Team Play Allows Washington to Win First Outright Pac 10 Title in 56 Years

Washington's 6-foot-7, 255-pound senior power forward has always been there-in the paint-for the last three years, battling taller, more athletic opponents. He brought his lunch pail and hard hat with him every night with no exceptions. Jon Brockman led the way in the underachieving times.

Now Brockman and his teammates just accomplished something that no basketball team at the University of Washington has done in 56 years-win an outright Pac 10 Championship title. He could not have done basketball alone, but it is even more certain that his Husky teammates could not have done it without their 3-year captain and leader.

Brockman was the role model and he set the tone that said "we can do this if we just play as a team and not worry about individual glory and statistics". For at least one season one team among the 347 NCAA Division 1 teams bought into the "we are one" concept and went to work.

The result for the players was stunning, not in just professional growth but personal growth as well. Never more so than in the case of senior guard Justin Dentmon, an All-Pac 10 Freshman Team selection who struggled through two seasons before arriving this year as a total blessing and an All-Pac 10 First Team selection. Dentmon was also named the Pac 10's Most Improved Player of the Year.

Junior forward Quincy Pondexter, who had been basketball and down like a yo-yo his first two years, finally settled down and began showing his talent and potential. He flat carried the Huskies at critical moments in some games.

True freshman guard Isaiah Thomas arrived on campus with a lot of hype and delivered big time-as a scorer, as a game-changing threat, and as a team player who exchanged some personal point production for more wins. The 5-foot-8 fearless lane splitter not only made the All-Pac 10 Freshman Team, he was also selected as the Pac 10 Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore guard Venoy Overton, who was a starter last year and came off the bench this year so Isaiah Thomas could start, transformed himself into one of the Pac 10's defensive stoppers. Every time Overton moved, he had so much speed he looked like he was shot out of a cannon. He took on the best of the best and harassed them silly.

Forwards Matthew Bryan-Amaning (better known as MBA), Darnell Gant and Justin Holiday all had special moments and kept getting better and better as the team started piling up victories.

After playing themselves into at least a tie for the Pac 10 title, the Huskies put a huge exclamation point on an uplifting, positive, moving season by beating their heated cross-state rivals-the Washington State Cougars-67-60 to bring their home court record to 18-1 on the season.

But back to Brockman, a guy so tough under the basket he can go head-on against taller, more talented players in the paint and come out on top. Never, ever underestimate Brockman in the paint. He is fearless and can both give and take punishment; he has had his nose broken 5 times rebounding.

Brockman set the all-time Husky record for rebounding this year. He is the first Husky ever and the only the fourth player in Pac-10 history to have more than 1,700 career points and 1,200 rebounds. Brockman is the nation's leader with 58 career double-doubles (at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in a single game).

Jay Bilas of ESPN.com has called Brockman the best rebounder in the nation. Brockman pulled down 18 rebounds in the title-clinching game against Washington State.

Washington has built its season around greatly improved defensive play and a balanced offense that favors no one and benefits everyone. Husky players actually dive for loose balls; they will potentially hurt themselves to keep the ball alive and in their hands.

They have 4 players in double-digits scoring. In regular season play, the Husky backcourt had both Dentmon and Thomas averaging 15 points a game, Brockman averaged 14 points and 11+ rebounds a game, and Pondexter added 11 per game. They have at least 8 players who can make a difference on the court.

Because of their great play and great coaching by Lorenzo Romar, Romar was selected as Pac 10 Coach of the Year. Romar has 3 great assistant coaches in Cameron Dollar, Paul Fortier and Jim Shaw. Lance LaVetter needs some props too as Director of Basketball Operations for the Huskies.

Washington started the season at 3-3 and then ended it with a 21-4 run to Husky greatness. As a former champion and record-setter I know how sweet it is to get to the top of the mountain; it is an accomplishment you will remember the rest of your life, and you will appreciate it more the older you get. One of my moments in the sun happened 47 years ago.

The Huskies begin their Pac 10 Conference Tournament play Thursday (3-12-09). They will be strong competitors for the Pac 10 Tourney title and will definitely be 1 of the 64 teams to have a run at the national title when March Madness begins March 19.

Copyright 2009 Ed Bagley

Get a FREE 6-Part Series on Email Resume Management as well as Valuable Information and Updates on Jobs, Careers, Promotions, Resumes, Cover Letters, Job Interviews, Hiring Practices, Online Hiring, Power Secrets on Getting Hired, Salaries, and Career Fairs. Become part of my Personal Email List; subscribe for free on my home page.

