Syracuse Basketball: The Orange Will Make the Final Four
By David Stone
The Boeheim Factor
Jim Boeheim has been here before. Many times. He’s seen the ups and the downs and he knows what to expect.
He also knows what he needs to say to his team to keep them focused and mentally prepared. He knows which players need those words of encouragement, and which ones need a swift kick in the pants when they make a mistake.
He also is one of the hardest working and most knowledgeable coaches in all of basketball. He spends hours upon hours watching game film, studying opponents, and just studying the game in general.
He has a true passion for the game and when he’s not coaching it, he’s almost constantly watching other teams. Not only does this give him insight into their play style, it also gives him a sense of how other teams play against them.
A perfect example was after the Middle Tennessee State game. He said that after watching the Michigan State game, he noticed that State was killing them in the low post. In the second half, he put Coleman in there and watched him feast on the smaller MTSU lineup.
That right there is what a solid coach does. He evaluates a teams strengths and weaknesses, and attacks them where they are vulnerable. You can be sure he busy working on a strategy to beat Gonzaga right now.
Next: Experience in the Backcourt