Every player who’s ever hung his head sitting on a bench should watch video of Jalen Hurts tonight.
Bob Walsh’s posts
Why am I taking you out? Simple - I decided to put someone else in. It doesn't mean you did something wrong, I'm treating you differently or I lost confidence in you. I don't have time right now to have a sit down to explain it or call your parents. Stay engaged and be ready.
Phil Martelli is a coach who sits next to you as a D3 guy in July and genuinely asks you questions about your program. He's not afraid to speak out about people who break the rules and $450 packets. Also happens to be a terrific coach. We need a lot more guys like him in charge.
Loved this full court action Providence ran to get a good look in just 6 seconds. Ed Cooley is seriously underrated for his ATO actions and execution.
Great stuff from on culture: "Culture comes from your best players. Do your best players feel like they are entitled to special treatment? Or do they feel like being the best players means they have to take on more responsibility? That's what determines your culture."
You can’t give Eaton Street all day to prepare and a near 60 degree day. Just not a fair fight.
You have to own it. I say it to my players all the time. There are no accommodations made in the standings for misfortune. It's on me. I'll take the record with me, as well as lifelong relationships with some of the toughest, high-character kids I'll ever get to coach. I win.
The amount of time officials spend telling assistant coaches to sit down is silly. They are coaching the kids. They’re not plotting a crime.
Eleven years ago today I got a phone call. This is the last lesson my father ever taught me. coachbobwalsh.com/2019/12/02/the
June 17th, 1994: I was in the Garden cheering on Patrick Ewing and my beloved NY Knicks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
November 28th, 2017: Patrick Ewing has to go through me to get his 5th career win as a head coach.
Circle of life.
Perhaps the best -and most under-appreciated -part of being a college athlete is being surrounded every day, in everything you do, by people who are fully invested in your success. It will almost certainly never be that way again. If you don’t take advantage of it? It’s on you.
The one draft beer you have by yourself, while waiting for your take out order - one of life’s simple and underrated pleasures. 🍻
The D3 guy has to accept a new role. He's out of the rotation because the D2 guy has really stepped up. And we're running pin downs to get the D2 guy a shot on the biggest possession of the game. This is in the NBA conference finals.
Recruiting is an art, not a science.
Play a "Game to 6" - Tie score, 60-60, with 2:30 on the clock. Live scrimmage, keep score but the clock doesn't run. Once one team hits 66, the clock starts. Kids have to react to different scenarios, not knowing what the score is going to be with 2:30 left. Play it out live.
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Coaches: Good way to scrimmage & work on late-game situations, especially in Jan & Feb. Play “Down 8, 3:00 to go” with starters 3 times a week. “Up 8, 3:00 to go” twice a week. New situations pop up every day. Teaches the “comeback game” & playing with the lead.
Today is what makes PC 🏀 special. Blizzard, game change, early tip, no student busses - doesn’t matter. You made sure no one was beating us in that building today. Well done, Friartown. You just might be rooting for a top 10 team when you have dinner tomorrow. 👊🏼
This is a great weekend for serious hoop fans. If you can get to a D3 Conference Tournament game you should. High-level investment, great talent, incredible passion, elite coaching, everyone laying it on the line. You won't be disappointed. #d3h
Best to the D2/D3 assts who've already been on the road a month, buy their own gas, and are sleeping on a buddies couch- that grind is real.
Best of luck to all those coaches getting started with practice today - at 9 PM, after volleyball gets finished, with no locker room available until soccer ends, still waiting for the arrival of your practice gear. But the love of the game is pure in that gym. #d3h
Go ahead and send Friartown to a blue collar city with an arena surrounded by breweries on St Patrick’s Day weekend. What did you expect? 🍀
Can't imagine you'll find a better atmosphere for a college basketball game this year than the one you'll see in Providence tonight.
Gianni Antetokounmpo got benched last night. Every athlete should listen to what he said about it. coachbobwalsh.com/2017/12/29/gia
Three weeks ago we couldn't make a lay-up. Tomorrow we take the floor with a chance to make history with 12 league wins. The Big East happens fast, Friartown. You wouldn't let us give up that lead on Wednesday. We need you for one more 40-minute run together.
