Quincy Pondexter has finally rid himself of that nickname he so despised his first two years of high school.
Slow-Mo.
"Everything I did, it looked like I was going in slow motion,” Pondexter is now able to say with a chuckle.
Pondexter has always come along at his own pace — almost exclusively in the shadows. Back at San Joaquin Memorial High he played with the 7-foot McDonald’s All-American Lopez Twins — Brook and Robin. For the first three years in college at Washington, it was Jon Brockman’s team.
Finally, Pondexter is The Man at U-Dub.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound senior is averaging 21.9 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Huskies.
Gone are the shadows and the history of the shy high schooler.
"He’s always been so indecisive,” Roscoe Pondexter said of his son. "But the talent has always been there.”
Pondexter arrived on campus in 2006 as a top 50 player, but he was inconsistent in his first 2 1/2 seasons, never quite living up to his potential.
"It’s definitely been up and down — especially from the beginning,” Pondexter said.
Then, something finally clicked when Pac-10 play rolled around last season.
"It was harder to come out and assert myself scoring when we had guys like Jon (Brockman), Isaiah (Thomas) and Justin (Dentmon),” he said. "I wanted to wait until Pac-10 to make my mark.”
Pondexter quietly scored in double-figures in 17 of the 21 league contests, including the Pac-10 tournament, and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down this year.
"He was a different guy,” Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "He averaged about 16 points per game the last half of the season. What he’s doing now he started to do last season.”
Pondexter hasn’t just shed his label of being a guy whose production didn’t match his potential. He’s also become a leader and even a spokesman.
"This is his team now,” Romar said.
In an era in which players are covered with body art, you won’t find a single tattoo or piercing on Pondexter’s body. He said he’s never tasted alcohol and hasn’t smoked, either.
"I can still go out and have fun without drinking or smoking,” he said. "I promised myself I wouldn’t do it.”
At a recent black-tie gala attended by many of the school’s “money people,” Pondexter served as one of the emcees.
"He did a phenomenal job,” Romar said. "He’s really grown up.”
Pondexter has become that rare senior who has gained the respect of NBA personnel.
Romar said that he’s put the work in and can be found in the gym working on his game for an hour or two following nearly every game.
"He’s not athletic like Vince Carter or LeBron,” Romar said. "But he’s right after that.”
Pondexter, the only player in the Pac-10 to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding, has finally emerged from the shadows.
12.27.2009
12.16.2009
PREPARATION
1. Preparation Is a Process, Not an Event
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden says that the best way to improve your team is to improve yourself. He learned that lesson from his father, Joshua Wooden, who used to tell young John, "Don't try to be better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be.'
2. Preparation Precedes Opportunity
There's an old saying: "You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you're unprepared."
3. Preparation for Tomorrow Begins with the Right Use of Today
If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently. What you receive tomorrow depends on what you believe today.
4. Preparation Requires Continually Good Perspective
Former Boston Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn observed, "The sixth man has to be so stable a player that he can instantly pick up the tempo or reverse it. He has to be able to go in and have an immediate impact. The sixth man has to have the unique ability to be in a ball game while he is sitting on the bench." What makes the sixth man capable of that? Perspective. He has to have both a coach's mind-set as he watches the game from the bench and a player's ability once he steps into it. If he does, then he is prepared to impact the game.
5. Good Preparation Leads to Action
What value has preparation it if never leads to action? Very little. "No plan is worth the paper it is printed on unless it starts you going."
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden says that the best way to improve your team is to improve yourself. He learned that lesson from his father, Joshua Wooden, who used to tell young John, "Don't try to be better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be.'
2. Preparation Precedes Opportunity
There's an old saying: "You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you're unprepared."
3. Preparation for Tomorrow Begins with the Right Use of Today
If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently. What you receive tomorrow depends on what you believe today.
