nwest
04-12-2007, 08:06 AM
This was posted on TCP, the original poster was not sure who it's from, he just found it on a message board, but it is a must read!
1.) Gillispie said that he owns "copies of every basketball coaching book ever written, plus all the tapes made by people like Rick Pitino and Bobby Knight." He went on to say that he only has one book on his desk - "Championship Basketball," by Adolph Rupp. In discussing the book, Gillispie said that the three point shot has changed the game a little bit so some of Rupp's offense needs adjusting to the modern game. But, one thing that BCG follows to a "t." - "We play man-to-man. Straight up. No gadgets. His hard core man to man won games for me in high school, in junior college, at UTEP and at A & M, and it will most certainly work here, where it was created." He said the word "zone" is once again a four letter epithet in Lexington. Likewise, he said that some people have told him UK doesn't have the material to match up with people for a few years. To those people, he says, "We have seven months and three days until that opening game. Come see."
2.) When they were in town for the NCAA three weeks ago, Gillispie took his A& M team out to the Lexington Cemetery to visit the grave of Coach Rupp. When they played at Kansas earlier, he took them out to the cemetery to visit the graves of Phog Allen and James Naismith. Gillispie said, "If you're going to spend all your time doing something, you need to know about the history of what you do. These kids need to know who came before them. Before the game owes them anything, they owe the game something. You have to be humble before you can be great."
3.) Gillispie has embraced technology to leapfrog many established powers in his recruiting. His recruiting style is based on computers, cell phones and text messaging. During the four hours he was in the Coliseum (Friday), in between high fiving the fans and answering reporters questions and talking to lettermen, he got 88 text messages to prospects. Many schools still rely on letters. They send one letter a day, or letters with photos or other items included. Gillispie doesn't send letters. He engages kids in conversations over the phone, the computer or via text messages.
4.) When many people thought Gillispie might sign with Arkansas, DeAndre Jordan told the Chronicle that if Gillispie went to Arkansas he would probably go there, too, even if it meant sitting out a year. He said he didn't care what school he went to, he wanted to play for Gillispie.
5.) Gillispie enforces several rules. One of them is that no opponent gets more than one shot per possession. He spends considerable practice time working on the concept of blocking out. "Since we play man to man, everybody's already between his man and the basket. So how is it possible for the opponent to get a rebound? Unless somebody loafs, it's not. And since you're assigned a specific man, if he gets a rebound, it's pretty obvious whose fault that was. Controlling the defensive boards is a key component of playing defense. Anybody who gives up a rebound on defense comes to the bench no questions asked."
6.) Gillispie has a whole series of drills he runs without a ball. "You don't need a ball to practice footwork, positioning, quickness, and a whole bunch of other things. Why do you need a ball to practice moving without the ball? Why do you need a ball to practice blocking out?"
7.) Gillispie has a special ball he uses. It doesn't bounce. it's the same size, made of leather, weighs the same, feels the same, shoots the same, but it doesn't bounce. "The way you eliminate mindless dribbling is to play without dribbling being an option. Dribbling is like giving a speech and saying "and...uh..." every sentence or two. Saying "and...uh..." does not accomplish anything. Neither does dribbling. We can play whole scrimmages without dribbling. Now that you can't dribble, what exactly are you going to do? Pass, maybe? You don't know how to pass? Well, we can work on that. You can't pass because nobody's open? Well, what're they doing---standing around? Nobody cutting through? We don't know how to move without the ball? Well, we can work on that."
8.) Gillispie doesn't buy the notion of players making plays, of players finding a way to get themselves open, of somebody breaking down the opponent. "I wasn't any good," he admits with this embarrassed grin. "If it had been up to me to break somebody down, get myself open, I would have been a complete failure. But I could pass and cut and learn plays and function very well within a team concept. It;s the purpose of the offense to set the player up. Then, it's the job of the player to execute the play the way he practices it. If the offense is efficient and the player runs it, then he
gets open for the shot. Just throwing a ball out there and saying, Ok, you're the McDonald's All American, get yourself open" is a good way to get yourself beat.