Read my complete 2008 NCAA March Madness coverage, including
"First 2 Rounds in 2008 NCAA Tournament Produce 1 Major Upset in Every 6 Games"
"The Final 4 for the 2008 NCAA Tournament: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and Kansas"
"For Kansas Coach Bill Self, the Long Wait Is Over as His Jayhawks Outlast Memphis"
"Coach Was Color-Blind, He Only Wanted to Know If You Could Play Basketball"
"'Coach Carter' Sends an Outstanding Message About a Coach with Integrity, Honor and Goodness"

Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

Jump Higher Tips For Basketball

I'm going to share with you basketball jump higher tips for basketball. Obviously, basketball higher you can jump in this sport, the more edge you're going to have. Players that can get higher in the air are the ones that get many more baskets. As well, they are also better at getting rebounds, far better at defensive aspects of the game and have an increased ability to run faster. When it comes to basketball, the height you jump is a big component of success and a lot of people don't know how to do it properly. You've probably practiced doing it and even worked out trying to accomplish it with no success. Well, I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do be better.

My first tip to jump higher is to always warm up and don't over do it. These two things are probably the simplest things to do, yet are rarely ever done. If you don't warm up and get the blood flowing in the right places, you can possibly damager muscle tissue which will set you back months. Over doing it is another big problem. You can't just beat up on your body. If you overdo it, than you're going to cause long term problems.

As for exercises, my favorite is walking around on the tips of my toes for 30 minutes. It sounds simple and easy, but after 10 minutes you'll be seeing just how hard this is. If you can make it through this exercise with relative ease, than try walking around backwards on the tips of your toes.

Learn some Jump Higher Exercises.

Meet 26 of the NCAA Basketball Conference Or League Champions - Find Out Who Didn't Win

Twenty-six of 31 NCAA Basketball league or conference titles were settled Monday (3-9-09). Twenty-three teams won outright championships, 3 wound up in ties with other teams, and playoffs will decide the other 5. Here is the scorecard:

The Dominators

Teams that won outright league titles by a 2-game-or-more-advantage included 2nd-ranked North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 13-3 mark and an overall record of 27-3. The Tar Heels were 14-1 at home. Two other teams also only lost once at home-Wake Forest and Duke-but neither could begin to match North Carolina's 8-2 road performance.

Eighth-ranked Michigan State took the basketball Ten title with a 15-3 mark and a 4-game winning basketball The Spartans were 25-5 overall with a 12-2 home showing and a killer 9-1 road record. Indiana was 1-17 in conference play, begging the question: Where are the real clowns who sent Bobby Knight packing?

Fourteenth-ranked Gonzaga ran the table in West Coast Conference play with a perfect 14-0 mark and a 4-game winning advantage. The Zags were 25-5 overall with a sterling 9-1 road record.

Utah State won the Western Athletic title with a 14-2 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. The Aggies were 27-4 overall with a perfect 17-0 home record.

Weber State (21-8 overall) won the Big Sky with a 15-1 mark and a 4-game winning advantage. Radford (21-11 overall) won the Big South with a 15-3 mark. Butler (26-4 overall) took the Horizon title with a 15-3 record. Cornell (21-9 overall) won the Ivy League with an 11-3 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. Siena (25-7 overall) won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 16-2 and a perfect 16-0 home record.

Morgan State (20-11 overall) won the Mid-Eastern Conference with a 13-3 mark and a 3-game winning advantage. Robert Morris (23-10) won the Northeast with a 15-3 mark and 3-game winning advantage. American University (23-7) won the Patriot League with a 13-1 mark. North Dakota State (24-6) took the Summit League with a 16-2 mark.

All You Need Is One More Win

Teams that won outright titles by a 1-game advantage included 6th-ranked Louisville in the Big East with a 16-2 mark and an overall record of 25-5. No. 3-ranked Pittsburgh (28-3 overall) was a runner-up with a perfect 19-0 record at home but could not match Louisville's 8-1 road mark. Top-ranked Connecticut was also a runner-up and had a 27-3 record, but Louisville took home the trophy.

Ninth-ranked Kansas won the Big 12 with a 14-2 and an 18-1 home record. The Jayhawks were 25-6 overall. Fifteenth-ranked Missouri was third with a perfect 18-0 mark at home but could not win when it really counted.

Sixteenth-ranked Washington won the Pacific 10 (Pac 10) title with a 14-4 mark and an 18-1 home record. The outright championship was the Huskies' first in 56 years. Washington was 24-7 overall. The Huskies started the year at 3-3 and then went 21-4.

Seventeenth-ranked Xavier (24-6 overall) won the Atlantic 10 title with a 12-4 mark and was 14-1 at home. Dayton, a runner-up, was a perfect 18-0 at home but the Flyers lost more games than they won on the road.

Jacksonville (18-3 overall) won the Atlantic Sun with a 15-5 mark. Cal State Northridge (15-13 overall) won the Big West title with an 11-5 mark even though Cal State was 5-11 on the road. Virginia Commonwealth (23-9) won the Colonial Athletic Conference with a 14-4 mark. Runner-up George Mason (22-9) was a perfect 14-0 at home but lost more games than it won on the road.

