My 2014-15 Pre-Season All-Big 12 Basketball Team

I'd like to get this out before the official team gets released but missed it this year.  The Big 12 looks to have a lot of individual talent again this year, returning 15 of the 27 players listed on the year-end All-Big 12 teams.  Iowa State, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and West Virginia all bring back talented freshman.  Only 3 of the 10 listed on the official teams are seniors, so the conference looks to have plenty of talent next year, too.

Here are my teams, based on last years' stats.

My top 10 matched 8 players on the official teams.  The differences were Anderson (this is the last year you'll have to hear about him from me!) and Monte, with Foster and Nash replacing them.  

My feelings on Anderson are well known.  If there's a player I feel bad for, it's him.  He's in the same vein of do-everything Big 12 guards like Staten and Kane last year.  Trent Johnson is a good coach and unlike other teams that are out-matched every game, TCU keeps playing hard.  They picked up a good player in Karviar Sheppard before last year and would seem to have the same built-in recruiting advantages that Baylor has - proximity to the DFW market and a Christian school.  A couple things going against it are a terrible basketball arena and really, really poor fan support.  It wouldn't surprise me to see TCU build something within the Big 12 but if they can't make the first step (8th or better finish) this year before Anderson leaves, they could be really bad for a while.

Monte was undervalued last year in the postseason awards.  He was 5th in assists and 7th in steals while playing the 9th most minutes in conference play.  This year, I'd expect his assists to improve since he should handle the ball more with the change of Kane to BDJ in the backcourt.  His steals may improve too.  If the backcourt provides the rim protection as advertised, it will allow more defensive gambling around the perimeter.

Foster was a good freshman last year, scoring a bunch of points.  He'll have to add more to his game to make the first team post-season.  LeBryan Nash is my pick this year for player most likely to underwhelm.  Last year was preseason first team pick Eron Harris.  If there's a second guy I might feel bad for it would be Nash.  He's shown no progress to this point in college, if anything maybe some regression.  As a top 10 overall recruit, he should have been in the NBA a couple years ago, and is now looking like a second round pick.  Most other coaches would be able to take advantage of his physical gifts but not Travis Ford.  

I'm surprised neither of the big recruits made the list, Cliff Alexander or Myles Turner.  Every year since I've been following, there's been a freshman make the first team.  Both these guys were top 10 recruits.  I expect both of them to make at least third team (and then go pro). 

All three of the new ISU players have a shot at post season honors.  I was glad to see BDJ make newcomer of the year.  It's about time people start recognizing what Hoiberg is doing with transfers.  Post-season, I'd expect BDJ to be second team, at least, with McKay and Nader having a shot at honorable mention.  

Mike Leach "Swing Your Sword" - my take

I read Mike Leach's book a little differently.  There's so much talk of leadership these days, and so little demonstration of it, that I'm always looking for examples.  Usually the easiest, simplest approach to something produces the best results, and Leach exemplifies that.  Coaches make coaching look hard, perhaps as a barrier to entry, perhaps it's an ego thing.  Most seem to like the idea of beating your head into a brick wall to try to knock it down.  Leach identified early on it's much easier and simpler to go around the wall or over it.

Work smarter, not harder.  Everyone says it.  Few people actually follow their own advice.  It takes an analytical mind and a little bit of time to identify a smarter way to work.  Most people dismiss this step.  The impatient always want to DO SOMETHING.  Leach writes that problems are solved taking small, smart steps that have a likely positive result.  His offenses might have racked up large numbers, but it was the small plays that got them there.  Simple routes, simple reads, lots of options.  Leach refuses to box himself in by down and distance.  If a play is good somewhere on the field, it's good anywhere.  It doesn't have to be difficult.  Apply the same solution to as many problems as possible.

Leach promotes an atmosphere conducive to creativity and sharing.  He discourages group solutions because group-think eliminates unique and novel ideas.  Again, every corporation and college and collaboration in between say they promote this through "entrepreneurship" and other catch phrases, but the safe approach is always the one done before.  Leach lets his coaching staff (and graduate assistants) know that not every idea will be used.  Unique ideas, just like tired, used ideas, aren't all great.  As long as the collaborators don't take this  personally and continue to contribute, this is indeed the most effective way to arrive at solutions.  In this way, Leach was molded by those he coached under.  Working with Hal Mumme in an incubator of ideas allowed Mike Leach the time to develop his own style and prove it before being absorbed by big boy old-school football at Oklahoma.  If he'd tried to make the jump sooner, maybe he would have been indoctrinated with three yards and a cloud of dust like too many other coaches.

Players are obviously the most important part to a coach's success and Leach has defined ways to get the most out of them too.  He writes of giving everyone a chance.  Seems obvious, but his example is especially impressive - Wes Welker.  Welker wasn't recruited out of high school, even though his tape was great.  Welker came to Tech but no one was a believer.  Pretty soon, his peers recognized he was the best on the team.  Because he was overlooked coming out of high school, Welker was determined.  Again, Welker was disregarded going from college to the NFL.  Pretty soon, he was the best receiver on the Dolphins and then the Super Bowl winning Patriots.  If Leach doesn't give this kid a chance, it's possible he isn't in the NFL.  What's amazing is this perennial pro-bowler wasn't even drafted.  Everyone deserves a chance.  Talent will show itself pretty quickly.  Looking at measurables and stats is easy.  Auditioning people in person is hard and time consuming, but it is the true show of skill.  Leach, like all successful leaders, found talent that others had passed over.  He had to.  But that he was so successful should demonstrate its importance.

Mike Leach is ultimately a true coach.  The difference between coaching and teaching may seem trivial, but teaching implies starting from scratch - giving someone completely new information.  Coaching involves identifying talent, improving that talent and ultimately applying it to solve a problem.  This is Leach's gift.  He's taken every difficult situation and succeeded, often spectacularly.  He didn't do it through the most gifted athletes but through a system that preached simplicity and execution.  Anyone can coach - teachers, supervisors, parents - and be successful by being open to all people and ideas.