9.) Does anyone find it interesting that Gillispie only has a B.A.? I suspect he's the only D-1 coach in America who only has a B.A. Even Kyle Macy has never been able to land a decent job because he doesn't have a Masters degree, even though he was All American, won an NCAA title and played in the NBA. Guess that's another standard which has now been abandoned.
10.) Forget about Jasper transferring. Gillispie conferred privately with Jasper yesterday in the Coliseum. Said Jasper later, "None of us are going anywhere. I'm excited."
11.) We're beginning to get little glimpses into frustrations that were simmering during the past season. Said Perry Stevenson yesterday after his meeting with Gillispie, "You're going to see players showing skills we weren't allowed to show. There's a lot more talent on this team if we can just take off the handcuffs and play. Now it looks like the cuffs are off. I know I can do things I was not allowed to do."
12.) Acie Law, who played for Gillispie at A & M, is quoted in the Texas papers as saying "I would not be the player I am if he had not worked with me like he did. He developed my shot, developed my game. I thought I was pretty good already, and then I was amazed at how much he showed me about fundamentals and especially about shooting that I never knew. If I win this Wooden award it will be because of him." Said Jasper yesterday, "I am definitely looking forward to that kind of help. Hopefully he can build me into an Acie Law." Said Ramael Bradley, "He told me if I work hard enough during the off season maybe I can make a run at the Wooden award this time next year. If that's possible, let's start this afternoon. I am so ready."
13.) Forget Joe Crawford leaving. "I'm excited," he said. "A more wide open style. That's what we want. Let's get busy."
14.) Gillispie has text messaged Stefphan Pettigrew asking him not to sign anywhere until they have had time to talk. Pettigrew is playing in the Ohio-Kentucky All Star Game Saturday. He said he'd wait. "Tubby made it clear he didn't want me," he said. "Maybe there's some hope here."
15.) Gillispie had one of the UK staff call KBA and check on the dates of the AAU tournaments to be played over the upcoming months. He entered those in his calender. "We've got to see what's out there in the junior highs and the 9th and 10th grades."
1.) Gillispie said that he owns "copies of every basketball coaching book ever written, plus all the tapes made by people like Rick Pitino and Bobby Knight." He went on to say that he only has one book on his desk - "Championship Basketball," by Adolph Rupp. In discussing the book, Gillispie said that the three point shot has changed the game a little bit so some of Rupp's offense needs adjusting to the modern game. But, one thing that BCG follows to a "t." - "We play man-to-man. Straight up. No gadgets. His hard core man to man won games for me in high school, in junior college, at UTEP and at A & M, and it will most certainly work here, where it was created." He said the word "zone" is once again a four letter epithet in Lexington. Likewise, he said that some people have told him UK doesn't have the material to match up with people for a few years. To those people, he says, "We have seven months and three days until that opening game. Come see."
2.) When they were in town for the NCAA three weeks ago, Gillispie took his A& M team out to the Lexington Cemetery to visit the grave of Coach Rupp. When they played at Kansas earlier, he took them out to the cemetery to visit the graves of Phog Allen and James Naismith. Gillispie said, "If you're going to spend all your time doing something, you need to know about the history of what you do. These kids need to know who came before them. Before the game owes them anything, they owe the game something. You have to be humble before you can be great."
3.) Gillispie has embraced technology to leapfrog many established powers in his recruiting. His recruiting style is based on computers, cell phones and text messaging. During the four hours he was in the Coliseum (Friday), in between high fiving the fans and answering reporters questions and talking to lettermen, he got 88 text messages to prospects. Many schools still rely on letters. They send one letter a day, or letters with photos or other items included. Gillispie doesn't send letters. He engages kids in conversations over the phone, the computer or via text messages.
4.) When many people thought Gillispie might sign with Arkansas, DeAndre Jordan told the Chronicle that if Gillispie went to Arkansas he would probably go there, too, even if it meant sitting out a year. He said he didn't care what school he went to, he wanted to play for Gillispie.
