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aztarheel · 02-18-2007, 05:31 PM

From the Desk of Steve Victory, Cal Basketball Coach

Thursday, March 23, 2032

We flew into Seattle yesterday, and had our first practice at the Seattle Dome a few hours later. Like I expected, the guys were bouncing off the walls with energy, excitement and anxiety (one of my guys even hurled after dinner he was so wound up—maybe it was just the flying). Knowing we wouldn’t get much done in the strategy department, we pretty much made this first public workout a dunk session and team highlight reel for fans and the rolling TV cameras. Boy, can backup SF Scott Ward throw ‘em down when he wants to. Can’t wait to see what he becomes next season when the starting job is all his. But we’ll worry about that later.

We got down to business this morning and really worked on solving Oklahoma. As any coach in my spot would say, “I’m worried about them.” And I am. They are tough and physical. They have seven losses, but they are playing as good as anyone right now.

As the time for tip-off for the big game comes closer, I’ll answer another letter from a Cal fan as part of my “Ask Coach V” segment.

Hey V, this will be your fifth Final Four, and I know you’ve been to plenty more to schmooze with your coaching buddies. I was wondering if you could describe just what it’s like to be in such a highly charged atmosphere. I’ve never been to a Final Four myself, and TV just doesn’t seem to do it justice — Daryl V, Greensboro, N.C.

Hi Daryl. Thanks for writing. Wow, a fan from my old stomping grounds in North Carolina! Yes, you are correct. The Final Four gets great coverage on TV, but there is nothing like being there in person.

For me, being at floor level during a Final Four contest can be a sacred experience. You walk out of the tunnel and onto a glossy court surface. You can barely think there is so much noise around you. You tell the kids to just treat this like any other basketball game, go through the normal warm-up routine and not gawk at the surroundings. Then as you settle into your seat you can’t help but gawk yourself. Tens of thousands of folks surround you on all sides! You immediately smile when you see all who are wearing your school’s colors and screaming their heads off.

Everything seems bigger at the Final Four. The first one I went to as a coach, back in my Alabama days, the rim seemed 25 feet off the ground. The court seemed as long as a football field when we were running a fast break. Every player from the other team looked seven feet tall. The ball even seemed bigger and more magical as it glowed underneath the arena lights.

But then about five minutes into a game, all of that fades into the background. Suddenly, it’s all about basketball again, and you focus on beating your opponent. Sometimes, the game gets away from you if let the surroundings affect you (like we did when I was at NC State and we folded against Illinois in the NCT title game a few years ago)… I try to feed off the energy when I can, but honestly when it’s game time I try to stay locked into the fundamentals...

Well, gotta go check out some more film on OU. Hope to see you at the Dome on Saturday. If you can’t get tickets, at least come join the parties in Seattle. Wish us luck and as always, no injuries… Go Bears!

02-18-2007, 05:31 PM	#286
aztarheel High School JV Join Date: Sep 2006	From the Desk of Steve Victory, Cal Basketball Coach Thursday, March 23, 2032 We flew into Seattle yesterday, and had our first practice at the Seattle Dome a few hours later. Like I expected, the guys were bouncing off the walls with energy, excitement and anxiety (one of my guys even hurled after dinner he was so wound up—maybe it was just the flying). Knowing we wouldn’t get much done in the strategy department, we pretty much made this first public workout a dunk session and team highlight reel for fans and the rolling TV cameras. Boy, can backup SF Scott Ward throw ‘em down when he wants to. Can’t wait to see what he becomes next season when the starting job is all his. But we’ll worry about that later. We got down to business this morning and really worked on solving Oklahoma. As any coach in my spot would say, “I’m worried about them.” And I am. They are tough and physical. They have seven losses, but they are playing as good as anyone right now. As the time for tip-off for the big game comes closer, I’ll answer another letter from a Cal fan as part of my “Ask Coach V” segment. Hey V, this will be your fifth Final Four, and I know you’ve been to plenty more to schmooze with your coaching buddies. I was wondering if you could describe just what it’s like to be in such a highly charged atmosphere. I’ve never been to a Final Four myself, and TV just doesn’t seem to do it justice — Daryl V, Greensboro, N.C. Hi Daryl. Thanks for writing. Wow, a fan from my old stomping grounds in North Carolina! Yes, you are correct. The Final Four gets great coverage on TV, but there is nothing like being there in person. For me, being at floor level during a Final Four contest can be a sacred experience. You walk out of the tunnel and onto a glossy court surface. You can barely think there is so much noise around you. You tell the kids to just treat this like any other basketball game, go through the normal warm-up routine and not gawk at the surroundings. Then as you settle into your seat you can’t help but gawk yourself. Tens of thousands of folks surround you on all sides! You immediately smile when you see all who are wearing your school’s colors and screaming their heads off. Everything seems bigger at the Final Four. The first one I went to as a coach, back in my Alabama days, the rim seemed 25 feet off the ground. The court seemed as long as a football field when we were running a fast break. Every player from the other team looked seven feet tall. The ball even seemed bigger and more magical as it glowed underneath the arena lights. But then about five minutes into a game, all of that fades into the background. Suddenly, it’s all about basketball again, and you focus on beating your opponent. Sometimes, the game gets away from you if let the surroundings affect you (like we did when I was at NC State and we folded against Illinois in the NCT title game a few years ago)… I try to feed off the energy when I can, but honestly when it’s game time I try to stay locked into the fundamentals... Well, gotta go check out some more film on OU. Hope to see you at the Dome on Saturday. If you can’t get tickets, at least come join the parties in Seattle. Wish us luck and as always, no injuries… Go Bears!