Eventually you'll be longing for the day when your coach is putting you on the line, demanding the best out of you, and you have the chance to run with your teammates. Trust me.
When you don’t have to recruit in July, your swing is better in August. Sakonnett Golf Club. 2nd hole. 177 yards. 7-iron. First ace.
Watching film and seeing grown men in the stands hugging each other after each Ed Croswell bucket.
Back at the hotel after the game was like senior week on Eaton Street.
Guys all getting standing ovations as they walked through the lobby.
Friartown, you are one of a kind 🙏🙏
Love getting off the elevator at 7 AM and hearing someone say “Be Them Dudes.” #Friartown
We have a game tomorrow, if we wake up and college basketball still exists.
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Black Bears Trek to UAlbany For Saturday Night Contest
Preview: bit.ly/2Fu2K3a
#BlackBearNation #AEHoops
December 23rd doesn’t get enough credit. Usually not a work day. License to spend. Eat and drink guilt free. Responsibility passed along until “after the holidays.” Maybe the most underrated day on the calendar.
Do you think Gregg Marshall trusts his team and their preparation? He just called his 30th time out of the season in their 30th game.
December 23rd doesn’t get enough credit. Usually not a work day. Day drinking acceptable License to spend cash. Eat and drink guilt free. Responsibility passed along until “after the holidays.” Maybe the most underrated day on the calendar.
We need a scoreboard/game clock that comes with a wireless remote for coaches with no assistants or managers. Run the clock, shot clock, keep score, palm of your hand. So many coaches are solo in practice. How do we not have this yet? My idea, you build it, we split the 💰.
“Let’s face it. Your first team meeting as a head coach is always way too long. Our first team meeting now at ND...we’ve got a sign in the locker room: ‘Don’t skip class. Don’t turn the ball over. We’ll get along just fine.’” - @NDMikeBrey
Friartown you never let us down. We’ve struggled at times this year but you’ve never failed to bring it. Building was on 🔥 yesterday and the kids responded. Toughest place to play in the league. Don’t ever change. Need you twice more.
First time I met Fran Dunphy he brought his Penn team to PC to practice in our gym. I put the balls out, introduced myself, mentioned my brother was a Penn grad. Next saw him on the road in July. He sticks out his hand, says "Hey, Walshy, how's that smart brother of yours doing?"
3-0. Friday night. Top 10 team coming to town. 9 pm tip. Friartown, this one is right in your wheelhouse.
5 full seasons as head coach, 4 NCAA Tournaments, 3 Sweet 16s. Gets fired mid-season. And generally the move is understood/applauded. We don't even blink an eye anymore. Shouldn't this bother us, at least a little bit? Tough environment to coach/teach kids the right lessons.
Stayed true to himself and his commitment when others around him did not. Stood by me for which I'll be forever grateful. Refused to take the easy way out. Made himself an elite player. Earned this opportunity and every ounce of success coming his way. Sooner fans will love him.
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First off I would like to thank god for putting me in the position I am in today. Without him none of it would be possible. With that being said, I am excited to announce my commitment to Coach Lon Kruger & his staff at the University of Oklahoma!!
#BoomerSooner
#BoomerSooner
Met a fan at the gym this AM. "Aren't you one of the coaches? Man, you guys are doing a great job. I almost feel bad yelling at you. Almost. Don't screw it up this week! Good luck." Don't ever change Friartown. You are the best.
Thirteen years ago, on the Monday after Thanksgiving, I was headed to practice when my phone rang.
The Last Lesson my father ever taught me:
coachbobwalsh.com/2021/11/29/the
Game wasn’t so bad bruh 😉
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When DePaul at Providence is the best college hoops game of the day, that means it’s a day for football and NBA.