5.) Gillispie enforces several rules. One of them is that no opponent gets more than one shot per possession. He spends considerable practice time working on the concept of blocking out. "Since we play man to man, everybody's already between his man and the basket. So how is it possible for the opponent to get a rebound? Unless somebody loafs, it's not. And since you're assigned a specific man, if he gets a rebound, it's pretty obvious whose fault that was. Controlling the defensive boards is a key component of playing defense. Anybody who gives up a rebound on defense comes to the bench no questions asked."
6.) Gillispie has a whole series of drills he runs without a ball. "You don't need a ball to practice footwork, positioning, quickness, and a whole bunch of other things. Why do you need a ball to practice moving without the ball? Why do you need a ball to practice blocking out?"
7.) Gillispie has a special ball he uses. It doesn't bounce. it's the same size, made of leather, weighs the same, feels the same, shoots the same, but it doesn't bounce. "The way you eliminate mindless dribbling is to play without dribbling being an option. Dribbling is like giving a speech and saying "and...uh..." every sentence or two. Saying "and...uh..." does not accomplish anything. Neither does dribbling. We can play whole scrimmages without dribbling. Now that you can't dribble, what exactly are you going to do? Pass, maybe? You don't know how to pass? Well, we can work on that. You can't pass because nobody's open? Well, what're they doing---standing around? Nobody cutting through? We don't know how to move without the ball? Well, we can work on that."
8.) Gillispie doesn't buy the notion of players making plays, of players finding a way to get themselves open, of somebody breaking down the opponent. "I wasn't any good," he admits with this embarrassed grin. "If it had been up to me to break somebody down, get myself open, I would have been a complete failure. But I could pass and cut and learn plays and function very well within a team concept. It;s the purpose of the offense to set the player up. Then, it's the job of the player to execute the play the way he practices it. If the offense is efficient and the player runs it, then he
gets open for the shot. Just throwing a ball out there and saying, Ok, you're the McDonald's All American, get yourself open" is a good way to get yourself beat.
9.) Does anyone find it interesting that Gillispie only has a B.A.? I suspect he's the only D-1 coach in America who only has a B.A. Even Kyle Macy has never been able to land a decent job because he doesn't have a Masters degree, even though he was All American, won an NCAA title and played in the NBA. Guess that's another standard which has now been abandoned.
10.) Forget about Jasper transferring. Gillispie conferred privately with Jasper yesterday in the Coliseum. Said Jasper later, "None of us are going anywhere. I'm excited."
11.) We're beginning to get little glimpses into frustrations that were simmering during the past season. Said Perry Stevenson yesterday after his meeting with Gillispie, "You're going to see players showing skills we weren't allowed to show. There's a lot more talent on this team if we can just take off the handcuffs and play. Now it looks like the cuffs are off. I know I can do things I was not allowed to do."
12.) Acie Law, who played for Gillispie at A & M, is quoted in the Texas papers as saying "I would not be the player I am if he had not worked with me like he did. He developed my shot, developed my game. I thought I was pretty good already, and then I was amazed at how much he showed me about fundamentals and especially about shooting that I never knew. If I win this Wooden award it will be because of him." Said Jasper yesterday, "I am definitely looking forward to that kind of help. Hopefully he can build me into an Acie Law." Said Ramael Bradley, "He told me if I work hard enough during the off season maybe I can make a run at the Wooden award this time next year. If that's possible, let's start this afternoon. I am so ready."
13.) Forget Joe Crawford leaving. "I'm excited," he said. "A more wide open style. That's what we want. Let's get busy."
14.) Gillispie has text messaged Stefphan Pettigrew asking him not to sign anywhere until they have had time to talk. Pettigrew is playing in the Ohio-Kentucky All Star Game Saturday. He said he'd wait. "Tubby made it clear he didn't want me," he said. "Maybe there's some hope here."
15.) Gillispie had one of the UK staff call KBA and check on the dates of the AAU tournaments to be played over the upcoming months. He entered those in his calender. "We've got to see what's out there in the junior highs and the 9th and 10th grades."