Validation. Geaux Pokes! 🤠🐎🏀 #BayouBandits

Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Leadership - "Leadership is lonely... If you are going to be a leader, you are not going to please everybody. You have to hold people accountable. Even if you have that moment of being uncomfortable."

Saint Peter’s is the non-shoe sponsored team on court 17 in the back gym that plays at 8:40AM on Saturday morning in the B Bracket. They don’t care your rankings or the name on the jersey. If they get a chance to lace up with you, they are playing to win. Hoopers.

Kobe Bryant was built different. Winning was above all else… And he set the tone.

Steve Nash's (@SteveNash) Shooting Routine: Breakdown all of the shots he would shoot in the game... GAME SHOTS. 10x Jab & shoot 10x One dribble pull ups (Right/Left) 10x Hesitation pull ups 10x Step backs 10x Spins 10x Runner 10x High layups 50x 3's Free Throws

MUST WATCH: Frank Martin (South Carolina Men's Basketball Coach) on his Coaching Career, Adversity, and his Upbringing -

When they tell you that you can’t… Watch this video…

You never know who is watching. NBA scout gets to the arena 5 hours before tip off to watch how players prepare and interact with teammates/coaches. Are you dialed in? Are you focused? Lesson: Someone is always watching you, and everything you do matters.

Will Wade (VCU Head Coach) on his team wearing team-issued gear while traveling. WE over ME.

After losing 2 in a row, Jeff Walz (Lousiville Women's Basketball Head Coach) explains the problem... Everyone gets a trophy.

Never let a 140 character tweet cost you a $140,000 scholarship.

Three people that can never have a bad day in practice... - Point Guard - Best Player - Head Coach These three set the tone for the rest of the program.

Michigan Head Coach, John Beilein, running through timeouts in practice with noise and fan distractions - (@JohnBeilein)

Tom Brady on 'Mental Toughness' - "It's no excuses. It's no whining. No complaining. Did you win or did you lose?" - Tom Brady

What every basketball player can do regardless of talent/ability: *Box out *Take charges *Eat healthy *Show up early *Run the floor *Communicate *Work hard every day *Dive for loose balls *Be a great teammate *Give maximum effort *Put in work outside of practice @CoachDoty

Jocko Willink (@jockowillink) MOTIVATION vs. DISCIPLINE

Saw this and thought it was great... 50 Ways to Affect a Game" without making a shot -

John Calipari's Message of 'Toughness' and Body Language to His Team -

This sign should be on every locker room door. If you are not prepared to put the team first... TURN AROUND.

Sean McVay on the Ram's Culture | Relationships, shared ownership, mutual respect, and communication -

Say what you want about Will Wade… He helped carry player, manager, and staff bags from our plane to our bus last night at midnight. That’s called servant leadership and a heck of a role model in my books. I’ve been in a lot of programs, and I promise not many HC’s do that.

Pay close attention to the people who don't clap when you win. Love this... @MeyersLeonard started 49/51 games, but was out w/ injury. Played sparingly since. He isn't crying, complaining or criticizing coaches. He is standing up, cheering on & coaching his teammates. ✊💯

No one will ever convince me that college basketball isn’t the greatest sport.

When a player that plays for you, calls you ‘Coach’, that’s a sign of RESPECT. When that same player calls you ‘Coach’, years after being a part of your program, that’s called IMPACT.

The Power of a Coach - King Rice (Monmouth University Head Basketball Coach)

Basketball is always a fight between URGENCY and PATIENCE.  Urgency on a rim run  Urgency sprinting to set a screen  Urgency on a closeout  Patience letting plays develop  Patience getting a great shot, not a good shot  Patience making the simple pass

COACHES: Missouri Head Coach Cuonzo Martin delivering one of the most impactful press conference speeches... “Show then how to be a man... If you aren’t teaching the@ life lessons, what are you teaching them? You are wasting their time.”

If you think you can shoot, watch this video.

THANK YOU Reno, Northern Nevada, and the University of Nevada for accepting me into your family and home. Coach Alford has given me an opportunity to continue my mission here. I’ll be back next year with the Night’s Watch protecting the North 🐺💙🤘🏼 #BattleBorn #BattleReady

Combined effort.

Unbelievable gesture by @NCStateBaseball & @Elliott_Avent for paying their respects to my Dad’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery today 🥺🙏🏼 There will be no bigger fan of Wolfpack Baseball than our family this season! 🐺⚾️

Words to live by... 🙏🙏🙏

CJ Bailey + Hollywood Smothers 🐺🏈

Deion Sanders (@DeionSanders) on practice - - Do you practice to practice? Or practice to be great? - What is your purpose of practice? “I practiced to be the best ever… So ever time I walked on that field… I had a purpose for my practice.”

