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Archive for August, 2008
August 22, 2008 at 11:34 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Several former Wildcat basketball players share their memories of the game that is the most defining of his Kentucky career. Stars like Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Kenny Walker, Richie Farmer, and Travis Ford are among the former players profiled in this book that takes readers down memory lane.
Customer Review: Given as a gift and LOVED by receipient
Although this book was purchased as a Christmas gift for someone, I was advised that it is a GREAT book and would really be enjoyed by any Kentucky fan. Highly recommend.
Customer Review: A must-own for any UK fan
The players' stories are interesting and spread out over the history of UK ball. Ralph Beard, Sam Bowie and Rajon Rondo are all here. Todd Svoboda even chips in.
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August 20, 2008 at 6:29 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
The authorized biography of the man behind basketball's triangle offense and his wild ride through the game.
Customer Review: Winter IS A Winner! A very fine book about a Man's Basketball Man, who's life in the sport has helped all around him!
A terrific read about Mr. Triangle Offence.
All basketball fans you like Offencive Str-
ategy should like this well written book.
Even if he only Ast. Coaches for L.A.'s
second best (now) team. If only Tex would
defect to Clipper Nation!
Customer Review: A Winner!
Bender's succinct, edgy style carries the reader through Winter's life while racing down the court with Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and other NBA giants. Bender tells it like it was--no holds barred. Winter's coaching philosophy of discipline, hard work, fairness and individual intergrity comes alive as we watch him lead individual players to become not only the best players they can be, but also the best men that they can be. Bender brings basketball personalities to life as we watch them struggle to learn Winter's famous "triangle offence" and to balance their individual desires for achievement and glory with Winter's emphasis on the ultimate good of the whole team. The pace is fast, and the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes tidbits entertain as we go with the teams through Winter's unprecedented 53 year professional career as a coach. From Kansas State, Washington, and the Houston Rockets to fourteen years with the Chicago Bulls, and the current LA Lakers, we travel the backroads of behind the scene basketball. Bender gives us the inside story on the conflicts, the joys, and the frustrations of coaching mega-stars with mega-egos while trying to teach them values of character and integrity. This book would be a perfct gift for any high school athlete. Bender gives the reader deep insights into not only the sports psychology that Winter uses, but into the secrets of what it really takes to be able to uphold personal values in the rip-roaring jungle of professional sports. I loved every minute of this great ride, and if you love basketball, you will too!
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August 20, 2008 at 9:41 am · Filed under Uncategorized
In 20 years as head coach of Duke University's Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski has built one of the most impressive records in college basketball history. This book presents Coach K's insights on topics from teamwork to commitment. "Krzyzewski is a family man first, a teacher second, a basketball coach third, and a winner at all three." - The Sporting News
Customer Review: I read this every month
Hi My name is Boswell Hemmerich. Coach K can do no wrong. This book goes over how Duke calls each player's name with one syllable instead of two or even three - for example, Chris Duhon is known as 'Chris' instead of 'Chris-Duh-on' and Shelden Williams is 'Shel' instead of 'Shel-den'. This is why Duke and Coach K and this book are nuber 1!!!
Customer Review: You'd have to be a true Blue Devil fan to like this book
I got this book thinking it might give me some insight into how Coach K motivates his teams, organizes his practice sessions, and instills leadership qualities in his athletes. What I got was a less than thrilling re-hash of some of his best quotes as seen through the eyes of a local news reporter. You'd have to be a true Blue Devil fan to like this book. I didn't, so I gave it to one of my co-workers who graduated from Duke. He likes it.
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August 19, 2008 at 3:10 am · Filed under Uncategorized
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August 17, 2008 at 10:50 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Former Blue Devil basketball players single out the game that to him is the most defining of his Duke career. Included are stars like Dick Groat, the two-sport player who later became a National League MVP shortstop, eight national players of the year, future NBA All-Star Grant Hill, future NBA general managers, future Fox commentator Mike Gminski, and future ESPN commentator Jay Bilas. It provides an in-depth look at the men and games that helped shape the legendary Duke tradition.
Customer Review: Good read for Duke fans with a sense of history
Good book by Al Featherston, but I doubt other fans will appreciate it. Of course being a Duke alum, I don't care. For Duke fans that have a sense of the long history of Duke basketball, it is an interesting read.
Featherston has one of the better writing styles of the writers that follow the Devils. With many other books, I often feel like I am reading a sports page column. Featherston usually puts more into his writing, and it shows again here.
The book is made up of chapters, each one done by a former Duke player. There is no linking between chapters, each one is about 10 pages and is inclusive within itself. There is a Featherston summary of the player, then a lead up to the game of their lives. There is a first person section about the game, then it goes back to Featherston with an aftermath and small write up of where the player is now. The first person accounts are fairly short, never more than a couple of pages, and some just a few paragraphs.
Most of the major Duke stars over the past ~50 years are here. Some notable exceptions are Tate Armstrong, Steve Vacendak, Vince Taylor, JJ Redick, Tommy Amaker, Grant Hill and Elton Brand. Being an '85 grad, I would have loved to have read the account by Taylor of the '82 game vs. Clemson (Duke won in 3 OTs, led by Taylor). But then again, it's not like anyone in the book isn't worthy of inclusion.
In any case, here is a list of the players and their games:
Wojo - vs. UNC, 28 Feb 98
Marin - vs. Kentucky, 18 Mar 66 (the only loss in the book, I believe)
Heyman, vs. UNC, 4 Feb 61 (the fight game)
Mullins, vs. 'Nova, 13 Mar 64
Melchionni, vs. Maryland, 3 Feb 73
Banks. Guess. You're right.
