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Jay Bilas is a lot of things, but one thing he is very good at is being an author.  His book 'Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court'  is worth reading.  His definition of toughness is used by athletic teams, players, businesses and so forth.  The following is good to know.  How does our Husker team measure up lately?

 

“Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved."

Bilas points out 31 different habits that tough players have, but if you could get everybody on your team to adopt the seven habits highlighted below, your team will be on the fast track to becoming tougher.

7 Habits of Truly Tough Players

1 - Talk on Defense

For whatever reason, kids want to talk everywhere except for the basketball court. If you go into the lunch room on any given day, you can probably find your players talking and screaming to their peers.

But the second they step on the basketball court, theirs mouths remain shut.

By talking on the defensive end, your players let their teammates know that they are there, and it makes everybody on the floor a better defender. Not only does talking on defense make your team better, it lets your opponents know that you are fully engaged in the game, which can be an intimidating factor.

2 - Get on the Floor

The first player on the floor is typically the one that comes up with a loose ball. Too often, players want to try and scoop the ball and score. But when the player that dives for the ball gets possession instead of the player that tried to scoop it, the player that tried to scoop got out-toughed.

If you can create a culture of every player on your team diving for loose balls, not only will you have a tougher team, you’ll have more possessions and chances to score.

3 - Sprint the Floor

Sprinting the floor on offense and defense isn’t flashy or glamorous, but it’s what tough players do. Sprinting the floor in transition can get your team easy baskets, even if there isn’t anything easy about it. As Bilas notes, “easy baskets are hard to get.”

By sprinting the floor, you’re able to attack a defense before it can get set up and keep the defense on their heels. It also forces your defenders to sprint to keep up with you, which can wear teams down.

Again, sprinting the floor isn’t going to make a bunch of highlight reels, but it’s what tough players do.

4 - Play So Hard, Your Coach Has to Take You Out

This is something that a lot of players struggle with. They don’t like to be uncomfortable. They shouldn’t want things to feel easy. They shouldn’t be pacing themselves.

They should be playing so hard that their coach has to take them out so that they can rest before putting them back in the game.

There is never an excuse for not giving 100% of everything you’ve got on the floor. But there aren’t a lot of players that do that, and that’s because they don’t like to be pushed outside of their comfort zone.

If you can get your entire team to play so hard that you have to take them out, you will be one of the toughest teams to play against, regardless of what level you’re coaching at.

5 - Show Strength in Your Body Language

Body language is such a strong indicator of how things are going in a basketball game, but it shouldn’t be that way.

How many times have you seen your kids hanging their heads when things aren’t going your way? Or yell at a teammate for making a mistake? Complain to officials when a call doesn’t go their way?

The habits listed above are all negative body language. Tough players don’t do those things.

Instead, tough players’ body language communicates confidence and security, and the rest of their teammates feed off of that.

6 - It’s Not ‘Your’ Shot, It’s ‘Our’ Shot

There is not a selfish bone in a tough player’s body. They are not worried about their individual stats, or ‘getting theirs.’ They are worried about getting the TEAM the best shot on every possession.

That may mean that they set 10 screens in a possession, they may pass 25X more than they shoot. But if it’s for the betterment of the team, they don’t care.

It’s not something most players would refer to as ‘toughness’, but it fits Jay Bilas’ definition perfectly.

7 - Look Your Coaches and Teammates in the Eye

We talked about body language earlier, and this point coincides with that. Bilas notes that tough players never drop their heads.

They let their coaches and teammates know that what they’re saying is important by looking them in the eye. It’s something so simple, but also something that seldom happens with teams.

 

Creating a culture of toughness isn’t something that is easy to do. It’s easy to let players slip through the cracks.

Developing culture happens one small action at a time. By focusing on these seven behaviors, your players will begin to understand what toughness truly looks like in the game of basketball.

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6 hours ago, Huskerpapa said:

Jay Bilas is a lot of things, but one thing he is very good at is being an author.  His book 'Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court'  is worth reading.  His definition of toughness is used by athletic teams, players, businesses and so forth.  The following is good to know.  How does our Husker team measure up lately?

 

“Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved."

Bilas points out 31 different habits that tough players have, but if you could get everybody on your team to adopt the seven habits highlighted below, your team will be on the fast track to becoming tougher.