PLAYERS: Klay Thompson scored 60 points on 11 dribbles and had the ball in his hands for an average of 1.5 seconds per touch. Simplicity.

Geno Auriemma (UConn Women's Head Basketball Coach) on Body Language and Recruiting Enthusiastic Kids -

PJ Fleck (Minnesota Football Head Coach) on Failing vs. Failure -

Sent this text to DJ on August 23rd… I told him he would hit 4 3’s in the conference championship 🔥🔥🔥 @DJRich727 We save receipts over here 🧾 🔥💯 And the side story… When we first got to McNeese State, we had facilities change the punch code to our locker room to 3-2-1… Or March 21st… The First Round of the NCAA Tournament. We didn’t tell the players the reason, we just told them we changed the code. The players went through a brutal off-season, and we pushed them extremely hard in the pre-season. And before/after all of the long conditioning sessions, grueling practices, they would punch in, 3-2-1. Any extra work they put in, they punched, 3-2-1. Every home game, they punched in 3-2-1. They haven’t realized it yet, but they have been punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament every single time they walked in the building and were held to our standards.

Loved this from Last Chance U’s, Coach Mosley (@johnmosleyjr) - “Excuses are tools in which incompetent individuals build monuments of nothing.”

How about Chris Jericho @IAmJericho catching missiles from Charlie Strong?

If your coach is being tough and demanding of you, consider it a gift. They see things in you that you don't see in yourself.

Pete Carroll’s Three Team Rules that hang outside the Seattle Seahawks Facility - 1.) Always protect the team. 2.) No whining, no complaining, no excuses. 3.) Be early.

Joe Lunardi better watch out. 'Brandon Bracket's' sounds catchy.

Want to be an ‘uncommon player’? “Box out. Take charges. Dive for loose balls. Make the extra pass. Those are things that everyone can do, yet very few actually do it.” - Jeff Van Gundy

This is called being AUTHENTIC. Coach Wade has won everywhere he has been because of this one trait. You want the secret sauce? Here it is... He is a real human being. I say this all the time... "We have a lot of 'used car salesmen' in coaching..."...We often blame these kids for everything that is wrong with our sport... And sure, some of it is their fault... But, the adults in the conversation need to take accountability too... And a big slice of it... They are... in fact... the adults... Coach Wade is as real as it gets. If they ever need anything, he is there in a moment's notice. He coaches them hard, but he also loves them harder. He spends more time with them, than any coach I've worked for... He is always upfront and honest, and they, as well as their parents/coaches, love him for it. You may not like what he says, but it's real and he ALWAYS has the players' best interests in mind... That's why I find it absolutely crazy when he is vilified by the media and pundits, for things that either aren't true, or, the narrative is written to drag him through the mud... When I am literally with him every day and see the type of man he is and how he treats our players. He is as good as it gets. If there is ANY negative about Will Wade, the man needs to play more golf or find a freaking hobby... Lol. The truth is, he is 100% his players/program, 100% of the time. He is the first one in, last one out, every day, and his only focus is his guys. The man is a machine. Don't believe me...? Just find me one player or their parents that has played for him and disagrees... Or just find one fan, one person in the Administration, one community member, that has interacted with him and disagrees... ...I'll wait...

ATO Package from Brad Stevens & Boston Celtics | 2018-19 | @FastModel @HoopsChalkTalk @hoopsroundtable @BasketballHQ @BBallImmersion

They call the Lion the King of the Jungle… But Lions aren’t the biggest… That’s an elephant. They Lions aren’t the fastest… That’s a cheetah. So how does a Lion become a King if it isn’t the biggest or the strongest… It’s mentality.

You find out who your real friends are in coaching when you need a job… Or call about scheduling.

Want to be a great leader? Just listen to Ron Rivera (@RiverboatRonHC) talk about Chase Young (@youngchase907) - - When he practices, tries to be first at everything. - Constant energy. - Cheers on teammates.

Went to VCU with no direction or purpose, and was lucky to stumble into my purpose & passion. I was going through one of the toughest times in my life, and was extremely naive, but I was learning from the absolute best. The common coaching cliché is, "I got really lucky", etc., but it 100% directly applies to my time with VCU. From the staff, to the players (a handful of them now coaching), all of them were/are tremendous people/coaches. Will Wade - NC State Mike Rhoades - Penn State Mike Jones - UNCG Kyle Getter - Notre Dame Mike Pegues - Butler Donny Lind - Mount St. Mary's Jesse Bopp - FIU Joey Rodriguez - FIU Jeremy Ballard - FIU Brandon Rozzell - VCU Bradford Burgess - VCU Darius Theus - UVA Dave Bliss - OKC Thunder Eric Maynor - OKC Thunder Mike Morrell - UNCA Justine Levine - UNCA Jamion Christian - Bryant ...and that's just the ones I can list off the top of my head...

