Where's Your Head At?

[triplethrea]

I think I've seen enough this year to give my thoughts on the mental development of the players.

This might sound strange to some of you but I prefer to watch the games on mute so I eliminate the signal to noise ratio (don't worry I'll play the radio or something instead). Commentators influence opinions of viewers more than you can imagine, so when I come on here after a game, I tend to have completely different opinions from the people with sound on (and sometimes people at the game who are influenced by the crowd's cheers, boos, and opinions.)

I prefer to focus on the intangible aspect of players, since our understanding of it is in its infancy. Confidence, expectation of winning, losing attitudes, dominance, submissiveness, will to win, etc. That is what influences games once you get to a certain level. I'm going to break down each of our players on where I believe they are at currently, where they have been, and where they are going.

I hope this post will help shine a light in the dark tunnel of why our team has the ups and downs that it does.

MCW - Solid head on his shoulders. Our rough 3-4 game stretch directly coincided with MCW's shoplifting incident and his poor play. HE, not Triche or Southerland, is the leader of this team. He has the respect of every single player on the team and everybody defers to him.

So what happened at Detroit and Temple? Simple, lack of experience coupled with a bad situation. Let's ignore the shoplifting incident for a second, this is a Sophomore with limited experience as a Freshman (although lots of winning experience and time surrounded by experienced upperclassman) who is the leader of a team but has almost no experience in close games or losing. The season had been a breeze, nearly every game a blowout, suddenly they were on the verge of choking against Detroit. MCW panicked as did everyone else, but they held on. Lesson learned.

Close game on the losing side to Temple, everybody panicked, MCW included. Lesson learned.

Close game on the winning side against Providence, one turnover and almost another one immediately after. Lesson learned.

But Providence was different. MCW was relaxed yet confident. Down 8 with 7 minutes to go in the 1st half, the camera lingered on him on the bench. He looked slightly detached and drowsy. Calmly looking at the scoreboard. Walked back on the court like playing a playground game. Calm and collected, he's been here now. Immediate steal and assist the other end down the floor. Now we're on their heels. Made his free throws at the end of the game too.

Folks, we have nothing to worry about with MCW. He is a very fast emotional learner. That is why he is so mature as a Sophomore. He learns fast from experience. He has never had losing experience at this level. In a few week span he now knows how to handle a big lead slipping away, a close game while we're down, and a close game where we're up. That's why we "seemed" mentally tough at Providence. It's because MCW got mentally tougher and more stable. Instant maturation.

Brandon Triche - Classic introvert. ALWAYS in his head. Even when he is playing at a high level, he is still in his head. I know because I am an introvert as well. I know his type.

For everybody who wants to know what goes on in his head, my best guess is something like this: "OK, coach is watching I got to do good at right now, ok I have the ball right now, I'm just going to give it to MCW, OK he passed it back, you know what, I'm a senior, I'm a leader, I'm going to show these guys how it's done." Then he goes off for 20. Then he gets in his head about something negative and he stops believing in himself. Classic negative expectation grid.

I've seen people in real life who are like this and gotten out of this loop, but it is very difficult. People who don't have experience with this do not understand people like Triche, which is why Boeheim is so bewildered by him. Triche can be an All-American, he could be in the NBA already, but instead he is here and will probably be in Europe next year, playing the same exact way.

So what should we expect? I don't see him breaking out of this positive thought/negative thought loop so we need other leaders on this team, which we luckily have in MCW. We cannot always count on him to step up, he will step up whenever he steps up (if that makes sense) so we should never 100% lean on Triche. But when he is playing good, we need to milk that to the fullest.

James Southerland - A senior who is VERY prone to mental lapses. He has the body and talent of a NBA lottery pick, but the head of a mid-major player. I don't mean that in a "dumb" way, but in a "struggles to put it all together on the court" way. He is another guy who is having difficulty mentally overcoming his low recruiting ranking. Everyone tells him how good he can be, but he is still convincing himself. Sometimes it works (Arkansas game), sometimes it doesn't (all the games he disappears).

