"I'll be honest, he's half-coaching the team right now, and I'm fine with it."
With Billy Richmond being the only returner for the Hogs, Coach Calipari said he's been a big leader of the team this offseason.
He told him to "live in the gym now" if he wants to make himself a top 10 pick. #WPS
Nick Nurse gives a surprisingly blunt definition of good coaching:
1. Win games
2. Increase every player’s value in the marketplace
“People ask me, ‘What’s your coaching philosophy?’ For me, I always try to say a couple things. One is: You’ve got to instill that you’re playing to win the game. That sounds really simple. But that is how we’re judged. That’s why they keep score.”
“Right under that is: Can we increase each player’s value in the marketplace? The guys who make the All-Star team are always from winning teams. The guys who win end-of-the-year awards are always from winning teams. MVPs come from winning teams. Those things are closely related.”
“I’m not afraid to talk to the players about that. How are we getting you to another place? To a better contract? A longer contract? From the 13th man to the ninth man? From the ninth man to the sixth man?”
“What can we do? We spend a lot of time trying to get them better. We’ve got to develop them. We’ve got to work with them. We’re not afraid to tinker with their shot. We’re not afraid to put in the time.”
“Our film sessions one-on-one are about winning basketball plays. That’s what makes a good coach.”
“Can you substitute well? Can you call timeouts well? Can you draw plays? Can you get on them when they need it? Can you put your arm around them when they need that too?”
Jon Sumrall grew up in Huntsville.
His first three years at Grissom High, they went 1-9, 1-9 and 3-7. But, his dad wouldn't let him change schools:
"If you're any good, you'll make that place better."
His final year, they went 12-2:
"Really a foundational experience."
AAU is in a weird place right now. It’s harder than ever to get recruited out of high school but we have more AAU teams and “circuits” than ever before. Feels like the AAU bubble is going to have to burst eventually. The financial side is unsustainable for most families.
Mark Daigneault on Ajay Mitchell, who put up 20 shots in his first playoff start: “He’s obviously not shy. Winners fail and losers hide. He wasn’t hiding.”
“I feel like I give hope to everybody that is the same size as me… With hard work you can make it a long way, & I’m a prime example of that.” - Payton Pritchard
(Via @JustinmTurpin 🎥)
Breaking: Five-star Miikka Muurinen has committed to Arkansas, he and his agent, Teddy Archer of TAA Sports, tells ESPN.
Arkansas now boasts the nation’s top recruiting class.