Because college basketball is just around the corner, I thought this would be a good assignment to get you thinking about college basketball and different coaching styles.
The article below is about 4 highly accomplished Division 1 college basketball coaches. Please read the article and answer the questions below. Please remember to put your name on your Blog so that I can give you credit.
John Calipari and Rick Pitino
ESPN.com
It ain't easy being John Calipari.
But that doesn't mean it's easy.
In fact, the advantages of Calipari's job can frequently double as its drawbacks. That insane talent only raises expectations, expectations that create in fans not hope but demands: win or else. Every move on this team is scrutinized by a local media corps year-round, 24/7, 365. The position Calipari has put himself in with this team is enviable, sure, but it is also tenuous; there is absolutely no margin for error.
Which only makes the coaching job he's done this season all the more impressive. First, Calipari had to assemble this juggernaut. (Recruiting is often overlooked in coach-of-the-year discussions, but why?) Then, he had to solder disparate talented parts -- the kind of top-end AAU stars who might easily bristle against diminished roles -- into a basketball team even better than the sum of its parts. Then, he had to guide that team through the maelstrom that is basketball season in Kentucky, particularly a basketball season in which nothing but a national title can be considered a success.
The Wildcats are very nearly there. Does Calipari have the best talent in the country? No question. Are Calipari's problems of the high-class variety? Oh yeah. But high-class problems are still problems, and no coach in the country -- through the media, through point-perfect long-view guidance, through in-season adjustments designed to maximize each player's ability -- manages them better than the governor of BBN.
Sure, sure: Saying Calipari's job is hard is like saying driving a Maserati is too stressful. But the driver still has to hit his turns, and Coach Cal hasn't missed one.
-- Eamonn Brennan
Rick Pitino insisted that, outside the birth of his three children, no day in his life was better than this past Saturday, when Louisville topped Florida to make it to the Final Four.
It sounded like adrenaline-fueled hyperbole, but Pitino makes a valid point. On a résumé dotted with impressive results, this season just might be the most miraculous and magical, not to mention the best coaching job in Pitino's illustrious career.
Louisville is going to New Orleans despite a roster that read like an NFL injured reserve list -- Mike Marra (done for the season, ACL injury), Rakeem Buckles (done for the season, ACL injury),Stephan Van Treese (done for the season, patellar injury), Wayne Blackshear (out 25 games, shoulder injury), Peyton Siva (missed three games, ankle injury, concussion), Kyle Kuric (missed three games, ankle injury), Jared Swopshire (missed two games, groin injury).
But mostly Louisville is going to New Orleans because a would-be (should-be) Hall of Fame coach pushed every right button at every critical juncture. When injuries decimated his roster, Pitino slowed things down, and when everyone finally got healthy, he went back to his roots, pushing the tempo and turning a team that is short on offensive savvy into a defensive swarm.
No one will even try to argue that this is among Pitino's top-five (top 10?) talented teams, but what the Cards may lack in skill, they make up for in gumption. They are relentless, a team that never seems to accept the fact that it can't or shouldn't be able to come back.
In a high-end Final Four, Louisville is the only real underdog, a team that limped into the postseason, losing four of its final six regular-season games.
Yet Louisville is going to New Orleans because one of the most successful coaches in the game did the best job of his career.
-- Dana O'Neil
Thad Matta and Bill Self
ESPN.com
In late February, Thad Matta curtailed the bravado of a talented Buckeyes squad by kicking his team out of practice.
Ohio State became a national title contender the moment that Jared Sullinger fulfilled his promise to return for his sophomore season. Lost in that signature development, however, was the team's reliance on youth and the leadership void left by three graduating seniors.
The Buckeyes endured a 2-3 stretch in February that warranted questions about the way they'd end the season. Yes, they had weapons, but without the proper drive, they'd never achieve what their abilities suggested they were capable of accomplishing.
Enter Matta.
His elite coaching prowess has been proved by the development within his program. Deshaun Thomas enters the Final Four as one of the most potent scorers in the field. Aaron Craft's defensive fortitude has disrupted offense strategies all season. Sullinger lost weight and added new offensive wrinkles to his game under Matta's watch, too.
