I attended VCU 40 years ago for one year. It is a small school so I was surprised to hear they were in the NCAA tournament, then thrilled to watch them beat Florida State a few days ago. I'd never heard of Shaka Smart, but I was super impressed by how his team played. They worked so hard, continually, without let-up. I wondered how a coach could get that kind of heart effort out of his players. They were obviously well-conditioned to be able to keep up the punishing pace of that Florida State game. But that factor did not explain why they had the will and skill to win that they unwaveringly exhibited.
However, when VCU played Kansas today, I was even more amazed and impressed with the team Shaka Smart coaches so well. I observed that they worked three times as hard for every basket as Kansas. Even so, and in spite of the fact that VCU held the lead the whole game, the commentators just kept talking about how good the Kansas players were! It was only in the last minute of the game when it became inevitable that VCU was going to win that they grudgingly admitted that fact.
The picture I will always carry in my mind's eye is the VCU bench players linked arm in arm, smiling, poised ready to leap into the air during that last minute. Whatever did that Shaka Smart do to produce that amount of camaraderie among his team members? However did he motivate them to work that hard and smart, and care for one another that much? "It's amazing what a team can accomplish when nobody cares about who gets the credit," says Smart. "Our guys have played with that in mind these last couple weeks." Confident, relentless effort, selflessly assisting one another, constant attention to executing the game plan given them by their coach, and they are in the Final Four.
My words do not do their performance justice nor have I uncovered Shaka Smart's secrets. A small group of rather undistinguished athletes from a lack-luster school have accomplished an astounding feat under the tutelage of a young coach. I want to learn all the lessons I can here!
2 comments:
How interesting!! I had no idea that you attended VCU. That surprises me. I had heard of their victory however, as my brother-in-law (and now sister) is one of KU's biggest fans. They were so disappointed about the game, and wondering as you did how they beat KU. It will be interesting to see how much further they go. I think I will be rooting for them now as well.
I wanted to live in Richmond to be part of my aunt's warmly nurturing Baptist church so I transferred from the U of Az to VCU for my junior year. It was a great experience but, homesick, I returned to U of AZ the next year.
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