KANSAS CITY, Mo.—College basketball has certainly changed from the days of the short shorts. Players are bigger, stronger, more athletic and, perhaps, less fundamentally sound than they once were.
There was a time when fundamentals were the key to everything. Coaches spent countless hours working on footwork in the post, pivoting to run down the floor, the proper way to block someone out for a rebound—all the little things to give their players an edge.
With the size and strength of today’s players, it’s more about brute force than fundamentals.
“Guys are so big and athletic now, you can’t sit there worrying about, well, I’m going to pivot this way or that way to block a guy out because he’s right by you, or he’s got you shoved underneath the basket,” Texas Tech coach Pat Knight said Thursday at Big 12 media day. “The so-called fundamentals, when it comes to footwork, is going out the door just because guys are so powerful and strong.”
Bigger and stronger players haven’t turned basketball into more of a power game, though. If anything, there are fewer talented big men in the game, forcing teams to the perimeter.
Centers like Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Cole Aldrich of Kansas and Texas’ Dexter Pittman are rarities in the college game. The days of dumping the ball into a mammoth center are gone, replaced by up-tempo, penetrating-style offenses.
“You’re looking more to a game where it’s more of a drive and kick game,” Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “There aren’t that many great big men out there that are skilled, so I think teams are actually playing for the most part smaller. People just put their head down and drive and I think people look to have the court spaced.”
———
FIGHTING BENEFITS?: The fight between the Kansas football and basketball teams last month was an embarrassment to the university. Probably wasn’t the best way to get ready for the basketball season, either.
But could it be a benefit to the Jayhawks in the long run? Coach Bill Self thinks it might.
“I’m not real happy with our guys for those events that took place,” he said. “But if we were that undisciplined and irresponsible that selfish motives could get in the way of something so insignificant at that point in time, then we weren’t disciplined or responsible enough to win big.
“So, if anything, I think we’ll be more disciplined, we’ll be more responsible and if you have that combination with good players, I think that can make for some fun. I see it as being a positive over time.”
———
BIG SHOOTER: Oklahoma freshman center Tiny Gallon has plenty of skills for a big man and a deft touch from the outside. Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel just doesn’t want him to fall in love with the perimeter, not at his size.
“I haven’t seen any 6-9, 290-pound shooting guards out there,” Capel said. “LeBron is close, but by any means, he’s not LeBron. There’s only one of those guys walking the face of earth.”
Capel said Gallon has dropped 70 pounds since the start of his senior year at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
———
DEEP LONGHORNS: With a strong senior class and another stellar recruiting class, Texas coach Rick Barnes has a deep roster. How deep? Maybe 14 players worth—and Barnes isn’t afraid to use all of them.
“Really, at this point, every day it seems like somebody else does something,” he said. “And I’ve said this before, if they do what they’re supposed to do, if we have play 14 guys, we’ll play 14 guys.”
———
TILLER’S HEART: Missouri senior guard J.T. Tiller has been named to the Wooden Award watch list. So how does a player who averaged just 8.4 points per game last year get on a list of the 50 best players in college basketball?
Intangibles.
Tiller’s impact on the Tigers goes much deeper than points, from leading Missouri’s swarming defense, dishing out assists, sneaking in for rebounds, serving as the undisputed leader of the team.
“Last year, I made a statement at a press conference, you know, talk about the five stars, the four stars, the two stars and all that,” Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. “You can’t put a star on a guy’s heart like that. You look at what he did this past year. I think he’s going to be even better this year. I really do.”
———
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When I saw his picture about a week ago, I literally had a tough time eating later inn the day,” Kansas State coach Frank Martin, on seeing a photo of transfer Curtis Kelly before he lost 30 pounds.
———
LOOSE BALLS: Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said freshman guard Alec Burks grew more than 3 inches since he left Grandview (Mo.) High School. Now 6-6, Burks could be better than former standout Richard Roby was his freshman year in Boulder, Bzdelik said. … Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon was sick and didn’t make it to media day. … Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin has been as good as anyone during practice so far in the season. That’s nice praise considering he’s been playing alongside Willie Warren, one of the best guards in the country. … Nebraska coach Doc Sadler spent much of his time during the open-question period clearing his throat. “I feel much better than it sounds,” he said.
