I'd love for us to start a season at some point in the future and hear about all the reasons why we're going to be a good team and not all the reasons why we might not be good. Every season the groundwork for the eventual excuses is laid before the season even starts.
I think the point is...rather than say "watch these guys do it"...he is supposed to be able to COACH our teams to do it. But we have had slow ball movement around the perimeter since he has been here. In other words...it may not be a player issue...it may be a coach issue. If Cronin wants to change that...I think it's time to look in the mirror.
That was exactly what I was getting at. Games don't usually help a player learn new skills. Practice, drills and coaching add the extra skill sets. Bellarmine did not get better by watching other teams play, their coach has a philosophy and he knows how to implement it to perfection.
I think when Mick yanks players, it's not necessarily that they made a mistake but that they fail to execute what his gameplan is. When someone does something crazy on offense, like take an ill-advised shot or try to get too cute with the ball, that goes against what he wants the offense to do. On the same note on defense when a player gets completely burned or misses his assignment or just commits a horribly stupid foul then Mick gets his quick-trigger because that goes against what he teaches not to happen. I'll agree that sometimes it seems that quick trigger is too quick and can make players play tentative, but at the same time I like that he holds players accountable for their mistakes. How do they learn not to go against the team gameplan if they aren't taken out for doing their own thing?
As far as them playing Bellarmine because they pass the ball like he wants us to pass the ball, I like it. We got a lot of young kids and nothing motivates you better than getting beat, not necessarily a game but you personally getting beat on defense. The best way to teach someone why to pass the ball that extra time is to show how it works and he has plenty on tape of that. (Of course we could always review some past year's tapes of when we played Notre Dame.) But with so many young guys that are learning to play this level for the first time I like the approach. You need tape to show why it works and its better to have some tape of it happening to you to better motivate guys.
Hey TYZ...I am not faulting Cronin for having a plan and holding kids accountable. I think that's how coaching works best. There seems to be a disconnect though between what Mick SAYS he wants them to do on O (IE pass the ball and move the ball like Bellarmine) and what he will take them out for (IE turnovers and D). I am guessing his trigger isn't so quick on whether a guy holds the ball too long or misses a wide open guy on offense as opposed to a TO or not being in the right place on D.
It is VERY clear what his priorities are...and it's not ball movement. That might come 3rd or 4th to D, Reb's and TO's etc. I would like to see a bit more balance between emphasis on ball movement and a little less on the occasional TO but I can totally understand the emphasis on D. It's hard to tell players to be more free wheeling on O when you are going to yank them for a TO.
Hey TYZ...I am not faulting Cronin for having a plan and holding kids accountable. I think that's how coaching works best. There seems to be a disconnect though between what Mick SAYS he wants them to do on O (IE pass the ball and move the ball like Bellarmine) and what he will take them out for (IE turnovers and D). I am guessing his trigger isn't so quick on whether a guy holds the ball too long or misses a wide open guy on offense as opposed to a TO or not being in the right place on D.
It is VERY clear what his priorities are...and it's not ball movement. That might come 3rd or 4th to D, Reb's and TO's etc. I would like to see a bit more balance between emphasis on ball movement and a little less on the occasional TO but I can totally understand the emphasis on D. It's hard to tell players to be more free wheeling on O when you are going to yank them for a TO.
And therein lies negative reinforcement. The way to coach is do this do that.I would agree and say his trigger is quicker on defense than offense probably. I'm not sure if I really explained my point terribly well. My point on why he pulls guys so quick isn't just that they make a mistake and they're out, I think it's more he preaches don't do this, don't do that and when you do those things then it's the quick trigger. All we see as fans is the guy makes a mistake and within seconds someone on the bench is running to midcourt. We don't necessarily notice it when a player makes a mistake and a replacement doesn't come in for him. And it's not an automatic that if you turn the ball over you're going to come out.
As far as the part in bold, I'm not so sure about that. I know he focuses and preaches defense because to him those are things you can control as opposed to whether or not your shots are falling. But I've heard him gripe just as much about us standing around on offense, not having ball movement to get guys open and not being able to put in the high percentage shots. I hate to say it, but my guess is with this past few years' teams he probably realized our players were incapaple of doing those things on offense so he just adapted his gameplan to be lockdown on defense to keep the score as low as possible. I might would agree he's more forgiving on not executing the offense than not executing the defense, but again that goes back to those things he says you can control.
I would agree and say his trigger is quicker on defense than offense probably. I'm not sure if I really explained my point terribly well. My point on why he pulls guys so quick isn't just that they make a mistake and they're out, I think it's more he preaches don't do this, don't do that and when you do those things then it's the quick trigger. All we see as fans is the guy makes a mistake and within seconds someone on the bench is running to midcourt. We don't necessarily notice it when a player makes a mistake and a replacement doesn't come in for him. And it's not an automatic that if you turn the ball over you're going to come out.
As far as the part in bold, I'm not so sure about that. I know he focuses and preaches defense because to him those are things you can control as opposed to whether or not your shots are falling. But I've heard him gripe just as much about us standing around on offense, not having ball movement to get guys open and not being able to put in the high percentage shots. I hate to say it, but my guess is with this past few years' teams he probably realized our players were incapaple of doing those things on offense so he just adapted his gameplan to be lockdown on defense to keep the score as low as possible. I might would agree he's more forgiving on not executing the offense than not executing the defense, but again that goes back to those things he says you can control.
And therein lies negative reinforcement. The way to coach is do this do that.
And therein lies negative reinforcement. The way to coach is do this do that.
I think the point is...rather than say "watch these guys do it"...he is supposed to be able to COACH our teams to do it. But we have had slow ball movement around the perimeter since he has been here. In other words...it may not be a player issue...it may be a coach issue. If Cronin wants to change that...I think it's time to look in the mirror.
Naive? You said it yourself. Do it - not don't do this. I've instructed, and I've coached (though not at this level). Good instructors/coaches know how to extract the most from their players.That's so naive. To be a good coach you have to be a good teacher. What not to do is just as important as what to do. When you go a full week of practice and constantly go over certain things and they are not executed or flat out done the opposite way they were taught you should have your ass yanked. It's all about making the guys understand if you dont do it right then you come out. Very simple. It's not negative reinforcement. It's a lesson. Every coach in America uses this tactic. Do it right or sit on the bench. Mick has the depth this year where he can afford to yank anyone. Huggins was someone who did this constantly. It's an effective tactic especially with so many young players.
I could tell you all day how to write succinct, even terse, yet descriptive prose - full of imagery.....or you could just read Hemingway - which would be more effective, me teaching you or you reading Hemingway?
I could tell you all day how to write succinct, even terse, yet descriptive prose - full of imagery.....or you could just read Hemingway - which would be more effective, me teaching you or you reading Hemingway?
Naive? You said it yourself. Do it - not don't do this. I've instructed, and I've coached (though not at this level). Good instructors/coaches know how to extract the most from their players.
Naive? You said it yourself. Do it - not don't do this. I've instructed, and I've coached (though not at this level). Good instructors/coaches know how to extract the most from their players.