Quite possibly one of my favorite play sequences in my coaching career 💯🔥 Look at the bench's reaction 🔋👏 That's pure joy 🙌 After opening up to me about your story, @_Scottiee you deserve to have moments like these! 🥹 Enjoy every second my man! Love you bro! 🐺🏀

I clocked-in and clocked-out every day with one intention, “Make Dad proud.” Regardless of where I end up, I know I emptied my bucket every day into the program and the players... and Dad would be proud. Just happy to play a small part in the success. #BattleBorn #BattleReady

Steve Kerr on Steph Curry’s work ethic - - Consistency - Everyday Work - Joy in Process

Try coaching these dudes 🤦🏽‍♂️🤣

College basketball is the best sport on the planet. Just means more.

Lifetime contracts ✍🏼🫡 🤞🏼💯🐺 @cody_martin15 @Calebmartin14

Do you coach by fear or by love? A coach who leads by love will gain not only respect, but also admiration. He will build lifelong relationships with players who know they are loved... The coach who leads by love will always care more about the person than the player.

Two things you get every day. You get a chance. You get a choice. Make the most of them today.

A quiet gym is a losing gym.

You haven’t really lived until you’ve experienced the North Carolina DMV. It’s truly remarkable.

Proud of @TreshawnThurman! Today he became a college graduate and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Nevada! This is what it is all about. So happy for him! 👨🏾‍🎓🎓📜 #Classof2019 #GoPack #TheHunt #BattleBorn #BattleReady

Man… Last night was truly special… From 2009-2011, I was a student manager at VCU under Shaka Smart. If you only knew the trials and tribulations of life that I was going through… VCU Basketball literally saved my life… It gave me purpose and direction…. To come back home and experience Ram Nation and see that VCU Black & Gold again, brought back so many memories… With that being said… I’m so happy for our players here, McNeese State, and Coach Wade. The game is, and always will be, about the players… And, the one person who always believed in me, even when I didn’t, was Will Wade. They deserve all the credit. Love these dudes we have down here in Lake Charles… #BayouBandits Geaux Pokes! 🐎🤠🏀

Educating my fiancé Danielle on the history of the Pack 🐺🤘🏼🏀 #SurviveAndAdvance

Coaches hate the phrase... "My bad", because if you get too comfortable with it, it will get you beat any day of the week. Missed blockout? My bad gets you beat. Late on calling a screen? My bad gets you beat. Missed defensive rotation? My bad gets you beat. Do your job.

Back at it with the Navy Seals 🐺🏀 The end is near. Embrace the suck.

Shaka Smart's 3 Core Values & Process of Winning - 1. Relationships - Always enhance & improve. 2. Growth - Never satisfied with where players are 3. Winning - Process of what goes into winning.

Tony Bennett, UVA Head Coach - “I always ask our guys in the offseason: If you played [last year's version of] yourself one-on-one, could you dominate yourself now? If you can't say yes, then you have not done your job improving.“ espn.com/mens-college-basket…

Beyond blessed to call this home 🙏🏼🐺🏀

Nate Oats on Culture - "Winning basketball games is not our first priority. Our first priority is building great men. Great men turn into great teammates, turns into a great team, and all of the sudden now you are winning a lot of games."

Tradition. Mountain West Champions. #GoPack #BattleReady #BattleBorn

Caleb and Cody Martin are the standard. Didn’t matter if they were sick or injured… If it was practice during their sit out year or the Sweet Sixteen game in NCAA Tournament… They showed up, every day, & emptied the tank. Don’t tell me you want to be a pro if you don’t have this mentality… Because these two will rip your head off. @Calebmartin14 @cody_martin15

Bad Boys of the ACC 🐺🏀

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

When I first got to back to Texas Southern last Summer, & continuing through the Fall, these three 3 dudes hit me 2x-3x daily to get in the gym, watch film, or find any way to improve their craft… I was tough on them at times… But they were RELENTLESS… And now they are champions. Not going to lie, I shed a tear after we took this picture 🥹😢❤️ Sweat equity is UNDEFEATED.

Body language SCREAMS. It never whispers.