7 Habits of Truly Tough Players

1 - Talk on Defense

For whatever reason, kids want to talk everywhere except for the basketball court. If you go into the lunch room on any given day, you can probably find your players talking and screaming to their peers.

But the second they step on the basketball court, theirs mouths remain shut.

By talking on the defensive end, your players let their teammates know that they are there, and it makes everybody on the floor a better defender. Not only does talking on defense make your team better, it lets your opponents know that you are fully engaged in the game, which can be an intimidating factor.

2 - Get on the Floor

The first player on the floor is typically the one that comes up with a loose ball. Too often, players want to try and scoop the ball and score. But when the player that dives for the ball gets possession instead of the player that tried to scoop it, the player that tried to scoop got out-toughed.

If you can create a culture of every player on your team diving for loose balls, not only will you have a tougher team, you’ll have more possessions and chances to score.

3 - Sprint the Floor

Sprinting the floor on offense and defense isn’t flashy or glamorous, but it’s what tough players do. Sprinting the floor in transition can get your team easy baskets, even if there isn’t anything easy about it. As Bilas notes, “easy baskets are hard to get.”

By sprinting the floor, you’re able to attack a defense before it can get set up and keep the defense on their heels. It also forces your defenders to sprint to keep up with you, which can wear teams down.

Again, sprinting the floor isn’t going to make a bunch of highlight reels, but it’s what tough players do.

4 - Play So Hard, Your Coach Has to Take You Out

This is something that a lot of players struggle with. They don’t like to be uncomfortable. They shouldn’t want things to feel easy. They shouldn’t be pacing themselves.

They should be playing so hard that their coach has to take them out so that they can rest before putting them back in the game.

There is never an excuse for not giving 100% of everything you’ve got on the floor. But there aren’t a lot of players that do that, and that’s because they don’t like to be pushed outside of their comfort zone.

If you can get your entire team to play so hard that you have to take them out, you will be one of the toughest teams to play against, regardless of what level you’re coaching at.

5 - Show Strength in Your Body Language

Body language is such a strong indicator of how things are going in a basketball game, but it shouldn’t be that way.

How many times have you seen your kids hanging their heads when things aren’t going your way? Or yell at a teammate for making a mistake? Complain to officials when a call doesn’t go their way?

The habits listed above are all negative body language. Tough players don’t do those things.

Instead, tough players’ body language communicates confidence and security, and the rest of their teammates feed off of that.

6 - It’s Not ‘Your’ Shot, It’s ‘Our’ Shot

There is not a selfish bone in a tough player’s body. They are not worried about their individual stats, or ‘getting theirs.’ They are worried about getting the TEAM the best shot on every possession.

That may mean that they set 10 screens in a possession, they may pass 25X more than they shoot. But if it’s for the betterment of the team, they don’t care.

It’s not something most players would refer to as ‘toughness’, but it fits Jay Bilas’ definition perfectly.

7 - Look Your Coaches and Teammates in the Eye

We talked about body language earlier, and this point coincides with that. Bilas notes that tough players never drop their heads.

They let their coaches and teammates know that what they’re saying is important by looking them in the eye. It’s something so simple, but also something that seldom happens with teams.

 

Creating a culture of toughness isn’t something that is easy to do. It’s easy to let players slip through the cracks.

Developing culture happens one small action at a time. By focusing on these seven behaviors, your players will begin to understand what toughness truly looks like in the game of basketball.

 

Might have to check his book out.. Could use for youth football.

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15 hours ago, Handy Johnson said:

I’ll never just “Oh well” Nebraska Basketball . Like a lot of us here I’m more of a hoops than football fan (& I was at Ferragamo’s 1st game) now is not the time  to just resign ourselves to failure. We are & always will be better than that...

 

History paints a different picture than what you've described. Obviously, I would LOVE to see us go 7-3 or 6-4 to finish out this season. But I also know that isn't realistic (based on what I've seen the past month and our "track record"). Perhaps I'm just protecting myself from further disappointment by expecting the worst, but I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than heartbroken. This team has taught me that much!

