Saying No to the Blue Chippers?

Mercer celebrates after beating Duke.

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  Not long after Duke lost to Mercer last Friday, a question popped into my head:

  How long until longtime winning coaches (Coach K, in this case) forego recruiting players who are destined to depart their programs after one measly season?

  How long until they decide they want to invest in a player for three to four years again, instead of eight short months?

  The next day, Syracuse lost to Dayton. Followed by Kansas losing to a junior/senior-led Stanford team.

  All longtime winners. All top-tier seeds, loaded with young stars destined for NBA stardom. All losing (early) in the NCAA Tournament on an increasingly regular basis, to teams with more-experienced, older (gasp!) players.

Cinderella No More
  Conversations of March Madness past always centered on the Cinderella story. A mid-major or small school upsetting the top dog, and going on a small run in the tournament. One or two Cinderella stories were destined to happened every couple of years.

  The conversation, then, shifted to this: would Cinderella ever win it all? When the question was first posed, I didn't think it could ever happen. There was no way a no name program would ever string together six wins in a row against the competition that the NCAA Tournament boasted.

Cinderella came up short in the Final two straight years.

  Then Butler University made two consecutive trips to the NCAA Final in 2010 and 2011. And seemingly, every year after, 'small' senior-led teams were making a considerable amount of noise come tournament time.

  It's becoming more common with each passing year for the highly touted, legendary programs to lose to small(er) programs with less-touted players on a regular basis in the NCAA Tournament.

  Whether it's Cinderella or a lesser-touted, senior-laden team, those schools have one thing in common: experience.

Experience Wins Out
  From the jump this March Madness 'season', it was clear -- to me -- that the more experienced teams (Virginia, Florida, Michigan State) were the ones to beat. For the record, Michigan State is my pick to win it all.

  Experienced teams hold several advantages over young, star-studded teams: team cohesiveness, maturity, understanding of each other and their offensive/defensive systems, trust in one another... I could go on and on.

On to the Sweet 16 -- second Round win at Colorado.

Buffalo Example
  It was no different with my Colorado teams in college. My freshman year, we had a sophomore and freshman filled roster. We took our lumps, and lost more games than we won that season.

  Fast forward two years, and that same roster advanced to the Elite Eight.

  Nothing changed over the course of those two years. Not our players, not our plays, not our coaches. What did change was us.

  We grew up, we learned how to compete on the collegiate level, we learned how to play with each other, we knew how to prepare for big games, and we knew how to beat teams that appeared to be better than us on paper.

  Nothing prepares a player like previous experience.

Who Are You Recruiting?
  My attention, then, turns to those who make the decisions, the coaches: who do you want on your team? Who are you recruiting?

  At the end of the day, what is the point of college basketball? To win games? To make money? To recruit the top players? To recruit the best players for your program?

  Money, over time, has become the ruler. For the college programs, and for the players. The lure of huge NBA contracts have driven the players to leave college early on a regular basis. And attracting top-tier talent brings prestige, media coverage, and with that, money, to the program and university.

  In my opinion, both the college and the NBA game have suffered since the 'one and done' rule came into effect in 2006.

Recruiting the Blue Chippers
  Drawing the top name recruits each and every season is always beneficial to a college program. You can't deny that.

  Top recruits attract other top talent, they draw fans, it's glamorous, and you would think it would result in a lot of championships. But at an alarming rate, those top ranked recruits are becoming 'one and doners'; playing the NBA-required one season post-high school, and then leaving college early for the NBA.

  So in reality, recruiting those highly touted prospects is resulting in a lot of roster turn-over, freshman and sophomore filled rosters, and inconsistent performances in the Big Dance.

  It's grown to be beneficial in every way but the one department that really matters: winning in March.

  How long until coaches start to take note?

  Thoughts?

No Redos, No Regrets

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CU Frontcourt: Me, Tera, and Linda.

  I think I've always played basketball without regret. You play hard, you leave it all on the court, and there's nothing to regret.

  But ever since my eligibility expired as a senior at Colorado, I've wanted to have one play, and one play only, back. A redo so to speak.

  If that play had resulted differently, maybe the rest of the game would have gone differently too. Then maybe my career in black and gold wouldn't have ended that afternoon in Knoxville. Maybe we would have moved on to our second straight NCAA Elite Eight appearance. And after that, who knows?

