WHEN THE EAST IS IN THE HOUSE!

As the buzzer sounds and the Gophers wrap up their N.I.T. (National Invitation Tournament) title against Coach Larry Brown and the SMU Mustangs-it feels great to be a University of Minnesota alum.  Golden Gopher basketball has been infused with a shot of the "Big Apple" again and the future of the program is very bright.  This time around, NYC is represented by Kimani Young.  Coach Young brings his basketball acumen and east coast ties to the Barn.  Kimani has been an integral part of this  NIT run, and he along with the rest of the coaching staff have one goal in mind-get the Gophers to that elite level of college basketball.  Kimani and I grew up battling against each other when NYC basketball was considered the best in the country.  It's funny how the circle of life can take you on a journey and connect you with people in ways you can never imagine.  As good as Kimani is as a coach-he's 10 times better as a father, caregiver and role model to his 2 boys-Kamaal (11), Khaliq (10),  & daughter Salimah (9).

Follow Kimani on Instagram @ minnesotakeizer
Twitter @CoachKimani

(Eric Harris) When you first heard that you were going to Minneapolis, what was your initial thought?

(Kimani Young) I was excited because of the rich tradition @ Minnesota.  Being a student of the game I knew about all the success in the 90's and early 2000's.  Just knowing that we were going to compete in the "BIG 10"-such a high level of basketball.  I was excited about it!

(EH) Gopher fans really support their sports programs.  How have the fans embraced you guys?

(KY) The support has been fanatical.  Coach Pitino talks about it all the time.  He's been @ Kentucky, Louisville and Florida.  He says from a fan support standpoint, he puts the U of M right up there with the best in the country.

(EH) The “Barn” is one of the best places to play in the country hands down.  When did you realize that it gets really loud in there?

(KY) The Ohio St. game was off the hook.  You couldn't hear yourself think-that's how loud it was.

(EH) Talk about the Big Ten Conference.  What has been the toughest place to play on the road so far?

(KY) To be honest with you, all venues on the road are tough places to play.  Everywhere you play in this league-you play in front of a packed house.  People don't realize this, but over the last 38 years the Big 10 has led the country in attendance.  So that tells you right there what this conference is about in terms of fan support.  These universities are all high academic institutions in college towns.  These people live and die with their athletic programs.

(EH) How did your two boys & daughter react to the change of climate?

(KY) They didn't react too well.  I didn't expect them to have any idea of what the climate would be like in Minnesota.  I guess Minnesota just sounds cold-lol.  They were in Miami for the last year.  Losing the friends and relationships they had there-they weren't very happy about that.  They’ve adjusted now.  They love coming to the games and being in an exciting environment.  Being a part of something they can touch.  The Twin Cities is one of the nicest places to be in the summer!  The lakes and the outdoors are a beautiful experience.

(EH) Can you describe Coach Pitino's philosophy & style of play?

(KY) Coach has combined what he has learned from two hall of fame coaches.  We like to say that we're Louisville on defense and Florida on offense.  We use a lot of pick and rolls.  We want to play fast and get the ball up & down the court.  Shoot threes & be confident.  We call it our "pick and roll motion".  We try to get the ball moving from side to side.  Very free flowing offense.  Defensively we want to speed you up & get you making decisions on the fly.  We want the game to be up-tempo.  It hasn't been easy to do yet-especially in the Big 10, where a lot of programs want to slow the tempo down.  We feel like once we get the personnel to play that way, we'll be fine.  Coach is going to coach you hard and push you out of your comfort zone.  He's going to push everyone in the program to be great.  That starts with the players and trickles down to the coaches and managers.

(EH) As a University of Minnesota alum, I appreciated the fact that you guys competed and worked hard every game this year.  You can live with the results when you work hard.

(KY) Working hard is a part of our blueprint. Playing hard & coming to work every day with your hard hat and lunch pale-ready to get better.   That's the foundation of our program.  That permeates to our fans and we created a nice home court advantage @ the Barn.


(EH) What were the team goals coming into this season?

(KY) We wanted to be able to expose our program to the rest of the country.  We'll be able to do that with the success we've had this year.  The ability to play in the Big 10 and play on the Big 10 network is huge!  It's going to take some time for us to continue to build our brand where kids feel comfortable coming to Minnesota.

(EH) Most people in Minnesota might not know that you were nice as a ball player.  Talk about Kimani the player.

(KY) I worked hard. I had a jump shot.  I grew up under Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith.  I tried to take a little bit of everything from those guys.  I was blessed to work with trainer Vincent Smith (Kenny's brother) since I was 12 years old.  Coaching is my way of giving back to all the people that helped me along the way.

