** It’s very clear that this season will require the utmost patience and perspective if I hope to enjoy it whatsoever.
** Of course, I’m speaking of what it will be like coaching my Son’s 7th and 8th grade team this year.
** I’m a little late on my post game internet drivels this evening as I had to first handle the more important duty of the day guiding our second practice of the season.
** When coaching recreational league basketball, often you’ll take great pleasure at points in your season when the guys finally pick up something you’ve been stressing for weeks. Or it’s always a great thrill to see a young man on your team find some new success, especially one who has struggled in the past.
** Most importantly, it’s always best never to get too caught up in whether you win or lose on the scoreboard, especially if many tinier wins are scooped up along the way.
** Today’s game against the Cowboys offered a few such tiny wins for our Panthers. Had this game looked anything like the lousy effort against the Lions, there may not have been any Panther fans with enough patience to continue.
** And perhaps only the perspective offered by the shadow of a 31 point loss makes a 6 point demise seem OK. But like it or not, that is the best world view that this season can offer us. For now, I suggest we take it.
** On the good side of this day, Marcus Carr proved that he looks exactly like he should look as a talented freshman whose inconsistency should be considered consistent. Marcus is still due for some better games this year, along with an equal handful of worse ones.
** For another day, Mr. Stevenson demonstrated his legitimacy. The challenge for his season is for the coaching staff to do a better job getting the most out of him, something I don’t think they’ve yet figured out how to do.
** And while I don’t think the coaching staff’s work was overly noteworthy to the positive end, our men were ready to compete today. Some teams might not have recovered to battle as readily as we did today after what happened the night before, and the staff deserves some credit for this.
** Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised that the battle continued to the final seconds. When the score reached near ten in the second half, I was ready for the fold. It never came.
** That’s the positivity which only perspective can provide. The harsh realities of our situation still tell some other stories.
** Despite a better team effort, there is still little evidence that anyone besides our top four will be able to make any significant contribution come ACC time.
** And despite hitting his first three of the year, I can’t imagine how or why Kene should be shooting four of them in a game. That really can’t be the game plan, can it?
** This is especially true of a team who is obviously so very dreadful in the art of rebounding, especially on the offensive end.
** Through five games, our Panthers have managed 37 offensive rebounds. Forgoing the 6 team rebounds on our end, only 31 others have been grabbed by Panther hands. Ryan has grabbed just over half of those. Think about that. The other 11 Panthers have 15 offensive rebounds in five games.
** So unlike my Son’s 7th and 8th grade team, despite how much perspective and patience we fans can muster, wins and losses for our Panthers do ultimately matter.
** And for me, the patience and perspective I’m employing will feel more prudent if we win our next four at home as we absolutely should. A stutter on that road and this loss becomes tougher to swallow.
** I regret that following the Lehigh game, I won’t be there in person to root on our Panthers in the next three. My coaching duties will keep me from doing so.
** But I do hope more Panther fans will show up to support our team than we saw for the first two games. Our team needs as many friends with patience and perspective as they can get.
** Of course, I’m speaking of what it will be like coaching my Son’s 7th and 8th grade team this year.
** I’m a little late on my post game internet drivels this evening as I had to first handle the more important duty of the day guiding our second practice of the season.
** When coaching recreational league basketball, often you’ll take great pleasure at points in your season when the guys finally pick up something you’ve been stressing for weeks. Or it’s always a great thrill to see a young man on your team find some new success, especially one who has struggled in the past.
** Most importantly, it’s always best never to get too caught up in whether you win or lose on the scoreboard, especially if many tinier wins are scooped up along the way.
** Today’s game against the Cowboys offered a few such tiny wins for our Panthers. Had this game looked anything like the lousy effort against the Lions, there may not have been any Panther fans with enough patience to continue.
** And perhaps only the perspective offered by the shadow of a 31 point loss makes a 6 point demise seem OK. But like it or not, that is the best world view that this season can offer us. For now, I suggest we take it.
** On the good side of this day, Marcus Carr proved that he looks exactly like he should look as a talented freshman whose inconsistency should be considered consistent. Marcus is still due for some better games this year, along with an equal handful of worse ones.
** For another day, Mr. Stevenson demonstrated his legitimacy. The challenge for his season is for the coaching staff to do a better job getting the most out of him, something I don’t think they’ve yet figured out how to do.
** And while I don’t think the coaching staff’s work was overly noteworthy to the positive end, our men were ready to compete today. Some teams might not have recovered to battle as readily as we did today after what happened the night before, and the staff deserves some credit for this.
** Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised that the battle continued to the final seconds. When the score reached near ten in the second half, I was ready for the fold. It never came.
** That’s the positivity which only perspective can provide. The harsh realities of our situation still tell some other stories.
** Despite a better team effort, there is still little evidence that anyone besides our top four will be able to make any significant contribution come ACC time.
** And despite hitting his first three of the year, I can’t imagine how or why Kene should be shooting four of them in a game. That really can’t be the game plan, can it?
** This is especially true of a team who is obviously so very dreadful in the art of rebounding, especially on the offensive end.
** Through five games, our Panthers have managed 37 offensive rebounds. Forgoing the 6 team rebounds on our end, only 31 others have been grabbed by Panther hands. Ryan has grabbed just over half of those. Think about that. The other 11 Panthers have 15 offensive rebounds in five games.
** So unlike my Son’s 7th and 8th grade team, despite how much perspective and patience we fans can muster, wins and losses for our Panthers do ultimately matter.
** And for me, the patience and perspective I’m employing will feel more prudent if we win our next four at home as we absolutely should. A stutter on that road and this loss becomes tougher to swallow.
** I regret that following the Lehigh game, I won’t be there in person to root on our Panthers in the next three. My coaching duties will keep me from doing so.
** But I do hope more Panther fans will show up to support our team than we saw for the first two games. Our team needs as many friends with patience and perspective as they can get.