But the head coach deserves just as much credit for his ability to mold this young group mentally. Matta didn't have the veteran leaders who had led some of his Buckeyes teams in recent years, and unlike his 2006-07 NCAA national runner-up squad, he didn't have three first-round picks.
Matta's tutelage, however, fueled a rapid maturation process that equipped the Buckeyes with the proper mindset in March, even though they didn't appear to have it in late February. Every time his youthful team moved off track, Matta brought it back. Sometimes, he had to praise players after tough outings. On other occasions, he had to humble them like the day he booted them from practice.
But in the best coaching performance of his career, Matta became Ohio State's maestro.
And that's why the Buckeyes are still making music.
-- Myron Medcalf
Back in October, a few days after the start of official workouts, Bill Self re-evaluated his expectations for this season's squad.
Coaches often downplay the potential of their team, but in this case, Self's concern seemed genuine. The Jayhawks had lost four starters and six of the top eight players from a roster that finished 35-3 the previous season. Only two returning players -- point guard Tyshawn Taylor and forward Thomas Robinson -- averaged more than four points per game in 2010-11.
When Kansas defeated Ohio State at Allen Fieldhouse in December, Self was thrilled, for reasons you may not expect.
"We needed a feather in our cap," said Self, whose team had already lost to Kentucky and Duke. "We needed to beat someone to get into the tournament. At that point we hadn't done it."
Four months later, Kansas is preparing to play Ohio State again -- in the Final Four.
It happened because of Self, who has turned what was supposedly his worst team into one of his best. This is the second Final Four appearance for Self, who has won more games than any other college coach in America since his arrival at Kansas in 2003-04. Self sparked KU to the NCAA title in 2008. As impressive as his efforts were then, his excellence has been magnified more this season than in any other in his career.
In Robinson, Self took a player who averaged a little more than 14 minutes off the bench last season and turned him into a Wooden Award candidate.
Taylor, a third-team All-American, went from being one of the most criticized players in KU history to one of the most loved. Self transformed role players such as Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford -- all of whom averaged between two and four points last season -- into solid players and contributors.
Kansas advanced to the Final Four by beating a North Carolina team that played six McDonald's All-Americans. The Jayhawks don't have any. With Self on the sideline, it didn't matter.
It hasn't all season.
-- Jason King
2. Based on what you read, who is the best coach and why? Please give 2 reasons to support your answer.
3. When a team wins a championship, do you think that means that team had the best coach? Please give 2 reasons to support your answer.
33 comments:
1. Connecticut
2. John Calipari is the best coach because he's very intelligent and he knows whats best for the team.
3. No that's not what I think it means because hes not the only one that's putting in effort for the whole team and there's no team with one coach.
-Malcolm Amobi
1. UCONN huskies
2. Rick Pitino, his team was killed with injuries, yet he managed to keep his remaining guys going and slowly rebuild the injured players and took Louisville far into March Madness.
3. No certain teams could have better individual skills, or be at a physical advantage.
Nick Bien
1. UConn won the 2014 basketball championship.
2. I think Calipari is the best coach b/c he is the best at assembling teams with high school prospects. Also, he delivers ever season like last by taking his team to the championship game.
3. When a team wins a championship it does not make that coach the best b/c they could have the best players. Also, a different teams win the championship every years so there would be a ton of "best coaches"
Ben Burger
1. louisville
2. rick pinito. because even though they lost alot of players, they still were able to beat syaracuse in the final four.
3. no. it just means that the coach was more determined than the other teams in the division. the coaches set a goal for themselves.
Kosta Skardis
1. Conneticut Huskeys.
2. I think John Calapri is the best if not one of the best because he has done so well as a coach. Calapari has 555 total wins and is doing great at kentucky.
3. When a team wins a National Championship I dont think they had the best coach. There could have been the best teams upset by smaller teams, their might have had bad calls or the players didnt play well enough.