4. Preparation Requires Continually Good Perspective
Former Boston Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn observed, "The sixth man has to be so stable a player that he can instantly pick up the tempo or reverse it. He has to be able to go in and have an immediate impact. The sixth man has to have the unique ability to be in a ball game while he is sitting on the bench." What makes the sixth man capable of that? Perspective. He has to have both a coach's mind-set as he watches the game from the bench and a player's ability once he steps into it. If he does, then he is prepared to impact the game.
5. Good Preparation Leads to Action
What value has preparation it if never leads to action? Very little. "No plan is worth the paper it is printed on unless it starts you going."
TIPS FOR HANDLING CRITICISM
1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you can develop the ability to laugh at yourself, you will be much more relaxed when receiving criticism.
2. Watch your own attitude toward the critic. A negative attitude toward criticism can be more destructive than the criticism itself.
3. Don’t just see the critic; see if there’s a crowd. I’m suggesting that you expand your vision; go beyond the critic and see if he has a cheering section. Consider the possibility that you are hearing the same criticism from several people. If this is the case, and the critics are reliable, you need to realize that you have a challenge to work on.
4. If you think your right, wait for a time to prove them wrong. Time is your best ally; it allows you to prove yourself right.
4. Concentrate on your mission—change your mistakes. Most people do exactly the opposite—they change their mission and concentrate on their mistakes. If you run from your task each time you make a mistake, you will never accomplish anything. You will always be in a state of frustration and defeat. The only real mistakes in life are the mistakes from which we learn nothing. So instead of dwelling on them, learning from them, and move on.
2. Watch your own attitude toward the critic. A negative attitude toward criticism can be more destructive than the criticism itself.
3. Don’t just see the critic; see if there’s a crowd. I’m suggesting that you expand your vision; go beyond the critic and see if he has a cheering section. Consider the possibility that you are hearing the same criticism from several people. If this is the case, and the critics are reliable, you need to realize that you have a challenge to work on.
4. If you think your right, wait for a time to prove them wrong. Time is your best ally; it allows you to prove yourself right.
4. Concentrate on your mission—change your mistakes. Most people do exactly the opposite—they change their mission and concentrate on their mistakes. If you run from your task each time you make a mistake, you will never accomplish anything. You will always be in a state of frustration and defeat. The only real mistakes in life are the mistakes from which we learn nothing. So instead of dwelling on them, learning from them, and move on.
THE TOP QUALITY OF A LEADER
What's the top qualities a manager or leader should have?
I think I found the answer during a church sermon. Solomon, who was the paragon of truth, and he was pleasing to the Lord. The Lord said to Solomon, “I want to give you anything you want.” And Solomon said, “The greatest gift that you can give me, Lord, is an understanding heart.”
I think that’s what every manager or coach needs, an understanding heart, because when a player doesn’t do well, the manager or coach has got to understand how that player feels and how to communicate with them.
I think I found the answer during a church sermon. Solomon, who was the paragon of truth, and he was pleasing to the Lord. The Lord said to Solomon, “I want to give you anything you want.” And Solomon said, “The greatest gift that you can give me, Lord, is an understanding heart.”
I think that’s what every manager or coach needs, an understanding heart, because when a player doesn’t do well, the manager or coach has got to understand how that player feels and how to communicate with them.
DIRK - GAME WINNER
The German kid who used to stand in the corner with the game on the line has grown up.
Dirk Nowitzki has developed into one of the NBA's most dominant clutch players. That's not an opinion. It's fact, and it's backed by a bunch of statistics:
As a 7-footer with shooting guard skills, Nowitzki has always been a matchup nightmare. However, a maturation process had to take place before he had the mentality to be the Dallas Mavericks' go-to guy in game-deciding moments.
Early in his career, Nowitzki knew his place in the crunch-time pecking order with the Mavs' Big Three. Michael Finley was the first option. Steve Nash was next. Nowitzki was the perimeter threat who spaced the floor.
"Now he wants that shot," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "There's like no doubt in anybody's mind that he's taking that shot -- and you can't stop it."
Nowitzki, who might be the most humble superstar in the NBA, has even cultivated a crunch-time swagger. The emotional displays are simply an extension of the mentality a player must have to thrive in such situations.
"We all know this league is a lot about confidence," Nowitzki said. "That's really it. Once you get the ball, your teammates believe in you and you believe in yourself that you can make that big play down the stretch. For the team, I've got to keep coming."
It doesn't matter what Dirk has done for the first 45 minutes or so. He still expects to deliver when Dallas needs him most. For example, take a look at his late heroics in the Mavs' past two games.
Nowitzki had an awful night against the Charlotte Bobcats ... until he scored the Mavs' final 10 points in regulation, forcing overtime with a personal 6-0 run in the final 1:16. He followed that up in the extra frame by hitting a pair of go-ahead fadeaways in the final 24 seconds, including a 10-footer off the dribble with 1.7 seconds left that stood as the game winner. He made seven of his final 11 shots in a game that he started 1-of-11.
A couple of nights later, the New Orleans Hornets held Nowitzki to a season-low 10 points. Eight of those came in the fourth quarter of the 94-90 win, including four in the final minute.
"The definition of a franchise player is that he wants the responsibility for winning and losing," said coach Rick Carlisle. "He wants the ball in his hands when the game is being decided, and the only thing he thinks about when he gets the ball in his hands is finding a way to win the game."
Added Jason Kidd: "He loves that stage. When we need a basket, he loves to have the ball, to make the play. He just loves the atmosphere. He doesn't panic."
Nowitzki notes that he isn't the only accomplished clutch shooter on the Mavs. Nowitzki won't hesitate to give up the ball and get of his teammates a wide-open look if he's double- or triple-teamed. Dirk just wants the opportunity to make the decision.
It's not a coincidence that Nowitzki has become better with age in clutch situations.
"I think once you get older, more experienced, the game slows down for you down the stretch," Nowitzki said. "Early in my career, I might rush and be like, 'Hey, the game's on the line; gotta do something quick.' Whereas now, you take your time, you're more poised and you're just more confident.
"If I take my time, I feel like I can get a good shot up."
Dirk Nowitzki has developed into one of the NBA's most dominant clutch players. That's not an opinion. It's fact, and it's backed by a bunch of statistics:
As a 7-footer with shooting guard skills, Nowitzki has always been a matchup nightmare. However, a maturation process had to take place before he had the mentality to be the Dallas Mavericks' go-to guy in game-deciding moments.
Early in his career, Nowitzki knew his place in the crunch-time pecking order with the Mavs' Big Three. Michael Finley was the first option. Steve Nash was next. Nowitzki was the perimeter threat who spaced the floor.
"Now he wants that shot," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "There's like no doubt in anybody's mind that he's taking that shot -- and you can't stop it."
Nowitzki, who might be the most humble superstar in the NBA, has even cultivated a crunch-time swagger. The emotional displays are simply an extension of the mentality a player must have to thrive in such situations.
"We all know this league is a lot about confidence," Nowitzki said. "That's really it. Once you get the ball, your teammates believe in you and you believe in yourself that you can make that big play down the stretch. For the team, I've got to keep coming."
It doesn't matter what Dirk has done for the first 45 minutes or so. He still expects to deliver when Dallas needs him most. For example, take a look at his late heroics in the Mavs' past two games.
Nowitzki had an awful night against the Charlotte Bobcats ... until he scored the Mavs' final 10 points in regulation, forcing overtime with a personal 6-0 run in the final 1:16. He followed that up in the extra frame by hitting a pair of go-ahead fadeaways in the final 24 seconds, including a 10-footer off the dribble with 1.7 seconds left that stood as the game winner. He made seven of his final 11 shots in a game that he started 1-of-11.
A couple of nights later, the New Orleans Hornets held Nowitzki to a season-low 10 points. Eight of those came in the fourth quarter of the 94-90 win, including four in the final minute.
"The definition of a franchise player is that he wants the responsibility for winning and losing," said coach Rick Carlisle. "He wants the ball in his hands when the game is being decided, and the only thing he thinks about when he gets the ball in his hands is finding a way to win the game."
Added Jason Kidd: "He loves that stage. When we need a basket, he loves to have the ball, to make the play. He just loves the atmosphere. He doesn't panic."
