Keeping Score

Coaches

by Gene | February 1, 2008

Over the past year and a half, I’ve been heavily involved with the basketball team (in case you haven’t noticed). This has lead to my decision to want to be a basketball coach when I graduate. Over the past year and a half, I’ve watched Coach Scott McMillin and how he coaches the players and the style of play he runs and I’ve become enamored with it. I love an uptempo offense and high pressure defense. This is similar to John Calipari’s stlye of play at Memphis, which is currently the only undefeated team in Division I basketball. He runs what is known as the Attack Attack Skip Attack offense, which involves having the guards penetrating and then kicking out to another guard who does the same thing.

I loved Nolan Richardson’s defense from the mid-90’s, with the Arkansas Razorbacks, which was called 40 Minutes of Hell, because the whole game, the Razorbacks would pressure you the whole time. This is very similar to what Coach McMillin likes to teach the players to do. Both of these coaches have been very successful, with Coach Richardson winning the 1994 Division I National Championship, and Coach McMillin taking the 2004-2005 Lynn Men’s Basketball Team to the Elite Eight, in just his second year at Lynn.

Coach McMillin also is not only a great coach, but a great person as well. He likes to joke with the guys at the appropriate times, as well as talk with their parents and talk to them about things other than basketball or how their son’s are doing with the team. He also treats everyone in the program and associated with the program with great respect. For example, last week when I was sick, he would ask how I was feeling and genuinely cared, rather than just feeling he had to. He will always help out. He will talk with just about anyone wanting to talk. He also does not lie to anybody when he is talking to them. He tells recruits exactly what to expect when they come to play for him.

Have a great week!

Gene