Izzo is an unbelievable motivator, willing his Michigan State teams to 6 Final Fours in the last 12 years.  Izzo's staff recruits regionally to put together their teams.  The current Michigan State roster is comprised of players from 4 states only: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin.  Nine of their players are from Michigan alone.  It is not all that surprising given that the style of basketball played in Michigan mirrors Izzo's style...tough and physical. 

I believe the schools that deserve the most credit with regard to recruiting are the schools that don't get the top players and recruit diamonds in the rough out of necessity.  These programs can't get the attention of the most heavily recruited players and don't waste their time trying to bag the elephant.  Gonzaga, Butler, and Xavier operate their programs under this model.  You see at least one of these programs in the Sweet Sixteen just about every year, yet they build their teams with talent comprised of players that are outside of the top 100 recruits.  They are the teams that the basketball factories think twice about playing during the year for fear of being embarrassed by a team that they should beat given the overall talent levels of the two programs.

There are challenges to recruiting no matter what any school's situation is.  The top schools may land the best players, but many of those players head for the NBA early, disrupting team chemistry.  This has effected Duke and UNC at times (although, with over 60 McDonald's All-Americans since that game started in the 70's, Carolina can't complain).  Other schools have to look for talent that can be developed into competitive players or talented players who were somehow overlooked by the powerhouse programs. 

Nobody has it easy..recruiting is hard work for every program.  However, what makes college basketball so much fun to watch is the parity...watching David beat Goliath during the early season tournaments and especially in March is what makes college basketball a better sport to watch than, say, college football in my opinion.  That said, I'd like to tip my cap to all the small schools or mid-majors or whatever you call them for executing their recruiting strategies and making college basketball the best sport there is.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Top Five Small College Nicknames

One of the great things about college basketball is the outstanding players who, for some reason, wind up at a small school and make a name for themselves.   Players like this rise from obscurity and do something memorable by leading an upset against one of basketball powerhouses in the NCAA's or going on to have a solid NBA career despite being overlooked by the major colleges.


Nicknames also stick out in my mind, so I thought I'd come with a list of the top 5 college basketball nicknames for players from small, lesser known schools:



5. Harold "The Show" Arceneaux - Weber State  - He lit up North Carolina in the NCAA tournament for 38 points and followed it up with a 30 point performance in a loss.  A great shooter.


4. Craig "Speedy" Claxton - Hofstra - Probably Hofstra's all time best player, he has stayed around the NBA for a decade.


3. Lionel "L-Train" Simmons - LaSalle - Enjoyed record breaking success in college, was a first round draft choice, and was in the NBA for 7 years before he retired due to injuries


2. Alfredrick "The Great" Hughes - Loyola of Chicago - He was an unbelievable scorer from a tiny Jesuit school in Chicago.  They advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before getting bounced by a great Georgetown team.


1. Earl "Jesus" or "The Pearl" Monroe (pick one) - Winston-Salem State - He averaged 40 points a game his senior year and went on to be one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time.  Not bad for a Division II guy.


Friday, December 17, 2010

Watch BYU

I saw BYU take apart Arizona last week and they are even better than I thought.  The Cougars can score and, while it may be too early to tell, could wind up a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  They have to play UNLV and SDSU twice each, so those games will be a good measuring stick as to how good BYU really is.  They are difficult to evaluate defensively because of their strength of schedule to date, but they rebound the ball well and cause turnovers.

Their money player, Jimmer Fredette, is more fun to watch than any other player in the country.  He can absolutely light it up and is a sneaky good passer as well given he only averages 4 assists per game.  He even sticks his nose in the paint and grabs a few rebounds.  BYU doesn't have a solid number 2 option for scoring, but the 3 players behind Fredette average 11.5, 9.9, and 9.8, so there is some scoring balance.  This team is worth keeping an eye on.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Top Ten Coaches in Division I

There is so much talent in the NCAA that it is hard to forget the coaching talent out there.  After giving this a lot of thought, I have come up with the top ten active coaches in Division I (after number 1, the rest are in no particular order):

1. Coach K- Undoubtedly the best.  He can teach, motivate, recruit, and is a great in-game strategist.  He will own all the records in a couple of years, and he has definitely earned it.  He has made adjustments throughout his tenure based on personnel and just about everything has worked. 

