Darrin Horn Knows The Formula For Success
posted by Scott Hood, 4/02/2008 04:38:00 PM
By 3:45 p.m., I knew it was a great hire.
For the first time in a long time, I think there’s hope for sustained success in basketball. Like most people who were there, I was very impressed with Horn’s speaking style, his charisma and the way he conducted himself and could think on his feet quickly.
Basketball? That must come later.
But it’s obvious Horn understands what it takes to win at this level: recruiting. Lots of it.
Horn said a lot of witty things during the press conference – I know USC fans have jumped on his jab at Clemson – but for me the best thing he talked about was the need to recruit.
Why? That’s what is going to get it done. Horn understands that the teams with the best players are the ones that play in the Final Four and compete for conference and national championships.
Are the four teams in this year’s Final Four the best coached teams? Not necessarily. Dave Odom, or any one of dozens of other coaches out there, could probably X and O with all four of those guys.
The difference? The players.
Unfortunately, I think Odom fell into the trap during his tenure at USC of believing he could recruit average players, incorporate them into a team concept and beat teams with superior in-game strategy.
After going 41-71 in the SEC, I think that approach was a dismal failure.
If I had a choice between hiring a coach who was a superior recruiter and an average X’s and O’s guy or a coach who was an average recruiter and an excellent strategist, I’ll take the ace recruiter every time.
I don't think Horn will be afraid to pursue high school All-Americans just because they don't fit squarely into the team concept. The objective is to get those type of talented players on campus and then work with them.
Great players will beat good players most of the time. That’s the way it typically works in the NCAA Tournament. Was I surprised all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four? No, because they have the best players.
Odom, like a lot of older coaches who played in the 50’s and 60’s when the pace of the game was a lot more deliberate, felt strategy was just as important as recruiting. Bobby Knight thought the same thing.
But that belief doesn’t work anymore in the modern era of college basketball, where the majority of the game is played above the rim. Superior athleticism, speed and jumping ability are the common traits shared by the best basketball players in the game today.
Of course, it is still possible for a George Mason to beat a far superior team like UConn to get to the Final Four? Yes, but those moments, however elated they make us feel, are few and far between.
Over the next few recruiting cycles, I have no doubt Horn will bring in his own players to play his system. He likes tall guys that can run and jump.
As far as the current players are concerned, the hiring of Horn will, I predict, be the best thing that even happened to Devan Downey. The Chester, S.C. native will head into next season as the best point guard in the SEC, and possibly one of the best in the country.
College basketball is a point guard’s game. The best teams have the best point guards. So, from that perspective, USC has a chance to win next season.
Downey thrives in a high-tempo game because most of the time he’s the fastest player on the court. I’m anxious to see how the chemistry between Downey and Horn clicks.
They have similar personalities - aggressive, outspoken, dynamic. More than once last season, Downey had to light a fire under his teammates to get them to play hard.
Hopefully, that won’t have to happen next season. Horn won’t be afraid to bench players if they’re not doing what they’re supposed to or playing stupid basketball.
Also, we won’t have to hear the head coach say in the middle of the season that certain players still had to get in shape.
Darrin Horn, welcome.
At 2:59 p.m. on Tuesday, I thought Darrin Horn was a good hire by South Carolina A.D. Eric Hyman.
By 3:45 p.m., I knew it was a great hire.
For the first time in a long time, I think there’s hope for sustained success in basketball. Like most people who were there, I was very impressed with Horn’s speaking style, his charisma and the way he conducted himself and could think on his feet quickly.
Basketball? That must come later.
But it’s obvious Horn understands what it takes to win at this level: recruiting. Lots of it.
Horn said a lot of witty things during the press conference – I know USC fans have jumped on his jab at Clemson – but for me the best thing he talked about was the need to recruit.
Why? That’s what is going to get it done. Horn understands that the teams with the best players are the ones that play in the Final Four and compete for conference and national championships.
Are the four teams in this year’s Final Four the best coached teams? Not necessarily. Dave Odom, or any one of dozens of other coaches out there, could probably X and O with all four of those guys.
The difference? The players.
Unfortunately, I think Odom fell into the trap during his tenure at USC of believing he could recruit average players, incorporate them into a team concept and beat teams with superior in-game strategy.
After going 41-71 in the SEC, I think that approach was a dismal failure.
If I had a choice between hiring a coach who was a superior recruiter and an average X’s and O’s guy or a coach who was an average recruiter and an excellent strategist, I’ll take the ace recruiter every time.
I don't think Horn will be afraid to pursue high school All-Americans just because they don't fit squarely into the team concept. The objective is to get those type of talented players on campus and then work with them.
Great players will beat good players most of the time. That’s the way it typically works in the NCAA Tournament. Was I surprised all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four? No, because they have the best players.
Odom, like a lot of older coaches who played in the 50’s and 60’s when the pace of the game was a lot more deliberate, felt strategy was just as important as recruiting. Bobby Knight thought the same thing.
But that belief doesn’t work anymore in the modern era of college basketball, where the majority of the game is played above the rim. Superior athleticism, speed and jumping ability are the common traits shared by the best basketball players in the game today.
Of course, it is still possible for a George Mason to beat a far superior team like UConn to get to the Final Four? Yes, but those moments, however elated they make us feel, are few and far between.
Over the next few recruiting cycles, I have no doubt Horn will bring in his own players to play his system. He likes tall guys that can run and jump.
As far as the current players are concerned, the hiring of Horn will, I predict, be the best thing that even happened to Devan Downey. The Chester, S.C. native will head into next season as the best point guard in the SEC, and possibly one of the best in the country.
College basketball is a point guard’s game. The best teams have the best point guards. So, from that perspective, USC has a chance to win next season.
Downey thrives in a high-tempo game because most of the time he’s the fastest player on the court. I’m anxious to see how the chemistry between Downey and Horn clicks.
They have similar personalities - aggressive, outspoken, dynamic. More than once last season, Downey had to light a fire under his teammates to get them to play hard.
Hopefully, that won’t have to happen next season. Horn won’t be afraid to bench players if they’re not doing what they’re supposed to or playing stupid basketball.
Also, we won’t have to hear the head coach say in the middle of the season that certain players still had to get in shape.
Darrin Horn, welcome.
- Link to this entry, Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Blog Archives