Not a formality? Duke hasn't won it since 2010. Virginia has won it three times since then. twitter.com/BPredict/statu
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My guy stayed after practice Thursday and Friday to get some extra shots like he always does. Shot 404 total 3s and made 319 of them. Seems like the harder he works the luckier he gets. 😉 🍀
Great team defense can overcome so many other shortcomings. Texas Tech up 1 on Duke at halftime with 16 turnovers. If you can get your team to be elite in one area, get them to guard. Elite defense travels, overcomes injuries, and gives you a chance to win every night.
Eaton St. just built different
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Are you kidding me?! Doors don’t open until 6:30p
Friartown is on 
@wpri12 #pcbb
@wpri12 #pcbb
Shooters who kick their legs out and guards who snap their neck back off a ball screen should be sentenced to 10 years of playing bad pick-up at the local Y with the senior crowd when their careers end.
So I've been coaching in Maine for four years and was unaware of this issue until now. This is called a technical foul in the state of Maine. We TEACH our kids to dunk the ball when they get to the rim. Guess I shouldn't recruit Maine kids. Absurd. Change it.
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If you followed the tournament then you probably know why this technical foul call is controversial...but here we go again.
Coach Gavitt on being up 3 late in the game:
"If you don't foul, they have to do 1 thing to force OT. Make a 3.
If you foul, they have to do 4 things to force OT- they have to make the first FT. They have to miss the 2nd. They have to get the rebound. And they have to score."
Ten years ago today I got a phone call that changed my life. This is the last lesson my father ever taught me. coachbobwalsh.com/2018/12/01/the
I remember having to call security to get the lights on in Alumni so the guys could shoot in the morning. Now the lights in the barber shop come on automatically when I walk past on the way to my office. Life comes at you fast.
Aren't we tired of discussing 18-13, 8-10 teams? Set aside 4 at-large bids for non-power 5s. Give me Vermont, St. Mary's, MTSU over Cuse, Oklahoma, ASU. Don't tell me "best teams." You've got AQs from every level. Not the "best" 68. System set up for Power 5s already. Change it.
Friars shoot 37% from the field and give up 19 offensive rebounds. All-league point guard doesn't play the last 30 minutes. And they win by 12.
+19 from the free throw line.
One of Cooley's superpowers is they know exactly who they need to be to win these games. Impressive.
The fact that Gonzaga is on the same level as Duke is the most amazing college basketball story of the last 20 years. Great leadership, commitment and vision beat location, size, league. Incredible that the Zags as a Final 4 contender is normal.
Let's just get this out there - if you didn't share a bunkbed with me as a kid, you didn't pay my college tuition, or you didn't say "'Til death do us part"... I don't have any tickets for you for Friday.
Coach Muss has won over 500 games as a professional coach, and 130 games in 5 years as a college coach. One of the best at sharing his approach with young people in the business. Great insight.
My first job coaching on the floor in college was in 1997 at the University of San Diego when Brad Holland hired me to replace his 3rd assistant. He took a video job with the Spurs. His name was Joe Prunty. He's now coaching the Bucks in the NBA Playoffs. I just fed my cat. 🐱😎
Wife is a Rhode Island native, born a Friar Fan.
Asked her if we were rooting for UConn tonight. She looked at me sideways.
"Not in this house. A man's gotta have a code."
#GoFriars
Stan Van Gundy on motivating players - "The idea that there is a coaching formula out there that someone has to motivate players is nonsense. The truth is if we have to motivate you every day, what we really have to do is trade you."
3 standards for playing time - clearly defined:
1. Compete
2. Produce
3. Be a great teammate
The players decide who plays from there.
For those who wanted the tournament postponed: many campuses are not allowing students back for at least a month, and don’t expect them back at all this spring. But we’ll keep 15-30 of them around to work out in case they get to play a basketball game in April? Not reasonable.
Elite teams are willing to address - immediately, directly and internally - anything that doesn't live up to their standards or gets in the way of their path to success.
Internal intolerance - when your players start to confront their teammates on the behavior that gets in the way of winning, you’ve got a chance to be really good.
The biggest issue in college basketball is that it has become a billion dollar business, and a very small percentage of that money goes to the most important asset - the talent. Until that gets addressed, not much changes.
Won our last 6 games to finish the season. Thought it would feel different.
