Sorry we keep coming up with questions for you to answer but was just wondering how EJ practices compare to somebody like Rice,Hill, or Waters. I remember a while back you said Waters always had rough practices and then Hill's were much easier, while Rice had the hardest ones. Are EJ's on the level of someone like Rice (which I think werent as outrageous as espn said it was)?
Question for BKin118
- Thread starter Spare130
- Start date
OT but BK do you know when they will be emailing the pictures with Coach Jordan from last Friday night?
Spare...
Please don't ever worry about asking me a question. Some are more answerable for me than others, but I'll always try to help out in any way I can! And yours is actually a pretty interesting one....
First off, these are just my impressions...the players involved may have had different opinions, but having been invited to practice now with the last 4 RU basketball coaches, I think I have a pretty good feel for things.
Hill's practices were well...not very good, at least when he ran them. The more Savino had input, the better they became. Often times hours were spent on single concepts that would have taken another coach minutes to install. Some of that falls back on the kids of course, but I think you get my point. Physically, they were the least challenging of the bunch.
Waters took a different approach. He had practices at 6 AM, before any class schedule conflicts could play in. His practices were tough, but fair. Very rarely would GW lose control of his temper...always level headed teaching. He focused SO MUCH on toughness and defense, that the offense was almost an afterthought at times. I recall a lot of running, and a lot of pad drills under the basket...a bunch of stuff that didn't even require a basketball. It made his kids mentally tough and prepared for the grind of the Big East. When he had guys like Coleman and Douby to make baskets...natural scorers...the team excelled behind this concept. I respect GW and LD to this day for their contributions to Rutgers basketball...and they remain my friends even now.
Rice...well look, everyone here knows I like the guy. He's the reason I am so passionately involved with the program in 2015/16. His practices never struck me as ugly or hateful...just intense and focused. For every bounced basketball at a pair of shoes, there was 100 percent more love for the kid that got it right the next time. The language was coarse at times, but I've heard worse in countless gyms and on even more fields of play. His practices were rigorous, and demanding from a basketball concept standpoint. I found them to be a nice balance of getting after it and teaching. Rice understood the battles he was facing in his league, and I felt he was just doing what he felt best to prepare them to succeed.
Coach Jordan takes a more intellectual approach to practice, definitely NBA influenced. His first two seasons were a learning curve for everyone involved. What he brought to the table initially just didn't work out with the kids he had, so he's gone back and changed it. The initial focus is basketball basics, then those basics are added in to higher concepts, and then put all together in offensive sets that make you wonder how those kids understand it all (in a good way though!). EJ gets that blend going better than any RU coach Ive ever seen. He never shys away from stopping and teaching ONE player if it is necessary for the program to progress past a certain concept. Everyone is on the same page execution wise before more is added to the mix. His practices refresh concepts learned in previous days, and weave those into new packages constantly. Physically, there is a mild level of contact between the kids...maybe slightly above game level situations, but nothing over the top. It is all very controlled. Most of the "heavy lifting" is done in the weight room, but man, do these kids RUN from time to time. Thursday's practice was a lot of fun to watch because of what they were teaching defensively.
I don't know if I'm comparing apples to oranges to say this....but I'd rank "practice efficiency" for the 4 as:
1) Gary Waters
2) Eddie Jordan (THIS SEASON; drops to 3 for the previous 2)
3) Mike Rice
4) Fred Hill Jr.
Ron...
As for those photos, they can take a while. That was a 3rd party company that took them, and a certain amount of work must be done on the images before than can be dispersed. I'll try to inquire for you though.
Please don't ever worry about asking me a question. Some are more answerable for me than others, but I'll always try to help out in any way I can! And yours is actually a pretty interesting one....
First off, these are just my impressions...the players involved may have had different opinions, but having been invited to practice now with the last 4 RU basketball coaches, I think I have a pretty good feel for things.
Hill's practices were well...not very good, at least when he ran them. The more Savino had input, the better they became. Often times hours were spent on single concepts that would have taken another coach minutes to install. Some of that falls back on the kids of course, but I think you get my point. Physically, they were the least challenging of the bunch.
Waters took a different approach. He had practices at 6 AM, before any class schedule conflicts could play in. His practices were tough, but fair. Very rarely would GW lose control of his temper...always level headed teaching. He focused SO MUCH on toughness and defense, that the offense was almost an afterthought at times. I recall a lot of running, and a lot of pad drills under the basket...a bunch of stuff that didn't even require a basketball. It made his kids mentally tough and prepared for the grind of the Big East. When he had guys like Coleman and Douby to make baskets...natural scorers...the team excelled behind this concept. I respect GW and LD to this day for their contributions to Rutgers basketball...and they remain my friends even now.
Rice...well look, everyone here knows I like the guy. He's the reason I am so passionately involved with the program in 2015/16. His practices never struck me as ugly or hateful...just intense and focused. For every bounced basketball at a pair of shoes, there was 100 percent more love for the kid that got it right the next time. The language was coarse at times, but I've heard worse in countless gyms and on even more fields of play. His practices were rigorous, and demanding from a basketball concept standpoint. I found them to be a nice balance of getting after it and teaching. Rice understood the battles he was facing in his league, and I felt he was just doing what he felt best to prepare them to succeed.
Coach Jordan takes a more intellectual approach to practice, definitely NBA influenced. His first two seasons were a learning curve for everyone involved. What he brought to the table initially just didn't work out with the kids he had, so he's gone back and changed it. The initial focus is basketball basics, then those basics are added in to higher concepts, and then put all together in offensive sets that make you wonder how those kids understand it all (in a good way though!). EJ gets that blend going better than any RU coach Ive ever seen. He never shys away from stopping and teaching ONE player if it is necessary for the program to progress past a certain concept. Everyone is on the same page execution wise before more is added to the mix. His practices refresh concepts learned in previous days, and weave those into new packages constantly. Physically, there is a mild level of contact between the kids...maybe slightly above game level situations, but nothing over the top. It is all very controlled. Most of the "heavy lifting" is done in the weight room, but man, do these kids RUN from time to time. Thursday's practice was a lot of fun to watch because of what they were teaching defensively.
I don't know if I'm comparing apples to oranges to say this....but I'd rank "practice efficiency" for the 4 as:
1) Gary Waters
2) Eddie Jordan (THIS SEASON; drops to 3 for the previous 2)
3) Mike Rice
4) Fred Hill Jr.
Ron...
As for those photos, they can take a while. That was a 3rd party company that took them, and a certain amount of work must be done on the images before than can be dispersed. I'll try to inquire for you though.
Terrific insight, BK. I really wish Rice hadn't been such a hothead and reckless with some of the coarse language and ball-throwing, because I really felt like he struck the right balance between being tough and teaching.
Anyway, EJ sounds like just what the doctor ordered after the Rice scandal. Hopefully he can translate his more professional style into building this program into a respectable one. He certainly seems to have made strides in rebuilding the roster.
Anyway, EJ sounds like just what the doctor ordered after the Rice scandal. Hopefully he can translate his more professional style into building this program into a respectable one. He certainly seems to have made strides in rebuilding the roster.
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