THE GAME OF BASKETBALL

THIS: HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

2011-12-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CFISD TOURNAMENT

2011-12-12T14:14:00.001-06:00

Panthers doing work

2011-10-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

NO EXCUSES

2011-10-11T14:10:00.001-05:00

BOB HURLEY: 60 MINUTES

2011-03-28T09:26:00.001-05:00

QUAME EDWARDS DUNK vs CY FAIR

2011-01-29T10:07:00.001-06:00

BIG WIN FOR THE PANTHERS

2011-01-29T07:45:00.000-06:00

CY-SPRINGS VS CY-FAIR

MARQUEL McKINNEY DUNK

2011-01-22T17:50:00.002-06:00

MY COACH SUCKS

2011-01-20T11:48:00.001-06:00

CYPRESS SPRINGS vs. WESTSIDE

2010-12-01T11:50:00.001-06:00

PRESENTATION: BOEING AIRLINES

2010-11-13T09:27:00.001-06:00

The team had a chance today to listen to a speaker from Boeing Airlines, A.O. Smith. Mr. Smith grew up in a small East Texas town. All three brothers have college degrees even though both parents never graduated from High School. Mr. Smith talked about following your dreams and having a plan. The Panther boys'basketball team thanks Mr. Smith for the opportunity to learn.

PANTHER NEWSLETTER #2

2010-11-07T11:10:00.000-06:00

PANTHER NEWSLETTER #2

2010/2011 SCHEDULE RELEASED

2010-10-20T08:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.box.net/shared/86bm9i99fg

2010/2011 SCHEDULE RELEASED

ARE YOU TOUGH?

2010-10-14T21:07:00.002-05:00

Toughness is….
Being the same player everyday even when you don’t feel like it
Giving your teammate credit when you know its yours
Always saying WE instead of I or YOU
Making the next play
Not being afraid to lose, but always demand to win
Being just as happy for others as you are for yourself
Preparing..not waiting
Asking questions, giving feedback
Leading, but able to follow
Harder than being cool
Sacrificing (girls, video games, etc)
Trusting your coaches and teammates
Being trustworthy
Being early, not on time
Being able hit the front end of a 1&1
Wanting 10 rebounds as much as 10 points
Knowing stops will win games
Seeing a ball on the ground a knowing its yours
Picking your teammate up off the ground
Not caring what people outside the lines think about you
Making shots when you are tired
ARE YOU TOUGH?

KEVIN EASTMAN - "perfect feet"

2010-10-13T08:27:00.001-05:00

PANTHER NEWSLETTER

2010-10-13T07:13:00.001-05:00

Please enjoy the first edition of the Panther newsletter: http://www.box.net/shared/rvgmqekugq

GREAT READ

2010-10-08T08:01:00.001-05:00

Play Their Hearts Out
A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine
Written by George Dohrmann

BUZZ WILLIAMS - 4 CORE VALUES

2010-10-07T14:15:00.002-05:00

Core Values for the program:

1. Get back in transition—no easy baskets
2. Keep the ball out of the paint—no layups
3. Defend without fouling—great ball pressure
4. Paint touches—Great shots—Throw aheads

KEVEIN EASTMAN - DEFENSE

2010-10-05T13:49:00.002-05:00

9 Tenets of “Boston Celtics Defense”

1. Transition D (back & set)
2. Keep ball out of paint
3. Apply intelligent pressure
4. The shots we give up are contested 2’s
5. Gang rebound
6. Take care of ball, paint and then get out to contest 3’s.
7. We need to be a great closeout team. We need to be a great shrink team
8. T-A-L-K
9. Hit first

BOOT CAMP

2010-09-19T13:12:00.001-05:00

INTERVIEW ON MAX IVANY'S D1 NATION

2010-09-13T11:29:00.004-05:00

http://d1nationhouston.blogspot.com/2010/09/coaches-corner-john-harmatuk-of-houston.html?spref=tw

PANTHERS "NOTHING EASY"

2010-09-10T12:13:00.001-05:00

"Every Battle is Won Before it is Fought" - Sun Tzu

PRE-SEASON 2010-2011

2010-09-02T07:51:00.003-05:00

"EVERY BATTLE IS WON BEFORE IT IS FOUGHT" - Sun Tzu

We started our pre-season workouts Monday. 2 days in the weight reoom - 2 days outside conditioning. It's hot - but this only makes us tougher.

On the court. Individual workouts are going well. We put in our basic motion off the break. Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.

SUCCESSFUL ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

2010-02-12T14:07:00.001-06:00

THIS IS THE ATTITUDE IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Elijah Johnson – 5 star recruit; 24th player ranked in the nation his senior year; 4th ranked point guard

I’m not a super hero,” said Johnson, a talented guard from Las Vegas. “I can’t come in right away and win a national championship. I feel I need to learn first. I’ve been learning a lot sitting on the bench. I think I learn more on the bench than I would on the floor. I don’t think a lot of people understand, but I do, and I see it through coach (Bill) Self’s eyes. I see the bigger picture. It’s not a rush. I gotta learn first, then I can give him what he wants.”

Read more: KU freshman Elijah Johnson waits for his time - KansasCity.com

"An Old Coaches Thinking on Modern Basketball Players"

2010-01-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

From Duane Silver's newsletter...............

"An Old Coaches Thinking on Modern Basketball Players"

*I am not allowed to tell you this coaches name. He has coached 34 years in 5A basketball and he is really smart. What he is saying today is not true of all basketball players, but it seems to hit the majority of the kids (boys and girls). I love his thoughts!!!!

*After reading this tell me what you think!

1.) Basketball does not mean much to them today.

2.) A loss does not seem to bother them at all.

3.) Few kids have court sense.(Savvy) The teams that win have players with Savvy.

4.) You have to script everything you do and if there is any change in the game they go crazy. They don't know how to naturally adjust.

5.) Kids don't play enough outside anymore. They don't play tag or know how to dodge anyone. This is why they charge all the time going to the basket.

6.) They play too many videos games.

7.) Kids today don't even have friends on the team in large school. They don't take the time to know one another.

8.) The players that don't get to play much, don't even pull for their own team.

9.) Administrators don't have a clue about "Tough Love" when a coach gets on a kid. They back the kid and not the coach.

10.) There are almost no Natural Leaders.

11.) You must have a simplistic approach to coaching today's players. (You offense must be simple)

12.) Players that can really play are more interested in getting a scholarship than playing for their school.

13.) Parents are only for their son or daughter, but that has always been true.

14.) Because of the high divorce rate in American and so many children being raised by Moms only, they are not used to a man pushing them to get better.

WITHOUT BIAS

2009-11-04T20:57:00.003-06:00

http://30for30.espn.com/

Guys, don't forget your homework on Len Bias. Due Monday.

BOOT CAMP 2009

2009-10-27T15:32:00.001-05:00

HAWKS TRAINING CAMP 2009

2009-10-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

WIZARDS TRAINING CAMP 2009

2009-10-06T19:49:00.001-05:00

ERIK WILLIAMS INTERVIEW - MARQUETTE

2009-10-02T21:16:00.002-05:00

Proud of Erik Williams, Cy-Springs alum. Good luck this season. Erik embodies all that we want in a Panther basketball player.

DENVER NUGGETS TRAINING CAMP 2009

2009-10-01T17:23:00.001-05:00

MIKE SINGLETARY ON GREATNESS

2009-09-30T20:23:00.003-05:00

“Greatness is not about someone who has the ability to be great…Greatness shows up when someone might not have the ability but finds a way to succeed. They outwork their opponents, they outhit their opponents, they outfight their opponents. They want it more. Don’t give me the guy who’s supposed to be all-world and you’ve got to try and talk him into something. Give me the guy who has maybe just enough talent to be on the field but thinks he’s great, and who’s willing to do whatever he can do to contribute, to make the team better. That’s what I want…”

MORE HUBIE

2009-09-29T21:32:00.001-05:00

HUBIE BROWN: PRACTICE

2009-09-29T21:28:00.001-05:00

CHRIS PAUL GOING TO WORK

2009-09-28T19:27:00.001-05:00

BRANDON ROY GOING TO WORK

2009-09-28T19:25:00.000-05:00

PHOENIX SUNS WORKOUT

2009-09-08T20:45:00.001-05:00

WHY TALENT IS OVERRATED

2009-08-29T12:16:00.001-05:00

Why talent is overrated http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp09/news/story?id=4428598

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAM

2009-08-29T12:14:00.001-05:00

SEASON 2009/2010

2009-08-25T20:13:00.004-05:00

Follow the Panthers on twitter @CySpringsBball

Panther basketball week 1: evaluations are ongoing - we get started with off-season Monday. I have never been more excited to work with a group of guys. Our potential is unlimited - we have great attitudes, great work ethic and we are all great teammates. Love this group.

Deliberate practice: we will work offensive and defensive transition exclusively; all our skill work will be within these two phases of the game. We will be the best transition team. Conditioning is a must.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGIC

2009-08-14T11:11:00.001-05:00

DON MEYER

2009-07-20T12:25:00.001-05:00

NBA'S TOP 10 PLAYS OF THE YEAR

2009-07-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

American Kids Flunk Basketball 101 As AAU Leagues Dominate, Basic Skills Decline; Mr. Beasley Decides to Speak Out

2009-06-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904574248282288269744.html#mod=article-outset-box

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, STAN VAN GUNDY

2009-06-11T14:32:00.001-05:00

KOBE BRYANT

2009-06-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

COACHES: PICK N ROLL OFFENSE NOTES

2009-06-01T21:38:00.003-05:00

New files have been uploaded into the Coaching Box from Billy Donovan and Bill Self.

COACHINGU

2009-05-29T17:33:00.001-05:00

ESPN OTL on High School vs Summer Ball

2009-05-21T21:29:00.001-05:00

If both parties truly had the players best interest at heart, this wouldnt be a problem. The problem is ego. The problem is self interest.

AAU AND HIGH SCHOOL

2009-05-20T21:10:00.005-05:00

GREAT ARTICLE BY ESPN'S FRAN FRASCHILLA http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4179079&name=ncbexperts

ERIK WILLIAMS - HABCA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2009-05-15T07:33:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Erik Williams, he was named the 2008/2009 Houston Area Boys Basketball Coaches Association player of the year.

VANCE WALBERG ON THE DDM

2009-05-04T10:06:00.001-05:00

Ettore Messina - CSKA Moscow

2009-05-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

HOOPS CREATES A BOND FOR HARMATUK FAMILY

2009-02-22T17:53:00.003-06:00

Hoops creates a bond for Harmatuk family
By Michael Sudhalter
Updated: 02.22.09

It was the biggest game of Scott Harmatuk’s young head coaching career.The 31-year-old Klein Collins boys basketball coach, in his first season as a head coach, found his team competing in a play-in game last Friday at The Woodlands College Park High gym.Both Klein Collins and Spring brought their fan bases northward – hoping to encourage their respective teams to a victory and a spot in the UIL Class 5A Playoffs. Harmatuk, who’s team won 86-70 to advance, had a little something extra – most of his relatives and some friends sat and cheered in one corner of the gym Friday night. “It’s great,” Harmatuk said. “My family has always been awesome. They always like to come to all of the games and that’s wonderful. Our family is close and we all love basketball, so it’s almost killing two birds with one stone -- being able to watch basketball and being a close family.”Having a good portion of your family at the game may not seem like a big deal, but it is to Harmatuk.

His older brother, John, 36, has been the head coach at Cy Springs High for the past seven years.“(He helps with) little things of being a head coach, nuances of the game,” Scott said. “We talk back and forth about offensive and defensive things.”Scott and John are close off the court, attending the UIL State Tournament together in Austin every March. Both coaches overcame challenges this season. Scott took over a young Tigers squad that had graduated many of its key players. John’s Panthers returned just one starter – Marquette-bound senior forward Erik Williams – and overcame a slow start to tie Cy Falls for third place in District 15.Since their teams play on Tuesdays and Fridays, their father, John Sr., attends one game on Tuesday, and their mother, Margaret, attends the other’s game.On Friday, they switch.

Last Friday was a rare situation in which John’s Panthers didn’t have a game because the regular season was over.Both Harmatuks qualified for the postseason – the Tigers host College Park, and the Panthers travel to Round Rock McNeil, both on Tuesday.“We spent our whole lives around the game of basketball,” John said. “I’m really proud of Scotty. He’s done a great job. We compete in everything we do. It wouldn’t be any different than playing in the driveway.”The Harmatuks – and their three younger brothers – Chris, Matt and Brian (none of whom are currently involved in coaching) – are all Klein High graduates.John and Scott both played for Bearkats coach Glenn Arnold, with John playing college basketball at Division III Austin College in Sherman. Scott played at Division I Fordham in New York City before playing professionally for the United States Basketball League’s Brooklyn Kings and for a team in Mexico.Scott said it was special to face his alma mater this season; they defeated the Bearkats twice this season.“I told my guys at the beginning of the year, that I better get two wins,” Scott joked.

Both Harmatuks had a common mentor in Aldine Nimitz coach Randy Gilmer.John was Gilmer’s assistant at Cy Springs, and Scott served under him at Nimitz.“They’re my neighbors so I watched them growing up, they’re good coaches and come from a great basketball family,” said Gilmer, who attended the play-in game last Friday.The family moved to Texas from the basketball hotbed of Syracuse, N.Y. just before John was born.“It’s been a lot of fun,” John Sr. said. “The whole family loves basketball. It’s been a big part of our lives for a lot of years.”

The burning question is when will the two Harmatuks face each other in a game? They met in a scrimmage, but that doesn’t really count. And the brackets didn’t unfold for a Collins-Springs matchup in the Kingwood Tournament earlier this season. They’re not on the same side of the playoff bracket this season, so a postseason meeting is probably out of the question. Scott said he’d like to play against his brother’s team, saying, “the edge would have to go to me. I think (Collins is) better.” Said John, “I’m a better coach, and he’s a better player.”J ohn said it would be tough to schedule the Tigers with District 15 expanding to 10 teams with the addition of the Cy Lakes and Cy Ranch varsity teams. Scott is trying to get the Tigers into next season’s Cy-Fair ISD Tournament, where a potential matchup with the Panthers is possible. If it ever happens, there would be at least one person happy with the outcome of a Cy Springs-Klein Collins matchup.“(I’d root) every second for both teams, and I’d win regardless,” Margaret said.

TEXAS STATE PLAYOFFS 2009

2009-02-22T12:09:00.002-06:00

The Panthers open up the 2009 state playoffs vs 2nd place in 16-5A, the Round Rock McNeil Mavericks. The game is at 7:00pm, Tuesday February 24th, at Round Rock McNeil H.S.

CYPRESS SPRINGS MAKES A PUSH

2009-02-17T09:15:00.000-06:00

High School Hoops Notes: Cypress Springs makes push
By SAM KHAN JR. Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 17, 2009, 12:49AM

houston_chron196:http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/buzz/6266262.html

Panthers make push
At one point, this looked like a season the Cypress Springs Panthers could write off. They won just six of their first 21 games. Among those 15 defeats were some ugly ones, including a 30-point season-opening setback at home to Strake Jesuit and a 35-point loss to Madison in the Aldine ISD Invitational.
When District 15-5A play arrived, things didn’t get much better as the Panthers started 0-3. But they have rallied and found their way to the playoffs after winning eight of 10, including big ones over Langham Creek and Cypress Ridge last week to clinch a postseason trip.
“It took us a long time to figure out who we were,” Cy Springs coach John Harmatuk said.
Armed with one of the area’s best players — senior forward and Marquette signee Erik Williams — the Panthers took some time to find their strengths.
Williams’ words were important, too. Not known as a vocal player, he stepped forward after the Panthers suffered a 53-52 loss to Cypress Woods on Feb. 6.
“He told the team, ‘We’re not losing again,” Harmatuk said.“So far, so good through two games.”

ERIK WILLIAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

2009-02-16T07:32:00.004-06:00

BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Williams' triple-doubles lifts Cy Springs
By SAM KHAN JR. Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Feb. 16, 2009, 12:35AM

Cy Springs senior Erik Williams averaged a triple double to help the Panthers clinch a playoff berth.

Name: Erik Williams, Cypress Springs

• Notable: In wins over Langham Creek and Cypress Ridge, the senior averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and 15 blocked shots to help the Panthers clinch a playoff berth despite starting district play with three losses.

• Quotable: “He competed every single possession, and he has been fantastic. He has been our anchor defensively.”

— Cypress Springs coach John Harmatuk

Other nominees
• Kendrae Carter, Crosby: The senior guard scored 34 points in an 80-77 win over North Forest on Tuesday.

• Jeff Greene, Langham Creek: The senior guard averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and three steals in two games for the Lobos last week.

• Adrian Johnson, Kingwood Park: The sophomore scored 23 points in a 71-68 double-overtime win over North Forest on Friday. Johnson hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to keep the Panthers alive in the District 19-4A playoff race.

SENIORS 2009

2009-02-15T14:33:00.007-06:00

ERIK WILLIAMS, JEREMY FRANKLIN, MATT SMITH, MALIK OSEI-FRIMPONG, DARRELL LEA, QUINTON DAVIS, AND KEVIN WARREN.

TOUGHNESS AS A TEAM

2009-01-28T20:35:00.001-06:00

Williams, Panthers playing as a team

By Michael Sudhalter
Updated: 01.28.09
Opposing teams had a clear strategy against the Cy Springs boys basketball team.

Do everything possible to stop Panthers 6-foot-8 senior forward Erik Williams and let his teammates try to beat you.

Teams couldn’t stop the Marquette-bound Williams through most of the season – he’s averaging 24 points per game, among the top scorers in Greater Houston.

But the Panthers – who were picked to finish third in Class 5A-District 15 - weren’t having much success as a team.

Williams was Cy Springs’ only returning starter, and it appeared as if he’d finish his high school basketball career with just one playoff game – a first round upset loss to Katy Taylor as a sophomore.

Even when the Panthers were struggling earlier this season, Williams never doubted his team’s chances of reaching the playoffs.

“It was tough, but we just knew we had to stay together,” Williams said. “We knew what we had to do was stay mentally tough. Physically, we had the talent, but what was going to separate us from going to the playoffs was being mentally tough. It’s a long season, and we have a great coaching staff.”

Cy Springs (10-16, 4-4) is tied with Cy Ridge (10-13, 4-4) and Cy-Fair (8-14, 4-4) for District 15’s fourth and final playoff spot.

The Panthers reached the third round of the playoffs last season, but Williams was out for the season with a broken foot.

Williams, 18, admits that he tried to carry the load offensively at times early in the season.

“It’s the first time being together on varsity, and we’re just getting used to each other,” Williams said. “(Earlier on), I felt like I was forcing stuff, since the team was looking at me to step it up because I had the most experience. Now, we’re looking at each other to step it up.”

Cy Springs coach John Harmatuk has mixed up the lineup and found a budding star in sophomore Marquel McKinney, who scored a game-high 17 points when Cy-Fair ran a Box and One, holding Williams to just six points, in a crucial 44-30 Cy Springs victory on Jan. 27.

Panthers’ forward Jonathan Uribe also capitalized on the Bobcats’ efforts to limit Williams, converting on three 3-pointers.

Harmatuk said the key for Williams has been to contribute in other ways, even if he’s not able to score points.

“(Cy-Fair) did a fantastic job of taking Erik Williams away scoring-wise, but I told Erik, you can’t let your offense dictate how he does anything else,” Harmatuk said. “He blocked shots and rebounded (in the second half). You’ve got to make plays in other ways if you want to be great.”

Williams said the experience of facing double teams and Box and One defenses – which he expects to see -- “ pretty much every night from here on out.” -- has made him stronger as he prepares to join Marquette, a team currently ranked in the Top 10.

He’ll join former Cy Christian standout Hasheem Thabeet (UConn) in the ultra-competitive Big East Conference, if Thabeet doesn’t declare for the NBA Draft.

“I know I’ll be playing against a lot of guys that are bigger, faster and stronger,” Williams said. “And I’ll need to be there mentally just like how I am now.”

“I see how hard Marquette is playing and it just motivates me to keep on playing hard. It’s not going to be easy next year.”

Harmatuk said teams may try to limit Williams this season, but “I don’t think you can keep Erik quiet every single night.”

And Williams’ first playoff victory as a Panther could be on the way, too.

“Playoffs are all about matchups, all you have to do is get in there,” Harmatuk said. “When Erik is focused and concentrated, he’s fantastic. He just needs to keep that up.”

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH TO DO WHAT WE ASK YOU TO DO?

2009-01-17T10:25:00.003-06:00

Panthers prove to be tough, upset rival Lobos
Friday January 16, 2009
Written by Heather Burr

“Are you tough enough to do what I ask you to do?” has been the theme for the Cypress Springs boys basketball team this season.

Coach John Harmatuk had to reiterate that to his team during halftime of Friday night's game with backyard rival Langham Creek.

