Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Whoops!

The whoops is for me taking so long to write a new post. Therefore, you are getting a handful to makeup for lost time.

Suggested New Year's Resolutions

1) If you are travelling by plane and have a layover in Denver you MUST eat the spinach salad at Wolfgang Puck! It's delicious, and as Coach Close would say, good in keeping the body warmer during the winter. The iron apparently prevents the anemia from making us cold? I now it's profound.

2) If you like sushi, make sure to look out for red flags that may indicate a poor sushi restaurant. The first is that it is empty on a night they even have a special. Edinberg, Texas had a special for $5.99 rolls. The second is when the server doesn't include the wasabi sauce with the rolls and you have to ask for it to go with your dish. I think everyone should stick to the coast!

3) If you're eating a meal with Coach Scanson, ALWAYS bring a camera! You may get a picture of the cracker challenge, Coach Saneholtz feeding him the scraps of chips and salsa by plate, or even witness him downing a coca cola in one gulp. At least he reads the gentleman's code of not burping afterward.

4) If you are going to play the "radio" game with the "radio" guy, make sure to be confident with your answers. He will always believe you are RIGHT! You know what I am talking about Tyler.

5) If you are going to make a living as a coach, having a family can be the best form of sanity. I have learned to make sure my SON is the first person I talk to if my team doesn't come out with a victory. Kids keep life in perspective. After our emotional loss in overtime to Troy my son got on the phone and said he had GREAT NEWS. "I got the Thomas the Train Collapsing Bridge." That was great news.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Get Back Up

Well, this past week was a perfect lesson of getting back up after being knocked off the horse. We had two rough games on the road, but two games that we can get a lot better from.

To start off at San Diego State, I have never seen such high stadium seating except at the Delta Center. I ran about three of those stairs with my four year old before my legs started shaking. That was just the beginning. SDSU threw the most pressure we've seen all year. We dug ourselves a hole in the first but decided to actually come out and attack in the second. It was the best half we've played all year.

Then we took a short trip to the beach to grab some sea shells and show my daughter her first beach before travelling to USC. I found out very quickly why we are so blessed in Bozeman when we hit traffic at 3:30 in the afternoon. I am still working on patience.

Facing USC in an unbelievable venue we found we could compete despite their stature within the first five minutes. Our lesson during this game was that it's hard to win when half your team is on the bench in foul trouble. We had three players foul out, and USC shot 37 free throw attempts. Ouch!

This week is a week to get back up. Our team is moving forward and will continue to improve every day we can for as long as we can. That is all we as a team can do and as a coach all I can ask.

Go Cats!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

BRING ON THE SUNSCREEN


Yes, we are heading to California this week to take on San Diego State and USC. It's not necessarily a vacation for our team. It's going to be great competition and a tough work week.

With that being said, our team still does manage to have some fun outside of practices and games. One way to do that is a trip to the beach!

If you are out and about and need to put your sunglasses on just to prevent the glare from seeing all of the white legs, that means that MSU has arrived. We have a rating on the team from palest to tannest. Yes, Jamie Thornton is ALWAYS the most pale.

I get a good laugh when we travel to warmer climates than Bozeman, pretty much everywhere else we go. The rule is if they can see sun without seeing their breathe then they are "tanning." You will see them sitting outside of the Olive Garden even if it's only 5 minutes just to get an extra tint.

Welcome home Erica Perry.

Go Cats!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Costa Rica

With our first major snow fall I find myself looking out my window and not necessarily dreaming of a White Christmas. Instead I envision our next international tour to Costa Rica, May of 2011.

Yes, you heard me! Our team will be river rafting, zip lining, and of course playing some international hoops.

If you are in Bozeman this weekend on December 6th, please join our team for our Bobcats Beyond Borders Auction at the Emerson Grill from 11-1pm for a wonderful brunch. Oh, and bring the check book to purchase some items. Some of them have been done by the players themselves.

Did I tell you our team is talented both on the court and off?

Coach Bin

HERINGER CO PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coaches are like math wizards, always trying to find solutions to their team's challenges. However, this past weekend was a nice problem to have on the bench as our team was getting offensive production from everyone. I can honestly say I don't think this was a formula with only one correct answer.

For example, Katie Bussey was shooting the lights out in the first half, Jenny Heringer and Anne Phippard couldn't miss in the second, and Nubia Garcia ended with a double double. As a coach sitting on the sidelines trying to decide rotations and who to have in or out, I found my answer to be simple. Keep fresh legs on the floor and those on the court will produce.

So congrats to Jenny for her Big Sky Player of the Week recognition. Congrats also to Anne for her career high performance. The hardest decision I had to make this weekend was who to nominate for Big Sky Player of the Week with multiple standout performances.

Go Cats!