"The Secret" -- Kansas 68 Tennessee 76
by rockchalk on Jan 12, 2010 7:00 AM CST
in Kansas Jayhawk Basketball
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PrintWhile the Jayhawks tipped off against the Volunteers on Sunday, I began reading Bill Simmons' new book The Book of Basketball on an airplane flying to Chicago. The first chapter of the book is simply titled "The Secret", and goes into detail The Secret, told to Simmons by Isiah Thomas (at a topless pool in Las Vegas, no less). According to Isiah, and supported by Simmons throughout the rest of the chapter, "The Secret of basketball is that it's not about basketball". You can question the validity. It doesn't seem to make sense. But before you do, just take a quick look at Sunday's game.
On one hand, you have the number one ranked team in the country. By most accounts, the best team in the country. Taking subjectivity out of the picture, you have a top five PG, a top five C and a top five freshman in the country. You have a host of other players who would start on most other teams playing supporting roles.
On the other hand, you have six scholarship players. Six. You have the coach's son playing 10 minutes. You have the best player kicked off the team four days prior.
On paper, what you have is a mismatch. However, basketball isn't played on paper. And The Secret says it's not even about basketball. With four of their best players gone, Tennessee had no one to turn to but the remaining players on the squad. They banded together, took on a disrespected attitude, and set out to make some noise.
They didn't need Tyler Smith or Melvin Goins or Brian Williams or Cameron Tatum. They just needed themselves. In essence, they discovered The Secret. Despite losing talent, the Vols are a better team than they were just two weeks ago. They get it. It's not about basketball. It's why they outplayed and outscored the #1 team in the country Sunday afternoon.
The question remains, however, if Kansas will pick up The Secret. If not, we're destined to go home losers in March.
Player-by-player game reviews will be skipped for this game recap since I was not able to watch the game, being on an airplane and all.
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The Secret
Victoria knows it.
There simply is no substitute for experience.
by Rivethead on Jan 12, 2010 7:33 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I'd really question this long term.
Despite losing talent, the Vols are a better team than they were just two weeks ago. They get it. It’s not about basketball. It’s why they outplayed and outscored the #1 team in the country Sunday afternoon.
I guess it could depend on how you judge a better “team”.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
by Warden11 on Jan 12, 2010 8:15 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I also read Simmons' book
His overall point to that chapter is that while talent is necessary, overall chemistry and buying into a system is what makes teams great. Not sure if this is really applicable to Tennessee beating us as much as it shows that our team all needs to develop a chemistry and play together for us to make a March run
by Andrew Clark on Jan 12, 2010 9:30 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Yeah.
I was probably stretching it. It just immediately clicked as that considering I literally came off of the plane reading that to find a Tennessee squad with 6 scholarship players beat us.
And then in the cab ride back to Xavier, they played some audio quote from Bruce Pearl that talked about how his team bonded together and created team unity or whatever that wasn’t there before. And it made me think of The Secret.
Really, as you say, the point is that we have to develop chemistry. I was more just using Tennessee as an example of what a team looks like when they have it, and we certainly have the mold of a team that fits The Secret.
The Championship team in 2008 had it. I’m more than confident Bill Self will help us establish it eventually.
Yeah and that can take time to develop
Our 2008 team, those guys had been playing together for years and it showed. Hopefully our team can grow and develop that kind of compadibility, etc
by Andrew Clark on Jan 12, 2010 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
I agree with the "Secret" . . .
. . . in a kind of Any Given Sunday type of way. If you come out and play harder than the other team and your shots are falling . . . you can beat anyone. That is what happened on Sunday. Tennessee is talented, but have a short bench. Their talent played harder than ours and their shots went in. Simple as that. The 3pt line alone will and has probably kept any team from going undefeated since 1976. A good shooting team can get hot and beat anyone, we see this every year in the NCAA Tournament.
KU is still going to only lose 2-4 games and go to the Final Four. But a lot of people need to pick up their games.
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