(EH) Whenever I have those basketball discussions with my peers, I always say that Kenny Anderson was the best HS player ever.  Some people try to dispute that with Randy Livingston (LSU) or Jason Kidd.  What made Kenny Anderson so special?

(KY) Kenny was just born to do this.  I saw him win a City championship & State championship as a freshman.  Score 60 on a box & 1.  The things he was able to do with a basketball was unreal.  He was a magician.  He was a scientist out there.  You combine that skill with his work-ethic & that was the result.  He was always in the gym getting shots up & working on his game.  He knew that was his only way of getting him and his moms out of the situation we were all in @ that time.  Kenny wasn't a very confident player off the court.  He would always worry about the guys he was matched up against.  Whether it was on the road or @ an All-American camp.  But I think that fear is what motivated him to always work.  Then when he put those sneakers on-it was just magic!

(EH) When did you realize that Vincent Smith was a master @ developing talent?

(KY) When I met him he had the #1 player in the country-Kenny Anderson.  If he said you could be a fraction as good as Kenny was, you would be a fool not to work with him.  Then obviously what he did with his brother.  Kenny Smith was 1st team All-American @ UNC, first round NBA draft pick, Rookie of the Year.  That exposure to players like that just made me want to gravitate to Vince even more.

(EH) What has changed from when Vince was giving back to the game and the basketball world in 2014?

(KY) When we came up, it was so many coaches that did it for the love of the game.  They did it for the gratification of developing kids.  Once basketball became such a business, it became harder for guys to pour in blood, sweat and tears.  No one is willing to work a kid out every day @ the local gym and watch a HS coach capitalize off of the kid.  That's what pushed guys away from the era we grew up in.  I watched Vincent Smith work guys out from 10 years old to 20 years old in Lost Battalion Hall.  I worked with Vince & played for my local HS.  He did that with all the guys from my neighborhood.  ALL FOR THE LOVE!  You just don't see many of those situations anymore.

(EH) What has changed in regards to NYC talent today and when we grew up?

(KY) When we grew up there were 20 to 30 high major D1 players every year.  I can't point a finger @ anybody, but there just aren't as many high-major players that are ready to come in and compete @ the level we're @ now.  We may be able to get back to that.  That's just not the case right now.

(EH) What is the goal of the Gopher program in the next 2-3 years?

(KY) We want to be in the Final Four.  We're going to always overachieve.  We want to play the best and compete against the best.  Once we get the players that can play our style of play, we feel we'll be right there with the top programs.  We play one of the toughest schedules in the country. That's what it's about and that's how you see where you're @ amongst the competition.

(EH) Thanks for the time bro & much success. Continue to rep that Maroon & Gold!

(KY) You got it E-thx bro!

trainwithericharris.com
trainwithericharris@gmail.com

INFLATED NUMBERS

Are today's scorers that explosive, or does the rules prevent anyone from locking up?  

81, 62, 54, 54, 51, 44, 42, 40, 38

Outside of Kobe's 81 point performance in 06' & Steph Curry's 54 @ MSG last season-these are some of the numbers that have been put up prior to the All-Star break this NBA season.  Let me just put this out there.  These are professional players and they are capable of going off on any given night.  They put an insane amount of work into developing their craft and by no means am I trying to discredit them.  But in my opinion, guys just score way too easily nowadays.  Not superstar players, but your mid-level guys are putting up buckets at will.  I have this debate with myself all the time about players today and their ability to be successful in the 80's and 90's.  Upper echelon players of today like Kobe, Lebron, KD, Melo, CP, D Wade (in his prime) would still be able to get off-but I do believe that their numbers would drop a little.  Conversely, yesterday's superstars would see their numbers increase.  MJ would average more points today-his ability to get to the free throw line alone would be an extra 5 to 10 points.  Magic & Bird would average more points and assists and have numbers comparable to Lebrons.  How would you stop Magic from posting up Russell Westbrook with the rules being what they are.  It's impossible. 

As a player, you can't control the rules being what they are.  Your job as a player is to take advantage of them.  We have never seen a physical specimen like Kevin Durant.  The way that he scored the ball in the month of January was ridiculous & a beautiful thing to watch.  At 6'11, Kevin Durant shoots the ball like a shooting guard.  His basketball IQ and ball-handling are equivalent to a point guard.  The way he attacks in transition with that hesitation blow by is deadly!  However, two factors would negatively effect KD's scoring output.  Hand-checking & physical play/intimidation.  The NBA defines hand-checking as: "a  defender may not place and keep his hands on an opponent unless he is in the area near the basket with his back to the basket. A defender may momentarily touch an opponent with his hand anywhere on the court as long as it does not affect the opponent’s movement (speed, quickness, balance, rhythm)."  Without this advantage, the game becomes wide open.  Imagine if Lebron was able to hand check KD.  Lebron would instantly have the advantage because of his upper body strength & strong base.   KD would figure out how to combat these elements,  but his numbers would come down.  

