i know we're all hyped-up about the talent tinks has brought in, and well so--i think he's the best recruiter we've seen at montana, maybe ever. but as next season unfolds, i'll be looking for one thing and one thing only as to whether tinks can forge this talent into a consistently winning program--marked improvement on defense.
even the most causal fan--of which i include myself--can see how defense has improved over the years. it's the thing that catches your attention when you watch the old espn classic games at either the pro or collegiate level, and it's what immediately catches your eye at the big dance--today's defenses are more tenacious, more sophsticated, and thanks to the three-point line, defend a much larger area of the court than ever before. if you can't play defense--especially if you're a mid-major without the five-star offensive stars--you simply are not going to get very far, no matter your talent.
if i were coach and this were my team, here's what i'd do:
--name one coach as defensive coordinator, whose primary background and expertise is on the defensive side of the ball;
--insist that montana be ranked again as it was so often during its glory years among the top teams in the country in field goal percentage defense;
--tell my players, you don't give up a layup or dunk, period, or you're out of the game;
--instruct my post players that if any opponent drives the lane, they do so at risk of their lives;
--finally, i'd NAME my defense, brand my defense, so my players knew that defense was of primary importance to me, not just a way to kill time till you got the ball back. since this is montana, how about naming it after one of the notorious montana weather conditions that absolutely shuts everything down--ice storm, hellgate blizzard, forty below.
because if we can't regain our reputation for defense at montana, all tinks's great recruiting is going to be for naught.
even the most causal fan--of which i include myself--can see how defense has improved over the years. it's the thing that catches your attention when you watch the old espn classic games at either the pro or collegiate level, and it's what immediately catches your eye at the big dance--today's defenses are more tenacious, more sophsticated, and thanks to the three-point line, defend a much larger area of the court than ever before. if you can't play defense--especially if you're a mid-major without the five-star offensive stars--you simply are not going to get very far, no matter your talent.
if i were coach and this were my team, here's what i'd do:
--name one coach as defensive coordinator, whose primary background and expertise is on the defensive side of the ball;
--insist that montana be ranked again as it was so often during its glory years among the top teams in the country in field goal percentage defense;
--tell my players, you don't give up a layup or dunk, period, or you're out of the game;
--instruct my post players that if any opponent drives the lane, they do so at risk of their lives;
--finally, i'd NAME my defense, brand my defense, so my players knew that defense was of primary importance to me, not just a way to kill time till you got the ball back. since this is montana, how about naming it after one of the notorious montana weather conditions that absolutely shuts everything down--ice storm, hellgate blizzard, forty below.
because if we can't regain our reputation for defense at montana, all tinks's great recruiting is going to be for naught.
