2008 Woodie Awards
Learning from a loss
Robbie Fisher and Dan Etter
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
In a tightly packed gym, with emotion at its height, Guilford prepared to take on rival Greensboro College. Going into the game, the Quakers were ranked third in the D3Hoops.com National top 25 poll and they showed an eagerness to destroy Greensboro. However, things didn't go as planned and the Quakers suffered their first loss of the season 71-66 and their first loss to Greensboro in five years.
"Greensboro came out playing really tough and we were lucky that the game was even close at the end," said senior point guard Caleb Kimbrough.
With Ben Strong's dominance over Division III basketball, leadership from a smart, senior point guard in Kimbrough, and effective surrounding players who can score from the perimeter, the Quakers surely have the talent.
So what went wrong?
Guilford gave the ball away on offense, and made dumb errors on defense. Turnovers and stupid mistakes are not representative of the Quakers, but they were evident and costly on this night.
"Not to take anything away from how Greensboro played," Kimbrough said, "but we made a lot of unforced turnovers."
So what's missing?
Focus. What's going to win games is the ability to counter a hostile environment, focus on the game, and score points. When a team like Greensboro matches our intensity, our hustle, and our passion, the difference between a win and a loss lays in how focused we are, both before and during the game.
Focus is more than concentrating on a pass or making the correct cut on a set play. Being truly focused starts days, weeks and even months before the opening tip. Being truly focused means recognizing that every decision and every action you make effects your performance, and acting accordingly. When you're tired on your last sprint in practice, finish hard and sprint through the end. Instead of trying that trick reverse lay-up on a breakaway in practice, go up strong and hit that lay-up with perfect form. Focus all your energy, all your actions on making your goals that much more achievable.
These lessons stretch far beyond the court, though. Here we are approaching finals week, in the waning minutes of the game. Crunch time! But don't worry, you know what to do. Keep up that intensity, that hustle, and that desire to succeed. Turn off the TV; put down the 40 and stay in on a Friday night. Stay dedicated, and you'll come out on the winning end.
The Quakers are still an amazing team and there is simply too much talent to not be successful, but it's up to them to determine their own destiny. They need to stay focused and keep working hard as a team. And so do you.
"Greensboro came out playing really tough and we were lucky that the game was even close at the end," said senior point guard Caleb Kimbrough.
With Ben Strong's dominance over Division III basketball, leadership from a smart, senior point guard in Kimbrough, and effective surrounding players who can score from the perimeter, the Quakers surely have the talent.
So what went wrong?
Guilford gave the ball away on offense, and made dumb errors on defense. Turnovers and stupid mistakes are not representative of the Quakers, but they were evident and costly on this night.
"Not to take anything away from how Greensboro played," Kimbrough said, "but we made a lot of unforced turnovers."
So what's missing?
Focus. What's going to win games is the ability to counter a hostile environment, focus on the game, and score points. When a team like Greensboro matches our intensity, our hustle, and our passion, the difference between a win and a loss lays in how focused we are, both before and during the game.
Focus is more than concentrating on a pass or making the correct cut on a set play. Being truly focused starts days, weeks and even months before the opening tip. Being truly focused means recognizing that every decision and every action you make effects your performance, and acting accordingly. When you're tired on your last sprint in practice, finish hard and sprint through the end. Instead of trying that trick reverse lay-up on a breakaway in practice, go up strong and hit that lay-up with perfect form. Focus all your energy, all your actions on making your goals that much more achievable.
These lessons stretch far beyond the court, though. Here we are approaching finals week, in the waning minutes of the game. Crunch time! But don't worry, you know what to do. Keep up that intensity, that hustle, and that desire to succeed. Turn off the TV; put down the 40 and stay in on a Friday night. Stay dedicated, and you'll come out on the winning end.
The Quakers are still an amazing team and there is simply too much talent to not be successful, but it's up to them to determine their own destiny. They need to stay focused and keep working hard as a team. And so do you.
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