by boulder3m on Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:11 am
It's interesting that the two teams fighting for last-UNCG and Furman- appear to have pretty good talent on their respective teams. I think that, in the case of UNCG, they lack heart. They just seemed to cave when we made the run at them in the beginning of the second half. It is very hard to play defense at a pace we play it, and teams get worn down. Our key is great leadership both from the coaching staff and from the players. Coaches can do a great job of motivating, but if the players themselves don't have leaders within the team it is hard to handle the pressure of the game. It's just another example of what makes sports so great. The fans will often never know what makes a team work. I will go back to the old Dean Smith teams and one of his innovations. He created a system of leadership among the players, with freshmen coming in, and regardless of their hype and stature, they were the lowest rung of the ladder. As players moved along in the system they assumed roles of leadership on the team. By the time they were seniors they were included in decision making in issues such as scheduling practice time, restaurants on the road trips, who roomed with whom, etc. The internal leadership really made a difference. Our team reflects that type of leadership. All three of our seniors are tremendous people, as well as players. I reflect back to that video that was made before the season, showing our team all over campus, running and working out, with Lee Skinner leading them. As Coach Young has said, Lee Skinner is a guy who may not be tall enough; who may not be quick enough; who may not be a great shooter, etc. However, you can't measure the intangibles. He has a BIG heart and he wills himself and his teammates to work harder than the opposition and to refuse to quit. Does that lead back to our coaches-absolutely. They look for that type of player to recruit and then work into the team, and eventually to leadership roles. Obviously it works, and now the system is in place. I just can't imagine our guys ever giving up.