Melo dropped 62, but he could of easily went for 70 if Mike Woodson left  him in.  Terrence Ross scored 51 this season against the Clippers.  Exactly, a  novice fan has no idea who he is.  He's a two guard for the Toronto Raptors.  Isiah Thomas 38 against the Pacers.  Marcus Thornton 40 against the Pacers.    I'm still waiting for one of these guys to taste the paint and get fouled hard going to the basket.  It won't happen in today's European league.  "It's more of a finesse game," Kobe Bryant said. "It's more small ball, which, personally, I don't really care much for. I like kind of smash-mouth, old-school basketball because that's what I grew up watching. I also think it's much, much less physical. Some of the flagrant fouls that I see called nowadays, it makes me nauseous. You can't touch a guy without it being a flagrant foul." Offensive players don't fear defenders anymore because they know the officials will give them the benefit of the doubt.

The "Battle of the league MVP's"  took place last week and it was a much anticipated matchup.  Would the scorching hot KD continue his torrid scoring pace.  Or would the all-around game and defensive tenacity of Lebron be too much.  KD and the Thunder weathered an early storm (no pun intended) and blew out the Heat.  They're just playing with a great rhythm right now without Westbrook.  The Heat needed Lebron to get 60 last night.  That's my beef with Lebron sometime- I would just like him to dominate offensively on certain occasions.  No one can stop him when he puts his mind to it.  I guess that's not who he is.  At the end of the day, you just have to appreciate the NBA and today's players for what it is.  It's a global, entertaining brand of basketball-just not what I grew up loving.  

"You have to look at the progression.  We have worked hard to remove violence, fisticuffs from the game."

-Former NBA Commissioner David Stern

trainwithericharris@gmail.com

CHRIS ATKINSON

     There aren't too many things that Chris Atkinson (class of 2015) can't do on the basketball court.  The 5'9 point guard is blessed with many physical attributes.  He's fast as lightning, can handle the rock and is a pest on the defensive end.  (I don't think he realizes how good he can be defensively yet.)  He reminds me of a young Kareem Reid.  One element that opponents better be aware of is the maturation of his outside shot.  The ability to knock down the J consistently will keep defenders off balance and open up the floor to get teammates involved.  You will be hearing about Chris @ a high-major D1 school real soon.  Chris' main objective this season is to get the Crusaders back to the State Championship-with the outcome being different this time around.  I sat down with Luhi's explosive pg to discuss the upcoming season, Coach John Buck, life off the court & a bunch of other topics.  

(Eric Harris) What part of your game do you feel needs the most improvement?

(Chris Atkinson) My pull-up game & constantly working to become a better leader.

E.H. Who was the toughest pg that you ever played against?

C.A.  His name was Josh Brown from Jersey City.  He was always strong with the ball and you couldn't rattle him.  He also knew how to get his team open shots.

E.H.  If someone came to see you play for the first time, what shoud they expect?

C.A.  They can expect to see me working hard and giving 110% on offense and defense.  Focusing on getting my teammates involved, making smart decisions

and my all around play.  Knocking down pull-ups.

E.H.  How would you describe coach John Bucks coaching style?  

C.A.  Coach Buck really knows his stuff.  He's very knowledgable about the game. 

E.H.  What part of the game does he emphasize most?

C.A.  Definitely the defensive end.  If you don't give your all and commit on D, he will let you know.

E.H.  Did he ever tell you any Chris Paul stories?  (Coach Buck played @ Wake Forest with CP3.)

C.A.  He told me that CP was a great leader and very vocal on and off the court.  He always pushed guys to do better.

E.H.  What made you want to go to Luhi?

C.A.  The fact that I was able to stay close to home.  I really liked the family atmosphere there when I visited the first time.

E.H. What's your favorite subject/teacher?  Why?

C.A.  Math and English are both interesting to me and they both come easy.  Mr. Beers is my favorite teacher because he doesn't let you slack.  He's always pushing me to do better.

E.H.  Favorite sneaker?

C.A.  Jordan 12/black and white.  Red 4's to kick it in.

E.H.  Favorite NBA player?  Why?

C.A.  Chris Paul because he's a great leader and he's always getting his teammates open shots.  I hope they win the chip.

E.H.  CP vs. Kyrie Irving.  Who would win?

C.A.  CP without a doubt.