Read about Penny Hardaway and Larry Brown and the Memphis situation yesterday than turned the channel and watched them win their 20th game of the year and I was reminded that we have all completely lost our minds.
So many great things about coaching, but the best might be a former player, 10 years later, thanking you for holding him accountable.
The conversation:
Blizzard, game moved a day, early Sunday tip, no busses available... I'm not sure the students will show up.
Our students:
Just make sure the Bud Light tallboys are cold...
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Wow! There is no doubt we have the greatest fans. Hours after a blizzard, we had more than 12,000 Friar faithful come to support us. Students - on behalf of our program THANK YOU. No busses but you still came out in full force. We dont WIN without you. The Dunk was electric.
Excited about this opportunity . If you have players looking for an elite post-graduate team experience, holler at me - bob.walsh@img.com.
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Former Maine coach Bob Walsh is taking over the IMG post-grad team, he told @stadium.
When playing noon hoops don’t guard the guy with the headband. Nothing good is about to happen.
Love being in the gym when the clock is running down and assistant coaches or managers start panicking because the horn might go off. I mean we work in a gym people. Sneakers squeak, balls bounce, horns go off. No need to panic. It stops after 3 seconds. We’ll get past it.
Funny - we’ve finally gotten to where everyone is happy with July - right amount of time, well-run tournaments, great competition, easy to evaluate, good for kids/coaches - and now the NCAA is going to change it. The structure of July has zero to do with the actual issues.
Dear Georgetown,
That’s a really good win at Butler. Maybe we helped a little?
Sincerely,
Your Non-Conference Schedule
Every story about the Friars has to start with “best player out for the year.” 5 straight NCAA bids. Elite culture attracting top 100 talent and developing it. Surely PC fans will never take winning for granted. Ask Pitt how that worked out. Celebrate another great year.
Spent the last week returning calls, texts and messages literally from all over the world. A great reminder that despite some of the loudest headlines, the coaching profession is driven by decent and honorable people at every level dedicated to making a positive impact.
I've won games by 40. Been drilled by 40. I've never understood why we get so outraged by what happens on the court in the final moments of a blowout. In any sport. Unless it's dangerous and might injure someone, who really cares? Play the way you want.
"Meanwhile, roughly 12 hours after pulling off the memorable upset against overwhelming odds, the Lumberjacks were back in East Texas on Wednesday morning distributing meals to the homeless for Thanksgiving..." 👏👏👏There's nothing like being part of a team.
It's 5:00 on a Friday. Tip-off isn't until 9 PM. Great time to get, uh... mentally prepared Friartown. Need every ounce of energy you got tonight.
We don't get to keep saying "this isn't us," and "we are better than this." This is us, and no we aren't. We might not like it, but we better come to terms with it if we want to get it fixed. Start by dealing in reality.
Still sure we don't have a first team all league player?
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Jared Bynum last night became the first Big East player over the last 25 seasons with 3 25-point games off the bench in a single season. He has all 3 in Providence's last 5 games.
We need to get away from the idea of every post-season loss as a watershed moment, a referendum on a style of play, a reflection of team dynamics or a deep look into the best player's soul. It's high-level competition. Sometimes the other team just beats you.
Coach Gavitt on fouling up 3: If you foul, they have to do 4 things right to win - make the 1st FT. Miss the 2nd FT. Get the rebound. Score. If you don’t foul, they have to do 1 thing right to win - make a 3. Thing is, it’s not easy to do. Have to practice it.
Your best teams won’t compete for you, they will compete for each other. Take your ego out of the equation.
Have the NBAs rules caught up with them? 24 second clock, no help side D, don't call travels or carries, stars get the whistles, ball screens are like road blocks. Athleticism/Skill are ridiculous. No one runs offense anymore - why would you? Guarding 1 on 1 is impossible.
4th straight NCAA Tourney after losing 2 players to the NBA. Only thing you are allowed to complain about now is where they put the statue.
Huge Saturday coming at the Dunk Friartown. All starts with our approach tonight. It’s okay to practice some moderation. Need you on 🔥 tomorrow. High noon.