The Panthers trailed by as much as 12 at one point, then proved to their coach that as a team they were tough enough to beat Langham Creek 71-70 in a District 15-5A game.

“When coach came in at halftime, we didn’t like what he said but we knew he was right,” said small forward Erik Williams, who ended with a game-high 33 points. “So we had to go out there and do what he said and God blessed us with the chemistry in the second half.”

Trailing by 11 at the half, the Panthers (8-15, 2-3) instantly got some points back with two baskets. Williams then hit the first 3-point shot for Cy Springs to bring the Panthers within five.

“Erik Williams spent the majority of the first half not being the guy,” Harmatuk said. “Then at halftime I told him, ‘Erik you’re the best player in our district and if we’re going to win this game you’re going to have to be tough enough to do what I ask you to do.’ And in the second half, he did.”

The game was on the line with the final eight minutes. Panther Marquell McKinney hit the shot to tie the game at 54. The Lobos (16-8, 4-1) stayed strong with baskets from Jessie Baines and Mackey McKnight. Jeremy Franklin got his hands on the ball with 1:25 left to bring the score within 1 point, 66-65 Lobos.

“My senior, Jeremy Franklin, made every single play defensively that he could make,” Harmatuk said. “He’s our energy.”

That energy held strong for 85 seconds.

It was back and forth scoring, each team trying to rack up points to get the win. Jeff Greene scored for Langham then McKinney scored for Cy Springs. It remained a one-point difference.

Baines was fouled on his shot and sunk both free throws, forcing the Panthers to either make a 3 or drain two baskets. Franklin went for the basket, was fouled, and make both of his free throw shots keeping the Panthers just one point behind.

On Langham’s inbound, the Lobos knocked the ball out of bounds, putting it in Cy Springs’ hands with just seconds on the clock. The ball was inbounded to Williams who sunk it like he had so many times that night to give the Panthers a 71-70 lead.

“That’s the best we’ve played all year,” Williams said. “This is just the start to what could be a great rest of the season.”

McKinney added 12 points and Franklin 10 for Springs.

McKnight had 16 points, Baines 14 and Greene 13 for the Lobos.

MAKE THE NEXT PLAY

2008-12-14T17:28:00.004-06:00

RIP PETE NEWELL

2008-11-17T20:21:00.002-06:00

The game lost a legend today. RIP Coach Newell.

CONGRATULATIONS ERIK WILLIAMS

2008-11-12T19:26:00.003-06:00

Erik signed with Marquette University.

UMASS RUNNING THE DDM

2008-11-03T13:11:00.000-06:00

UMass men's basketball

SPACE AND ATTACK OFFENSE

2008-09-27T17:37:00.005-05:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6262644/Space-and-Attack-Preview

SPACE AND ATTACK OFFENSE

Ay Cypress Springs High School in Houston, Texas we have been pretty successful with an aggressive attack on both ends of the floor. We call our offense, “Space and Attack”. This offense is essentially spacing and ball movement with the dribble. Our offensive players must get to the rim to score or get fouled. If they can’t get to the rim, that means they drew help from the defense. What we call “get 2 defenders to the ball.” If the offensive player draws help he must then make the correct read off the help. That is what we call “play off each other”.

What are the components of the space and attack offense?

spacing
personnel
transition
attacking the defender; attacking the rim; attacking the help
scoring hierarchy
terminology

HOOPCLINCS.COM - CHECK IT OUT

2008-09-27T10:42:00.005-05:00

http://www.perfectpractice.net/partner/affiliate-signup.php?pid=bf613f30

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MARQUETTE COACH TO COACH

2008-09-15T16:45:00.002-05:00

Coaches

Great coaching resource from the staff at Marquette.

http://gomarquette.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/coach-to-coach.html

ELITE COACHING TRENDS

2008-09-08T22:02:00.002-05:00

From Brian McCormicks site:

http://thecrossovermovement.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/elite-coaching-trends/

Elite Coaching Trends
Posted by Brian McCormick on September 6, 2008

The United States Olymic Committee published an article on elite coaching and its trends based on interviews with the various national team coaches.

The article found that:

experience overwhelmingly remains the major way that coaches develop a coaching style, followed by modeling or observing successful coaches. Those two methods alone account for over 87% of a coach develops their coaching style.

If experience is the major way one develops a coaching style, how does one get experience? That is always the question. If you don’t have experience, how do you get hired to get the experience? This study suggests that a coach who has been a Head Coach at a lower level might be the better choice over an assistant at the same level; for instance, hiring a high school head coach over a college assistant for a college job. But, that never happens. However, if developing a coaching style requires experience, then that college assistant is learning on the job as a head coach making a huge salary and there is no guarantee of success.

Does this mean there are better ways to hire coaches? Does it suggest that maybe there are other, better ways for developing a coaching style, though nothing fully replaces experience?

As the article says:

If this is a tendency for young coaches as well, it raises an important issue for future coach development. Can we only hope that the young coach has a good coach to learn from or had a good coach as an athlete? The old adage of “you coach how you have been coached” is an area that coaching education may need to address.

I often argue against the “follow your mentor” approach because coaches blindly do what they have always done without thinking about why they do it. The way we teach certain things becomes the absolute way to do it whether it makes sense or not just because so many coaches do it a certain way.

In terms of body of knowledge, coaches ranked the following three at the top:

1. Skills of your sport
2. Strategies of your sport
3. Teaching of Sport Skills

Apparently knowing the skills and strategies is more important than being able to teach the skills. As for areas of study, coaches studied:

1. Skills
2. Sport Psychology
3. Strategies
4. Biomechanics
5. Physiology

At an elite level, I have to believe you know the required skills. For instance, I understand basketball skills. I do not spend any time, really, studying basketball skills. I study physiology and biomechanics to find a better way to perform the skills or train athletes. In an effort to find a better way to do things, I study outside basketball to incorporate that learning into my basketball background to improve my teaching and training. This gives me greater creativity in my teaching, as I am not beholden to basketball drills. Last week, to teach a concept, I used an old soccer drill. If I had read through more basketball literature, I would have done the same basketball drills. However, the players loved the new drill and it worked in our next game.

The end of the article offered a list of 20 additional insights of attributes and skills important for coaches, which I found interesting:

1. Ability to instill belief/trust/confidence in athletes
2. Big Vision, balanced by ability to set and adjust goals
3. Care about others more than self
4. Perseverance and a sense of humor
5. Attention to skills development of athletes; tailored to athlete needs
6. Precise training techniques and coaching on a daily basis
7. Ability to filter
8. Problem solving orientation
9. Ability to observe without judgment
10. Desire to improve through knowledge
11. Quality Decision makers under pressure
12. High level of integrity and fairness
13. Ability to multi-task with equal amounts of high energy
14. Knowledgeable and with an ability to transfer knowledge simplistically
15. Focused on the process
16. Creative, open minded to new ideas and approaches
17. Having thick skin
18. Flexible, but decisive
19. Excellent instructional skills, ability to deliver messages
20. Understands critical zone training

Maybe in the hiring process, or coach development process, we need to develop a matrix or test which demonstrates these qualities. In one of the management books I read this year, it talks about how the best managers hire for talent, not experience. However, another book suggests that managers conducting interviews rarely come to a consensus on the best choice. If the best managers hire for talent, but struggle to agree, how can we develop a better way to hire coaches which involves measuring for talent? Typically, coaches get their first jobs based on their playing career, which proves very little about one’s aptitude as a coach. Once a coach gets his foot in the door, its basically connections and recommendations by someone of influence. Rarely is coaching talent measured or considered. These recommendations possibly offer some thoughts as to a better way to hire a new coach.

from EMUSS blog --- 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF GREATNESS

2008-09-05T16:14:00.002-05:00

Here are the "six characteristics of greatness" gleaned from the article:

[The quotes, which I pulled from the article, are from Brady's teammates and a few NFL analysts.]

1. Deliver when it matters the most: "The thing that’s so representative of what these guys have done is when the game is on the line, they make plays. That’s what separates teams and individuals in this league. When the game is on the line, they have the ability to make the plays when they count."

2. A never-fading desire to improve: "[Tom Brady] continues to work hard. He continues to show up early, he continues to prepare, and sometimes when you have success, people tend to relax. ‘Look, I’ve made it. Look, I’m here. I’ve won.’ But he never feels like he’s there. He continually feels like, ‘I will never get there.’ That’s his mindset. And you have to have that if you want to be a great player.”

3. An intense work ethic: "No matter how much [Brady] accomplishes or does as a quarterback, especially in the last however many years, he comes in and treats every year like it’s the first. He’s the first one in here, the last one to leave. He’s just a really competitive guy. He’s a special player. At the same time, he puts in the effort to make himself what he is.”

4. Smarts and mental toughness: "[Brady's] one of the smartest players I’ve been around. He knows the game inside and out. It’s amazing how he can put us in winning situations and get us out of a lot of bad situations." "He really understands defenses and how to attack them." "Playing quarterback, there’s a lot of things that happen on a play-to-play basis that you might not have anything to do with. But it can affect you. If you let it affect you, then your negative play can turn into 10 negative plays if you’re not really mentally strong."

5. A high-level of preparation: "That’s why in key situations, [Brady] looks so calm, cool and collected. If you’re prepared, like he is, nothing freaks you out. You don’t look frantic. He just prepares extremely well, that’s why he’s so calm when the bullets are being fired." "I’m sure from the way he makes it look so easy, he studies his butt off."

6. The ability to make good decisions: "I think for all of us, for any player, the most important thing is decision-making," Brady said. "There’s a lot of decisions that go into every play. For quarterbacks, sometimes it’s 10. Even for a receiver, I always say of Randy, and of Kevin Faulk [stats], whenever there’s a decision to be made, they always make the right one. That’s why they’re great football players. If you can do that consistently over time, I can develop a trust in them. You can really start to anticipate how it’s going to turn out. The better decision-makers are usually the better players."

HOOPCLINICS OFFER

2008-09-03T19:23:00.001-05:00

The best way to say thanks is to provide you with great value.

What we do NOT want to do is undervalue what we think is a mountain of very high quality coaching material. If we kept the price at $53 for everything - 5 ebooks/books, 4+ hours of chalk talks, an audio recording, film room access, and forum access - we feel that’s what we would be doing. So…this HoopClinics release will be available for 3 weeks - until 4pm Eastern, 7pm Pacific on 9/24/2008. We want to regroup a bit and keep pouring energy in the the forums, filmrooms, interacting with coaches, etc.

We will make HoopClinics available again, with improvement based on buyers’ suggestions (we’ll give free digital updates to all buyers for the life of HoopClinics). We don’t know for sure what the price will be, but we can almost guarantee that it will be higher than the current $53 price tag.