He is just as likely to have an incredible dunk (like in the 1st half against Providence) as finish 1 for 12 the rest of the game. The problem is that he is a senior that does not have that much court experience. By being a senior, younger players are supposed to look up to him, but he is literally as emotionally experienced as MCW. When our team was falling apart against Detroit, Temple, and even Alcorn St. the camera would show Southerland freaking out. As soon as Boeheim pulled him to the bench, our team would get it's together. He is (at this late point in his college career) still unstable. He does not yet fully have the demeanor of a senior. He does, but when hits the fan, he does not. Until he proves that he can handle tense situations, we are better off having the next best guy on the court.

CJ Fair - My favorite. A solid rock on our team. Plays to a different beat and seems to always be on another wavelength. He must have been born without the "freak out" gene. Even in our worst team games, CJ seems to shine. The negativity does not get to him and he keeps moving like the Energizer bunny.

Is not a leader, but can lead by example. He is playing at an All-Big East level right now. Mid-range game is becoming something else (despite a few misses last night), bullies smaller players, and does not get knocked. He will turn close losses into wins and close wins into blowouts. He is the guy every championship team could use.

Rakeem Christmas - Still young. Still putting it all together. Does not yet realize how good he can be already. Last night was the first time I "saw" what Rakeem Christmas's full potential could look like. He could be downright dominant already if he was more assertive. One day will be a monster at both ends of the floor.

Seems shy and seems to have his head down more than he should. Needs to bully people smaller than him. Not sure if he has the killer instinct that could put teams away. His face looks angry at times, if this is so, he needs to unleash that anger on the court. Players that play with an underlying emotion tend to be the most dominant (Jordan, Kobe, Russell). I'm not saying he will ever be on their level, but if he can find a way to unlock it, he can play far beyond his ability. Currently there is something in his head blocking him from reaching his Sophomore potential. Hopefully last night was a great step in the right direction.

Trevor Cooney - A mess right now. Red-shirting seems to have done more harm than good for his head. Physically a sophomore, but mentally a freshman. I trust that everything will catch up to him and he will be a better player than he would have been if he did not red-shirt. Unfortunately, I don't think that will start happening until next year (and only for flashes this year).

The good news is that everybody wants to see him succeed. He will be the type that will be a cornerstone of this team as a Junior and Senior. It is these experiences that will shape that guy in the future.

Jerami Grant - I like this kid. Has an air of confidence about him. Has been around basketball his whole life and it shows. Does not seem that intimidated by this level, the only thing stopping him is experience. Seems like a "natural". Candidate to blow-up next season.

Only mental negative about him seem to be his free throws. Will be interesting to see if he overcomes it. On a funny note, I remember an early non-conference game this year (his first really good game) where Jerami actually seemed tense making his free throws because the Cuse cheerleaders were staring at him. Freshman butterflies? We forget that these kids are actually kids.

DaJuan Coleman - Monster of a man. Seems genuinely humbled at this level of basketball. Needs to get in better shape, turn that fat into muscle. Once he puts everything together he will be one of the big bullies of the ACC. I believe he has the "bully" inside of him and is not afraid to let him out.

Baye Moussa Keita - Possibly the most low-key guy on the team. Seems just happy to be here. No ego. Gives it his all every time he is on the court. No problem giving up playing time to players with more potential than him. Will be there when we need him.Last year his hands seemed to really affect him, and his confidence playing basketball. Improved his hands this season and seems like a much happier player.

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That's it for now. May have another write-up later in the year. I don't see anybody on this board or any board doing intangible scouting reports so hopefully I can plant seeds in people's heads to start looking for these sorts of things.

 

[iommi]

very interesting read...well thought out and a little out of left field. Thanks.

 

[SarasotaPaul]

I had to watch with sound off last night for the first time and it was better than listening to the garble from know-something-maybe-not-babbling heads. Like your analysis, especially of Triche. Great kid but seems to not want/like the spotlight very much. I like that better than the egotistic head cases we have had on so many occasions.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I turn the sound off if Vitale is on.

