Here's a link to a great article on two great kids!! Who knows. . .maybe we'll see the two of them in Umpqua basketball uniforms in about nine years! Taylor's already told me that she wants to someday play at UCC unless she has a chance to play at Tennessee or Duke. She's got good taste - all three are winners!!
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20080717/NEWS/456041027/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055
Tuesday
Attitude Is Often The Deciding Factor
Casey O'Toole told me this interesting story at last week's End of the Trail Tourna
ment. Casey was in one of the gyms, along with dozens of university coaches, watching one of the top high school post players on the West Coast. At the beginning of the game the girl was a scoring, rebounding, shot blocking machine who looked like she was having a great time playing with her teammates. Everyone in the gym seemed to nod in agreement that this player was destined for a big time career. Then she missed an easy shot, a teammate didn't see her open in the post, and a ref called her next blocked shot a foul. Casey told me then it was like someone had flipped the switch that controlled her attitude. When everything was going great she was great. Bu twhen things started going bad, this player made everything worse. No longer was she visibly having fun and basking in the competition. Suddenly she was surly and bitchy to the other team, yelled at her own teammates, snarled at the refs, and started to jog up and down the court instead of sprinting as she had been only minutes earlier.
ment. Casey was in one of the gyms, along with dozens of university coaches, watching one of the top high school post players on the West Coast. At the beginning of the game the girl was a scoring, rebounding, shot blocking machine who looked like she was having a great time playing with her teammates. Everyone in the gym seemed to nod in agreement that this player was destined for a big time career. Then she missed an easy shot, a teammate didn't see her open in the post, and a ref called her next blocked shot a foul. Casey told me then it was like someone had flipped the switch that controlled her attitude. When everything was going great she was great. Bu twhen things started going bad, this player made everything worse. No longer was she visibly having fun and basking in the competition. Suddenly she was surly and bitchy to the other team, yelled at her own teammates, snarled at the refs, and started to jog up and down the court instead of sprinting as she had been only minutes earlier.It was at this time, Casey said, that Amy Tucker, Stanford's longtime associate head coach, reached into her bag, pulled out her program and a red pen, and literally crossed this player off 
of Stanford's recruiting list before getting up and walking out of the gym. Casey and I talked and wondered if this player had any idea, or would ever have any idea, that just a couple of minutes of bad attitude cost her a possible scholarship offer from one of the most prestigious schools and basketball programs in the country.
of Stanford's recruiting list before getting up and walking out of the gym. Casey and I talked and wondered if this player had any idea, or would ever have any idea, that just a couple of minutes of bad attitude cost her a possible scholarship offer from one of the most prestigious schools and basketball programs in the country.I'm sure there are some coaches who are willing to overlook the bad attitude because of the talent level and I'm confidant that because she is so good this girl will play somewhere in college. It just won't be at Stanford!
Wednesday
Over 125 Teams in 40 Days
It's hard to believe that it's been over a month since the blog's been updated but the time has just flown by! June is the month when high school teams typically play in summer league games and tournaments and where high school players go, we follow. In the last five weeks I've seen over 80 high school and club teams play and next week I'll be in Oregon City at the End of the Trail Tournament which has 208 teams entered in it. Games take place in about a dozen gyms, twelve hours a day, for four straight days. If things go as planned I'll see well over 50 more teams play. If you're a basketball junkie, or a college recruiter (or both), it's basketball heaven!!
I've always had an immeasurable respect for athletes who have turned themselves into players through their own dedication, focus, and hard work. Joe Alexander, from West Virginia University, who was recently taken in the first round of the NBA draft, seems to be one of those players. Read the following article and not only will you be inspired but you'll be a Joe Alexander fan for the rest of his career: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/sports/ncaabasketball/25wvu.html?ex=1364270400&en=3cdc4428b4739c4d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
I've always had an immeasurable respect for athletes who have turned themselves into players through their own dedication, focus, and hard work. Joe Alexander, from West Virginia University, who was recently taken in the first round of the NBA draft, seems to be one of those players. Read the following article and not only will you be inspired but you'll be a Joe Alexander fan for the rest of his career: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/sports/ncaabasketball/25wvu.html?ex=1364270400&en=3cdc4428b4739c4d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
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