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All of our goals are still totally ahead of us. Finish the season 6-4 at minimum and we are 19-12 (9-11) with a chance on the bubble and the conference tournament still in play. To go 6-4 we just need to win @ Illinois, home against Minnesota, home against Northwestern, @ Penn State, then win 2 of 4 of home against Iowa, home against Purdue, home against Maryland, @ Purdue.  

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54 minutes ago, noahjb24 said:

All of our goals are still totally ahead of us. Finish the season 6-4 at minimum and we are 19-12 (9-11) with a chance on the bubble and the conference tournament still in play. To go 6-4 we just need to win @ Illinois, home against Minnesota, home against Northwestern, @ Penn State, then win 2 of 4 of home against Iowa, home against Purdue, home against Maryland, @ Purdue.  

It's definitely doable. I can see why people think the season is over but if you really look at the numbers and where we're still projected to be in the tournament (I've seen 10 and 12 seed projections) we can get it done. Everyone has to step up and I mean EVERYONE. The X-Factor off the bench needs to be Nana. I have said it before and will say it again, he is much more than a catch and shoot from three type of guy. He's so athletic and needs to be let loose to open up his game, drive to the rim, be a slasher, etc. I still think he is going through some mental hurdles but have been wondering if he's been limited to that role? I think it needs to be open for him to do more and I think it is now with Copeland out but we need to see it. At least get him more than one or two shots a game. He's never going to get out of the slump if he's not playing or taking shots. 

 

Anyway....I hope we can find a run and go 6-4 and pick up a win or two in the B1G tourney. Not giving up. Lets go!

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3 minutes ago, burgundy95 said:

It's definitely doable. I can see why people think the season is over but if you really look at the numbers and where we're still projected to be in the tournament (I've seen 10 and 12 seed projections) we can get it done. Everyone has to step up and I mean EVERYONE. The X-Factor off the bench needs to be Nana. I have said it before and will say it again, he is much more than a catch and shoot from three type of guy. He's so athletic and needs to be let loose to open up his game, drive to the rim, be a slasher, etc. I still think he is going through some mental hurdles but have been wondering if he's been limited to that role? I think it needs to be open for him to do more and I think it is now with Copeland out but we need to see it. At least get him more than one or two shots a game. He's never going to get out of the slump if he's not playing or taking shots. 

 

Anyway....I hope we can find a run and go 6-4 and pick up a win or two in the B1G tourney. Not giving up. Lets go!

 

Same.  In most other years a 3-7 conference start with three home losses and a loss to Rutgers meant that we only had 8 games left and were probably sitting at just 10 overall wins.  That’s just not the case right now.  Most all brackets on bracket matrix have us still in.

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3 minutes ago, dustystehl said:

I applaud everyone's ability to stay positive and retain hope. I wish I possessed the ability to do that. ?

It doesn't look good but man, I just think we can get hot shooting again at any time like we were at the beginning of the year. Maybe I am delusional in thinking this, but having seen it I just can't get it out of my head that it's still possible to get hot and beat a team or two that we aren't supposed to down the stretch as well as take care of the ones at home that we should. Then we can still see light at the end of the tunnel to set out and still have a chance to attain the goals that were set at the beginning of the season. 

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1 hour ago, noahjb24 said:

All of our goals are still totally ahead of us. Finish the season 6-4 at minimum and we are 19-12 (9-11) with a chance on the bubble and the conference tournament still in play. To go 6-4 we just need to win @ Illinois, home against Minnesota, home against Northwestern, @ Penn State, then win 2 of 4 of home against Iowa, home against Purdue, home against Maryland, @ Purdue.  

 

19-12 and even going one and out in the tournament gets us in IMO.  I'm not sure how we get to 19 wins though.  Not sure Miles knows how to or can stop the bleeding. 

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On 1/30/2019 at 11:59 AM, Vinny said:

I'll admit I come here less after losses, not because I'm off the bandwagon.  But because I don't need to see some of the extra negativity. 

I've tried to implement a 24hr rule after losses this season to avoid speaking out of emotion.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I haven't thought of completely giving up and putting up the remainder of my season tickets for sale on stubhub.

It took me a day to shake that feeling and now I'm back on board 100%. It is never over until it's over.

