NEW ARTICLE: Coaches Coach; Players Play

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) -- Earlier in the 2010-2011 college basketball season, back when UD was defying the prognostications of guys like Joe Lunardi and Ken Pomeroy, “From the Swamp” took a pretty good shot at stat heads everywhere and Kenny Boy in particular:

http://www.udpride.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16265

Well, I am here to say that I was wrong and Pomeroy was right.

Initially yours truly looked like a genius, as UD ran their won/loss record out to 13-3. The five game losing skein that Pomeroy’s predictor algorithm had envisioned in reality turned out to be a five game Flyer winning streak.

And then UMass happened.

Since then, with the exception of wins over Atlantic 10 lesser lights LaSalle, St. Bonaventure, Fordham and St. Joes, UD has dropped every single meaningful conference game, regardless of whether it was on the road or at home.

We’ve all seen this movie before.

Speaking of flicks, in the murder mystery film “Rising Sun” Police Detective/Japanese culture expert Sean Connery explains the difference between how Japanese and American businesses address problems:

“The Japanese have a saying, ‘Fix the problem, not the blame.’ Find out what's f***ed up and fix it. Nobody gets blamed. We're always after who f***ed up. Their way is better.”

So instead of firing BG or shipping a scholarship player or two out of town as so many Message Board/DDN Comments Section know-it-alls have recommended, let’s do what 007 says and identify the problems and fix ‘em.

Where to start?

-- UD currently ranks #314 in FG percentage in Division 1 of the NCAA. Let me repeat that.

UD ranks 314th out of the 345 schools playing D-1 hoops in field goal percentage.

There’s the problem in a nutshell right there, kids.

As the title of this little opus implies, ‘Coaches coach; Players play’ so clearly it is the players who have to take and make better shots if the fortunes of the Flyers are going to change, whether it be this season or next.

Solution: If they don’t have one already, spend the $3,999 and get one of these machines from the Mark Price Shooting Academy, stat:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/sp...r=2&ref=sports

Hey, if it’s good enuf for Andres Sandoval, it sure as hell can’t hurt to try it and fix what ails the Flyboys!

-- I am a staunch believer in the tacit connection between excellent FT shooters also being good FG % guys. Let’s face it, if you can shoot freebies at a 90+% clip, you should be able to make a decent percentage of your shots from the floor, regardless of your position. Look at guys like Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Larry Bird -- great FT shooters who also made a tremendous FG %. The Flyers do neither well, as they now rank #204 in the country in FT percentage at 68.1%

Solution: Shoot more FTs in practice… a lot more.

-- Against URI, the Flyers ran off 21 unanswered points in the 1st half to take a 29-22 lead into the locker room.

Who should get the credit, BG or the players?

Against URI, UD ended up losing by 14, getting outscored in the 2nd half by that exact same number -- 21 points -- 45 to 24.

We’re not playing the blame game here, but whose fault is that, BG or the players?

Solution: How do you teach or coach a concept like consistency? The only way I can think of is by constant repetition and positive reinforcement.

-- Speaking of the URI road loss, the guys at College Chalk Talk’s Secondary Break interviewed Juwan immediately after the game:

http://secondarybreak.wordpress.com/...ten-interview/

Boy, talk about great timing! Juwan looks really excited to speak to them, doesn’t he?

“So Mr. Mubarak, other than resigning from the Presidency of Egypt, how has the rest of your vacation been?”

Solution: Do us all a favor and don’t interview the Flyers' freshman PG after a crushing road loss.

-- Live by the three, die by the three. How many times have we heard that said about the Red and Blue? Ken Pom has Dayton ranked as the #200 squad in three point FG percentage.

Solution: Instruct the Flyer players not to shoot a three unless they are wide open and only if the shot came as a direct result of moving the ball inside/out.

-- In the 1st half vs. Temple, UD had 1 assist on only 9 FGs made. How do you fix that? Is the problem Juwan Staten and Josh Parker? I don’t think so.

There are two parts to every assist:

The player getting the assist has to make the pass

More importantly, the player receiving the pass must make the shot

The Flyers missed innumerable layups in the game vs. the Owls. KenPom.com shows BG Boys ranking #12 in the country in assist-percentage. So, I don’t think passing the ball is the Flyers root problem.

Solution: Send the Flyers to a Finishing School.

-- Is ball handling the issue here? According to Ken Pom, no. UD ranks #8 in the entire country in offensive steals percentage, meaning they don’t get the ball stolen from them very often, which is in their favor.

Solution: Don’t change a thing.

-- Are the Flyers unlucky? Earlier this year, my boy Kenny had the Flyers as the 3rd luckiest team in college basketball. Not any more. UD now ranks #25 in “luck factor” according to Ken Pom. That’s still a high ranking, but I don’t think any of the Flyer Faithful would typify this year’s squad as particularly lucky, especially in A-10 play.

Solution: Get luckier.

-- Is there some correlation between FT shooting and luck? This guy at The Audacity of Hoops seems to thinks so:

http://audacityofhoops.blogspot.com/...-and-luck.html

Solution: Hell, I have no idea what this dude is talking about.

So there you have it, the answer to all of the Flyers’ problems.

Now, go forth and win!

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: swampy@udpride.com

	Flyer Faithful FLYER FAITHFUL Best college basketball fans in the country. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and loyal. Help to create one of the toughest home courts in the nation at UD Arena. Over 12,000 fans a game put the Flyers in the Top-30 nationally in attendance. Fan spirit and support growing to other UD sports and athletic programs as well.

	Temple TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple College became Temple University in 1907. Located in Philadelphia, Temple is a comprehensive public research university with 34,000 students, 8 campuses, and 300 academic degree programs. Notable alumni include Bill Cosby and Daryl Hall. Temple's nickname is the Owls and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	Fordham FORDHAM Fordham University is an independent Jesuit university established in 1841 as St. John's College on old Rose Hill Manor in the village of Fordham, then part of Westchester County in the Bronx, NY. The name Fordham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "ford" and "ham," meaning a wading place or ford by a settlement. Rose Hill is the name given to the site in 1787 by Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home of the same name in Scotland. The College was originally staffed by diocesan clergy. The name was officially changed to Fordham University in 1907. Fordham's 10 schools enroll 14,448 students. There are 7,652 undergraduates, of whom 3,842 live in University-managed housing either on-campus or in the local community. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams. Athletic claim to fame is consistent mediocrity in nearly all sports and few A10 title winning programs.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.