Rick Pitino’s mission was to win the Big East Tournament Championship when the Cardinals joined the Big East in 2004-2005 season. It was a lofty goal for the Cards and Pitino who had just left Conference USA. It was also a step up. The Cards made the lift finally in the fourth year of conference affiliation in the Big East. Not only did they win the regular season championship, but they also won the Big East Championship last night. Now the cards are on the verge of accomplishing still another milestone; a number on seed in the NCAA Championship. Even though many of the older Big East members do not think they deserve it, but the Cards in fact deserve it and earned it by winning both the regular season championship and the Big East Tournament Championship. Look for the Cards to make a strong run at the Final Four and if they get there possibly a national championship.

Hope College and Calvin College have a great basketball tradition in Michigan. Even though both colleges are Division III institutions, basketball has a huge presence in this part of the country. Usually D3 basketball is more slow down and methodical, but it is quite evident when these two schools take their rivalry seriously and play it in an up tempo style. Both teams play at least 9 to 13 players per game and the actual play mirrors mid level Division I play. The yearly rivalries typically reflect the tremendous interest in basketball, particularly this rivalry, which has been a tradition for many years. Today this rivalry has dominated these two schools for many years in Michigan. When you define Division I basketball, there are no better ambassadors than Hope College and Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan. The Rivalry dates back to 1920. Hope College also has it share of tradition and takes no backseat to the rivalry of the two schools. Hope College located in Holland, Michigan was founded in the 1800’s with the goal of establishing a school to educate new Dutch settlers with a Christian education.. Hope now share’s in the rivalry of the Christian based rivalry between these two Divisions I school.

The  key to the success of a college basketball team is the ability of the Coach. A successful bench coach can and will spell the difference of success and failure.  Some coaches in the heat of the battle wilt when in pressure game situations. Usually because they did not manage the clock well during the course of a game. Depending upon how well the coach makes decisions and manages the game, determines how much pressure he will face with  under minutes remaining in a game. The coach  can create a pressure situation by mis-management of the game.  The players are usually not disciplined enough to execute or the coach has a flawed philosophy in game management. Either way it is the coach’s job to get their team ready for any situation.

What  causes me to wonder is when a coach uses all of the allotted time outs and have none to call in crucial game ending situations.  This happens a lot when coaches do not manage the game well.  Being a top flight coach  involves how well you manage crucial situations at the end of a game.  You must make all the right moves at the right time in order to be effective. With that said, I put together a list of coaches who I feel have demonstrated that they know how to manage the game and change strategy when needed.  The coaches are not listed in any particular order, but all have demonstrated that they know how to manage a game, ultimately producing a win.

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke- Without a doubt the most successful coach in the ranks of college basketball.  He has  had the good fortune of coaching superb basketball talent and the benefits of coaching at The Premier Basketball School in the country.  Coach K is at the top as America’s top coach on nearly every ones list.

Bill Self, Kansas- He coached his way to the top, by winning the National Championship.  This is the litmus test of  the  coaching ability of the coach.  Self proved that he belongs in the top tier of coaches.

Roy Williams, North Carolina-Williams came into his own when he returned to North Carolina as The Head Basketball coach. Great coaching ability and a unique ability to bring talent together and lot of it at Carolina.

Jim Calhoun, UConn-  The cornerstone of UConn’s offense is a great point guard combined with a good inside game. Usually  the inside is occupied by a better than average center.  But with Calhoun’s offense a good point guard is the key to push the ball up the floor, distribute the ball,  or effectively take the three.  Calhoun is great at managing the closing minutes of a game.

Jay Wright, Villanova- The three guard offense has been highly effective for Jay Wright and when he has three guard who can shoot from the perimeter, slash and dish effectively to the basket, he can  break down the opposing defense fairly quickly.  Wright because of his knack of recruiting exceptionally quick, efficeint shooting guards,  has been able to manage  the  closing minutes of a game quite effectively. 

Tom Crean, Indiana (Formerly coach at Marquette)- Crean is a master of managing a game and interchanging players at just the right time to keep the opposing team off balance on both offense and defense. He did this extremely well at Marquette. Look for Crean to recruit more power rated players at Indiana than he did at Marquette. This will insure that he will continue to  have success in the closing minutes of a game.  Crean is a master of managing a game.

Billy Donavon, Florida- Donavon is another coach who when he has reasonable talent, can effectively manage a game, by substituting strategically and effective pull out of game,  by making superb coaching moves.   Donavon won back to back  national Championships and it was because he is a great bench coach.

Billy Gillespie, Kentucky-  Although he had a mediocre  year at Kentucky last year, Gillespie is a great recruiter and has a knack of drawing out the best of players who over the course of the year adapt well to his system. Look for Kentucky to remain one of the top echelon programs, because of the coaching ability of Gillespie. Last year was a great example of Gillespie’s coaching ability. Kentucky struggled all year long, but they game together in the end to win a seed in the NCAA tournament.

Rick Pitino, Louisville- Pitino is somewhat erratic at times.  Does not manage the clock well and sometimes makes bone headed substitutions at inappropriate times.  However, his teams or capable of hitting home run balls, via the three point line,  which let him off the hook when making bad coaching decisions, and  when he has managed the clock unresponsively.  It is a situation where  Pitino is on or he is not. Louisville rises and falls with the nuances and the management of the clock by Pitino.

Luke Olsen, Arizona- No coach has consistently managed a game better than Lute Olsen. He has accomplished this with great point guard play  and above average inside game.  But Arizona’s offense rises or falls with the point guard.  And Olsen has had some good ones. He is without a doubt one of the top bench coaches in terms of managing the waning minutes of a game in America.