Tulsa (22-9) won the Conference USA title with a 12-4 mark. Tennessee-Martin (22-9) won the Ohio Valley championship with a 14-4 mark. Alabama State (19-9) won the Southwestern Athletic title with a 16-2 mark. Runner-up Jackson State was a perfect 9-0 at home but a terrible 6-13 on the road.

A Tie Is Better Than Runner-Up

Among the teams that tied for a title were Brigham Young (24-6), Utah (21-9) and New Mexico (21-10). All three went 12-4 for a 3-way tie in the Mountain West Conference.

Vermont (23-8) and Binghamton (22-8) both went 13-3 to tie for the America East title.

Creighton (26-7) and Northern Iowa (23-10) both went 14-4 to tie for the Missouri Valley championship.

Several Titles Are Still Undecided

Among the conferences with divisional champions but not league or conference champions are the Mid-American Conference that has East Champion Buffalo (19-10 overall) and West Champion Ball State (13-16 overall). The Southeastern (SEC) Conference has South Carolina (21-8) and Tennessee (19-10) as East Champions and LSU (25-6) as the West Champion.

The Southern Conference has Chattanooga (17-16) as the North Champion and Davidson (26-7) as the South Champion. The Southland Conference has Stephen F. Austin (21-7) as the East Champion and Sam Houston State (18-11) as the West Champion. The Sun Belt has Western Kentucky (22-8) as the East Champion and Arkansas-Little Rock (23-7) as the West Champion.

League playoffs are underway and the NCAA National Championship Tournament (better known as March Madness) will start March 19 after a play-in game to determine the 64th team to complete the bracket for the single-elimination tournament.

Copyright 2009 Ed Bagley

Read my articles on track and field, cross-country and distance running, including:

"Updated USA Prep Track & Field Records and the New Best 2008 Top Performers"

"2009 Simplot Games Showcase the Nation's Top High School Track and Field Talent"

"National Indoor Middle Distance USA High School Track Records - What It Takes to Be the Best"

"Several Track and Field Girl Athletes Prove Their Great Sportsmanship and Substance - Playing Sports Builds Character"

"Running: There Is an Inescapable Correlation Between Your Weight and Your Cardiovascular Efficiency - Part 5"

"Arthur Lydiard, the World's Greatest Middle Distance Coach, on How to Train Effectively"

"Washington's 2 Freshmen Lead Women to the 2008 National Cross-Country Title"

"Kathryn Martin Dominates on the Track at the 2008 USATF National Masters Meet"

"USA Middle Distance Outdoor Records for Male Super Master Runners Ages 50-74"

Find my Blog at: http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

Coach - 3 Keys to Being Dependable

Can your team depend on you? Can parents and players alike trust you? Do you make decisions based on what is right and not necessarily what you want? A coach must be dependable! Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "It is no enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."

Our country has seen a number basketball depressions, some the size of the Great Depression during the WWII era, and many the level for which a leader's dependability turns a depression into a recession. In the 1800's state senators were faced with tough economic challenges and before long the public began to panic looking for ways to improve their hardships.

As the story goes the state of Pennsylvania declined to pay any further debts in order to challenge their poor financial position and Ohio pushed to follow suit. Stephen Douglas a U.S. senator and presidential candidate was determined - even as he fought for his own life, contracting a series illness-Douglas had himself carried into the state chambers and spoke out against the policy. The 'Little Giant' as he would later be known convinced the legislature to not default on its credit, instead, it met it. The state eventually came out of its depression and flourished largely thought to be due to the government's dependability.

As basketball coaches we are the 'Little Giants', those who groups of athletes turn to for sound basketball making. In order for coaches to work on their own games, they must first work on their dependability. Thus, I've come up with three key features needed to become more dependable:

Answer to Someone. Work with someone who won't let you slip up. Someone you can trust will tell you like it is. Be accountable to that person. Don't let him/her down and in turn work to assure they are not letting you down. Using this mentoring system will help you follow through.

Why? Understand why you are doing what you're doing. If you have set goals (hopefully you have) identify which goals benefit the team and how many benefit you. Take some time to balance out the personal goals with the team goals and then work diligently on meeting the goals you've set. Understand why you have the goals you have.

The Value of your Word. Do people come to you for advice? Are they quick to implement your suggestions into their game? Collect data on whether people are quick to turn your advice into reality by tracking who comes to you for advice and whether they are attempting to use it. Coaches this is critical in becoming a great leader. If those who depend on you are not looking for your advice, then chances are they don't find you to be dependable.

Coach Mac's Basketball E-Playbooks: http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

More from the author at http://www.squidoo.com/High-School-Basketball-Offenses