In order to truly develop as a basketball team, players need to be tested against teams that are at a high level - be it physically, skill-wise or experience. Dartmouth has always held itself to the highest possible standard in its scheduling and this year is no exception.
If you follow college basketball, you have probably heard of the letter's RPI - Ratings Percentage Index. It's a mathematical formula, utilized heavily around NCAA Tournament time, that ranks teams based on their own record and the record of their opponents, home vs. away, etc. Another key set of letters is SOS. And not the one you might be thinking of! That stands for Strength of Schedule, which is also critical come tournament time. As of today, our Strength of Schedule ranks 11th in the nation - we have the 11th most difficult schedule out of 345 NCAA Division I teams!
While our recent losses have not been fun to endure, I think we'll take them knowing that they are making us better. The Ivy League is full of great teams and very talented basketball players. When we play teams like Temple, Hartford, Vermont and Syracuse, USC and Dayton (coming up this month), we face programs that are strong from top to bottom. Those experiences make our athletes better basketball players, test them physically, build teamwork and instill a mental toughness that will be needed down the stretch.
Three of our last four opponents have been receiving votes in the national top-25 polls and the combined record of teams that have beaten us is 18-4. Syracuse, who we play on Dec. 13, is undefeated and Dayton, who we host in the Blue Sky Classic is ranked #24th this week.
It is no secret that we have struggled early in the last several years, when we have consistently played the most challenging non-league schedule we could. Last year our SOS topped out at 4th in the nation. Since 2006, we're just 2-18 in the month of November, when we often face our strongest opponents who have often been playing together since the summer. In the last three seasons, we have then gone 47-27 after November, 33-9 in Ivy play including a combined 24-4 in the last two seasons.
Our schedule has prepared us well in the past to win four of the last five Ivy Championships including the last two. The year we did not win, 2006-07, we finished second.
While there is still no substitute for winning — those W's feel a lot better than L's — we have confidence that this is just part of the road to success for us.
- Dara
Posts
I have a few questions for the coaches regarding recruiting. What are the top factors they look for when deciding who to recruit? More specifically, what do they want to see when looking at a tape of a potential recruit? (Full game? Partial highlight of that player, etc.)
ReplyDeleteObviously Dartmouth has very high academic standards, but what type of grades/SAT scores are necessary to be admitted?
This type of schedule certainly has helped us in the past. Let's hope it does again this year.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has. I think we'll continue to see the players grow before our very eyes!
ReplyDeleteAs for the recruiting question, that is a difficult one to answer. There are so many factors that go into recruiting and every student-athlete's case truly is different. We appreciate the question, though, and expect to see a post on the topic of recruiting in the future.
In the meantime, if you have specific questions, touch base with assistant coach Mary Gleason (mary.gleason@dartmouth.edu).
Thanks!
Last year Jay Bilas (ESPN commentator) published a blog entry on toughness. I thought many of the young fans and new coaches who follow the Big Green Women’s Basketball Team might enjoy reading this piece and a companion piece on tough coaching. In shorthand, here is a reminder.
ReplyDeleteTough Players…..set a good screens; set up their cuts; talk on defense; jump to the ball; don't get screened; get their hands up; play the ball, see their man; get on the floor; close out under control; post their man; not a spot; run the floor; play so hard, their coach has to take them out; get to their teammate first; take responsibility for your teammates; take a charge; get in a stance; finish plays; work on accurate passes; throw themselves into their team's defense; take and give criticism the right way; show strength in their body language; catch and face; don't get split; be alert; concentrate, and encourage their teammates to concentrate; it's not my shot, it's our shot; box out and go to the glass every time; take responsibility for their actions; look their coaches and teammates in the eye, move on to the next play; be hard to play against, and easy to play with,make every game important; make getting better every day your goal.
Tough Coaches …say what they mean but are patient when they say it; treat players as individuals but do not play favorites; motivate through teaching (see all above), not through hyperbole; create a vision for their players; listen to learn; make their commentary actionable – that is true teaching; look at the numbers, not to become dependent on them, but to use them to check their reality; remember they are educators, it really is about the kids (each kid!); are not trapped either by their team’s successes or their team’s failures; never use fear to manipulate a team or intimidate a kid.
Wow! No wonder the game is such a challenge, but the Dartmouth Women continue to prove it can be done.