Ridge Basketball

Congratulations to our guys who earned region honors 2nd team all region Dylan Donovan All Region Honorable Mention Kaleb Bowen Maven Beadle

Winning becomes possible when nobody is obsessed with being the reason for it. No one fighting for the spotlight. No one worried about who gets mentioned. Just people locked in, doing their job, making the extra effort, and putting the team above themselves.

Dan Hurley on sustaining success in this era: "Develop an identity. Trust your identity. Be as relentless as you possibly can. And recruit—coach hard. Most great players, they wanna be coached hard."

“I feel sad, I’m sad. If you want to know the truth, I’m sad… I’m going to steal a quote from Kelvin Sampson: ‘I may not be as big a part of their life, but they are my life.’” An emotional Brad Underwood after their loss to UConn.

A few years ago, Brad Underwood shared what coaching is really about after a tough loss. Now he's in the Final Four - proof that this mindset works. "When you're invested in it - our whole locker room was that way. You got coaches crying. Something comes to an end." "You realize we spend way more time with them than we do our families. And so you build a bond, you build a connection." That's the cost of caring - it hurts because it matters. "We're a family. Every player that's ever played for me is part of our family." "They've got my number. They can call me now. They can call me 20 years from now." The relationship doesn't end when they leave campus. Great leaders are transformational in life not just transactional. Then he called out what most people miss: "You guys make it about all the wins and losses." "25 years from now, some of those kids - I hope I'm still alive - are gonna pick up the phone and call me and need me. And I am there for them." That's the real scoreboard...The relationships. "That's why it hurts. That means I know I've connected in the right way with a group of guys that I loved coaching." Great coaches don't just develop players. They develop people who become part of their lives forever. "Unfortunately, we came out on the wrong side today. But I'll have nothing but positive things about this season and this group of guys." The wins and losses come and go, but the goal is for the relationships to stay. (🎥@glenn_kinley)

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“Please don’t ever judge me for wins and losses that’s not who I am as a coach. Relationships- you want it for them.” Championships change careers. Relationships change lives. Athletes. Coaches. Don’t just chase wins. Change people. That’s the real legacy. 🎥@glenn_kinley

“We are a group of fighters. We’re incredibly tough, we’ve got incredible will and we go into these games where we’re ready for battle,” Dan Hurley You don’t talk your identity into existence. You build it with relentless training habits.

Braylon Mullins FOOTWORK off pindowns - stepping 1-2 is footwork every great shooter has in their game 1. Stick inside foot and square your shoulders to the rim 2. Butt down & Knees bent BEFORE catch so you can square and shoot quickly 3. Show passer your palms for a quicker & more controlled release

100% COMMITTED!! Thank you to all the coaches who I talked to in the recruiting process and everyone who helped me along my journey! Just getting started! #AGTG @BenUMBB

Let’s Go!!!

Coaches, if you need any information on Ebrahema send me a message or email me.

You’re never out until you’re out. Play the game in front of you. Not the game you wanted to happen. Not the game that just happened. Not the game you hoped would happen. But the game that is happening. It's a remarkable lesson for basketball, for all of sport, and really, for all of life. In the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament, the UConn Huskies came out flat against the No. 1 seed Duke. The Huskies trailed by 15 at halftime. No. 1 seeds were 134-0 all time in the NCAA tournament when leading by 15 or more points at halftime. That’s across the entire NCAA tournament history. Every round. Every year. UConn had every reason to give up. But they simply refused. Most people check out when the odds turn against them. But UConn never stopped playing to win. Their big man Tarris Reed Jr. put the Huskies on his back. He played incredibly on both sides of the ball. The Huskies cut the lead to 13. Then to 11. Then to 7. Then to 5. And then, in the final seconds of the game, they cut the lead to two. Duke inbounded the ball, UConn pressured and forced a turnover. With less than a second on the clock, Braylon Mullins—who had shot 0 for 4 from three—put up a deep 3 from the logo, and nailed it. UConn 73. Duke 72. 134-1. After the game, UConn coach Dan Hurley said this about Mullins: "The courage. You have a young man, he's a rare human being. The toughness about him, to take the shot, on a tough shooting night, but he was due." It was an off night. And yet with everything on the line you have no choice but to pull the trigger. Shooters shoot. That's confidence in the process. March Madness is an ultimate test of emotional regulation. Over 3 weeks and 6 games, nothing ever goes to plan. You prepare. You practice. You visualize. Then stuff happens. The difference between those who collapse and those who rise? How they respond, especially when things don’t go their way. What's true in basketball is true in life. It's easy when everything is going your way. But things will go wrong. You'll fall behind. The score won't look good. Most people check out when the odds turn against them. UConn never stopped playing their hardest. Not when they were down 19. Not when they were 1 for 11 from three. Not when history said it was over. It’s called having a next play mentality: You can't control what already happened. You can't control the score. You can only control the next play. One stop. One bucket. One possession at a time. That's how you erase a historical deficit against the No. 1 team in the country. It's how you work through the biggest challenges in life too. Excellence does not mean control. It does not mean perfection. It means refusing to quit on yourself when the situation looks hopeless. It means trusting your preparation even when nothing is falling. It means playing the game in front of you. Not the game you wanted. Not the game you hoped for. The game that is happening. Stay in the arena. Play the next play.

“We have this culture of playing incredibly hard. We never lose because of lack of effort,” -Dan Hurley The standard is simple: compete the right way, play with relentless effort, and never let quitting become part of your culture.

Why didn't Isaiah Evans transfer from Duke after last season after averaging only 6.8 ppg while only playing 13.7 mpg? It's a mindset he was taught from his mother Marieke Lémon back in 9th grade. Here's a look into what Evans was taught about adversity & accountability. @WRAL

“I love coach, with all my heart” This is the biggest thing we are missing in the current landscape Multiyear relationships where coaches help players grow into Men and Women It’s the single best thing about coaching

"I don't have to be their life, but they are my life." This is the heart of a servant leader. When you view your players as family, the "work" never stops because their future depends on your investment today.

"You're an example for how the world should be. Things don't always go perfect. You have to handle adversity. When things go well, you have to handle success. All those different things that the real world needs to pay attention to, that's why basketball is so cool."

Player - coach relationships are built behind closed doors… in the early mornings and late nights… Every summer workout and practice… Every weight room & conditioning session… film sessions… and things that go on in your day to day personal life. You can never judge a relationship on one single reaction that just so happens to be caught on camera

Let your kids be coached. Let them get used to coaches holding them accountable. If you save your children from discomfort & hardship, you often keep them from realizing their own strength, abilities. Let them grow their character so they can become confident, independent adults!

Blessed to receive an offer from Elmira College!! @Ridgebbll