HOOPCLINICS NEW FEATURE

2008-09-03T19:07:00.003-05:00

A forum to discuss all things uptempo. Visit Coach Tuk's forum.
http://hoopclinics.com/forums/

2-2-1 ZONE PRESS

2008-08-10T19:05:00.001-05:00

http://hoopclinics.com/files/Tuk221.exe

2-2-1 PRESS HoopClinics

More of this at HoopClinics

HOOPCLINIC: Stretching Expert Robert Selby

2008-08-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

HoopClinics

Today's download for you to offer to your sites and lists is a sixteen minute interview with Stretching Expert Robert Selby. It is available as an audio download and as an e-book.

In the interview, Coach Selby discusses his pre and post practice stretching techniques, how stretching can improve quickness, and off-season stretching. There are links to his sites where coaches can find more specific information on his stretching programs and watch some demonstrations. There is much more information on the sites than we could fit into the interview.

A NEW VENTURE: HOOPCLINICS.COM

2008-07-31T23:52:00.006-05:00

I'm helping launch a new website for basketball coaches, follow this link

hoopclinics.com

The hoopclinics website will provide online clinics and resources for coaches. Also, anyone who goes to the website and registers will receive the video on the 2-2-1 press and press break options, and then will receive another coaching tool each Friday in August. Coaching resources are literally at our fingertips. I have learned more, and created more contacts than I ever thought possible through the vast resources on the web. Please check it out.

Check out these great resources from the bookstore at perfectpractice.net:
Defense Book
Flex eBook
Flex Offense
Full Volume Book
Offense Book
Perfect Practice Products
Scrimmages
Shooting Book
Transition Book
Zone Offense Book

GREAT PRACTICES

2008-07-31T23:41:00.007-05:00

GREAT PRACTICES on hoopclinics

GREAT PRACTICES on thecrossovermovement

TEAM: ROY WILLIAMS, "IF YOUR OUT FOR YOURSELF YOU WON'T PLAY"

2008-07-19T11:30:00.002-05:00

Williams prepares for the great expectations of 2008-09 season
By Andy Katz

ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 18, 2008

AKRON, Ohio -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams made it clear to his Tar Heels that if they don't put the team first in their quest for a national title, they won't play for him next season.

"If I feel that someone is out for themselves, I don't give a darn who it is, they won't play," Williams said last week in Akron, Ohio, while evaluating high school talent at the LeBron James Nike Skills Academy.

I didn't think any way in Hades that we'd have all three back.
--UNC coach Roy Williams on the return of Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson
North Carolina is the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 national title. The Tar Heels return 2008 consensus national player of the year in senior forward Tyler Hansbrough. UNC received an unexpected boost when rising junior guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington withdrew from the NBA draft. Senior-to-be guard Danny Green, who flirted with the NBA draft, also returned. Add in returning forwards Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard, guard Bobby Frasor (coming back from a knee injury) and the infusion of even more talent with ready-to-contribute freshman guards Larry Drew and Justin Watts and forwards Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis, and the Tar Heels are as loaded as any team in recent memory to be challenging for the title.

"I didn't think [there was] any way in Hades that we'd have all three back," Williams said of getting Lawson, Ellington and Green to return on the deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft.

With those three back, UNC will return its top six scorers, who combined to score 78.7 points, which is more than 319 Division I teams averaged last season.

The only losses from last season's Final Four team are backup point guard Quentin Thomas, who was a senior, and reserve forward Alex Stepheson, who transferred to be closer to his family.

And UNC's returning depth makes this team very different from two of Williams' previous best teams. His consensus No. 1 team in the 1996-97 season at Kansas had Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz and Jacque Vaughn and earned a No. 1 seed, but the Jayhawks were upset in the Sweet 16 by eventual champion Arizona. The 2005 national champion Tar Heels were led by NBA first-round draft picks Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams, but even that team couldn't boast the bench that this year's team will have.

"The '05 team had six or seven guys, but this team has a chance to go much deeper," Williams said. "On the '05 team, we won just 19 games the year before so there was no reason to be fat and happy. None of those guys thought about the NBA and the NBA had no interest in them. They were hungry to show people they were a big-time basketball team. If this team adopts that attitude and shows everybody, then we'll be fine."

Great Expectations
With Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, UNC is the overwhelming No. 1 for the 08-09 season. How might the rest of the Top 25 look? Andy Katz has an early preview. Top 25
• Lunardi: 2009 Bracketology
Williams said the "high character" of this Tar Heels team is a reason he's not concerned that he has "too many guys."

But one concern is the Tar Heels' defense. UNC gave up an average of 85 points and allowed 48.5 percent shooting in its three losses -- to Maryland, Duke and Kansas -- last season.

"We got to a point last season where we were OK defensively," Williams said. "We have to get to a point where we're really good. The '97 team was the best defensive team I ever coached. The 2005 team held Illinois and Michigan State to below 30 percent in shooting in one half in the Final Four."

The only thing Williams still doesn't have a handle on from last season is the perplexing first half against Kansas in the national semifinal. The Jayhawks raced out to a 40-12 lead in the first 13 minutes, a shocking 44-27 halftime lead and an eventual 84-66 win. Kansas went on to beat Memphis in overtime for the national title in San Antonio, with Williams watching his former team in the stands, wearing a Kansas sticker on a black shirt to show his support.

"It's the most dumbfounded I've ever been as a coach," Williams said of the Kansas loss. "In the locker room, we prepared like we did every game in the ACC and in the NCAA. They'd all been the same and the kids appeared to have a good focus. I'm just dumbfounded, still dumbfounded. Kansas just came in and hit us in the mouth."

UNC won't back down in scheduling once again. Williams has the Tar Heels in the Maui Invitational with potential top-25 teams Notre Dame, Texas and Alabama. They will play Kentucky in Chapel Hill and Michigan State at 2009 Final Four site Ford Field in Detroit.

Williams is taking the Tar Heels on the road, too, against lower-level teams that could cause problems, like UC Santa Barbara on the way to Maui and Valparaiso in Chicago in a game to get Illinois native Frasor back home.

The ACC has another five teams that will start the season as probable NCAA tournament teams in Duke, Miami, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Clemson, with a few others that could possibly earn a ticket to the Dance.

"The league is so much better and experienced," Williams said. "And in playing Kentucky, Michigan State and the Maui games, I think those kinds of games will get us ready."

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

HOW THE BEST GET BETTER.

2008-07-14T12:09:00.001-05:00

From Eric Musselman's Blog http://emuss.blogspot.com/

How the best of the best get better and better

I confess: I'm not a regular reader of the Harvard Business Review. But my sister is and she recently passed along to me an article from the HBR by a former professor of "elite performance psychology."

According to the author:

"The real key to excellence in both sports and business is not the ability to swim fast or do quantitative analyses quickly in your head; rather, it is mental toughness. Elite performers in both arenas thrive on pressure; they excel when the heat is turned up. Their rise to the top is the result of very careful planning—of setting and hitting hundreds of small goals. Elite performers use competition to hone their skills, and they reinvent themselves continually to stay ahead of the pack. Finally, whenever they score big wins, top performers take time to celebrate their victories."

Based on his work with elite athletes, he outlines how the "best of the best get better and better."

1. Learn to love the pressure. "Top sports performers don’t allow themselves to be distracted by the victories or failures of others. They concentrate on what they can control and forget the rest."

2. Set long-term goals, then outline short-term objectives and action steps. "Much of star athletes’ ability to rebound from defeat comes from an intense focus on long-term goals and aspirations. At the same time, both sports stars and their coaches are keenly aware that the road to long-term success is paved with small achievements. The trick here is to meticulously plan short-term goals so that performance will peak at major, rather than minor, events."

3. Compete against the best in order to improve. "If you hope to make it to the very top...make sure you train with the people who will push you the hardest."

4. Seek constructive criticism, feedback, and advice. "How do you motivate yourself to embark on another cycle of building the mental and physical endurance required to win the next time, especially now that you have become the benchmark? [Elite performers have] an insatiable appetite for feedback. They have a particularly strong need for instant, in the moment feedback."

5. Work hard; play hard. "Elite performers...put almost as much effort into their celebrations as they do into their accomplishments. Celebration is more than an emotional release. Done effectively, it involves a deep level of analysis and enhanced awareness. The very best performers do not move on before they have scrutinized and understood thoroughly the factors underpinning their success. Dwelling on success for too long is a distraction and, worse, leads to complacency. Celebrate—but push on."

6. An intense desire to compete. "What drives all elite performers is a fierce desire to compete—and win. That’s what truly separates elite performers from ordinary high achievers. It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to get back into the ring and fight to the bitter end."

WHO IS YOUR GLUE GUY?

2008-07-14T12:05:00.001-05:00

From Eric Musselman's Blog http://emuss.blogspot.com/

Monday, July 14, 2008
Who is your "glue guy"?
Saw a story the other day about Tayshaun Prince's role on Team USA that's competing in Beijing next month. According to the article: "Prince was chosen for the 2008 Olympic team headed for Beijing because of his intangibles and willingness to do grunt work — not in spite of those things."

Said Prince: "You have to have guys that are willing to sacrifice and do some other things, and I definitely feel that I am that guy."

Coach K described Prince as a "glue guy," someone who can keep the team together:

"He's the ultimate team player and a star. I don't want to reduce guys' egos and say, 'You're the 11th or 12th man.' I want them to be a star. And I'm not saying Tayshaun is the 11 or 12th man, but wherever we put him in the ballgame, we want him to come in with a high level of ego, worthy of championship team. He's a glue guy on the team."

Every team needs a "glue guy." I've been fortunate to coach several players who fit the description. In the CBA, it was Keith Smart. In the USBL, Larry Lewis filled that role. Shane Battier was the "glue" in Memphis. Brian Cardinal and Darrell Armstrong were the guys who were willing to do whatever took to help the team win in Golden State and Orlando, respectively.

If you're a coach, find your glue guy. If you're a player, how can you be the glue that holds your team together?

THE ART OF THE TIMEOUT

2008-06-06T12:53:00.003-05:00

Tactics
The Art of the Timeout
By JON WEINBACH
April 18, 2008; Page W4

Nate McMillan is a basketball coach with a bright future in the NBA. He surprised the handicappers this season by taking the Portland Trail Blazers, the NBA's youngest team, to the brink of the playoffs.

But outside a handful of statisticians, few people have seen the one talent that best separates Mr. McMillan from his peers -- his knack for getting a team to play better after a timeout.