Paul Saah
Young Kim
1)The Connecticut Huskies men's basketball won the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships.
2)I think that Coach Pitino is the best coach since he can lead a team with many injured star players to New Orleans. He is also the best coach since he also led Louisville , an underdog team, to top Florida advancing to the Final Four.
3) Yes I do think that if a team wins a championship, they have the best coach because teams win because they are disciplined, not particularly good, and they are well disciplined by the Coach. Also, the championship team has the best Coach since the team that wins, wins because of their strong mentality. Strong mentality comes from yourself and your coach. Coaches encourage the team to push on no matter how hard it gets. Building a strong mindset for the team allows the team to win their matches on the court.
1. The Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
2. Jason King. Kansas advanced to the Final Four by beating a North Carolina team that played six McDonald's All-Americans.
3. in 2008, i think that means they have best coach and best player.if there is only have good players, no good coach they cant play like a team, if there only have good coach, but no good player, they cant do anything.
George Mikalis Pd. 1
1. The 2014 Champions were UConn (Connecticut)
2. I believe Rick Pitino is the best on this list because despite injuries, he led his team to the final four... He is also knowledgeable enough to know how to go back to basics which he had to do with some of the players who had to step up big while there were injuries
3. Yes i think if a team wins a championship, it means they had the best coach. First off, a great coach provides foundation to a team through its offensive and defensive schemes and an even better coach helps his players develop through adversity and losses which most likely every team will face
George Mikalis Pd. 1
1. UCONN won the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
2. I think Rick Pitino is the best coach because he got to the Final Four despite his team suffering a lot of injuries. And he also had to manage a point guard who had a terrible assist to turnover ratio.
3. No, i do not think that winning a national championship requires having the best coach. You could have the best players because of good recruiting, and there is also the factor of being healthy and having all of your players available.
ZAYD ALI
1.) The winner of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship was the UConn Huskies.
2.) Based on what I read, I believe that Coach Calipari is the best coach because he recruits the best players year after year and because he is able to get a group of young, inexperienced players to do well year after year.
3.) When a team wins a championship, I think that means that the team had the best coach because it was the coach that recruited the players and because it was the coach that brought the players together to work as a cohesive unit, good enough to win a championship.
-Andy Xiao
Nicky Motazedi
1)University of Connecticut who are the huskies
2)Rick pittino because he's got nice hair, finds ways to win even when players get injured and helped rebuild those players
3) winning the championship does not always require the best coach because the players are the ones playing not the coach
-Nicky Motazedi
1. UConn
2. I think that Pinto is the better coach,because although his team suffered from many injuries, he was strategic enough to utilize all the healthy players he had left made a final four run
3. i don't think winning the championship prove that you have the best coach, because not only are the coaches not the ones with talent, also they are not the only ones who recruit high school players
kayvan foualadi
1. Uconn won the championship.
2. I think UK coach John Calipari is the best coach because of his ability to find the best high school players that fit his style of coaching. Also because of his skill to utilize his team to their strengths.
3. No, I think the team just has a coach that knows how to use his players' strengths and has good techniques to win.
Ashwin Acharya
1.) UCONN
2.) Rick Pitino, because he lost a lot of players but still managed to take the remaining players far int the NCAA tournament, without his best players.
3.) No, certain teams could have better players or skills, or have a physical advantage.
1. UConn won
2. John Calipari is the best because he understands the game very well and put it into action. Also he keeps his mind focused on the team.
3. No. Having a good coach is 50% of the work. The players are the ones that do the play. that's where the points come from.
Naveen Paul
Period 1
UConn
I think that Bill Self is the best coach, because he lost many key starters from the year before, and was left with players who weren't very talented. He was also the best coach because he was able to develop the players, make them ready for the NBA.
When a team wins the championship, it does not make the coach automatically the best coach, because the team could have really good players. The coach of a winning team might not always have the greatest impact on their team, and usually, the best coaches are coaches who make an impact on the team's culture and record overall.