Nowitzki notes that he isn't the only accomplished clutch shooter on the Mavs. Nowitzki won't hesitate to give up the ball and get of his teammates a wide-open look if he's double- or triple-teamed. Dirk just wants the opportunity to make the decision.
It's not a coincidence that Nowitzki has become better with age in clutch situations.
"I think once you get older, more experienced, the game slows down for you down the stretch," Nowitzki said. "Early in my career, I might rush and be like, 'Hey, the game's on the line; gotta do something quick.' Whereas now, you take your time, you're more poised and you're just more confident.
"If I take my time, I feel like I can get a good shot up."
12.14.2009
WINNINGST PROGRAMS ON THE WEST COAST
Over the last 2 1/2 seasons (07-08, 08-09, 09-10) here are the highest winning percentages on the west coast in college basketball.
As of 12/14/09
#1. SAINT MARY'S
OVERALL RECORD: 60-15
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 80%
#2. GONZAGA
OVERALL RECORD: 61-16
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 79%
#3. BYU
OVERALL RECORD: 60-17
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 78%
#4. UCLA
OVERALL RECORD: 63-19
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 77%
#5. UTAH STATE
OVERALL RECORD: 59-19
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 76%
#6. UNLV (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 55-20
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 73%
#6. NEW MEXICO (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD 56-21
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 73%
#8. PORTLAND ST. (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 51-24
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 68%
#8. SAN DIEGO ST. (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 54-25
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 68%
#10. ARIZONA ST.
OVERALL RECORD: 53-26
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 67%
#11. WASHINGTON STATE
OVERALL RECORD: 51-27
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 65%
#12. WASHINGTON
OVERALL RECORD: 48-28
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 63%
#13. NEVADA
OVERALL RECORD: 46-29
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 61%
#14. CALIFORNIA (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 45-30
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 60%
#14. WEBER ST (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 42-28
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 60%
#16. ARIZONA
OVERALL RECORD: 44-34
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 56%
As of 12/14/09
#1. SAINT MARY'S
OVERALL RECORD: 60-15
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 80%
#2. GONZAGA
OVERALL RECORD: 61-16
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 79%
#3. BYU
OVERALL RECORD: 60-17
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 78%
#4. UCLA
OVERALL RECORD: 63-19
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 77%
#5. UTAH STATE
OVERALL RECORD: 59-19
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 76%
#6. UNLV (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 55-20
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 73%
#6. NEW MEXICO (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD 56-21
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 73%
#8. PORTLAND ST. (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 51-24
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 68%
#8. SAN DIEGO ST. (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 54-25
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 68%
#10. ARIZONA ST.
OVERALL RECORD: 53-26
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 67%
#11. WASHINGTON STATE
OVERALL RECORD: 51-27
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 65%
#12. WASHINGTON
OVERALL RECORD: 48-28
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 63%
#13. NEVADA
OVERALL RECORD: 46-29
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 61%
#14. CALIFORNIA (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 45-30
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 60%
#14. WEBER ST (TIE)
OVERALL RECORD: 42-28
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 60%
#16. ARIZONA
OVERALL RECORD: 44-34
WINNING PERCENTAGE: 56%
12.13.2009
WORDS OF WISDOM
Believe while others are doubting.
Plan while others are playing.
Study while others are sleeping.
Decide while others are delaying.
Prepare while others are daydreaming.
Begin while others are procrastinating.
Work while others are wishing.
Save while others are wasting.
Listen while others are talking.
Smile while others are frowning.
Commend while other are criticizing.
Persist while others are quitting.
Plan while others are playing.
Study while others are sleeping.
Decide while others are delaying.
Prepare while others are daydreaming.
Begin while others are procrastinating.
Work while others are wishing.
Save while others are wasting.
Listen while others are talking.
Smile while others are frowning.
Commend while other are criticizing.
Persist while others are quitting.