What happens in a timeout huddle is one of the constant mysteries of the NBA -- some coaches frantically outline plays on a clipboard, while others don't say more than a few words. But in the past few years, as NBA analysts paid more attention to timeouts, they noticed some teams consistently played better after a break. And this season, nobody could hold a candle to Portland.

In the first two possessions after a timeout, Mr. McMillan's Blazers morphed into a different team. On defense, they held opponents to 38% shooting compared with nearly 45% overall. On offense, they were more accurate shooters (46% to 44%) and made a basket or a free throw about 10% more often on those possessions than during the rest of the game. Portland also turned the ball over less often. On the first possession after a timeout, the team committed turnovers just 12% of the time -- also a nice improvement.

This skill seems to have helped Portland prevail in tough situations. The Blazers won only half their games this season, but were 11-3 in games decided by four points or less and 5-2 in overtime games. In "clutch" situations (when neither team was ahead by more than five points in the final period) the Blazers also excelled -- hitting 48% of their field goals while holding opponents to 31%.

Given its achievements in this area, it's slightly surprising that Portland didn't make the playoffs. The nine other teams in the top 10 in post-timeout performance all did. The past four NBA champions have all ranked in the top 10 in this category, too.

NBA coaches use timeouts mostly to give their clubs a rest or to stop an opponent's momentum. Teams get six "full" 60-second and two 20-second timeouts per game, but can't carry unused timeouts over from the first half. As coaches go, Mr. McMillan has a quick trigger. He called 587 timeouts this season, the fifth most in the league. During huddles, he often refers to what he calls "the three C's. We want to be calm, we want to be clear about what we're doing, and we want to be consistent," he says.

Since his team is young, Mr. McMillan says he tries to stay composed on the sidelines and dial down his volume. "They're all ramped up already, so if I'm all fired up, they tend to stay too high," he says.

Mr. McMillan's timeout philosophy dates from his college days at North Carolina State, when he had the chance to watch North Carolina's famous coach, Dean Smith, in action. Mr. McMillan noticed that Mr. Smith always seemed to have a surplus of timeouts at the end of games, which allowed him to substitute players and disrupt the other team's rhythm. "He managed the last couple of minutes as well as anyone," he says. "I think that's when I took notice of timeouts and how important they were." (The Blazers were second in the league in fourth-quarter timeouts this season.)

His chief weapon is practice. Most NBA teams only work on plays to run after timeouts during training camp. But since his arrival in Portland in 2005, Mr. McMillan has made a point of drilling his team several times a month on post-timeout plays -- the most common being a "1-4" set in which All-Star guard Brandon Roy handles the ball while the other players try to open up the middle of the court. "We really focus on it," Mr. McMillan says. To make sure the practice is paying off, he has one of his assistants track the team's post-timeout performance during games.

Last year, despite having a losing record, the Blazers were better after timeouts than several playoff teams and were 11-7 in games decided by three points or less. This year they not only led the league in post-timeout performance, but they also reeled off 13 consecutive wins in December and surprised experts by falling just short of a playoff spot.

The idea to measure "post-timeout performance" came from 82games.com, a basketball research Web site. To compile these performance numbers, Roland Beech, the site's editor, logs each team's points, field-goal percentages and turnovers after timeouts. Several NBA teams, including Houston, Boston and New Jersey, say they have started tracking this statistic, too.

Next season, Mr. McMillan may very well take Portland to the playoffs. The team's bid was hampered this season by injuries to Mr. Roy and by the absence of 7-foot center Greg Oden, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, who missed the entire season with a knee injury.

Write to Jon Weinbach at jonathan.weinbach@wsj.com

BUZZ WILLIAMS MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

2008-05-23T20:24:00.008-05:00

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10839112

'Steadfast' is Buzz word for new Marquette coach Williams
May 23, 2008
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Gary your opinion!

I remember getting the call and being surprised and wanting to find Tom Crean at the LeBron James Skills Academy last July to confirm the story. New Orleans coach Buzz Williams had resigned his position, I was told, and the plan was for Williams to join Crean's staff at Marquette.

Buzz Williams was named head coach when Tom Crean left.

So I asked Crean about it.

He confirmed.

"Buzz is going to be great," Crean said. "And he'll get another head coaching job someday."

It was a sweet thing for Crean to say.

It was the only thing to say.

But at the time nobody knew whether those words were true. College basketball is a tricky business, after all, and some men work their entire lives without ever having the opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level. There are only 300 or so of those jobs in the world; they don't come easy. Which is why industry figures were shocked when Williams vacated one of them to return to the assistant ranks, and some believed the decision scarred him in a way that might prevent him from ever running a Division I program again.

Nine months later, Crean left for Indiana.

Williams was then promoted to Marquette's head coach.

And it sure is funny how things work sometimes, isn't it?

"I didn't come to Marquette to be the head coach; that was not my intent," Williams said Thursday by phone following an appearance at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $51 million law school building. "How could anybody predict everything would transpire the way it has?"

The short answer is that nobody could've predicted it. It's unimaginable, frankly. But there's a lesson here, perhaps a lesson all of us could incorporate into our own lives, one that revolves around the idea of trusting your instincts and your core beliefs and doing what you believe to be right even if it might appear wrong and shortsighted to everybody else.

That's what Williams did, in case you didn't know.
'Steadfast' is Buzz word for new Marquette coach Williams.

He won't get into it in great detail out of respect for the University of New Orleans and the city in general. But people who know Williams insist he was concerned about raising his family in an area that was -- and still is -- slow in its attempt to recover from Hurricane Katrina. "It's a great place to visit but not a great place to live," is how one person familiar with Williams put it. And that belief combined with a situation at UNO that supposedly grew worse after Williams accepted the job in 2006 led the Texas native to re-evaluate his career and make a decision that many called a mistake.

Give up a head coaching job after one year?

For a job as an assistant?

Why?

"Everybody has a different perspective on what they believe to be right, but for me what is always right is doing what I believe is best for my wife and my children," said Williams, purposely (and tastefully) vague. "It may not have been publicly right or perceived the right way. But I have to always make sure I'm doing the right thing in my heart for my wife and my children, and in my heart I believed it was right for my wife and my children."

That's an admirable way of thinking, but here's the problem: You aren't always rewarded for it.

Too often the men who are "successful" in highly competitive professions like coaching are the ones whose personal lives are a wreck. They would never consider putting their wives and children before a dinner with an AAU coach, much less their job as a whole, and that way of doing things brings dozens of recruits who bring hundreds of wins and millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, the man who takes a step backward professionally for the sake of his wife and children typically gets left behind, and that's why other coaches were stunned when Williams tossed aside the UNO job. They understood a man motivated by something other than his profession isn't the type of man built to succeed in their profession, and they knew Williams had a made a decision from which he'd probably never recover.

Except he did.

He recovered in an amazing fashion.

So credit karma or luck or even higher powers working in mysterious ways. The man who "gave up" on his career less than a year ago by giving up a head coaching job in the Sun Belt is now the head coach at a Big East school that will likely field a Top 25 team, and how unlikely did this scenario seem last July?

"Doing what you feel to be right is not always the easiest thing to do, personally or professionally," Williams said. "And doing what you believe to be right without knowing whether it will ever be shown publicly or privately that you did the right thing is the hardest thing to do."

Indeed, that's true.

But sometimes it works out.

Consider Buzz Williams our proof.

ERNIE KENT

2008-04-16T20:31:00.002-05:00

OREGON'S OPEN POST OFFENSE NOW IN THE COACHING BOX.

THE COACHING BOX UPDATED

2008-03-26T17:22:00.004-05:00

THE SEASON IS OVER AND I'M FINALLY GETTING BACK INTO THE BASKETBALL MOOD (NO LONGER FEEL LIKE JEFF VAN GUNDY LOOKS!). THE COACHING BOX WILL BE UPDATED REGULARLY. FURTHERMORE, I'LL HAVE SEVERAL NEW COACHING RESOURCES TO SHARE. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK BASKETBALL. EMAIL coachtuk@earthlink.net

A NEW SET IS IN THE BOX.

John Calipari, Princeton on Steriods

2008-03-19T16:08:00.001-05:00

DRIBBLE DRIVE MOTION

CY-SPRINGS' DREAM SEASON COMES TO AN END

2008-03-02T17:35:00.001-06:00

BY DAVE FANUCCHI

dfanucchi@hcnonline.com

In the end, there were just too many obstacles for the Cypress Springs Panthers to overcome. Especially when you’re playing games deep into the region III-5A boys basketball playoffs, and squaring off against the top teams from the entire city of Houston.

Coach John Harmatuk’s Panthers went to war Tuesday night against the Madison Marlins in the regional quarterfinals at the Campbell Center without not one, but two of their most important and talented players. Even without star junior forward Erik Williams (sidelined since January with a broken left foot), Cy Springs had won their first two post-season contests.

But when guard Earnest Wafer was ruled ineligible for any of the teams’ remaining playoff games due to his failure to meet grade requirements, it put the Panthers in an even tougher position against Madison.

The Marlins - led by point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin’s 24 points - took advantage of Cy Springs’ misfortune and ended the Panthers season with a 73-64 triumph.

It was a valiant effort, but Harmatuk’s sqaud just didn’t have enough left in the tank.

“Our kids are warriors, because they really gutted this one out tonight. We just lost to a better team,” Harmatuk said. “Injuries are a part of playing a full season, and they happen. We had a great year though.”

Senior Philip McDonald tried to carry the load again for Cy Springs, and did a decent job by scoring 20 points. And without Wafer, guards Jon Smith and Daquan Williams combined to pour in 40 more. But it was the lack of scoring ability by anyone else on the Panthers roster that prohibited them from coming back to win the game.

“We came so far this year, and tried to make a push for the state title,” McDonald said dejectedly, after his final high school contest. “It’s disappointing to not be able to go to the playoffs with your best, and tonight we just couldn’t get over the hump.”

Cy Springs trailed nearly the entire game, except for a brief 8-6 lead in the first quarter. Although they were always within striking distance, they were never able to put on their patented run, like they did in their area-round, fourth-quarter comeback win over Bellaire .

Their last shot at a victory came with two minutes to play, after Springs had cut the Marlins’ lead to 62-60. But Madison’s Richard Brown hit a pair of free-throws, and when Springs followed by missing a three-point shot, Brown had a key basket in the paint on the other end of the floor, making it a six-point game with just over a minute to go.

The Panthers fouled the rest of the way, but Mason-Griffin was clutch from the line, and finished off the win for Madison, which improved to 24-9 overall and will face Fort Bend Hightower in Friday’s Regional Semifinals.

