Comfort zone, get thee behind me

Alan Stein writes about comfort zones and the goal of  learning "how to be comfortable being uncomfortable."

"When The Game Stands Tall"

"When the Game Stands Tall" is an upcoming sports drama film. The film, which stars Jim Caviezel as Coach Bob Ladouceur, Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur, Michael Chiklis as assistant coach Terry Eidson and Alexander Ludwig as running back Chris Ryan, is about the record-setting 151-game 1992–2003 high school football winning streak by De La Salle High School of Concord, California.

The film is an adaptation of the 2003 book of the same name by Neil Hayes, published by North Atlantic Books. De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur retired in January 2013 after winning his last Open Division state championship in December 2012.

Kyle Bonagura recently wrote about the film.

The release date looks to be late August of this year.

The NBA draft: who makes it, who doesn't and why

Eric Weiss details "The Thin Line Between “Busts” and “Steals.”

A snippet:

...From our research, draft day “busts” tend to be colder, more impulsive, less disciplined, less rule-bound, over-analytical, and quicker to seek change than their “Steal” counterparts. Simply put, “Busts” are much more geared for doing things their way than they are designed to be accountable to group standards.

Draft day “Steals” put more stock in building relationships, are more accountable to authority, set higher personal standards for themselves, and tend to rely on established structure and well-practiced routines to get them to the top. They are process-oriented thinkers who seek their opportunities through patience and persistence instead of trying to force their agenda on others.

But, it's more complicated than that...

Coach Bob Walsh on "Dislike"

Coach Bob Walsh's latest is titled "Dislike" in which he employs a passage from Pat Summit's book about two talented Tennessee teammates who didn't particularly care for one another.

Looking at what Nick Johnson offers

Yes, you can be the Pac-12 Most Valuable Player yet not all that attractive as an NBA prospect. Nick Johnson's game is broken down by the Draft Express folks. Gotta think an NBA team will want Johnson for what he can do on the court and for being a good guy as a teammate.

A Lloyd Daniels doc

Not a knock, just an observation: Lloyd Daniels in college, other than to play basketball, is like Jerry Tarkanian coaching  in the NBA (or me in Mensa, if you prefer). But we all can be eternally thankful for not having to endure Daniels' childhood and for Tark winning that harassment lawsuit against the NCAA.

Anyway, enough with the moralizing -- here's both an article about a filmaker needing money to complete a Daniels documentary plus a terrific 1992 Esquire article on Tarkanian and Daniels.

Another NCAA change proposal

Raphielle Johnson looks at a change proposed by the NCAA to eliminate fifth-year transfers from playing immediately. One positive that could come out of this is student-athletes having the opportunity to earn an advanced degree via six years of eligibility. But the change seems to be connected to power and control most of all.

Lescault named AA

Point Loma University's Hayden Lescault has been honored as a First Team NCCAA All-American.

The 6-foot-5 junior out of Vista Del Lago High averaged 16.6 points plus 3.5 rebounds a game, shooting 52%, 39% and 72% respectively. He led his team with both 113 assists and 51 steals.

Berry's play praised

The Draft Express (scroll down a bit) serve up an analysis of Davion Berry's play in the recent Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Nelson earns classroom honor

Zach Nelson, a 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman at Utah Valley University, was selected to the Winter Academic All-WAC team. A Yuba City High graduate, he also averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a contest this season, shooting 52%, 30% and 62% respectively. His 109 assists and 32 blocked shots placed him second on his squad in both categories.

Raven honored by Press Democrat

Michael Coit details Montgomery High's Alec Raven being named The Press Democrat Large School Boys Basketball Player of the Year. The All Empire First, Second and Third Teams are also offered.

JC Summer Shootouts

Mel Grussing digs into some changes coming involving Summer Shootouts for junior college teams.

A Drake U'u followup

Drake U'u's Perth Wildcats squad just notched the National Basketball League championship.

Kenny Fraser signs with UC San Diego

Joe Cortez writes about Turlock High's Kenny Fraser (and others) signing LOIs:

...And Fraser, who will play basketball at UC San Diego, is looking forward to living 15 minutes from his older brother, Alex, who attends San Diego State...

...Fraser, a 6-foot-7 forward, has always been a fan of the San Diego scene.

“I’ve liked San Diego ever since I visited when I was a little kid,” said Fraser, who averaged nearly 18 points and 10 rebounds per game for Turlock last season. “I felt more comfortable with the coaches there, and I got along well with the players.”

Not only will he get the added benefit of living near his older brother, but since UCSD is a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, he’ll get to play in his hometown once a year when the Tritons visit Cal State Stanislaus.

Fraser is considering marine biology as a major.

Nori Babineaux on display

Catch some of Kori Babineaux's sophomore season CCSF highlight here. He was the California State JC Co-Player of the Year for his production this past season.