MARCH MADNESS

March, is by far the best month of basketball.

Starting with the college conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament, nothing beats the basketball being played.

Sit back and enjoy the next few weeks.

Greg Bishop of the New York Times on the St. Louis Billikens and their successful season.  Their current players will never forget their ex-coach who passed away this season.

“Just seeing what you’ve done on film, he could tell you exactly what you’re going to be good at, how you’re going to be good at it and what plays you could run to be good at what you’re going to be good at,” said Cody Ellis, his hair painted with a blue stripe down the middle. “He was brilliant.”

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Twitter: @CoachFinamore

REACHING OUT

In the coaching profession, some are better than others at reaching out and helping.

Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Billy Bayno looks back on a time when Rick Majerus helped him…when he really didn’t have to.

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune on Majerus and Bayno.

“He certainly went out of his way to help me when there really was no reason to, when there was no relationship there,” Bayno said. “I just think that’s his nature. He was pretty much Jesuit educated, a highly intelligent guy and he really cared about people. I never, ever forget that. I was blown away at the time he did it.

“When you see a guy like that, he just wants to make you be a better person.”

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

“EVALUATION” BY RICK MAJERUS

“When I’m looking at a player, I look for guys who love to play. I look at guys who have a feel for the game, a sense of the game. That’s very hard to find. Things like making the simple pass or letting the game come to him. I look for guys who can fit in with other guys. If you get too many guys who are score-oriented, then it’s hard to blend as a team.”

Taken from, “My Life on a Napkin” by Rick Majerus

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

A LIFER

Rick Majerus passed away over the weekend; he was 64.

Majerus is what some call a “lifer” in coaching.

The guy was all about hoops.

All week-long I will throw up some excerpts from ‘My Life on a Napkin’ by Rick Majerus.

I challenge them. I’ll say, “You tell me the day I’m not the most organized, enthusiastic, energetic guy on the floor. If I’m not that guy, then that will be the day we end practice early and the next day I’ll quit.” If you can ever say, ‘Coach wasn’t organized today…He wasn’t into it today, ‘ then I have a problem. But I challenge anybody to find a Utah player who could ever say that.”

Hoops135@hotmail.com

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

RICK MAJERUS R.I.P.

I heard the sad news tonight; Rick Majerus has passed away. He was 64.