  It's been almost nine years, so some of the details are a little foggier than others. But here's the set up:

  It's 2003. The Colorado Buffaloes are playing the Villanova Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The winner moves on to the Elite Eight. With, in all likelihood, a match up with host, the Tennessee Lady Vols. You couldn't ask for anything better.

Timeout vs. Villanova.

  We had played Villanova earlier in the season, in a tournament we hosted over Thanksgiving called the Coors Classic. Villanova beat us that night in a close game. It was the first time we lost in the Coors Classic in forever (I don't know the actual stats on that, but you were never supposed to lose in the Coors Classic).

  Villanova was a good team. A lot like us actually. Fundamentally sound. A balanced team, in that they had three or four players you had to focus on, not just one or two 'superstars'. They were patient, and they were smart.

  I think it shocked us a little to lose that game in November. But early season losses aren't as devastating as losses in March.

  Now fast forward several months to tournament time. The brackets for the NCAA Tournament were released, and we saw Villanova in our bracket. I know every single one of my teammates immediately thought about a possible re-match with them in the Sweet 16. We saw that as a chance for redemption. And another shot at reaching the Elite Eight, like we had done the year before.

  It was my senior year. Lose, and you're done. So you play with a little extra energy, a little extra emotion. I was playing on a fractured left ankle (explains the 'robo-ankle' I have now) -- you better believe I wasn't going to miss my senior year NCAA Tournament. So if I could handle the pain, I was going to be on the court. Unfortunate, but I managed.

Headed to the Sweet 16.

  Like the game in Boulder in November, the Sweet 16 match up went back and fourth. We didn't really change anything strategy-wise from the first time we played them (which also might be a 'coulda-shoulda-woulda' moment for me).

  We believed in the way we played, our system. And we believed that we would make the plays down the stretch, and pull out a win the second time around.

  Villanova played us the same as well. They chose to take away all our perimeter scoring chances by sticking tight to their man when the ball went inside. As a result, our All-American center, Tera Bjorklund was racking up the points in the post with no double team, or help in sight. 

  The exact time and score scenario escapes me. We were either up by a few, or down by a few. Either way, it was a tight game, with less then seven or eight minutes to go. We ran the Triangle offense, of course made famous by Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. And we ran it pretty well.

  Here's the play I want back:

Tough loss.

  The ball was on the right wing, with fellow senior forward Linda Lappe.

  One of the bread-and-butter cuts out of the Triangle calls for the opposite forward (me, on this particular play) to cut towards the ball, and receive the pass at the high post (or elbow). Villanova knew that cut, and over-played it.

  I did what I had done countless other times in past games and practices, and cut back-door to the rim. I knew Linda would respond, just like she had done time and time again, with a pass right on the money.

  I spun towards the hoop, and the ball was right there. I jumped to catch it on the left side of the rim -- and here's where I made a quick (unfortunate??) decision -- I chose to catch the ball and lay it in in one motion (an alley-oop per se). But there was a problem. I felt a push in my back, sending me off balance, and off the court. I put the ball up, only to have it trickle off the rim. I ended up out of bounds under the basket, and play continued.

  In hindsight, I should have caught the ball, come down with it, and gone back up strong. That way, you have better chance of putting the ball in the bucket, and any foul would have been more-obvious. I make that shot, and maybe things in turn our favor for the rest of the game.

  Regardless of that play, or any other of the dozens that didn't go our way that afternoon, we lost to Villanova by two points. And with that, our season ended, and my career at Colorado came to a close. Tough way to go out, but those are the breaks.

CU-Boulder: not a bad place to spend your college years.

  There is no regret. You live and you learn. It's just the same on the basketball court.

  I'm still not sure what I learned from that moment in Knoxville. Maybe I learned that you don't get redos. Not on the basketball court, not in life. You have to make each opportunity, every chance, count the first time.

  For me, I knew I wasn't done with basketball after that game. But I was done in a Colorado uniform.

  There's something special about putting on that black and gold, working in the shadows of the beautiful Flatirons, playing with the girls you've lived, sweat, laughed and cried with, day in and day out, for years. Nothing replaces that.