12.10.2009
PETE SAMPRAS - TED WILLIAMS
Ted Williams, the great Boston Red Sox slugger, once said that all he wanted out of life was that when he walked down the street, people would point and say, "There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived." Early in my career, I adopted a similar attitude. It may strike some as arrogant, but that's the kind of fuel you need to really reach the heights of achievement. There were times in my career when I would step up to the service line at a crucial moment in the heat of combat in a big match and pause to drink in the atmosphere. Fired up by adrenaline, I'd look toward the crowd and defiantly say to myself, "All right, everybody, now I'm going to show you who I really am!"
Most champions have that kind of aggression, that competitiveness. It comes with the territory. You don't survive long with a target on your back without it.
Most champions have that kind of aggression, that competitiveness. It comes with the territory. You don't survive long with a target on your back without it.
12.08.2009
STEVE NASH - LIVING SUGAR FREE
Last winter I was talking with a friend about what I needed to do to stay healthy out on the court. (At 35 it’s not getting any easier.) When the topic of nutrition came up, he urged me to go see his naturopath, Dr. Suneil Jain, here in Arizona. Now, I have tons of people looking after my well-being — coaches, doctors, trainers, my wife — so I’m always skeptical about seeking new advice. But I’m glad I went.
Jain pushes a whole-foods diet, one that consists of lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Okay, but I’m not giving up my steak dinner. Then Jain started talking about how important it is to cut sugar out of your diet. What? My first thought was that that would be impossible, but he made a convincing case. Jain told me that the average American eats about 92 grams of sugar a day, when the human body needs only about eight grams for energy, an amount that should always be satisfied through natural sugars from fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Refined sugars, he told me, impair your immune system. In fact, one teaspoon of refined sugar suppresses our white blood cells for up to six hours, making it a lot easier to catch a cold. I really can’t afford colds during the season, so that’s all I needed to hear: I cut out refined sugars cold turkey. No M&M’s at the movies, no energy bars, no Gatorade — I even had to be more careful when going to Jamba Juice, because sometimes they use sugar-filled juice from concentrate. After a few months, I stopped craving sugar entirely.
The difference was instantaneous: I slept better, I recovered from workouts more easily, and I had more energy. When we started training camp in September, we were doing two-a-days — four or five hours on the court — and I never got sore. Even more telling is the fact that this summer I traveled all over the world for my foundation, bringing team sports to war-ravaged countries. I was missing out on sleep and still training the whole time, but I never got sick. I’ve got to think it’s because sugar wasn’t wearing me down.
No doubt, this lifestyle is not easy — sugar gets sneaked into just about everything, so I have to pack my own food. But it doesn’t bother me, because the way I feel is so worth it.
Jain pushes a whole-foods diet, one that consists of lots of raw fruits and vegetables. Okay, but I’m not giving up my steak dinner. Then Jain started talking about how important it is to cut sugar out of your diet. What? My first thought was that that would be impossible, but he made a convincing case. Jain told me that the average American eats about 92 grams of sugar a day, when the human body needs only about eight grams for energy, an amount that should always be satisfied through natural sugars from fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Refined sugars, he told me, impair your immune system. In fact, one teaspoon of refined sugar suppresses our white blood cells for up to six hours, making it a lot easier to catch a cold. I really can’t afford colds during the season, so that’s all I needed to hear: I cut out refined sugars cold turkey. No M&M’s at the movies, no energy bars, no Gatorade — I even had to be more careful when going to Jamba Juice, because sometimes they use sugar-filled juice from concentrate. After a few months, I stopped craving sugar entirely.
The difference was instantaneous: I slept better, I recovered from workouts more easily, and I had more energy. When we started training camp in September, we were doing two-a-days — four or five hours on the court — and I never got sore. Even more telling is the fact that this summer I traveled all over the world for my foundation, bringing team sports to war-ravaged countries. I was missing out on sleep and still training the whole time, but I never got sick. I’ve got to think it’s because sugar wasn’t wearing me down.
No doubt, this lifestyle is not easy — sugar gets sneaked into just about everything, so I have to pack my own food. But it doesn’t bother me, because the way I feel is so worth it.
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