 

[Marsh01]

up my ass most of the time per my wife

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I completely agree with the validity of reading into psyches. I'm almost always doing the same. That said, I prolly disagree with half of your assessments! But, hey — that's half the fun, right? I mean, if it were so simple and we all agreed, Psychology would be, like, a 'science' or something.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Wow, this was really well done. Good read and I agree with about 90% of it. I think you really nailed Triche and Southy. Excellent...

I am not as positive about Cooney becoming a cornerstone player as you are. I see an average catch and shoot guy who's head is always 2 steps ahead of his body. He'll slow down and get better, but I dont see him ever being one of our 2 best players. If he is..that might spell huge trouble.

 

[tbonezone]

dr. phil might also add that baye moussa keita is a virgo with pisces rising thus explaining his fear of cats and clothespins.

 

[Sufran]

Well written and I agree with most of it as well. I would love for Triche to get his head right because he would really be special.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I think you have no foundation for making these judgments unless, unbeknownst to me, you actually know all these players. I also think you also make some basketball-related comments without foundation. All players have good games and bad games and games in the middle on the offensive end; it depends on who is guarding you, your alertness on that day, and some intangibles that once in a while put you in a zone.

-In his fourth year, I doubt that Brandon is concerned about what the coach may be thinking, but then again, I have only talked to Brandon once.
-What mental lapses do you see in James? He rebounds, makes steals, and uses his long body to wreak havoc on defense. Some days his long shot is there and others it is not, in which case he goes to the hoop and scores from inside.

I could go on, but dinner is ready.

 

[triplethrea]

I think you have no foundation for making these judgments unless, unbeknownst to me, you actually know all these players. I also think you also make some basketball-related comments without foundation. All players have good games and bad games and games in the middle on the offensive end; it depends on who is guarding you, your alertness on that day, and some intangibles that once in a while put you in a zone.

-In his fourth year, I doubt that Brandon is concerned about what the coach may be thinking, but then again, I have only talked to Brandon once.
-What mental lapses do you see in James? He rebounds, makes steals, and uses his long body to wreak havoc on defense. Some days his long shot is there and others it is not, in which case he goes to the hoop and scores from inside.

I could go on, but dinner is ready.

Obviously I have no foundation, other than what I see on TV. But are you telling me that I can't learn anything about a player's psyche from the two hours he is on TV 30 times a year? I see these guys more times a year than I see some of my long distance friends. You can learn a lot about someone just by watching them.

it depends on who is guarding you, your alertness on that day, and some intangibles that once in a while put you in a zone.

You're correct. The difference between me and you is that you are fine with that one sentence summarizing everything while I prefer to delve deeper into it. That's the point of this thread.

- Brandon doesn't have to be concerned with what his coach is thinking, I was using it as an example. But I am convinced he is concerned with something when he is on the court and not playing well.
- I see James freaking out a lot when things aren't going his way, far more than a senior leader should. I attribute that to his lack of playing time over the years and limited time to acclimate himself to tense game situations. In the past when the game was tight, James was typically on the bench. I also see his shot selection get poorer and him generally "trying too hard" when the other team is playing better.

One more thing: what does it mean to "know" somebody. Do I have to talk about girls with them at practice so I understand them better as a basketball player? Do I need to sit next to them in Chemistry so I can get a better read on why they played bad yesterday? I am only talking about them on the court, not off the court.

 

[stuckinbig11]

You're correct. The difference between me and you is that you are fine with that one sentence summarizing everything while I prefer to delve deeper into it.

NO, I AM A SCIENTIST WHO PREFERS THAT PEOPLE BACK UP THEIR CONCLUSIONS WITH DATA, NOT HUNCHES.

- I see James freaking out a lot when things aren't going his way

FUNNY, I SEE HIM JUST MOVING ON TO WHATEVER COMES NEXT IN THE GAME. I ALSO RECALL THAT HE STATED IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE DOES NOT THINK ABOUT MISSED SHOTS. IF ANYTHING, HE NOW KNOWS HE WILL GET LOTS OF MINUTES, SO HE JUST PLAYS THEM.

One more thing: what does it mean to "know" somebody. Do I have to talk about girls with them at practice so I understand them better as a basketball player? Do I need to sit next to them in Chemistry so I can get a better read on why they played bad yesterday? I am only talking about them on the court, not off the court.

YOU ARE SUGGESTING TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR HEADS. HOW CAN YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON THAT IF YOU HAVE NOT TALKED WITH THEM CANDIDLY AT LENGH?

 

[PapaStocks]

That was a pleasure to read. I am not nearly as deep in my thoughts. I believe that we all forget they are just kids and will have different degrees of focus, that will vary in length and consistency in each game.

 

[bballbeadle]

That was a great read! Your psychological assessments are astute. Yes, people can disagree, because no one really "knows" someone else's inner drives and motivations, but it seemed to be a very sensible analysis.

I was most interested in your ideas about Triche and MCW. We all know that Triche lets things bother him. You were giving an example of a negative loop that might be in his mind. We don't know what these sabotaging thoughts are, but yes, he must have them. We all have them! He has the physical talent, so the only thing that is truly limiting him is his mind. Most of us have noticed that in his first 3 years, he rarely smiled. I have seen him smile more this year. I hope this means he will have a better year, but last night's game was discouraging. In any endeavor in which we want to succeed, we must have the will. The will can be undermined by lack of confidence, a self-consciousness that has little to do with reality. I suspect that is the root of our Brandon's erratic performances.

You gave a very positive spin of MCW, and I hope you are right. The reason I started the thread a few days ago about "will MCW reassure us?" is because I felt he was at a crossroads. You believe he is a quick study and that he learns exponentially from each game, as all very talented players do. I also feel that the L & T "affair" really took its toll on him and the team. Imagine how his teammates felt when they heard what he had done. "What? Is he an idiot? Why would he do that? What's wrong with him?" Confidence is instantly shattered. I know many think that his teammates wouldn't care, or would dismiss it easily. The conscious mind might try to dismiss, but the subconscious would naturally feel betrayed. How can you trust someone who could do that? For MCW, he had to take stock of himself, and do it quickly. He must channel that compulsive need to self-harm (for that's what it is) into something productive. "That was wrong and I was wrong. I can do better for myself and my teammates." Not only was he learning about the game of basketball, but he was learning about himself, the kind of kid he was, and the kind of man he wants to be. I feel that our season in great part depends upon him learning his lessons.

Well, eman, I'm glad you started this thread! Thank you for the time you took to write it.

 

[bevosu]

While interesting reading, it's nothing more than one person's opinion(s).

it's speculative. No way you can begin to accurately get into another person's psyche by watching a basketball game on TV. You can guess.

Hell you can go out with a woman for years, marry her, and you'll never really know what the hell she's thinking, or why.

 

[realorange]

What eman has written has more than a grain of truth to it. Speculation as stuck said? Not so much if you have really watched the games without too much of a bias in any direction.
BT, we may never figure out completely because I don't think he knows who he is himself.
JS is a brittle player. Early this year I said he didn't know what to do under pressure. Not just shooting, but handling the ball and deciding what to do with it. When things are going right, no problem. Pressure is on----------not so much.
Cooney shows a lot of poise for his first year of play. Yes, he's a red shirt, but it's still his first playing season. The only thing he really has done poorly is shooting. Big deal, yes, but other than that he has been pretty solid and will be in the future.
MCW, the sky is the limit as long as he plays within himself. You could say that for Roc as well.
CJ, the blue collar, steady eddie. Always there when you need him. Underappreciated by too many.
DC2, solid ballplayer---someday but not this year.

Very nice OP.