  That game had been on my mind quite a bit in past weeks. Probably because it's March, and it's tournament time. Call it irony, but as it turns out, the Colorado women (now coached by Linda) are playing Villanova this Thursday (the 22nd), in Boulder, in the Sweet 16 of the Women's NIT. Let's hope this time the game ends with the Buffs on top!

  Go Buffs!

March Madness Tips Off

Sweet 16 celebration -- win over LSU. 2002.

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  March -- it's arguably the best time of the year. Some might say Christmas or summer is their favorite, but for those of us who love hoops, March Madness takes the cake. For three weeks, college basketball takes center stage and hijacks your TVs, computers, Facebook statuses, and Twitter feeds. And frankly, there's nothing better.

  I was fortunate enough to play in three NCAA tournaments while at Colorado (with trips to the Elite Eight and a Sweet 16 on the resume). And sure, there were plenty of highs and lows -- with emotions riding high, and stakes just as high -- there were bound to be some memorable moments.

First half vs. Oklahoma -- Elite 8: a high. 2002.

  Some of the high points:

• each and every selection show. We'd gather at Dal Ward to watch the brackets be revealed. I don't know why, but we'd frantically pencil-in our own bracket as the schools were revealed, like that was the last time we'd see a bracket, ever. And you really DON'T know where you're going, or who you're playing until you see it on ESPN -- it's exciting! 

• restoring a once-proud NCAA tradition to Colorado. The pictures of Buff teams that came before us, jumping on the scorer's table after a Sweet 16-trip was punched, was a picture we had all seen -- and were thrilled to do be able to do it ourselves! Two times!

• proving the 'experts' wrong - as a nationally-ranked team from arguably the toughest conference in the country, no on picked us to make much noise. We felt that disrespect, and used it as motivation.

• obviously each game we won was an extreme high. To live to play one more day, and extend the season with my best friends/teammates!

Second half vs. Oklahoma -- Elite 8: a low. 2002.

  The lows are a little bit more difficult to think of (thankfully), but there were a few none the less:

• I injured my back my sophomore year, and was forced sit out our second round game vs. Vanderbilt. All I could do was watch as our season came to an end.

• obviously only one team per year can end on a high note. So being eliminated each year were sad moments. 

  As a college basketball player, you work the entire season to make it to March. And March Madness is the culmination of that excitement. Once you get to the Dance, anything can happen. You're just fired-up to be a a part of it all -- what you grew up watching on TV.

Senior year Sweet 16 in Knoxville. 2003.

  Before I got to college, I remember watching the games: the upsets, the close games, the crazy finishes. In high school, guys brought portable TVs to school and we'd watch during breaks between classes (or sometimes during classes, if we were lucky!)

  I think the parity in the men's game makes March Madness even more special (and crazy). Anyone can really beat anyone on any given day. From the tip off of the first game to the Championship, each and every game can be a thriller, and come down to the wire. We don't see that on the women's side just yet, but it's slowly getting there.

  What are some of your March Madness memories, or things you're looking forward to in this year's tournament? Can't wait to watch!!

 

Below are some of my favorite NCAA Tournament pictures from my CU days!

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Elite 8 game action vs. Oklahoma. 2002.

Elite 8 celebration -- win over Stanford. 2002.

Clinched Sweet 16 -- win over North Carolina. 2003.

Tip off vs. Oklahoma. Elite Eight. 2002.

Sweet 16 celebration -- win over LSU. 2002.

Team Chemistry: Still Learning After All These Years

Singing the CU fight song after a W.

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  As the team bus was pulling up to the gym Saturday night for our game against La Roche, I had an interesting thought: every Winter, since I was nine years old, I've been a member of a basketball team (that dates back to 1990 for those of you doing the math).

  And I thought, each and every one of those years has been like riding a roller-coaster.

  No matter how much experience you have, you never know what to expect because no two teams are ever the same.

  Even after 22 years (?!?!), I've yet to tire of being on a team. The basketball is roughly the same year in and year out, but the dynamics of a team are always changing, and always keeping you on your toes.

Learning Experiences 
  Basketball aside, you're constantly learning about yourself, and learning about your teammates. So that's why, to me, being a part of a team (any team), can be one of the greatest learning experiences you can have. You don't learn just about basketball, you learn about people, and through that, you learn about life.

