If you haven’t been following the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament you should start now! As always, this year’s early rounds have been filled with surprises and upsets that leave fans in amazement asking “how did they do that?” Tournament time often brings out the best in underdogs and leaves top teams wondering what went wrong. Here are some reasons:
Key Points regarding how “Cinderella” teams compete against powerhouses in tournaments.
1. {C}Veteran players- Colleges that usually do not make it to the NCAA tournament do make it when they are stocked heavy with juniors and seniors
2. {C}Confidence not cockiness- these teams know that they can win any game in any situation which comes from experience
3. {C}A star player- knowing who is going to take the big shot is important so there is no uncertainty when the time comes. The whole team will know the play and the player who will make it happen, many smaller schools have beaten larger schools on buzzer beater shots.
4. {C}Challenging Schedule/Road Games- you need to play tough teams in the regular season. Losses to good teams will get you ready to win when it really matters
5. {C}A unique style of play- a team that does things differently will be tough to match up against in a winner takes all game
6. {C}3 point shooting- smaller, weaker teams can pick apart powerhouses from the outside which will open up the inside.
7. {C}A little bit of luck- sometimes the ball won’t bounce your way, but hustle plays can help swing “luck” in your team’s direction
8. {C}Endurance- tournaments are tiring. You should be getting stronger each game, peaking in the finals. There is no time to be tired; this comes from hard work in the regular season.
Terminology
Cinderella-teams that achieve much greatest success than is expected of them
(Term was created in 1950, when the Disney movie “Cinderella” came out and in reference to City College of New York, the unexpected winners of the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship also that year)
Powerhouse-a team considered to the best of its division almost every year
The following is an article on why March Madness tournament games are so exciting and why there are so many underdog victories.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/ncaa-basketball-tournament-ingredients-for-unforgettable-march-madness-games-20140318-hvk18.html
Please reflect on how these points relate to our team and last tournament appearance.
Coach Dave
Interested in trying out for the Select Basketball team or just have a general enquiry? Please email us via the contact form below:
