I certainly hope watching the 2017 NCAA Basketball Championship game Monday night was required, mandatory viewing for everyone associated with the Ohio State Buckeye basketball team.
Now don’t get me wrong as Shon Morris of the Big Ten Network states during many of the B1G telecast this final game is not one that will be shipped off to College Basketball Hall of Fame to be saved for prosperity. But there was I lot to be gleamed from what took place in Phoenix, AZ.
If the entire OSU basketball team as a group including players, head coach, assistant coaches, administrators, associate head coaches, student managers, graduate assistants, trainers, and whoever else in the locker room watched they would have witness what a real team can achieve.
On display was two teams not playing at their highest level on the court but they never allowed minor details of the ball not going through the hoop on multiple occasions, too many fouls whistled by the officials or overall all bad play dictate how the players on either team responded.
Once your can control that aspect of your game and team you are on your way to victory in the long run. How many times have we seen bad body language on display during games by the scarlet and gray that lead to a less that positive outcome? Players shouting and finger pointing? Unquestionably not during the championship game by either team.
With all the fouls called not once was a player looking at the officials in disbelief. When was the last time that occurred at a OSU game. No demonstrative displays of note by anyone save a minor outburst by Roy Williams in the first half until he got a feel for how the game was flowing.
I say all this to remind everyone OSU has a lot learn about playing for each other and not for self. What killed OSU last two seasons I believe was selfishness and not playing for team OSU. Also how many times have we heard since the end of the year OSU coaches up for a head coaching job? Don’t get me wrong if you can get the gig go for it.
But you never hear of an UNC assistant coach auditioning for their next head coaching job one or two year into their tenure at Carolina. In other words there is no competition between assistant coaches on their team trying to outdo the other coaches in order to better their resume. Sound familiar? A recipe for disaster, see the most recent OSU basketball season.
This shows everyone is all in from the beginning of the season to the end which culminated in a national championship for the Tarheels. If OSU incorporated many of the skills on exhibited by either team they would more than likely find themselves in a better position at the end of the season.
On a final note OSU will have a chance to experience this blueblood program up close and personal in about eight months when OSU faces National Champion UNC in the CBS Sports Classic in New Orleans on Dec 23, 2017.
GO BUCKS