Easter 2001 with my Buffs!

  I can still remember my first uniform ever--purple t-shirts from the YMCA. I'm sure everyone remembers their Y-ball days. My dad was our coach, and he taught us the basics about the game. You know: the fundamentals (how to dribble, shoot, etc.), spacing, the pick and roll, give and go.

  But we also learned the basics about teamwork, and how to be a good teammate: sharing, communication, encouragement, working together.

  Of course, as we get older, the game gets more intricate, and the personality of a team grows more complicated. But the most-important aspects of playing on a team never change.

  If you don't have the basic fundamentals of basketball honed and sharpened, you can't play the game at a high level. The same goes for being on a team. If you forget the basics of what goes into being a good teammate, chances are, your team won't be as successful as it could be.

Team Chemistry 
  You can never predict what a team's chemistry will be like. Just like you can never take it for granted. Team chemistry to me, is basically how well people get along on AND off the court. It's unrealistic to expect every person on a team to be best of friends. Personalities will clash; that's only normal. When that happens, it's important that differences are put aside for the betterment of the team.

  Many times, a team's chemistry is what allows it to overcome its opponent. Chemistry is immeasurable, but it might be the most-important intangible a team can have.

Having fun with my teammates in Sweden!

  Each team I have been on has been drastically different in that regard. But I've always found, the closer a team is off the court, the better they play together on.

  You'll go that extra mile, and work that much harder next to someone you like and have a mutual respect for, versus a teammate you don't necessarily get along with.

  The same way you can bring friendships and chemistry onto the court, you can also take what happens in games and practices, off the court. You can grow your friendships with teammates through the difficult, funny, or memorable situations that you face together on the court.

  Some of my favorite memories with teammates and friends have come after re-hashing particularly difficult practices, and being able turn those moments into things we can laugh about.

  By comparison, bad team chemistry, would be when you take a negative experience off the court and bring it onto the court, and vice versa. It's not rocket-science, but it's important nonetheless.

  Two of the most successful teams I've ever played on were extremely close off the court, and I believe it led to us working that much harder together, and that much better together on the court.

Close Team = Successful Team

Team dinner in Como.

  My Colorado teams from 1999-2003 grew from being a tight group of friends that lost more often than not (my freshman year), to a team that could get through almost anything together.

  We advanced as far as the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, my junior year, and the Sweet 16 my senior year.

  The same can be said for the first professional team I played on in Como. Even though we came from all corners of the world, we enjoyed spending time with each other off the court, and we enjoyed working together on the court.

  What started out as a difficult season, losing games we necessarily shouldn't have lost, resulted in a team (that wasn't the most-talented in the league) that won the Italian Championship at season's end.

  Here are some other valuable lessons I've learned through participating on basketball teams throughout the years. Things I will always take with me, in every aspect of my life:

• I've gotten better at learning how to lose (that doesn't sound right). Maybe learning from failures sounds a little bit better. Losing is never easy, but it used to consume me. Now I try to learn from it.
• Win graciously. Act like you've been there before, act like you've done it before.
• While you learn from failures (losing), success (winning) is what keeps you going. You need to experience the positives along with the negatives to keep pushing yourself.
• I've learned what you CAN, and CANNOT control. Usually all you can control is yourself! You can try to lead your team to change, but a leader needs people to lead! Kind of sounds like the old adage: 'you can lead a horse to water...'

NCAA win -- nothing better!

  I've said over and over again, that being part of a team is one of the greatest, most-special experiences you can have.

  The friendships and camaraderie are the obvious benefits. But what you will learn from your teammates, and will experience is probably the most-rewarding benefit of them all.

  Do you think team chemistry can be 'fixed'? Or is just a natural thing, where, whatever will happen, will happen?

Your Experiences With Team Chemistry
  Is there an aspect about teamwork, or being on a team that I missed? And I mean any kind of team. Your team at work; that's a team! What things do you learn from your teammates or co-workers? And how important is chemistry in the workplace?

  I'm also wondering about the differences in the importance of team chemistry within men's teams, versus women's teams. I can obviously only speak from one perspective, but would love to hear the contrary!

CU Alumni game -- still all the best of friends.

  Please, let me know your thoughts and experiences about being on a team, and how it has benefited your life, and how you have grown from it.
 

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