 

[bballbeadle]

While interesting reading, it's nothing more than one person's opinion(s).

it's speculative. No way you can begin to accurately get into another person's psyche by watching a basketball game on TV. You can guess.

Hell you can go out with a woman for years, marry her, and you'll never really know what the hell she's thinking, or why.

Yes you could.

 

[AlaskaSU]

I think I've seen enough this year to give my thoughts on the mental development of the players.

This might sound strange to some of you but I prefer to watch the games on mute so I eliminate the signal to noise ratio (don't worry I'll play the radio or something instead). Commentators influence opinions of viewers more than you can imagine, so when I come on here after a game, I tend to have completely different opinions from the people with sound on (and sometimes people at the game who are influenced by the crowd's cheers, boos, and opinions.)

I prefer to focus on the intangible aspect of players, since our understanding of it is in its infancy. Confidence, expectation of winning, losing attitudes, dominance, submissiveness, will to win, etc. That is what influences games once you get to a certain level. I'm going to break down each of our players on where I believe they are at currently, where they have been, and where they are going.

I hope this post will help shine a light in the dark tunnel of why our team has the ups and downs that it does.

MCW - Solid head on his shoulders. Our rough 3-4 game stretch directly coincided with MCW's shoplifting incident and his poor play. HE, not Triche or Southerland, is the leader of this team. He has the respect of every single player on the team and everybody defers to him.

So what happened at Detroit and Temple? Simple, lack of experience coupled with a bad situation. Let's ignore the shoplifting incident for a second, this is a Sophomore with limited experience as a Freshman (although lots of winning experience and time surrounded by experienced upperclassman) who is the leader of a team but has almost no experience in close games or losing. The season had been a breeze, nearly every game a blowout, suddenly they were on the verge of choking against Detroit. MCW panicked as did everyone else, but they held on. Lesson learned.

Close game on the losing side to Temple, everybody panicked, MCW included. Lesson learned.

Close game on the winning side against Providence, one turnover and almost another one immediately after. Lesson learned.

But Providence was different. MCW was relaxed yet confident. Down 8 with 7 minutes to go in the 1st half, the camera lingered on him on the bench. He looked slightly detached and drowsy. Calmly looking at the scoreboard. Walked back on the court like playing a playground game. Calm and collected, he's been here now. Immediate steal and assist the other end down the floor. Now we're on their heels. Made his free throws at the end of the game too.

Folks, we have nothing to worry about with MCW. He is a very fast emotional learner. That is why he is so mature as a Sophomore. He learns fast from experience. He has never had losing experience at this level. In a few week span he now knows how to handle a big lead slipping away, a close game while we're down, and a close game where we're up. That's why we "seemed" mentally tough at Providence. It's because MCW got mentally tougher and more stable. Instant maturation.

Brandon Triche - Classic introvert. ALWAYS in his head. Even when he is playing at a high level, he is still in his head. I know because I am an introvert as well. I know his type.

For everybody who wants to know what goes on in his head, my best guess is something like this: "OK, coach is watching I got to do good at right now, ok I have the ball right now, I'm just going to give it to MCW, OK he passed it back, you know what, I'm a senior, I'm a leader, I'm going to show these guys how it's done." Then he goes off for 20. Then he gets in his head about something negative and he stops believing in himself. Classic negative expectation grid.

I've seen people in real life who are like this and gotten out of this loop, but it is very difficult. People who don't have experience with this do not understand people like Triche, which is why Boeheim is so bewildered by him. Triche can be an All-American, he could be in the NBA already, but instead he is here and will probably be in Europe next year, playing the same exact way.

So what should we expect? I don't see him breaking out of this positive thought/negative thought loop so we need other leaders on this team, which we luckily have in MCW. We cannot always count on him to step up, he will step up whenever he steps up (if that makes sense) so we should never 100% lean on Triche. But when he is playing good, we need to milk that to the fullest.