Cypress Springs lives to see another day

2008-02-24T14:56:00.001-06:00

Cypress Springs lives to see another day
By DAVE FANUCCHI
dfanucchi@hcnonline.com
02/21/2008
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Trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter, the Cy Springs Panthers went on a furious run and outscored the Bellaire Cardinals 28-8 in the final stanza to post a 57-46 victory in their area-round, region III 5A boys basketball playoff game Thursday night at the Delmar Fieldhouse.

The triumph advances the Panthers (31-6) into the regional quarterfinals, where they await the winner of Friday night’s second round game between Alief Hastings and Houston Madison. Bellaire’s season came to a close at 26-6.

After being limited to just four points in the third period, and scoring only six points over a 14-minute stretch during the middle portion of the game, the Panthers began the fourth by blitzing the Cardinals for a 15-0 run.

Guard Earnest Wafer sparked the offense by making a three-pointer, an inside layup, and two free-throws that made it 38-36.

He then forced a turnover on Bellaire’s next possession, and found Philip McDonald on the perimeter. When McDonald buried his three-point attempt, it put Cy Springs ahead for good, and sent the throng of students sitting courtside into a frenzy.

“I knew my team was too experienced and too tough to not make a run, and that’s what we were able to do,” said Cy Springs coach John Harmatuk. “We needed some guys to step up tonight, and Earnest sure did in the second half.”

Wafer led all scorers in the game with 20 points - 13 of which came during his clutch fourth quarter performance.

In their bi-district playoff opener, the Panthers jumped out to a 37-24 halftime lead and never looked back, as they got by Morton Ranch 72-56 at the Merrell Center. Jon Smith led the way in that one by pouring in a game-high 17 points, while McDonald added 15. Cy Springs limited Mavericks standout Kevin Foster to only four points, 16 short of his season average of 20.

Cy Ridge, Langham Creek both drop bi-district contests

It was a short and uneventful trip to the post-season for both the Cy Ridge and Langham Creek boys teams, the third and fourth place finishers in district 17-5A. The Rams faced a very talented Alief Taylor team that outscored them 26-6 in the second quarter of their opening round playoff contest. That 20-point differential was too much for the Rams to overcome, as they fell 83-66 at Cinco Ranch HS. Cy Ridge ended up 16-15 on the year.

Following that game, the Lobos gave Alief Hastings all they could handle, but came up on the short end of a 63-58 final score. Langham held a 30-27 halftime advantage, but Chris Iles scored a game-high 25 points to guide the Fighting Bears to the win. Micah Chester dropped in 18 points to lead the Lobos, who finished their season with a 15-19 overall mark.

Wafer's big fourth quarter helps Panthers sprint past Bellaire

2008-02-21T23:25:00.001-06:00

Wafer's big fourth quarter helps Panthers sprint past Bellaire
Thursday February 21, 2008
Written by Dave Purpura

Held to four points in the third quarter Thursday night, the Cypress Springs boys basketball team got exactly the defense it was hoping Bellaire would throw at them.

But having scored only six points in almost 15 minutes, all the Panthers needed was shots to start falling.

Cy Springs guard Ernest Wafer opened the fourth quarter on a tear, scoring 10 points in the first 3 minutes, 14 seconds and 13 of his game-high 20 in the period to guide the Panthers to a 57-46 win against the Cardinals in a 5A-Region III area game at Delmar Fieldhouse.

“They just started playing man-to-man and that’s what we like to play,” said Wafer, a 5-foot-10 senior. “We spread our offense and that made us get some open shots.”

After making just one field goal from the 6:08 mark of the second quarter to the end of the third – partly because they went into a stall for more than 4 ½ minutes before halftime – the Panthers (31-6) scored 10 points in a 1 minute, 14 second span to turn a 38-29 deficit into a one-point lead.

Wafer hit a 3-pointer and a layup to start the barrage. Then Phillip McDonald hit a 3-pointer, and Wafer made a jumper and another 3 to bring the lead to 44-38 with 4:46 left.

“(Point guard) Daquan (Williams) does a great job of drawing two (defenders) so that has to leave someone open,” Cy Springs coach John Harmatuk said. “When we drove it and drew two we got Ernest open on the wing.”

Except for a few seconds, Bellaire (26-6) never got within seven points again.

Cy Springs advances to play Hastings or Madison in a regional quarterfinal next Monday or Tuesday. The site and time will be determined Friday night after those teams play at Manvel.

With McDonald hobbled because of a deep thigh bruise sustained in the Panthers’ bi-district win against Morton Ranch, Cy Springs recovered from Bellaire’s 9-0 run to end the first quarter by taking a 25-23 lead early in the second on Wafer’s coast-to-coast layup.

But with the game being played at a frenzied pace, Harmatuk went against his norm and pulled his team into what looked like a stall to regain their composure and collective breath.

“I hate stalling. We weren’t stalling,” Harmatuk said. “I wanted them to come out and guard us and (Bellaire) coach (Bruce) Glover wasn’t going to come out and guard us. I wasn’t smart enough to know what to do so we just hung on to the ball.”

Bellaire opened the third quarter with a burst of its own, reeling off an 8-0 run to take a 31-27 lead. Nicholas Foreman hit a jumper from the arc, Tobi Oyedeji threw down a thunderous slam over two defenders and Randall Ard hit a jumper from the left baseline.

Sheldon McClellan hit a 3-point play as the quarter ended to make it 38-29.

That brought the Cardinals crowd to its feet, but no one knew what was coming next.

“We’re too experienced and too tough not to make a run and that’s what we did in the fourth quarter,” Harmatuk said.

McDonald added 15 points and Jon Smith 14, 12 in the first half, for Cy Springs.

McClellan scored 12 and Jamel Outler 11 for Bellaire.

PLAYOFFS 2008: CY-SPRINGS vs MORTON RANCH

2008-02-18T15:56:00.000-06:00

Cy-Fair Sports

Feb. 18, 2008, 1:25AM
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cy Springs enters playoffs 27-6 (WE ARE 29-6)
Panthers a five-guard offense without injured Williams

By TODD HVEEM
Chronicle Correspondent

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A year ago, the Cypress Springs Panthers were upset by Katy Taylor in the first round of the Region III-5A boys basketball playoffs.

"It was all about matchups," said Panthers coach John Harmatuk. "We didn't shoot the ball very well and we had matchup problems with them."

This year, Cy Springs, who many feel can win the Region III-5A title and advance to the state tournament, plays Morton Ranch, which was third in District 18-5A. Tipoff is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Merrell Center in Katy.

Surely, the same thing can't happen again.

"I think we are peaking at the right time heading into the playoffs," Harmatuk said. "It took us a couple weeks to figure out who we were when Erik (Williams) broke his foot. He had to have surgery on it and everything. But now I think we are starting to gain some confidence again. We had a great win over Strake Jesuit the other night."

Cy Springs enters the playoffs 27-6 overall and second in District 17-5A. Strake Jesuit won the district at 14-2, followed by Cypress Springs at 12-4, Cypress Ridge at 11-5 and Langham Creek at 8-8.

Cy Falls also finished 8-8, but Langham Creek held the tie-breaker.

"Erik Williams (who is 6-foot-7) is the one different player we have to defend the post and block shots," Harmatuk said. "It took us a little while to figure out who we were without him. Now, we basically have five guards on the floor."

Phillip McDonald continues to lead the Panthers with almost 20 points per game.

"We are doing the same things we always do, we just have become a lot smaller," Harmatuk said. "We had to change the game plan a little bit. We are more of a spread the floor and drive team now.

"When we had Erik on one wing and Phillip on other, it creates spacing. Now, we really have nobody to play the post."

DaQuan Williams and Ernest Wafer have picked up their scoring in Williams' absence, Harmatuk said.

"If DaQuan plays like he is capable of playing, it makes us really tough to guard," Harmatuk said.

In other playoff games involving area District 17-5A teams, Cy Ridge plays Alief Taylor on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Cinco Ranch and Langham Creek plays Hastings on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Cinco Ranch.

Only Cy Springs is favored to advance to the second round.

"I don't think anybody is the favorite in Region III," Harmatuk said. "I think there are five or six teams capable of winning it. Strake is good. Bellaire is good, Madison is good. Kingwood is still there.

"Elkins also is really good. Dulles is very good and Fort Bend Bush is huge. I think it is wide open. It is all about matchups."

USA TODAY REGIONAL RANKINGS

2008-01-08T23:26:00.000-06:00

Boys basketball regional rankings
Updated 1d 3h ago | Comments5 | Recommend18 E-mail | Save | Print |

BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Super 25

Regional breakdown

East
1. St. Benedict's Prep, Newark (13-0)

2. St. Anthony, Jersey City (9-0)

3. St. Patrick, Elizabeth, N.J. (8-1)

4. St. Raymond's, Bronx, N.Y. (11-0)

5. Chester, Pa. (12-1)

6. Rice, New York (10-1)

7. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (6-1)

8. Gonzaga, Washington D.C. (14-0)

9. Holy Cross, Flushing, N.Y. (9-2)

10. Christ the King, Queens, N.Y. (6-2)

South

1. Duncanville, Texas (20-1)

2. Yates, Houston (13-2)

3. Norcross, Ga. (9-1)

4. Word of God Academy, Raleigh, N.C. (15-0)

5. LeFlore, Mobile, Ala. (17-1)

6. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (16-3)

7. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (11-2)

8. Cy Springs, Houston (21-3)

9. Bishop O'Connell, Arlington, Va. (12-2)

10. Dillard, Fort Lauderdale (11-0)

Midwest

1. Saginaw, Mich. (8-0)

2. Moeller, Cincinnati (11-1)

3. Whitney Young, Chicago (9-1)

4. Homewood-Flossmoor, Flossmoor Ill. (11-1)

5. Marshall, Chicago (8-1)

6. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (8-2)

7. Bellevue West, Bellevue, Neb. (11-0)

8. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (9-0)

9. Wahlert, Dubuque, Iowa (9-0)

10. New Albany, Ind. (11-0)

West

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (16-0)

2. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (11-0)

3. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (16-1)

4. Taft, Woodland Hills, Calif. (9-2)

5. McClymonds, Oakland (16-0)

6. Fairfax, Los Angeles (11-2)

7. Dominguez, Compton, Calif. (9-2)

8. Westchester, Los Angeles (14-2)

9. Simi Valley, Calif. (14-1)

10. Oregon City, Ore. (10-1

ATHLETES CONNECTION

2007-12-30T11:53:00.001-06:00

http://www.athletesconnection.com/content/view/2185/26/

Cy Springs upsets Florida powerhouse Montverde
Friday December 28, 2007
Written by Dave Purpura

It’s not as if the Cypress Springs boys basketball team needs much positive reinforcement regarding their stellar start.