2. Jim Boeheim - How many years has Syracuse been overlooked in the polls and come out with ultra competitive teams?  He has changed strategies over the years to remain competitive.  They didn't always play a match-up zone at the Cuse (watch their 1987 loss to Indiana in the Finals).  Also, Syracuse does not run as much as they did in the 80's and early 90's. 

3. Jim Calhoun - He took a nothing program and built a powerhouse.  It took him a few years to get it up and running, but they are tough just about every year.  His teams play hard on both ends of the floor.

4. Roy Williams - He shook his "bridesmaid" reputation a few years ago by winning the big one.  His teams, while almost always super-talented, don't always play up to their talent level.  However, he may be the best recruiter in the country, so it usually doesn't matter because UNC can underachieve and still win a lot of games.

5. Rick Pitino - There have been a couple of years where his team should probably have gone further in the NCAA Tournament based on pure talent, but he has made up for it in other years by coaching over-achievers.  Has several disciples out there who coach similarly and have had great success.

6. Billy Donovan-Back to Back Championships is a magnificent achievement, particularly in today's game where there is so much parity.  The 3 top ten picks he lost after his second championship stung, but he'll be back on top sooner rather than later.

7. Bill Self - His teams are tough, tenacious, and talented.  They absolutely destroyed an unbelievably talented Carolina team in the Final Four on their way to the Championship (yes, Carolina did come back, but Kansas flattened them for a good portion of that game).

8. Tom Izzo - His teams rarely beat themselves, and their grittiness every year is very impressive.  He gets the most out of his teams.  Perhaps the closest to Coach K in terms of overall coaching ability.  He gets the recruits and gets the most out of them.  

9. Gary Williams - He has not had the same level of success that he had enjoyed at Maryland in the past, but I would not be surprised if he had one more surge of top level achievement before he is done, health permitting (he is extremely volatile).

10. Rick Majerus - He is a basketball genius.  It was a pleasure to hear him break down games as an analyst between coaching stints.  He started his career under Al McGuire, and has done his mentor proud.  Has done as much with his talent year over year as any coach in recent memory. 

10a. Mark Few - Gonzaga was known for having had Bing Crosby as a student before Few came there, and look what he's been able to do.  While Gonzaga made the Elite 8 in 1999 when Few was an assistant coach, he built the team that has been competitive on a national level every year.  Gonzaga will play anyone anywhere - many teams avoid them like the plague.  He manages to bring in enough talent to a school that, under conventional wisdom, shouldn't compete with the big boys.

Honorable mentions: Thad Matta, Bo Ryan, Jay Wright, John Calipari, Ben Howland, Bob Huggins.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Top Teams and Leagues Surfacing

After the early tournaments, a few things have become obvious this year:

1. Duke is as good as advertised.  They have perimeter play, they can rebound.  They can shut down opponents, push the ball, and finish.  They are deep, and play smart basketball.  In short, they are a nighmare.

2. Kansas looks really strong.  They may be the most athletic team in the country.  The big men are active and the guard play is solid as well.  The consensus that K-State was the team to beat in the Big 12 was premature.

3. The Big East is very deep and the top teams are better than most thought before the season.  Pitt was picked by most as a top 5 team, but Syracuse (as usual) was clearly underrated as was Connecticut.  While Villanova and West Virginia may have been a little overrated (and the jury is still out), Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame and Marquette are clearly better teams than the pollsters thought.  THIS CONFERENCE IS SCARY.

4. The ACC is weaker and the Big Ten may be better than most thought.  The ACC is very top heavy again (i.e., Duke, and only Duke, is worth mentioning), and the Big Ten may wind up with 6 or 7 teams in the NCAA Tournament.  Ohio State appears to be loaded.  Michigan State has played an absolutely brutal schedule and Purdue is very good.  Illinois has already beaten UNC, Maryland, and Gonzaga.  Wisconsin may turn out to be a very good team by the end of the year (they beat NC State by about 40), and Minnesota looks tough.  Even Northwestern could turn out to be good...they blew out Georgia Tech (okay, the Ramblin' Wreck was eaten alive by Kennesaw St.).

There's a lot of parity again this year,  so thank you Hoop gods.