Troy University Athletics
Basketball Redefined
12/19/2008 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
Friday, December 19, 2008
I'm not going to lie - writing this blog during basketball season has proven to be far more difficult than it was during football season, for a few reasons. First, there are way too many games in a basketball season to write two blogs per game. We're one month into the season and have played 10 games. That's almost an entire football season already.
Secondly, I know far, far less about basketball than I do about football - and that's saying a lot.
Lastly, and somewhat disappointingly, I've had much less to talk about as far as wins go thus far. It's still really early in the season, but four wins to the date doesn't leave much to talk about. And if you know me personally, you know that Alyson at a loss for words is a rare thing.
A little Alyson-basketball disclaimer: I've been lucky enough to experience TROY basketball up close and personal for five seasons now. I am constantly reminded that I am not as good as my predecessor, Bobby Templin, in the regards to athletic trainer-winning percentage. I am forever reminded that Bobby T. knew basketball, as well as statistics behind the game, much better than I.
You see, Bobby T. was the athletic trainer during some of the golden days of TROY Men's Basketball: a handful of conference championships, a trip to the NIT, and most admiringly a trip to the Big Dance. Bobby T. could see the holes in the defense of the opponent and point it out to the coaches on the side and they'd adjust accordingly. My input is based on the players' hair styles and the ever-consistent calls of the officials at the games. My only recourse when they remind me of my short-comings is that I look better in high heels than Bobby T. does!!
Another important side-note as I talk basketball for the next three months: I have only worked with TROY basketball, thus only having worked with Coaches Maestri and Felix. I spent one year with the team in the Atlantic Sun Conference before moving up to the Sunbelt Conference. We played well with those teams and fit it nicely with school and town sizes for the most part. UCF was an exception and they have since moved on to Conference USA. Ever been to Buies Creek, North Carolina? It makes Troy look like a metropolis. If you don't believe me, ask our manager, Christian Laing. His dad is the Head Coach at Campbell.
Since TROY made the move, it's been an uphill battle in the basketball realm. We've moved to a conference that is basketball oriented, with beautiful facilities and fan support to prove it. Heck, I'd guess to say that Western Kentucky has more people attending basketball games than football. And what a crowd they will have in their shiny, confettti-shooting arena on New Year's Day 2009.
Now that doesn't mean we can't beat the teams in the Sunbelt (my thoughts return to our first ever home conference match up with WKU and the loss they took back to Bowling Green, Kentucky, with them). We can beat anybody, anytime, anywhere just like the football team. I think we'll just have to work harder to do so.
I have spent enough time in practice to tell you that at some point in the last five years in our style of offense if you pass the ball, you need to cut to the opposite corner and that you should rebound your own shot. That's two things which Coach Maestri and the coaching crew consistently remind the players. Now, do the players always do that? That's another story. But it's no different than any other team sport. It takes individuals standing beside each other and doing their part to win as a team. Selflessness is much more difficult when there are fewer teammates standing beside you.
Basketball is a funny sport to me for a lot of different reasons. Most obvious, the players have to play offense AND defense continuously. It's unlike football in that your offense usually scores, the defense takes over to keep the other team from scoring and then another eleven players come back to the field to try to score again. Sure, the defense scores every once in a while, but not as often as the offense does. Basketball is like tennis: back and forth, back and forth; offense, defense, offense, defense, time out, and so on. There's no huddle or game clock to get the next play setup. The only other sport I can think of that moves any faster is hockey. They don't even take time out to sub players in.
I've learned a little about the 'fast-break' in the last few years and honestly thought that it was something only the Trojans did. I've learned that it is, in fact, not really a style of basketball entirely, but an occasional opportunity to score points quickly. Yes, Coaches Maestri and Felix have seemed to acheive a lot of success with the fast-break, but just like the spread offense, it takes a special type of team and individual athlete to make it work consistently. Ask a team to the east of us what they think about the success of the spread offense.
I also think that basketball is a little less forgiving than other team sports. Maybe it's in the same reason that the players have to know both sides of the game to play effectively. A basketball game can change in the matter of seconds, especially if it's close and not a lot of time remaining.
I ate more antacids in the first two years in the last minutes of the games than the coaches did due to all the excitement. I'd be thinking "one minute remaining and we're down by 10 points...time to start making ice bags." But NO! All those time outs we saved up were being exhausted, players were being fouled and subsequent free throws missed and we're back in the game with a buzzer beater to take us to overtime! I was a nervous wreck! I've calmed down though and don't get as excited on the bench anymore.
Needless to say, the players don't ask me for pointers on their jump shot or if they're keeping their head up while they're running their lanes looking for the pass. I do the taping, evaluating and rehabbing of injuries, driving, and occasional comedic relief when necessary and the coaches do the coaching. It works best that way.
I think Coaches Maestri and Felix are excellent coaches and that they are great role models for Assistant Coaches Curry and Fletcher. Both Maestri and Felix are teachers as well as coaches, which is obvious when you watch practice.
It is much like a test sometimes, as Coach Maestri will demonstrate something new or something that hasn't quite worked lately: he'll talk about it for a few minutes while demonstrating, break it down into steps and then quiz the players on what he's gone over. We have pop quizzes quite often in practice and in the locker room during games where Coach Maestri will say something like "when you pass the ball, you're supposed to what?" And then he'll wait momentarily for an answer like a Baptist preacher waits for the occasional 'AMEN' and give the answer himself if nobody spoke up loud enough or got it right: "you cut to the opposite corner!" Just like a good teacher would do with a new subject matter.
I would like to say that I am proud of the effort the team put forth last night in the win over conference foe Florida Atlantic. It feels good to remember how to win again. One of the players said today that we'd practiced too hard and too long NOT to win that one last night. I agreed wholeheartedly.
There's a big game Saturday at UAB, where I sit in one of eight Hampton Inns in Birmingham at the moment. Don't ask me how I know there are eight Hampton Inns in Birmingham. Let's just say that I came to Birmingham on my own vehicle earlier today so I could do a little shopping and had an experience or two in the hours before the team arrived this afternoon.
During shoot around at Bartow Arena tonight, Coach Maestri said it could be a 'signature win' for Trojan Basketball tomorrow if we could pull off the upset. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
That will be the beginning of a Trojan Triathlon of sorts for me. Quickly after the clock expires at the basketball game tomorrow, I'll be headed in the general direction of southwest on some major highway to the Big Easy for a little game you might have heard about: The R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. If you see a white Expedition with a Troy Faculty/Staff sticker in the rear window, honk your horn! Shortly after time expires on the football clock, I'll be east bound and down headed back to Troy for the last basketball game before Christmas.
I'm sure I'll have a chance to drop a line or ten at that juncture, so I'll leave you wishing all of you headed to New Orleans safe travels to and from as well as a little luck!
GO TROJANS!
Alyson
