Something that seems to be coming up in every interview I read of Tad or the assistants is their recruiting philosophy:
Find players who can shoot, pass and dribble.
The first time I read that, I thought it was kind of flippant and maybe not wanting to get into details with interviewers.
But after thinking about it, I think it's a pretty astute point. So many programs fail because they forget the basics. They focus too much on measurements, vertical jumps and the eyeball test of whether a guy looks the part. Like with NFL teams that consistently fail because they put more weight on the combine than the film and production, college basketball programs fail because they start worrying about things other than whether a recruiting prospect can play basketball.
I also think that this is a big reason why we've seen so much success from mid-majors. The Gonzagas of the world built great programs by being able to shoot, pass and dribble better than opponents that could jump higher, had more quickness and could get up and down the court faster.
I love that Tad's grounded in fundamentals. Couple that with being able to get elite athleticism at our level and this is how you build a powerhouse.
Find players who can shoot, pass and dribble.
The first time I read that, I thought it was kind of flippant and maybe not wanting to get into details with interviewers.
But after thinking about it, I think it's a pretty astute point. So many programs fail because they forget the basics. They focus too much on measurements, vertical jumps and the eyeball test of whether a guy looks the part. Like with NFL teams that consistently fail because they put more weight on the combine than the film and production, college basketball programs fail because they start worrying about things other than whether a recruiting prospect can play basketball.
I also think that this is a big reason why we've seen so much success from mid-majors. The Gonzagas of the world built great programs by being able to shoot, pass and dribble better than opponents that could jump higher, had more quickness and could get up and down the court faster.
I love that Tad's grounded in fundamentals. Couple that with being able to get elite athleticism at our level and this is how you build a powerhouse.