 

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On 1/31/2019 at 1:38 AM, jimmychitwood said:

These last 10 games are a referendum on Nebrasketball’s future. The early work was done to get good enough “metrics” to make the tourney, but this team’s resume only consists of these games and the BIG tournament in the committee’s eyes. Fail and the only way to get that first win is to play the same dirty recruiting game as everyone else. Miles is respected enough in the coaching circles that any coach wanting to improve his career trajectory the right way will not come here.

 

To paraphrase Bud Kilmer, every 40 minutes of these last 10 games need to be played like it’s the next 40 years of your life.

 

James - your last name is Palmer, not Harden. Just be that guy from last year, we need nothing more than that.

 

Glynn - You said before the year you wanted to make your impact on Nebrasketball history. Well, now is the time. We can’t win with you and Palmer going 3 of 98 on bad shots because you force everything.

 

Roby - Wisconsin was a good start but we still need more. No more dumb fouls.

 

Tanner - You’re getting a root canal after every game. Enough said.

 

Thor - For Vahala or whatever inspired you to play like that, keep it up.

 

Tom - Creighton wasn’t a fluke. You’re going to be the man next year so start it now.

 

Finally Tim - Make these guys believe they are a better version of the gritty teams you used to coach. 

 

Sorry for another long-winded post but this season has really gotten to me. I have a separate bank account full of “traveling to see the first win” money. This was a year I believed and I hope the team decides to sooner than later.

Wow, hopefully that's been in an interest-bearing account!

Image result for scrooge mcduck gif

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5 hours ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

 

19-12 and even going one and out in the tournament gets us in IMO.  I'm not sure how we get to 19 wins though.  Not sure Miles knows how to or can stop the bleeding. 

Would have to start making a lot more shots then we usually do. And break so many bad habits in a week of practice time. I figured our rebounding would be better w out cope, but was pleasantly surprised w how much better. We gotta just start by making the easy shots and tanners probably gonna have to give up some easy buckets in lue of fouling

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20 hours ago, Ron Mexico said:

I've tried to implement a 24hr rule after losses this season to avoid speaking out of emotion.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I haven't thought of completely giving up and putting up the remainder of my season tickets for sale on stubhub.

It took me a day to shake that feeling and now I'm back on board 100%. It is never over until it's over.

 

I'm like the Lindsey Buckingham character (played by Bill Hader) in the SNL skit "What's up with that?"

 

At first, he's excited to be on the show, but then he realizes that, once again, he's not going to be asked a question, so he acts pissed off for about 10 seconds. Then DeAndre Cole (Keenan Thompson) cheers him up by saying he'll get a question on the next show. 

 

But he never does.

 

 

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I have been reading the posts in this thread with a lot of interest and wasn't quite sure I could add anything to the discussion but...

 

One of the greatest challenges of the human experience is that we have the ability to assign meaning to things. In other words, we can see an event and interpret a meaning either through the event itself or the expectation of what may happen in the future. I suppose forums like HHC wouldn't exist otherwise. I mean, you can only discuss the actual game for so long, right?

 

I'm not sure what will happen in the future. I can say this team is currently not well-coached and to be honest, I think most of us vastly overrated the quality of the players. I include myself in that as much as anyone. I hear a lot of talk about "talent" but I'm not so sure a talent discussion for NU basketball isn't a relative thing. Yes, we probably have better basketball players in our starting rotation than we've had in a very long time...but in the context of competition, is the team really that talented?

 

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1 hour ago, demone said:

I have been reading the posts in this thread with a lot of interest and wasn't quite sure I could add anything to the discussion but...

 

One of the greatest challenges of the human experience is that we have the ability to assign meaning to things. In other words, we can see an event and interpret a meaning either through the event itself or the expectation of what may happen in the future. I suppose forums like HHC wouldn't exist otherwise. I mean, you can only discuss the actual game for so long, right?

 

I'm not sure what will happen in the future. I can say this team is currently not well-coached and to be honest, I think most of us vastly overrated the quality of the players. I include myself in that as much as anyone. I hear a lot of talk about "talent" but I'm not so sure a talent discussion for NU basketball isn't a relative thing. Yes, we probably have better basketball players in our starting rotation than we've had in a very long time...but in the context of competition, is the team really that talented?

 

 

You can still see flashes of that talent for minutes at a time, even now. 

 

Yes, I think they are. But obviously how you define "talent" is a bit key, too. 

