players, especially our inside players, is to use the glass on layups. Alex made a great steal, took it to the glass, and instead of laying it off the backboard tried to shoot it without doing that, and missed a simple shot.
Courtney did the same thing on a great feed by Lionel, which should have resulted in another assist. It's such an elementry fundamental of basketball that any player who has reached the D1 level should know that it's the safest way to make a layup, short of dunking, and even that doesn't work all the time.

Courtney made the same mistake in the Cal Poly game, as you recall. Great feed, great drive, and then couldn't decide what to do with it once he was there, and missed in embarrassing fashion.

(12-01-2009 08:00 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  players, especially our inside players, is to use the glass on layups. Alex made a great steal, took it to the glass, and instead of laying it off the backboard tried to shoot it without doing that, and missed a simple shot.
Courtney did the same thing on a great feed by Lionel, which should have resulted in another assist. It's such an elementry fundamental of basketball that any player who has reached the D1 level should know that it's the safest way to make a layup, short of dunking, and even that doesn't work all the time.

I guarantee you that everyone of these players have been taught this since junior high. They've all heard a thousand times what that white square on the backboard is there for. Just like trying to teach a kid that gets the rebound in the paint, not to bounce the ball one time before he shoots. They've all been taught that too. These things are something that's seemingly easy to teach, but hard for a lot of players to comprehend.

Fundamentals went out when Michael Jordan came in.

(12-02-2009 07:57 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  Fundamentals went out when Michael Jordan came in.

LOL

Laugh if you will, but you think of all the aspects of basic fundamentals that you rarely see today that all just happened to disappear about that time. Everyone wants to be spectacular. 3-pointers and dunks are all that matter.

I prefer to think that the game got better.

(12-02-2009 08:37 AM)Scotto Wrote:  I prefer to think that the game got better.

I became more exciting, but I'm not sure fundamentally better. And I think the change happened before Michael Jordan. I think Dr. J. (the other one) was really the first big time player to play above the rim all the time. Of course Wilt Chamberlain also did, but he was 7 foot something. But the flying through the air dunking, I believe was first popularized by the good Doctor. I have nothing against dunking a ball, but neither Alex, Courtney or Wayne dunked. They tried to lay it in softly over the rim. If you're not going to use the backboard, and are able to dunk it, then slam it down with authority. Don't wussy it up there like we sometimes seem to do. I'll bet Coach Kleine threw it down with authority when he had the opportunity.