Winning the Houston ISD Jaycees tournament last weekend, including defeating Yates in the championship, reminded the Panthers how well they can compete with any style. Friday afternoon in the Houston vs. The Nation tournament at the Aldine Campbell Center, Springs showed no signs of intimidation against perennial Florida power Montverde Academy and walked away with a 65-59 upset.

Montverde (12-1), an Orlando-area team with six Division I prospects or signees which is ranked as high as second in the nation by some polls, was handed its first loss in 42 games since 2005.

New Mexico signee Phillip McDonald had 26 points and three blocks and Marquette-bound Erik Williams added 23 points and seven rebounds for Cy Springs (19-2).

“We heard they were a pressing team and we enjoy that,” Panthers coach John Harmatuk said. “If my guards can get out in space and find the big guys on the wing we feel pretty confident. It all worked out tonight. …

“We were already a pretty confident bunch. This is just icing on the cake. We’re on a good roll right here.”

Cy Springs led 30-29 at halftime despite being outrebounded 23-7, but virtually decided the outcome with a 10-0 run late in the third quarter. McDonald hit two free throws and back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 53-43.

“All we need is a little spark and all of us get going,” McDonald said.

But Montverde didn’t go away, responding with a 10-2 run early in the fourth to close to 57-55. Cy Springs helped by missing four straight field goals and as many free throws.

“We weren’t putting enough pressure on the ball so we were letting them run their offense,” Harmatuk said of his team’s defensive struggles in the first half and some of the second. “If they got the ball closer to the rim we were in trouble because of their size. So in the second half our adjustment was to make sure we were putting constant pressure on the ball and don’t let it get closer to the basket. By having some space down there we could get some rebounds.”

Williams hit a running layup with 1:19 left and McDonald followed with a basket shortly thereafter for a 64-59 lead.

Marcus Capers scored 16 points for Montverde. Steve Tcheingang added 13 and Femi Akinpetide 12; Akinpetide and Ruslan Pateev each had seven rebounds to pace a 47-22 rebounding edge.

HOUSTON STUNS THE NATION

2007-12-30T11:38:00.000-06:00

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=755843

December 29, 2007

Gerry Hamilton
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Staff

HOUSTON - In the seven years of the Academy National Invitational tournament and the Houston vs. The Nation tournament, the capacity crowds at the Aldine Campbell Center have been treated to elite level basketball and many a future NBA player putting together dominant performances. On Friday, the crowd of more than 6,000 was treated to a pair of major upsets as Houston area teams Cy Springs and Jack Yates took down nationally rated Montverde Academy and Oak Hill Academy.

Phillip McDonald scored 26 points in the upset win over Montverde Academy.
Nation's No. 2 goes down

The Cy Springs Panthers out of the West Houston area played the part of upset specialist on Friday at the Aldine Campbell Center knocking off national power Montverde Academy 65-59, who came into the game with a 40-plus game winning streak after an undefeated 2006-07 season.

Cy Springs was led by the hot shooting duo of 2009 small forward Erik Williams (Marquette commit) and 2008 shooting guard Phillip McDonald (New Mexico). The contest was a tale of two halves with each player dominating for a 16-minute stretch.

The first half belonged to the 6-foot-6, long-armed Williams, who has been up and down for parts of the season. Friday was clearly up as the future Marquette wing scored 14 first-half points and recorded four steals as Cy Springs led 30-29 after 16 minutes. The junior hit a pair of three-pointers from the left wing, scored on an offensive rebound and flashed the ability to put the ball on the floor going left and finishing with a nice touch over lengthy Montverde Academy defenders.

Montverde Academy stayed in the game in large part due to dominance on the offensive glass and the all-around play by Marcus Capers. The 6-foot-5, left handed wing showed why he may be the most under-appreciated prospect in the 2008 class with array of quick leaping moves for scores and eye catching defensive plays in transition. Capers proved to be an elite level leaper with a cat quick first and second jump.

Capers teammate, future Texas A&M Aggie point guard Dashan Harris, struggled in the opening half going 0-4 from the floor and committing four turnovers that kept the Eagles from putting together a scoring run to take control of the game.

In the second half, future New Mexico shooting guard McDonald played the role of the knock out artist scoring 14 of his 26 points in the third quarter. McDonald got the crowd on its feet with a high rising blocked shot from the weak side followed by back-to-back three-pointers starting a run that ended with the Panthers outscoring Montverde Academy 23-14 in third quarter and taking a 53-43 lead into the final quarter.

Montverde Academy didn't let the 40-plus game winning streak go down without a fight in the final quarter.

Capers continued with his terrific all-around effort electrifying the crowd with a big time two handed dunk in traffic.

Point guard Harris finally showed his play making skills in the closing minutes of the game with three darting, straight line drives that ended with a basket and a pair of nifty passes in traffic for scores, but it wasn't enough as the No. 2 team in the country fell 65-59.

McDonald led all scores with 26 points. The 6-5 guard added four rebounds, three blocked shots and connected on six of 13 three-pointers. Teammate Erik Williams tallied 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Anthony Jones finished with 22 points in the win over Oak Hill Academy.
Capers led the way for Montverde Academy with 16 points, eight rebounds and a steal. Steve Tchiengang tossed in 13 points, while Dashan Harris shot just two of 13 with seven turnovers (four assists).

Yates, Anthony Jones knock off Oak Hill

If the upset of Montverde Academy wasn't enough on Friday, the night-cap certainly sent the near capacity crowd of Houston area basketball fans home with a smile on their face as Jack Yates pulled a surprising upset over Oak Hill 82-80 after trailing by nine to start the second half.

While the 2007 Oak Hill team doesn't feature a squad of ten high-major prospects with a future NBA player or two sprinkled in on the roster as in years past, the Warriors still possess their fair share of talented players in the jaw-dropping Brandon Jennings and a pair of juniors in Glenn Bryant and Keith Gallon.

The first half Friday night looked like more of the same that the Houston area fans have come to expect from Oak Hill, a convincing victory.

The Yates Lions feature a full court pressure, trapping style designed to wear on the legs and minds of the opponent. Oak Hill came out prepared and took full advantage in the early going. With Yates trapping the initial inbounds pass, Oak Hill wisely looked to get future Arizona guard Jennings the ball on the second pass up the floor and let the speed and quickness take over. Jennings went to work quickly scoring on a layup and run out, two handed dunk leading to an eight point opening quarter for the highly touted point guard.

Yates played to 20-20 tie in the first quarter behind the quick driving scores of the guards.

The second quarter featured the big men more as Oak Hill's Gallon (2009) and Yates Anthony Jones (Baylor) went to work. Matched-up for the majority of the game, Gallon used his 6-9, 290-pound frame to wipe out the 6-9, 180-pound future Baylor Bear around the basket. Gallon impressed the crowd with three powerful second quarter dunks, while Jones flashed his vast potential with the ability to step away from the basket and knock down a 20-footer as well as use his 7-foot-2 wing span to score inside of 12 feet.

Jennings was the game's high scorer at the half with 17 points, while Jones led Yates with 14 points and four rebounds.

The second half was a battle of weary legs and the ability to make plays when physically and mentally tired. Advantage Yates as Oak Hill played only seven players in the fast paced game, while Yates played ten.

Jones again went to work against Gallon, who didn't have the ability to defend the quicker Jones laterally. Jones scored in the mid-range and hit another three-pointer in the second half to finish with 22 points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.

The aggressive play of the Yates guards combined with Jones kept Gallon in foul trouble before eventually fouling out in the closing minute. Gallon finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Jennings kept Oak Hill in the game with a quick scoring burst in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. The 6-0 guard hit a pair of three's from the right wing and threw down a third dunk on the night in transition. Jennings finished with a game-high 31 points and three steals.

Defensively, Jennings flashed a bad habit of jumping instead of sliding laterally and gave up too many straight line drives. When Jennings learns to stay in front of the ball, he has the ability to create deflections and steals due to his quick reactions.

Tommy Mason-Griffin played well for Houston Madison.
St. Patrick's lives up to billing

The St. Patrick's Celtics are considered by some to be the No. 1 team in the country and on Friday, they certainly played the part beating Houston Madison 79-67 in a game featuring a pair of the top prospects in the 2009 class in St. Patrick's guard Dexter Strickland and Madison point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin.

Strickland lived up to his lofty status and was the best player on the court at the Aldine Campbell Center Friday. Strickland thrived in transition making tough driving scores look simple and showed the great pace with which he plays the game in the half court. The 6-3 junior made quick cuts without wasted motion working off of down screens in the half court and converted a pair of mid-range jumpers.

As impressive as his ability to score the ball with ease was his ability to see the floor off the bounce setting up teammates for a game high five assists as well as leaping well above the rim to snatch a game high seven rebounds.

Mason-Griffin came into the game as the hometown favorite after averaging more than 30 points as a sophomore in the Texas high school playoffs. The 5-9 right handed point guard in a running back's body scored a game high 28 points connecting on six of 11 contested three-pointers. The majority of his long range jumpers were released outside of 21-feet with a hand or hands in his face.

When putting the ball on the floor with quick, darting lateral moves, Mason-Griffin often found open teammates, but his teammates failed to connect. The LSU commit also took the task of defending Strickland man on the defensive end and did a good job of fighting through screens and making Strickland v-cut hard to get free on the catch.

The two juniors weren't the only players to put together impressive performances. Kansas bound power forward Quintrell Thomas worked a six inch height advantage in the post in the second half on his way to a 22 point, six rebound night. Thomas, who stands 6-8, used his combination of quick leaping ability and his broad, squared shoulders to dominate in the paint.

Thomas threw down a handful of dunks that drew praise from the patrons.

Coaches turn out for Friday's action

College coaches from the likes of Florida, North Carolina, USC, Marquette, Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, and Houston among others were seated on press row.