 

But I see it as athletic talent missing the software to make it work. I think they are talented. What I don't think they are is particularly adaptable. Palmer is literally playing exactly the same way he has since he came into the league. He's show little inclination to change his game as the league has adapted to him. Others as well. 

 

Our dogs need to learn new tricks. They are so predictable at this point that even clubs with less talent can ruin their day right now. 

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On 1/31/2019 at 8:40 PM, Huskerpapa said:

Jay Bilas is a lot of things, but one thing he is very good at is being an author.  His book 'Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court'  is worth reading.  His definition of toughness is used by athletic teams, players, businesses and so forth.  The following is good to know.  How does our Husker team measure up lately?

 

“Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved."

Bilas points out 31 different habits that tough players have, but if you could get everybody on your team to adopt the seven habits highlighted below, your team will be on the fast track to becoming tougher.

7 Habits of Truly Tough Players

1 - Talk on Defense

For whatever reason, kids want to talk everywhere except for the basketball court. If you go into the lunch room on any given day, you can probably find your players talking and screaming to their peers.

But the second they step on the basketball court, theirs mouths remain shut.

By talking on the defensive end, your players let their teammates know that they are there, and it makes everybody on the floor a better defender. Not only does talking on defense make your team better, it lets your opponents know that you are fully engaged in the game, which can be an intimidating factor.

2 - Get on the Floor

The first player on the floor is typically the one that comes up with a loose ball. Too often, players want to try and scoop the ball and score. But when the player that dives for the ball gets possession instead of the player that tried to scoop it, the player that tried to scoop got out-toughed.

If you can create a culture of every player on your team diving for loose balls, not only will you have a tougher team, you’ll have more possessions and chances to score.

3 - Sprint the Floor

Sprinting the floor on offense and defense isn’t flashy or glamorous, but it’s what tough players do. Sprinting the floor in transition can get your team easy baskets, even if there isn’t anything easy about it. As Bilas notes, “easy baskets are hard to get.”

By sprinting the floor, you’re able to attack a defense before it can get set up and keep the defense on their heels. It also forces your defenders to sprint to keep up with you, which can wear teams down.

Again, sprinting the floor isn’t going to make a bunch of highlight reels, but it’s what tough players do.

4 - Play So Hard, Your Coach Has to Take You Out

This is something that a lot of players struggle with. They don’t like to be uncomfortable. They shouldn’t want things to feel easy. They shouldn’t be pacing themselves.

They should be playing so hard that their coach has to take them out so that they can rest before putting them back in the game.

There is never an excuse for not giving 100% of everything you’ve got on the floor. But there aren’t a lot of players that do that, and that’s because they don’t like to be pushed outside of their comfort zone.

If you can get your entire team to play so hard that you have to take them out, you will be one of the toughest teams to play against, regardless of what level you’re coaching at.

5 - Show Strength in Your Body Language

Body language is such a strong indicator of how things are going in a basketball game, but it shouldn’t be that way.

How many times have you seen your kids hanging their heads when things aren’t going your way? Or yell at a teammate for making a mistake? Complain to officials when a call doesn’t go their way?

The habits listed above are all negative body language. Tough players don’t do those things.

Instead, tough players’ body language communicates confidence and security, and the rest of their teammates feed off of that.

6 - It’s Not ‘Your’ Shot, It’s ‘Our’ Shot

There is not a selfish bone in a tough player’s body. They are not worried about their individual stats, or ‘getting theirs.’ They are worried about getting the TEAM the best shot on every possession.

That may mean that they set 10 screens in a possession, they may pass 25X more than they shoot. But if it’s for the betterment of the team, they don’t care.

It’s not something most players would refer to as ‘toughness’, but it fits Jay Bilas’ definition perfectly.

7 - Look Your Coaches and Teammates in the Eye

We talked about body language earlier, and this point coincides with that. Bilas notes that tough players never drop their heads.

They let their coaches and teammates know that what they’re saying is important by looking them in the eye. It’s something so simple, but also something that seldom happens with teams.

 

Creating a culture of toughness isn’t something that is easy to do. It’s easy to let players slip through the cracks.

Developing culture happens one small action at a time. By focusing on these seven behaviors, your players will begin to understand what toughness truly looks like in the game of basketball.

That's awesome

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