Arizona Men’s Basketball Newsletter – August 2010
Link for the U of A Newsletter – August 2010.
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2010
To join the newsletter list please email seanmiller@arizona.edu, or visit our website each month for a copy.
Remember who has the final decision
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis writes for Hoop Gurlz… he writes exceptionally well. Very insightful. Would I consider him a writer? Probably not. No disrespect intended. Mark’s a basketball coach. In my mind’s eye I still see him on the sideline, or out on the road recruiting…. minus the camera.
So many times in the recruiting process parents try to re-live their sports lives (or lack there of) through their child’s… HUGE MISTAKE. Mark’s insight is accurate and helpful. Mark says, “I’m not a parent…” I disagree. Biology may not have played a part in Mark’s “parenting,” but he “parented” many during his 20+ year coaching career.
I’m a parent. We have a daughter. Both my wife and I went off to college. I blew out my ankle twice. If I didn’t pick the school because I wanted to be there no matter what happened on the basketball court – I would have been miserable. My wife did transfer because she was miserable. We had both sides of the story. Mark is spot on.
I hope Mark is around and I remember his words in 2018 when our daughter is making her decision.
In… Remember who has the final decision, Mark shares a great perspective into the process of recruiting for parents. Who actually has the final decision is really important.
Parenting is tough. That fact is evidenced every day by rebellious kids and surrendering parents who just throw up their arms in exasperation. The approaches to guiding, teaching, preparing and supporting are varied and as daunting a challenge as any adult will face.
Now add to that the twists, turns and decisions that come with the recruiting of a prospective student-athlete and you’ve got a volatile mix that can tip the fragile relationship between a teenager and her parents.
I must confess, I’m not a parent. In fact my single greatest contribution to society may well be that I’ve added no offspring of mine to the population. However, I have had a ringside seat to a multitude of recruiting decisions through the years that have revealed some startling child-parent dynamics.
A lot of athletes go through the recruiting process with their parents at their side and come up with the right decision that makes sense for her future in the classroom, on the court and personally. The tug of war begins when the agenda of mom and dad start to override that of their daughter.
Posted 3 weeks, 4 days ago at 10:28 AM. 1 comment
What’s wrong with college basketball?
THIS IS REALLY GOOD. You’ll see, even though it is “anonymous”, it’s still not 100% accurate… but it’s pretty good. Coaches will still be self-serving and self protective even when being anonymous. It’s as close as I’ve seen to the “truth” though.
By Dana O’Neil ESPN.com
The image of college basketball has taken a beating in recent years, with rumors, murmurs and innuendo about cheating spreading like wildfire. Cynics believe no one is trying to follow the NCAA rulebook and that the game has fallen victim to the begging hands of agents, runners and hangers-on looking to collect on the next NBA star.
Is it that bad? What are the real problems? And is the NCAA doing enough to fix those problems?
To get the answers, ESPN.com went to the sources. During the EYBL Peach Jam last week, we interviewed 20 high-profile head coaches, representing each of the six power conferences. With the promise of full anonymity, we asked them to tell the truth about their sport.
And they did.
What is your least favorite part of summer recruiting?
No one likes the constant travel, the bad basketball and the emphasis on individual skills instead of team play.
Coaches travel everywhere to watch high school kids in July, but can’t keep an eye on their own.
But of the coaches surveyed, many — eight of the 20 — cited the time away from campus and their own players as the biggest problem with the summertime.
“I have my team over for a barbecue before I leave in July,” one coach said. “Little do they know it’s a farewell, not a welcome barbecue.”
“You walk into a living room and promise a mother that you’ll be there for her son,” said another. “And as soon as they get on campus, you’re gone.”
“They’re all on campus and I’m on the road,” added another. “If they do something stupid, I’m going to get fired — but I can’t be there to see what they’re doing.”
Some other popular grievances:
“What don’t I like? All of it. I don’t think there should be summer recruiting, period. They want to clean it up? Get rid of it.”
“I’ll tell you another problem — 70 percent of the kids we’re sitting here watching should be in summer school. They shouldn’t be here.”
“What don’t I like about summer? Everything. The babysitting, the ass-kissing. Does that cover it?”
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 11:54 AM. Add a comment
Rose Classic
ANTON MARCHAND
For those that haven’t been up around NYC, especially in Brooklyn… you are missing out. You have to swing through and see the Rose Classic at JHS 113 on Adelphi Avenue and Anton Marchand.
You can read all about the history, the players and the exceptional things Anton is doing for that community is the Daily News articles below.
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 5:21 PM. Add a comment
Play Through the Foul
Most of you know, remember or have a story about Vera Jones… the Flying V! A caring a funny lady that you don’t easily forget. My stories and memories all stem from both our time on the road with the New York Liberty.
Vera Jones
We need to support Vera in her attempt to continue to “Play Through the Foul,” (as her book suggests). This really isn’t about Vera’s attempt to garner her own talk show… though after spending several years with Vera while she broadcast New York Liberty games, I have to vouch for her gift. She is a talented broadcaster, a funny, funny lady and a great person. A talk show featuring Vera would, no doubt, be both inspirational and entertaining.
No, this is about Vera only child Andrew. Andrew is 12 and a short time ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Andrew underwent many hours of surgery and came out of it alive, but having lost 3/4 of his sight. She and Andrew were immediately handed the greatest “foul” of thier lives.
As Vera’s book says…”Play Through the Foul,” she has taught her young son… “it’s not how much you can see, but who you are meant to be.” Well go ahead V… do your thing!
If that means Vera is meant to host her own TV talk show… Great! We can help her by voting for her audition tape here.
… and lending her our thoughts and prayers for Andrew’s complete recovery.
Follow the above link, watch V’s audition and vote to help her realize her dream. Good Luck Vera!