James Southerland - A senior who is VERY prone to mental lapses. He has the body and talent of a NBA lottery pick, but the head of a mid-major player. I don't mean that in a "dumb" way, but in a "struggles to put it all together on the court" way. He is another guy who is having difficulty mentally overcoming his low recruiting ranking. Everyone tells him how good he can be, but he is still convincing himself. Sometimes it works (Arkansas game), sometimes it doesn't (all the games he disappears).

He is just as likely to have an incredible dunk (like in the 1st half against Providence) as finish 1 for 12 the rest of the game. The problem is that he is a senior that does not have that much court experience. By being a senior, younger players are supposed to look up to him, but he is literally as emotionally experienced as MCW. When our team was falling apart against Detroit, Temple, and even Alcorn St. the camera would show Southerland freaking out. As soon as Boeheim pulled him to the bench, our team would get it's together. He is (at this late point in his college career) still unstable. He does not yet fully have the demeanor of a senior. He does, but when hits the fan, he does not. Until he proves that he can handle tense situations, we are better off having the next best guy on the court.

CJ Fair - My favorite. A solid rock on our team. Plays to a different beat and seems to always be on another wavelength. He must have been born without the "freak out" gene. Even in our worst team games, CJ seems to shine. The negativity does not get to him and he keeps moving like the Energizer bunny.

Is not a leader, but can lead by example. He is playing at an All-Big East level right now. Mid-range game is becoming something else (despite a few misses last night), bullies smaller players, and does not get knocked. He will turn close losses into wins and close wins into blowouts. He is the guy every championship team could use.

Rakeem Christmas - Still young. Still putting it all together. Does not yet realize how good he can be already. Last night was the first time I "saw" what Rakeem Christmas's full potential could look like. He could be downright dominant already if he was more assertive. One day will be a monster at both ends of the floor.

Seems shy and seems to have his head down more than he should. Needs to bully people smaller than him. Not sure if he has the killer instinct that could put teams away. His face looks angry at times, if this is so, he needs to unleash that anger on the court. Players that play with an underlying emotion tend to be the most dominant (Jordan, Kobe, Russell). I'm not saying he will ever be on their level, but if he can find a way to unlock it, he can play far beyond his ability. Currently there is something in his head blocking him from reaching his Sophomore potential. Hopefully last night was a great step in the right direction.

Trevor Cooney - A mess right now. Red-shirting seems to have done more harm than good for his head. Physically a sophomore, but mentally a freshman. I trust that everything will catch up to him and he will be a better player than he would have been if he did not red-shirt. Unfortunately, I don't think that will start happening until next year (and only for flashes this year).

The good news is that everybody wants to see him succeed. He will be the type that will be a cornerstone of this team as a Junior and Senior. It is these experiences that will shape that guy in the future.

Jerami Grant - I like this kid. Has an air of confidence about him. Has been around basketball his whole life and it shows. Does not seem that intimidated by this level, the only thing stopping him is experience. Seems like a "natural". Candidate to blow-up next season.

Only mental negative about him seem to be his free throws. Will be interesting to see if he overcomes it. On a funny note, I remember an early non-conference game this year (his first really good game) where Jerami actually seemed tense making his free throws because the Cuse cheerleaders were staring at him. Freshman butterflies? We forget that these kids are actually kids.

DaJuan Coleman - Monster of a man. Seems genuinely humbled at this level of basketball. Needs to get in better shape, turn that fat into muscle. Once he puts everything together he will be one of the big bullies of the ACC. I believe he has the "bully" inside of him and is not afraid to let him out.

Baye Moussa Keita - Possibly the most low-key guy on the team. Seems just happy to be here. No ego. Gives it his all every time he is on the court. No problem giving up playing time to players with more potential than him. Will be there when we need him.Last year his hands seemed to really affect him, and his confidence playing basketball. Improved his hands this season and seems like a much happier player.

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That's it for now. May have another write-up later in the year. I don't see anybody on this board or any board doing intangible scouting reports so hopefully I can plant seeds in people's heads to start looking for these sorts of things.

Is this from Lucy's 5 cent psychology stand?