Amogh Rao
1. UConn
2. Calipari because he has so much experience and has one so many games.
3. No , because you can have a good team and a crappy coach and a bad team and a good coach and the team can still win.
Sidney Moorer
1. Uconn
2. Rick Pitino, he brought his team far into the March Madness without much depth in his roster
3.No, some teams might have more of an advantage or some teams are just better than others
Thomas Nguyen
1) UCONN was the winner of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
2) I think that Pitino is the best coach because he puts his heart on it. He Works so hard to make it all perfect and not to do any mistake. He can figure out what to do even with some of his players with injuries after the games.
3) I do not think so, it is true that the coach did a good job and he deserves part of the credit but the players put a lot of effort on it too and most times they practice by their own, not only in the practices.
Carolina Heufemann
Humza Mohiuddin
1. Uconn
2. Rick Pitino, he had people out but he was able to work without them also he didnt let a bunch of injuries hold him back so he held his team together and took Louisville far.
3. No, Teams could have bigger players and more physical players, also they can have better recuits just because of the colleges name.
1. The Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
2. I think Rick Pitino because even though many of the players on his team were injured, he was able to train the rest of the team effectively and help the injured get back into shape.
3.I think when a team wins a championship, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have the best coach. For a team to win it takes good players, good coach and the collaboration of both. A good coach is needed to direct the players with the strategy of a successful play and train them effectively to achieve the standards. The players need to put in the effort to train efficiently and follow through with the set playing formations. The cooperation between the two is what makes a team successful.
-Anne Li
1.Uconn huskies
2. Thad matta is the best coach because he motivated his players by kicking them out of practice
3.Yes it does matter that a team has the best coach when they win a championship, because they cant get there without him and he helps teach them diligence and perseverance
-Max Ramsay
Ben Summers-Berger
1. UCONN
2. Rick Pitino because he led his team to the championship even with a devastating injury plus hes won championships at 2 different schools.
3. No because a coach can get lucky with a sensational player or an unlikely play.
1. UCONN
2. I think John Calipari is the best coach because he lands top recruits every year. It also takes a great coach to make that talent work together on the court.
3. Yes I do because the coach is the one recruiting these top prospects. Also because, top players are not that easily coached. The coach needs to show discipline.
Charlie Zhang
1. Connecticut
2. John Calipari is the best coach because he is able to assemble a team with the best high school players and train them to be who they are.
3. No, some teams can have players with certain physical advantages making their team stronger without the coach.
Sean Liang
1. Connecticut won
2. John Calipari is the best ncoach because he has a lot of experien ce and knows what he is talking about
3. no because winning a championship is a team effort there is not 1 person who wins ikt. also some teams may have a physical or mental advantage
kiana johnson
Connecticut
John Calipari is the best because he has had the most experience in coaching and has won most games.
No because the game is played by the players, not just the coach
Sean L.
Connecticut
Calipari is best because it had more experience and won more game.
It depends on the players.
Xian Ze
1 Connecticut
2 John Calipari is the best coach because he can out coach any coach
3 winning a championship[p isn't all about the coaches it somewhat about the players and the system that they have in place to be successful
Zachary nannen
1. The Connecticut Huskies
2.I think John Calipari is the best coach because he had to rebuild whole new team and he had to guide that team through the maelstrom that is basketball season in Kentucky. he also pushed them to be a better team.
3.When the team wins a champinship i dont think the coachs has a lot to do with it. i really think its mostly the team becasue they all have to work as one to even win. The coach helps them by making the play's and push them to work harder throughtout the game.
Jasmine Williams
1) Connecticut
2) John Calipari is the best coach because he's very intelligent and he knows whats best for the team.
3) No that's not what I think it means because hes not the only one that's putting in effort for the whole team and there's no team with one coach.
-Andy Carrion Period 1
1 Connecticut won
2 calipari because he gets the kids who are good athletes to play as a team which only some coaches can do
3 no because they could have just good players and he could do nothing but sit back and watch the win happen
-diontae WILSON
1) connticut
2) Eamonn Brennan can make the team better
3)a team can't be good with out coach and coach can't do well in his job with out a good team
Xian ze
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