Thursday, September 23, 2004
Sampsonite
A bic pen can't pick this lock to coach future USA Basketball squads. Here's why:[Bracey] Wright's coach this summer, Kelvin Sampson of Oklahoma, wanted to forge the best U.S. team even if that meant not grabbing the 12 most talented players at his disposal.
To get his point across, Sampson's final test during tryouts came not on the court, but in a hotel room. Late at night, one by one, players were called into a room occupied by Sampson and his assistant coaches. The room was dark except for one lamp at a desk. Like each player before him, Wright was directed to sit at the table. Sampson was sitting on the other side. This was not a Hallmark moment. This was an interrogation.
"It was pretty spooky," Wright said. "The coaches start asking you all these questions." Bracey, you've been the star on every team you've ever played for. How will you react if you don't get a lot of playing time? What will you do on the bench? Will you support the players on the court?
"I guess the players were some of the best players in the country, but not everybody is going to play all those minutes," Wright said. "The coaches wanted to see how we'd react."
Doesn't sound like Kelvin is a "players' coach" to me. Seems he is one smart cookie. Were he and Billy Donovan to trade places, Florida would be a Final Four regular and Oklahoma a Big 12 doormat.