Friday's results

St. Thomas High School (81) vs. Westfield High School(78)
HCYA (67) vs. St. Pius X High School (55)
Bellaire High School (51) vs. Hastings High School(66)
Seven Lakes High School (35) vs. Kingwood High School(47)
Montverde Academy (59) vs. Cy Springs High School (65)
Albany Academy (39) vs. Klein Collins High School (60)
De La Salle High School (53) vs. Wheatley High School(64)
St. Patrick High School (70) vs. Madison High School(67)
Oak Hill Academy (80) vs. Yates High School (82)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JAYCEE TOURNAMENT

2007-12-27T16:42:00.000-06:00

THANKS TO THE PEOPLE AT FOXSPORTS HIGH SCHOOL HILITES.

http://www.foxhiliteshouston.com/Videos/Category.aspx?cat=527

CY-SPRINGS SEEDED #1 AT THE HOUSTON JAYCEES

2007-12-19T14:15:00.000-06:00

http://texashoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=752226

December 19, 2007

Rob Harman

Talk about it in the Message Boards
The Houston Jaycees / Reebok Basketball Tournament, scheduled Dec. 20-22 at four Houston gyms, is the first of the state's big Christmas tournaments. And tournament director Dave Hudek has a different approach when he puts together the bracket.

"From a high school coach's standpoint, three things make a tournament successful," said Hudek, Houston ISD's coordinator of athletic programs. "One, a good hospitality room. Two, good officiating. Three, a well-seeded tournament. And I think we have all three."

Hudek brings in the tournament coaches to seed the tournament. "I just referee," he said.

This year, Cy Springs, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A by TexasHoops.com, is seeded first, followed by fourth-ranked Houston Madison. Houston Yates, TexasHoops.com's top-ranked Class 4A team, is seeded third, followed by ninth-ranked Houston Wheatley. Cy Springs placed third in the '06 tournament. Last year's finalists Cy Falls and Bellaire are both back as well.

The 68th annual Jaycees event has expanded from an HISD event to a greater Houston area shoot-out, bringing in many of the top suburban schools as well.

"I think we have 10 teams that could win it," Hudek said. "It just depends on who gets hot over the holidays. A team has to win five games in a row in three days to win it. Only the strong survive."

The tournament will display the area's talent to fans and scouts who will congregate at the Delmar, Barnett, Butler and Reagan gyms.

Houston Yates' 6-10 Anthony Jones, TexasHoops.com's third-ranked senior, has signed with Baylor while Cy Spring's 6-3 Phillip McDonald, ranked seventh, has signed with the University of New Mexico. Tommy Mason-Griffin, a 5-10 point guard, is ranked third by TexasHoops.com in the junior class and has committed to LSU and Houston Chavez' Jamal Fenton, a 5-10 point guard, is the eighth-ranked junior.

Other highly-recruited players include Lamar's Josh Bonney, Cy Springs junior Eric Williams, a Marquette commit, Wheatley's Deshaun Garrett and Nimitz' Gary Cox.

The 33-team tournament will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 20) at the three locations and at 1:30 p.m. at the Delmar Fieldhouse, with the finals scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 22) at Delmar.

68th Annual Houston Jaycees / Reebox Basketball Tournament
First-round match-ups, Thursday Dec. 20
(Seeding in parenthesis)
At Delmar Fieldhouse
Scarborough vs. Austin, 1:30 p.m.
Westbury vs. Westfield, 3 p.m.
Kashmere vs. Cy Falls (7), 4:30 p.m.
Washington vs. Westside, 6 p.m.
Cy Springs (1) vs. Scarborough-Austin winner, 7:30 p.m.
At Barnett Fieldhouse
Spring vs. Bellaire (10), 3 p.m.
Furr vs. Nimitz (5), 4:30 p.m.
Waco University vs. Lamar, 6 p.m.
Lee vs. Wheatley (4), 7:30 p.m.
At Butler Fieldhouse
Worthing vs. Jones, 3 p.m.
Waltrip vs. Westbury Christian (8), 4:30 p.m.
Sterling vs. North Shore, 6 p.m.
Sam Houston vs. Yates (3), 7:30 p.m.
At Reagan High School
Davis vs. Chavez (9), 3 p.m.
Reagan vs. St. Thomas (6), 4:30 p.m.
Milby vs. Sharpstown, 6 p.m.
Baytown Lee vs. Madison (2), 7:30 p.m.

HOUSTON vs THE NATION

2007-12-11T20:28:00.000-06:00

http://www.visionsports.com/ANI/2007/PDF/HVTN07Schedule.pdf

ABOVE IS THE LINK FOR THE BRACKET FOR THE HOUSTON vs THE NATION TOURNAMENT.

2007 Houston vs. The Nation
December 27-29, 2007 - Aldine Campbell Center - Houston, TX
Vision Sports presents the Nation's premier high school basketball tournament - come see future college and NBA stars!

The top Houston teams will play against the top teams in the nation to determine the best in the USA. There will also be a separate Texas division tournament featuring Houston's leading teams.

National Teams

Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) - #1 ranked

St. Patrick (New Jersey) - #2 ranked

Montverde Academy (Florida) - #3 ranked

DeLaSalle (Minnesota)

Albany Academy (New York)

Houston Teams

Aldine

Bellaire

Cy Springs

Hastings

HCYA

Kingwood

Klein Collins

Madison

MB Smiley

Seven Lakes

St Pius X

St Thomas

Westfield

Wheatley

Yates

"COACH, CHECK THE VIDEO"

2007-11-25T15:28:00.000-06:00

PHIL'S DUNKS AGAINST SPRING

2007-11-25T15:27:00.001-06:00

PLAYERS MAKE PLAYS

2007-11-23T15:13:00.001-06:00

PLAYERS MAKE PLAYS

2007-11-23T15:12:00.000-06:00

THE SUN PRE-SEASON ARTICLE --- 17-5A PREVIEW

2007-11-21T14:48:00.000-06:00

Sports

Hoops duo creating a buzz at Cypress Springs

By Dave Fanucchi 11/14/2007

To say there's a high level of excitement around the Cypress Springs high school campus surrounding this season's boys basketball team would be an understatement.

When the Panthers and head coach John Harmatuk held their first scrimmage last week on their home court, nearly 30 students of the team's estimated 100-member fan club were on hand to practice their chants and support their squad.

Advertisement

On top of that, sitting across the court just happened to be Marquette University head basketball coach Tom Crean.

He was there to watch his blue-chip recruit - junior forward Erik Williams - who has already committed to Crean's program even though he has two seasons of high school ball left to play.

Williams and senior forward Philip McDonald - who has verbally committed to a basketball scholarship at New Mexico - give the Panthers one of the best 1-2 combinations in the greater Houston area, and certainly in district 17-5A.

Not many programs see a Big East head coach show up on campus to watch a scrimmage.

"When you come to see Coach Harmatuk's team play, you feel like not only are you recruiting prospects, but you are recruiting a program," Crean said. "I just love this area of the country, and I've had a ton of respect for the talent in Houston for a long time."

McDonald and Williams will be looking to lead the Panthers to their second straight district title after they went 12-2 last year. Cy Springs won 27 games overall a year ago, but suffered a disappointing loss in the first round of the state playoffs.

"We're shooting for nothing less than a state championship," Williams said. "I think we have the talent and the supporting players to be able to make a deep run this time."

But Harmatuk knows that to change his squad's post-season results, the Panthers must learn to endure a challenge each and every night.

"High expectations make the season fun, and that's what we're trying to build here," Harmatuk said. "Our players want that pressure on them every game, and we know that everybody is going to give us their best shot. But we have a mature group of kids that I think can handle that."

+++

Cy Springs Panthers

Led by TexPreps Basketball Top-50 state blue-chippers McDonald and Williams, the Panthers are the heavy favorite to win district 17-5A.

Springs returns six of their top nine players from last year's bi-district regional squad that won 27 games. Look for senior guards John Smith and Daquan Williams to add depth and distribute the ball to their scorers.

"With two of the top recruits in the state, they are going to be very tough to beat," TexPreps Basketball Contributing Editor Mark McKee said.

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Langham Creek Lobos

The Lobos will run next to Strake Jesuit as the district's next best team behind Springs.

Playing under new coach Charles Ament, the Lobos will enjoy senior Tommie Tyler's leadership on the court, and he will get help from second-team, all-district selection Mike Davis, and football carryover Cortez Paige, a two-way star athlete on the gridiron.

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Cy Falls Golden Eagles

Senior Chris Dao is the only returning starter from last season's 29-win team that made it to the regional quarterfinals.

Josh Struble and Nick Smith will have to provide some scoring and rebounding, and the Golden Eagles will look to a strong JV program for help.

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Jersey Village Falcons

Following the loss of all-district selection Jonathan Brown to graduation, the Falcons must acclimate themselves with senior Luke Nonteith and junior Michael Barbas leading the way. Jersey Village won 19 games last year.

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Cy-Fair Bobcats

The only direction the Bobcats could be headed this year is up. After suffering through a winless district campaign last year, coach David Buchanan expects to start five seniors, including a pair of transfers from Cypress Christian that could make an impact: wingman Ryan Baker and guard Lawrence Paye. Seniors Emery Joshua and Erich Bao return in the backcourt.

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Cy Woods Wildcats

The Wildcats are ready to jump into their first ever season of varsity action.

Short on size and experience, but talented and scrappy, expect juniors Reynaldo Noel, Peyton Leatherman, and Jarrod Jones to form the nucleus of this team that will play with plenty of enthusiasm.

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Cy Ridge Rams

Football defensive back Curtis Slater will take off his spikes and lace up his sneakers to guide the Rams at the point guard position.

A young team that is getting better, it will be tough for Cy Ridge to have much of a say in the district race.

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Cy Creek Cougars

The Cougars lost virtually their entire starting lineup from a 26-win team that reached the area playoffs. Don't look for much from Cy Creek this year.

WOULD YOU CALL THIS A TOUGH START?

2007-11-17T11:27:00.000-06:00

We started the season with the McDonald's Pasadena Invitational tournament. We finished 4-1, for 3rd place in the Gold Division. In the process we played, according to the Texashoops.com website, the #2, #3, #5, and #13 teams in the state. Great job. "SHRINK THE CIRCLE" now more than ever.

Mike Kunstadt/Sam Lowe

Team 2006-07 Record 2006-07 Playoffs
1. Duncanville 39-0 State Champions
2. San Antonio Madison 36-5 State Semi-Finals
3. Klein Collins 29-10 Regional Finals
4. Lewisville 31-3 Regional Quarter-Finals
5. DeSoto 34-5 Regional Quarter-Finals
6. Kingwood 38-3 State Finals
7. North Crowley 29-6 Area
8. Austin Bowie 28-6 Regional Quarter-Finals
9. Cy-Springs 27-8 Bi-District
10. Houston Strake Jesuit 17-11 Bi-District
11. Klein Forest 29-9 Regional Semi-Finals
12. Mesquite Horn 17-11 Bi-District
13. Alief Hastings 28-10 Regional Semi-Finals

PHIL SIGNS NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT

2007-11-14T21:04:00.000-06:00

WE ARE PROUD OF YOU PHIL.