E.H.   D Rose vs. Russell Westbrook?

C.A.  D Rose.

E.H.  What was the Nike E.Y.B.L. circuit like?

C.A.  I love EYBL.  It's very tough competition-you're playing against elite players from all over the country.  You have no choice but to get better!

E.H.  Describe the role that coach Oz and Munch (Team Scan) have played in your development?

C.A.  They're both great role models.  Coach Oz has always been there for me.  I can talk to him and he's always pushing me to do better.  The same as coach Munch-he's harder on me than anyone.  Even if I have a good game, he's always telling me what to do to get better and help my teammates get better.

E.H.  Rihanna, Alicia Keys or Beyonce?

C.A.  Alicia Keys

E.H.  Favorite rapper/album?

C.A.  Meek Mill/Dream Chasers 1.

E.H.  Favorite meal?

C.A.  Chicken, white rice & broccoli.

E.H.  What would you do with 1 Million dollars?

C.A.  First I would give back to the community in some way.  I would give the rest to my mom.  I'd also get myself some clothes and shoes.

E.H.  Anything else you would like to share with the people?

C.A.  You need to train with Eric Harris-he will definitely get your game right!

E.H.  Thanks C-bring that state championship home!

INSIDE THE MIND OF A DEFENSIVE STOPPER!

"IF HE DOESN'T TOUCH IT, HE CAN'T SCORE."
"BALL, YOU, MAN."
"HE'S GETTING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I'M MAKING HIM WORK ALL GAME."
"THE OPPOSING COACH HAS TO GAME-PLAN FOR HOW GOOD I AM DEFENSIVELY."

These are the thoughts that constantly went through my mind during my career.  If you don't have the mind-set that you're going to shut someone down-then it will never happen.  Playing defense is a grind.  You have to have the heart, will, and desire to do it.  Being on an AAU  team with Felipe Lopez & Stephon Marbury was a great experience-but I had to figure out how to be a valuable component  to that team.  "You have to be a defensive stopper.  Those guys are going to shoot all the time.  If you defend, the coach will never take you out", said my dad Eric Harris Sr.   I never forgot that advice.  

I went to scout a NYC high school game yesterday & I was very impressed with how my client Tim Quashie got after it defensively. He was supposed to be guarding an offensive threat, but Timmy let him know that "It's not going down tonight."  This was established right from the jump ball.  The kid had about 10 pts, but it was a struggle for him the whole game.  Mind you, he's a mid-major talent.  He is only a one-way player though.  Had he been a good defender-he could of easily added 10 more points to his stats.  In his defense, he is his teams only weapon & Long Island Lutheran is really good!

The game of basketball is very simple.  If you can stop people & get after it on the defensive end-you will have success on any level.  This rule will never change.  I was listening to my teammate Bobby Jackson's interview the other day (congrats on the Timberwolves position) and guess what he was stressing to the players he works with?  Defense!  "If you get after it defensively, that's what's going to get you minutes in this league", he said.  I loved knowing that I had the ability to change the outcome of a game based on being an assassin defensively.  That's what was so fun playing in that backcourt with Bobby on that Final Four team.  Our chemistry defensively was amazing.  Everyday was hell in practice.  Coach Haskins & the staff prepared us for that Big Ten grind.  Opposing backcourts knew that it was going to be a tough night every time they stepped in the "Barn."

I understand that scoring is sexy & that's what gets you the Sports Center highlights.  But defense wins championships.  The G.O.A.T. , Michael Jordan understood it.  Which trickled down to today's stars-Kobe, LeBron & D Wade.  You have to be able to play on both ends of the court.  Having good defensive principles will get you on a good HS program.  Fine-tuning your lock up skills will get you on the D1 level.  Having an all-around game with the added bonus of controlling the game on the defensive end will get you a 12-15 year career in the NBA.  

Unfortunately, most of our young talent today is not being groomed with these principles until they're in college.  THAT'S WAY TOO LATE!"  It's not their fault, that falls on the coaches.  That's like asking a freshman in college to do a calculus problem and that student doesn't have a basic math foundation. (addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division) It's not possible.  Most college coaches don't have the time to teach that stuff from the beginning.  So what happens?  The head coach goes with the kid that has a solid understanding.  I try to give my clients that foundation from the very beginning.  Sooner or later the game will get back to it's core principles.


ERIC HARRIS
trainwithericharris.com
"BRINGING BACK THE ART OF DEFENSE!"

