🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Going by tradition, assistant coaches' responsibilities can be summarized as follows:

Recruiting

Player development

Scouting and game planning

With portal and NIL changing traditional recruiting, assistant coaches in modern day needs to excel in development and scouting more so than in past IMO.

With this in mind, I would like to ask experts here on how KU assistant coaches are doing in this regard.

In NCAA tourney, KU has proven that if team goes on to second weekend it goes deep, however, in recent years, except 2022, it has been challenging to get past by second round game. This brings a point of discussion on KUs scouting and game planning ability versus competition.

Self has openly said that they start scouting second round opponents when brackets are announced.

This brings up a point on how good of a job is being done by KUs assistant coaches. There is significant experience on the bench but are these coaches keeping up with competition.

Do KU assistant coaches need to enhance scouting and game planning. Should any changes be made here.

Great topic and very relevant. The assistants are bills good ole boys club. Guys he keeps around because he trusts not because they are the best coaches or have the best eye for talent.

HCBS is an amazing coach, HOF. However, he cannot do everything by himself and has to rely on his assistants especially on scouting and game planning.

My question is whether he is getting proper support, perhaps he is perhaps he is not. I am not sure but raising a question.

Couple of his coaches are getting close to their retirement and one has to wonder if they are still running and gunning or just walking by.

New strength and conditioning coach is needed, IMO. Or maybe a new philosophy about conditioning.

Self always says, "well, in the tournament, you have the long time outs and longer half time, blah blah blah." There's no way those guys should have been that gassed half way through the second half--ALL YEAR. I literally haven't seen one other team in the tourney that looked as wiped out except maybe Illinois in the second half vs UCONn.

Getting an extra minute or two to catch your breath doesn't do anything if your legs, lungs and heart are not in shape to begin with.

@DanR said in Assistant Coaches - Roles & Responsibilities:

New strength and conditioning coach is needed, IMO. Or maybe a new philosophy about conditioning.

Self always says, "well, in the tournament, you have the long time outs and longer half time, blah blah blah." There's no way those guys should have been that gassed half way through the second half--ALL YEAR. I literally haven't seen one other team in the tourney that looked as wiped out except maybe Illinois in the second half vs UCONn.

Getting an extra minute or two to catch your breath doesn't do anything if your legs, lungs and heart are not in shape to begin with.

KU literally didn't have the bodies to give proper rest this year. It's much more than just games. KU's lack of depth also hurt this team in practice as well. Not having enough bodies to give adequate rest in practice also played a big part in the fatigue of this team year.

Rest? These guys are 19-23 years old. Unless they are only sleeping 4 hours a night (which is my guess), they don't need extended periods of inactivity to let their fragile muscles rebuild. I haven't bought this BS excuse from coach since he started rolling it out about 5 years ago. It's been obvious conditioning is trash with various players.

Imagine coaching a guy like Hunter, out of shape from the day he was born, thinking that letting him rest more would improve his conditioning.

@DanR if nobody gets tired, why have a bench? Just play your best 5 40 minutes a night since it doesn't matter? Rest is VERY important for athletes, ask any S&C staff in the country

@DanR said in Assistant Coaches - Roles & Responsibilities:

Rest? These guys are 19-23 years old. Unless they are only sleeping 4 hours a night (which is my guess), they don't need extended periods of inactivity to let their fragile muscles rebuild. I haven't bought this BS excuse from coach since he started rolling it out about 5 years ago. It's been obvious conditioning is trash with various players.

Imagine coaching a guy like Hunter, out of shape from the day he was born, thinking that letting him rest more would improve his conditioning.

If you think players don't need rest to recover, then you clearly have little idea about how the human body works.