JJ Redick "Always Becoming" Philosophy

When they ask me which ring is my favorite… I tell them…the next one ☝🏼 💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍 🏆 8 straight NCAA Tournaments with 4 different programs. 🏆 10 NCAA Tournaments, out of 14 years coaching college basketball THIS IS NETS ✂️

Excited to serve Will Wade, the coaching staff and players, at LSU! Geaux Tigers! 🐯🏀 #BootUp

And… 😈🦍😤 Paul McNeil

Life of a coach…

I am flattered by all of the unsolicited love and appreciation that has been shown to me over the last few days, but more importantly, over the last 2 years. I just want to say… THANK YOU🙏 Thank you Lake Charles. Thank you for accepting me into your community and family. I will never forget this place. This will always be home. Thank you McNeese State. Thank you for your passion and love for the Bayou Bandits. It has been an unbelievable two years that I will never forget. Over the last two years, we accomplished some incredible things… - 58-11 (40-2 vs. Southland opponents) - 2x Southland Regular Season Champions - 2x Southland Tournament Champions - 2x NCAA Tournament Appearances - NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Appearance, After Beating 12th Ranked Clemson You all have impacted me more than you’ll ever know… I am forever grateful for every moment of it. Lake Charles is a very special, special place, that I will carry with me in my heart forever… 🙏 THANK YOU! 🙏 #BayouBandits #GeauxPokes

John Calipari on having a WHY, being a gatherer of people, and climbing the ladder of success -

People called Coach Wade crazy for saying McNeese would be the biggest turnaround in college basketball, to go from 23 losses to 23+ wins… Call us whatever you want… But make sure you call us CHAMPIONS too 🏆💍 - 25-3 (14-1) - Regular Season Champs 🤠🐎🏀

Look who the staff ran into today on campus. Jordan Caroline back finishing up his class to get his degree 👨🏾‍🎓📜 @Fadeaway_J24 @IamBilDuany @coachKBarnett 🤘🏼🐺 #BattleBorn #BattleReady #GoPack #TheHunt

THANK YOU Reno, Northern Nevada, the University of Nevada, and all of the Nevada Wolf Pack Players, for everything. You've impacted my life more than you will ever know. #BattleBorn #BattleReady #GoPack #TheHunt

Unbelievable article to read as a player or coach - Celtics' Toughness and Brad Stevens coachingclipboard.org/2018/0…

Damian Lillard on improving as a player defensively - (@Dame_Lillard) "I know what is coming, I know what guys like to do. I'm not watching film to see highlights of myself. I'm watching film to take advantage of the other team. How can I play better against the other team"

First career start for Cody Martin and it’s the first time I get to see him play in the NBA. God is good! Words can’t express how happy I am for him! 🙏🏼✊🏼💯 @cody_martin15 @JennyBennett3 @jared_eure @Calebmartin14

Only took one play for me to know this dude Hollywood Smothers was built different... 🦍😤💪 Start of the 2nd quarter against East Carolina, we are on the 18 yard line and ball is lined up on the right hash. ECU's defense looked like it was in base cover 2 w/ 3 down linemen & 1 DL playing the edge. We run a play-action HB draw out of shotgun to the short side of the field. Bailey is reading the safety in coverage on top of the fade up the sideline, but the real play is if the backers bite on the play action, it would open the tight end releasing up the numbers to the 2nd level inside the CB coverage. ECU's LB's didn't bite on the run, so Bailey has to check down to Smothers on the swing route. ECU's DB did a solid job getting off the fade, seeing the tight end releasing, but then getting to the check down in the flats. There was some space to cover but thought for sure the DB would at least get a piece of Smothers… But Smothers made him completely miss…🏃💨🏈 May sound crazy on a such simple/routine play... But for whatever reason I said to myself, "That dude is different". 🐺

Greatest ever and you can’t convince me otherwise. No one has had bigger expectations, with media and fans constantly critiquing and criticizing his every move, and surpassed all expectations. Compare rosters. Compare statistics. Not even close.

Home 🙏🏼🐺🏀 20K Strong #GoPack

“Never let a 140 character tweet ruin a $140,000 scholarship.” With COVID-19 changing the NCAA recruiting calendar/landscape, student-athletes are being evaluated virtually through film/social media. As they say... If grandma or mom wouldn’t like to read it, don’t tweet it!

Whitt's air ball and Charles' put back to beat Phi Slama Jama's Houston team, with HOF-ers Clyde Drexler & Akeem Olajuwon, in the 1983 National Championship game was probably a just a tad more historic than Gm3 of the 4/5 game in the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs... Right? @barstoolsports 🐺🏀

THEY ARE BACK! @cody_martin15 @Calebmartin14

Someone hit me recently w/… “Why respond to EVERY person on social, etc? It can look like u r seeking attention.” Far from it… When I coached DIII, I’d send hundreds of texts/etc. to coaches & most didn’t respond. Told myself back then I’d always be the coach that hit back.