1ST SOUTH SHORE GIRLS PRACTICE

1/14

     My boy Juelian Flowers (Walton High School) had been telling me about this team he was coaching that had tons of potential.  "E, these girls are tough, they're skilled and we're deep.  We are going to win a chip in the next year or two and build a dynasty from there", he said.  "I just need you to help me get them ready on the defensive end-that's what you do E!"  Today was my first encounter with the girls of South Shore.  Thanks to Coach Anwar Gladden and Assistant Coach Juelian Flowers-I have the opportunity to improve the lives of these ladies both on and off the court.  I don't know the ladies that well yet, but they seem like a great group.  The one message that they were able to get across to me when we first met was that they needed someone that was going to be consistent.  That's exactly what I intend to do!

     As I proceed to pull my ladder and cones out of my equipment bag, I can sense the girls glancing over at me.  Little do they know that I'm about to put them through some torture.  Before we get started I stress to them that I'm here to get them better defensively-both individually and as a team.  In order for them to get better physically, they have to buy in from a mental standpoint! 

     We mostly did a lot of conditioning (stairs, wind sprint ladders).  From a defensive standpoint, we worked on defensive positioning in the half-court set.  One pass away denial, two passes away help, and the proper closeout technique.  My biggest concern was the lack of communication from the girls.  This is so common on all levels, but I stayed on them about it.  Before you know it, the intensity picked up.  At the end of the day-progress is all you can ask for as a coach or trainer.  I just talked to Coach Gladden and he told me that the girls prevailed over Lincoln 71-33.
Tune in next time for the next phase of the South Shore Girls Project.

trainwithericharris@gmail.com

NIKE SKILLS U

NIKE SKILLS U

7/12/12 (Day 2)

The players are still showing a great work ethic on the 2nd day. The biggest concept that we are trying to teach these kids is how to excel on the defensive end in the half-court set.
Defensive positioning is crucial in terms of getting consistent minutes on the collegiate level. Most of these kids don't understand how disciplined, intense, and vocal you have to be on defense. I'm quite sure that by the end of the week, they will have a better feel!

The first set of games were pretty good even though we lost two close ones. Ironically, the player that is standing out the most to me is a New York kid. Dayshon Smith is a former Rice Raider & currently goes to Putnam Science Academy. "Scootch" as they call him, is listed @ 6'2. He is very skilled and crafty with both hands. Defensively he gets after it and doesn't back down from a challenge. When he starts knocking that mid-range shot down consistently, he's going to be a problem. He just needs to get stronger physically. If I'm recruiting Dayshon, I would love his ability to constantly get in the lane and get others involved. As well as the fact that he keeps the same demeanor while he's on the court-he doesn't get too high or too low.

While watching the USA team play the Dominican Republic, I notice that coach Fraschilla is calling the game. I go way back with coach-he recruited me in 94' to go to Manhattan College. I can't wait to see him tomorrow to talk about the good old days, the game of basketball today, and commentating. I'll touch bases with you tomorrow in regards to day 3.

Eric Harris
trainwithericharris@gmail.com

NIKE SKILLS U

7/11/12  
Arlington, Virginia

I'm blessed to say that my first day @ the Nike "Skills U" was a blast.  Having the opportunity to work with and learn from coaches, trainers, and former competitors is a great experience!  Coaches Fran Fraschilla (ESPN),  Dino Gaudio (former head coach @ Wake Forest), and Herman Harried (Head Coach Lake Clifton) all possess so much knowledge as the lead directors.  The fun part for me though is when I get to trade war stories with guys that played in my era.  The staff includes my former St. Ray's teammate Dana Dingle (UMass), as well as: Jamal Robinson (McClancy H.S./ University of Virginia), Corey Alexander (University of Virginia), Junior Burrough (University of Virginia), Aljami Durham (St. Ray's/Atlanta Knicks AAU Team) & Mike Morrison (Loyola College).  

The camp features 80 of the top players from all over the country.  There is a lot of talent,  but what impressed me the most about the first day, was the willingness of the players to compete and work hard.  Yesterday marked the first day of the "Live Period".  Which basically means that during this period, college coaches are able to come to events like Nike "Skills U" and assess the guys that they're recruiting.  All of the big dogs are here.  North Carolina, Duke, Texas, Syracuse, Villanova, St. John's, and Oregon-just to name a few.  So this is a great opportunity for these young men to showcase their skills, and demonstrate great character- which will result in a free education @ a major university.  

The game of basketball is simple.  Sometimes as players, coaches, and trainers-we make it harder than what it is.  The bottom line is that you have to continue to get better.  Once you stop honing your skills-that's when the game passes you by.  My goal this week is to soak up so much basketball knowledge and better myself.  The more knowledge I have, the better I can prepare my clients and their parents.

Eric Harris
trainwithericharris@gmail.com