Dawkins, vs. Miss. Valley State, 13 Mar 86
Alarie, vs. UNC, 10 Mar 84
Ferry, vs. Miami, 10 Dec 88
Battier, vs. Arizona, 2 Apr 01
Laettner. Guess. You're right.
Gminski - vs. UNC, 14 Jan 78
Groat - vs. UNC, 29 Feb 52
Lind. Guess. You're right.
King - vs. Temple, 26 Mar 88
Sheldon Williams - vs. Maryland, 11 Jan 06
Hurley - vs. UNLV. Guess which one. You're right.
Carrawell - vs. NC State, 19 Jan 00
Jason Williams. Guess. You're right.
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August 16, 2008 at 9:40 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
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August 16, 2008 at 8:59 am · Filed under Uncategorized
101 drills covering all facets of defensive play. Includes transition, man-to-man defense, footwork, zone defense, full-court defense, one-on-one, rebounding, switching and post defense drills, and defending against the screen. Each drill is diagrammed and explained in detail.
Customer Review: great "d" drills
It's great having one book that summarizes all of the different defensive drills I'll ever need to use. Perfect for a grade school coach like myself.
Customer Review: Simple yet informative
This book is tremendous, it gives you insight on what makes Karls' teams go, and the tremendous attention to detail that he has and implements into his gameplan. I would recommend this book to coaches on any and all levels. There are so many excellent drills I find myself haggling over which ones I will use next season.
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August 15, 2008 at 9:53 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The University of Kansas—with more compelling coaches, players, and highlights than any other program—has a tradition that dwarfs nearly all others in college basketball. Echoes of Kansas Basketball brings that history to life through the accounts of sportswriters over past decades as they documented the most memorable games, profiled the coaching and playing legends, and tried to explain the University of Kansas basketball mystique.
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August 14, 2008 at 9:59 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Covers drills for all levels of play as well as plays for actual competition.
Each drill or play in the book is accompanied by step-by-step illustrations, making everything clear and easy learn.
Perfect for both experienced and beginning coaches alike, this helpful guide offers drills to fill practice time as well as unique plays for game situations. Coaches of all levels will find helpful information to spark their coaching creativity and help players continue learning new skills.
Filled with practice drills that cover every aspect of the game, this book is organized by ability level--giving new coaches a solid foundation and progressing in complexity to help as they continue coaching through the years. In addition to practice drills, coaches will find a variety of plays to use in games--from offenses, to inbounds plays, to press breaks and last-second shots.
Customer Review: Great introductory book for basketball coaches
I just completed my first year as high school varsity basketball coach and this book has helped immensely. I would say I have used 7-8 drills from this book, and have also used a few offensive and defensive schemes. The book is well organized and easy to understand with well-illustrated diagrams and logical reasoning behind the presented theory.
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August 13, 2008 at 6:02 am · Filed under Uncategorized
John B. McLendon Jr. was the last living protégé of basketball's inventor, Dr. James Naismith, and one of the "top ten basketball coaches of the century," in Billy Packer's opinion. BREAKING THROUGH, the first biography of this remarkable man, is the uplifting story of a champion's struggle for equality in 1940s and 50s America, when one coach refused to accept that teams at traditionally black colleges like North Carolina College and Tennessee State were unable to achieve national prominence.
McLendon's creative and courageous efforts to "break through" the color lines of institutional racism include the famous "secret game" between his North Carolina College players and the Duke Medical School in 1944, ten years before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. McLendon taught his players, including such NBA standouts as Sam Jones, Dick Barnett, and John Barnhill, that dignity and self-respect were more important than the numbers on a scoreboard, though he nonetheless achieved a 76 percent winning mark over a twenty-five-year collegiate coaching career. He was an early pioneer of game preparation, conditioning, the fast break, the full-court press, and a two-in-the-corner offense that became the seed for Dean Smith's famous four-in-the-corner, and he won eight CIAA titles at North Carolina College between 1941 and 1952.
McLendon's far-reaching list of firsts include being the first coach to win three consecutive national titles (Tennessee State, 1957-59), the first black coach of an integrated professional team (the ABL's Cleveland Pipers), the first black coach at a predominately white college (Cleveland State), the first black coach in the ABA, the first black coach to publish a basketball book, the first black coach on the Olympic staff, the first black coach inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame . . . the list goes on. McLendon's amazing career culminated in his efforts as a basketball ambassador; he traveled to fifty-eight countries teaching the fundamentals of the game and the value of sportsmanship, and many believe he contributed more to the proliferation of basketball worldwide than any other individual.
BREAKING THROUGH is both a history lesson and an inspiration to any player, coach, or spectator who has ever known the transcendent powers of a game.
Customer Review: Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer
Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer-The ESPN presentation, "Black Magic" prompted me to purchase this book to learn more about John B. McLendon. Being an African American college student at an HBCU when TN State won the three NAIA chanpionships, I knew a little about Coach McLendon and TN State. The book made me aware of many of the things that McLendon accomplished during his life, both on and off the court, and how little credit he has been given for doing so. I strongly recommend it to all basketball fans and coaches at all levels.
Customer Review: Inspirational reading
This book is great reading not only for anyone interested in the game of basketball, or in learning how to be a better coach (of any sport), but also for anyone interested in the Civil Rights movement and all those looking for a story that inspires. Coach McLendon has a lot to teach all of us about courage and integrity. Author Milton Katz shares story after story that illustrate these points in his highly readable narrative. This book would make a great holiday gift for just about anybody.
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