bearcat jeff
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Of the current top seven teams in the BEast, six have at least 4 seniors. Syracuse is the lone exception but where would they be without senior big man Ricky Jackson?
Rick Pitino picked St. Johns to win the BEast largely because they had 9 seniors returning. After Georgetown's loss to St. Johns JP3 said this: "They’re exactly the same,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "They’ve been out there for four years, all playing significant minutes. They have experience.”
Cincinnati is where it is because of the leadership of it's 3 and 4 year players. They have 5 Seniors all of whom are playing with a sense of urgency and want to depart Clifton having left a mark on this program. They hold each other accountable and are leaving an example for the underclassmen to duplicate. The young guys see that doing things this way fosters winning. Mick Cronin hasn't had that luxury since he was hired as Head Coach.
Notre Dame has 6 including Abromaitis, Hansborough and Nash. Villanova has 3 seniors with names like Stokes, Pena and Fischer. Pitt has Gilbert Brown, Brad Wannamaker, and Gary McGhee among it's final year players.
In my opinion winning programs all have one thing in common. They have Senior leaders who set an example and hold others accountable. They reinforce the expectations of the coaching staff and police the players. They help bring the team together for a common goal and accept nothing less. Once you have that winning formula it can be duplicated. People will want to duplicate it and want to play within it's structure.
When teams play in a league like the BEast that experience becomes doublely important. Physically everyone is not ready for the size and strength of the players they'll face nightly. Mentally there is a huge adjustment to the level of play and pace of the game. Seniors have been there done that.
Experience alone doesn't guarantee you'll win. Let's be honest you have to have some level of talent. But when the talent is there and it's coupled by experienced leaders, it can take a team to a whole new level. The BEast is a proving ground for this theory every year.
Rick Pitino picked St. Johns to win the BEast largely because they had 9 seniors returning. After Georgetown's loss to St. Johns JP3 said this: "They’re exactly the same,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "They’ve been out there for four years, all playing significant minutes. They have experience.”
Cincinnati is where it is because of the leadership of it's 3 and 4 year players. They have 5 Seniors all of whom are playing with a sense of urgency and want to depart Clifton having left a mark on this program. They hold each other accountable and are leaving an example for the underclassmen to duplicate. The young guys see that doing things this way fosters winning. Mick Cronin hasn't had that luxury since he was hired as Head Coach.
Notre Dame has 6 including Abromaitis, Hansborough and Nash. Villanova has 3 seniors with names like Stokes, Pena and Fischer. Pitt has Gilbert Brown, Brad Wannamaker, and Gary McGhee among it's final year players.
In my opinion winning programs all have one thing in common. They have Senior leaders who set an example and hold others accountable. They reinforce the expectations of the coaching staff and police the players. They help bring the team together for a common goal and accept nothing less. Once you have that winning formula it can be duplicated. People will want to duplicate it and want to play within it's structure.
When teams play in a league like the BEast that experience becomes doublely important. Physically everyone is not ready for the size and strength of the players they'll face nightly. Mentally there is a huge adjustment to the level of play and pace of the game. Seniors have been there done that.
Experience alone doesn't guarantee you'll win. Let's be honest you have to have some level of talent. But when the talent is there and it's coupled by experienced leaders, it can take a team to a whole new level. The BEast is a proving ground for this theory every year.
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