Attitude Adjustment

Without sixteen of the original thirty players at the Trials, the already spacious Gooding Arena looked a whole lot less crowded this afternoon. The remaining fourteen made it through three days of grueling practices and furious competition, and can now look forward to the real challenge – winning it all. Coach Wright dictated the tempo of today’s practice, teaching the subtleties of the “Quick” offense (a high ball screen from a post player for a pick and roll or three-pointer from a “replacing” wing) and preaching the ethos of USA basketball: not giving the opponent a darn thing. He villainized the competition down “there,” telling the players how “they” run certain plays, implying a certain subversive intent. He drew upon the conventional perception of American basketball players as unable to shoot and defensively lazy, mobilizing his players to dig deeper and drive their bodies beyond the frenetic pace which has characterized the Trials so far.

(Wright speaking with Boeheim after last night's Trials concluded)

The Arena buzzed all afternoon with commendation for Wright’s coaching. I've never seen someone communicate a mentality to his players like Wright. He gave the fourteen guys on the floor an identity, one inextricably linked to a tough, defensive-minded attitude bent on flawlessness. He doesn't raise his voice when mistakes happen; he simply said that he doesn't want the "bullshit" and shows everyone how to do things the right way. Wright ran the floor with the players during a modified five-on-five, stopping play to reinforce the “ball-you-man” approach of off-ball defense. He also talked about “chesting the dribble” and “reading your man’s chest” because “international referees protect the shooter.” G/F Bryce Taylor worked as his dummy for the lesson, moving his feet quickly as PG Eric Maynor played the role of the devious international player. Wright emphasized that if Maynor were one of “them,” he would lead his dribble with his shoulder and try to jump into the American defender. Taylor had to resist the urge of the stereotypical U.S. player to “get up and punch shots,” as Wright put it. He defended Maynor by keeping his chest directly in front of him with his hands up and pulling off of him when he tried to draw contact on his shot. Both Taylor and SG Josh Carter executed this technique immaculately throughout the day.

Carter’s on-ball, fire-blanket quality defense suffocated his opponents consistently. He brought Coach Wright’s teeth-gritting defensive attitude to life by keeping his chest on the ball-handler and staying at that very close proximity without using his hands or committing a foul. Carter also made two top plays: he lured G/F Kyle Weaver into sending the ball out to the wing, and picked it once he did; minutes later he closed out and blocked a jumpshooter in the corner. After last night’s practice, Carter noted that “this weekend hasn’t been great for me shooting, but hopefully I did some other stuff so I’ll make the team.” Today’s D could have protected his spot when the roster is trimmed from 14 to 12.

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Some other notes from today’s practice: On two occasions, 7-footer C Roy Hibbert hedged on a screen at the top of the key, shuffling with PG Scottie Reynolds all the way to half court. Watching Hibb hustle back to his man in the post was a beautiful thing.

Thankfully, the shooting woes have curtailed. SG Wayne Ellington swooshed a three on a catch-and-shoot. On the other side of the floor, Kyle Weaver caught the fire, followed by a Josh Carter 3 and then a fourth successive longball from Bryce Taylor.

F James Gist played his way onto this team with freakish athleticism and a serviceable jumper. He sprung off the baseline for a two-handed slam in which both of his hands were around the top of the square on the backboard. Later, he came down the floor and followed an Eric Maynor miss with a rim-rocking tip-dunk. As with PF Joey Dorsey, these plays are the ones etched into our memories and make it easy to forget the turnarounds he hit from the high post.

Bryce Taylor continues to impress on both sides of the floor. Georgetown Assistant Coach and Haverford alum Robert Burke ’88 recalled Taylor’s performance against the Hoyas last season: “Bryce Taylor might be a better defender than people realize. He guarded Jeff Green at points and can stack up against opponents at number of different positions. He’s a really talented guy that a lot of people on the East Coast don’t know about.”