Ben Howland, UCLA- Howland brought his magic to Westwood and has created a talent pool that is exceptional to say the least.  His clock management has been good and he has effectively advanced to the NCAA tournament enjoying good success.

Bob Huggins,West Virginia- Last year Huggins over achieved.  The talent level at West Virginia was suspect, but Huggins managed to pull out a respectable year, making the NCAA tournament.  For West Virginia, cloak Management became increasingly important. Look for Huggins to have the Mountaineers at the top through the upcoming season.

Bob McKillop- Davidson- Unless you were on another planet last year you have to be impressed with the coaching ability of McKillop. However one player  made all of this possible and it was Stephen Curry. He is a shooter period. Enough said. He can get his shot off in a way that is not quick, but subtle. The point is he got his shot off consistently to get Davidson to the final eight last year. Curry is not a top ten player, so McKillop had to coach this team to success.

Mark Few-Gonzaga- Few coaches have done more than Coach Mark Few, to raise the National name recognition of one one school in ten years.  Mark Few is an excellent bench coach and recruiter who has elevated Gonzaga to a household name.  What can be said about the successes the Few has had. The best I can say is that he is an excellent bench coach.

Rick Barnes-Texas- Just study his history and the number of players that have made it to the NBA and how Texas is now known as a point guard factory and you see why Riick Barnes Made this list.  He is an excellent coach and one of the great thinker in America.

Best Of the Rest

John Thompson III

John Calipari

Tim Floyd

I’m sure there are others that should have been on this list.

Here’s a list of the top coaches from the past.

Bobby Knight

Adolph Rupp

Denny Crum

Al McGuire

John Wooden

Dean Smith

John Thompson

Gale Catlett

Pistol Pete was a scorer he could score inside are out, create in the open court. Knock down a twenty foot jump shot or pull up for a soft jumper in the middle of the lane. Pistol could drive to the hoop or score in the lane seventies style on anyone who had the misfortune of guarding him. Pistol Pete if he played today would be a Street baller, he was absolutely way ahead of his time. He was quicker than Earl Monroe. Contrary to what others think of him he was quick on defense as well.

Pete Maravich would take over game . One against five. Pete Maravich averaged 44 points per game in an era when there was no three point line. He was a phenomenal player who could do just about anything on a basketball court. Someone estimated that if Maravich played with today’s three point line he would have averaged 57 points per game.
Maravich had so many moves that no one could stop him. Pistol Pete Maravich lift on his jump shot was simply amazing. He was a showman extraordinaire on the basketball court. The world truly misses a basketball Legend; Pistol Pete Maravich.

Allen Iverson is perhaps as they say in boxing the smallest and greatest pound for pound player to ever play the game. Rocket quick with a silky smooth jump shot; Iverson has a lunch bucket mentality with a big time game. He can light it up in the open court. Iverson’s crossover dribble is legendary. His jumper from twenty-five feet out is deadly. Iverson has a skill at backing up his defender with his quickness and using the dribble to break the ankles of his defender.
Iverson’s game is special. He always came to play no matter what and he gave it his all even when he was the best talent on the team . Allen Iverson is a multi talented player who can light it up with his ability to use his quickness to free up a fabulous transition game.

A shooter can make shots and do it consistently. A shooter can make 15 or 20 shot in a roll.

Larry Bird was a shooter. He could shoot with either his right or left hand. He had a killer instinct. He came to play. He was not quick. He had a silky smooth shot and his release was text book. Bird understood the game, because he lived the game. He was a shooter and a competitor. He would do whatever it took to win a ball game; primarily because Bird was a shooter.
Bird ruled the three point line and he led the Celtics to 3 NBA Championship in the eighties. Bird was just that good. He knew where he was on the floor and although he did not get lift with his jump shot, he could get his shot off easily because of timing and the ability to use both hands.
If you could beat Larry Bird, you would have to out think him. No area on the court was a weak spot for Bird, such was his range.

Rick Mount- Little known by today’s players. Rick mount was a sharpshooter who could fill it up from twenty to twenty five feet. He could do it consistently and it earned him a respectable career at Purdue and a career in the American Basketball Association during the late sixties and early seventies.

Earl Monroe-Earl Monroe created the spin move. Later perfected by Magic Johnson, and used by nearly all NBA players today. Monroe could shake and bake in slow motion. He was not exceptionally fast, but skilled players have a way a creating their shots and Monroe did it with moves. He was adept at moving through and around in close quarter around the basket to make soft floaters in the lane. Monroe was not a jump shooter, but he was a creator, a magician with the basketball.
The better the competition, the more Monroe raised his game. He was in a word silky smooth a creator with the basketball. Earl Monroe was the greatest one on one player that ever lived. He was an innovator who could create his shot based on the situation. Pete Maravich had this skill as well, Maravich had the total package, but in terms of creating a shot; there was no one better than Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

Eric Gordon-As it turns out Eric Gordon only played one year of College basketball but his game is destined for greatness in the NBA. There are not many players that you get excited about watching. particular offensive players that can take it to the hoop and create while doing it or pull up for a long 25 foot jump shot. Gordon is a throwback. He’s strictly a scorer. He played in a style like Maravich without the show time theatrics. Gordon is a scorer, plain and simple. He has one idea and that is to get to the basket, either by slashing and driving or creating and driving all in one quick motion.

He has tremendous lift in his jump shot and tremendous moves close in the mode of Earl Monroe. Make no mistake this player is the real deal. I predicted he will go within the top five in the  NBA draft. Gordon went number six to the Clippers. Gordon’s release is lightening quick. He can come off a screen shooting. He is an exceptional player and totally gifted, given his young age.