"That's why a lot of teams aren't great, because they want that moment and they want that to be it, or they get deceived that that's the end all, be all. ... To be great, you can never be satisfied." —
@CoachWMartin
I used to peel potatoes & wash dishes to earn money to play summer bball in HS. My dad saved & framed my first punch card & told me to never forget where I started when I graduated from college.. pretty cool moment hanging it up in my office as a first time Head Coach
#FLOW
#GsUP
The only 3 coaches left in Final 4 didn’t play college hoops
Not a tweet against coaches who played.. they have a perspective some of us never will ..
Intent is encouragement for managers/student assists like I was / HS coaches; Never limit your dreams
Don’t compare journeys!
PLAYERS WIN GAMES, NOT PLAYS
Coaches play ZERO mpg
Put players in great positions to use their WEAPONS :
✔️Awareness of strengths/weakness
✔️Vulnerability to accept roles
✔️Alignments + Actions > “Plays”
✔️Read, Write, Improvise
✔️Pace, Purpose, Patience => Poise
A lot of AAU coaches don’t get the credit they deserve... development of character and skill not even the half of it.. so many of these coaches are crucial consultants and mentors as kids navigate through the often stressful process of their recruitment.
RESPECT! ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
AAU Players : You get to play today
AAU Coaches : You get to coach tday
College Coaches: You get to evaluate today ...
If you get to be a part of basketball in any capacity today, you are blessed.. share the blessing by being your best!
#ILoveThisGame
#Unashamed
🏀🏀
First mentor.. What I’ve learned from you goes way beyond basketball. You taught me what it truly means to be a servant leader, what it looks like to put PLAYERS FIRST, & how to bounce back from any circumstance. Love & appreciate you. Thank you for preparing me for this moment!
So proud of
@CoachWMartin
on his new position as the head men’s bball coach at Missouri Western. Will was a part of our staff from 2009-12 and continues to be a valued member of our family. One of the youngest coaches in our sport. Can’t wait to watch his success at
@MWSUMBB
.
S/O to all the AAU coaches checking cats for body language, reactions to refs, sprinting in transition, talking on defense
That’s the stuff either getting or keeping kids from opportunities
Good to see our youth being lifted up, but also held accountable.
3am and still trying to get back to everyone who has reached out via text/social... humbled is no longer suffice, I’m beyond that... I’m living in a dream.
THANK YOU! 🙏🏻
I’ve had a lot on my mind the last 48 hours.. but currently it’s on the guys who started with me from the Jump.
To all the managers and student assistants out there who want to coach, keep grinding and keep the faith!
The “O” in FLOW stands for Ownership.. 4-0 start, but we foul too much..
@CoachTPeete
brought out the towels for shell.. LOVE my guys are always looking to work in margins to get better... TOGETHER.
#23Strong
My wife is no “coaches wife”
She is a 🥖 winning, intellectual, high heeled BOSS
But yes, she also happens to be a phenomenal supporter of our team
More like Im superwoman’s husband
To all those wives out there who are defined by much more than the “coaches wife” tag : SALUTE
I’m always more interested in the way kids play Sun versus Fri/Sat… less coaches in stands, less of a crowd, last games before heading home, tired…. If you don’t have the energy & toughness to play on Sun the same you played on Friday, college is going to be difficult
#Truth
Just had the most open, raw, real convo WITH OUR team
We represent 3 countries, diff races, entnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds. We don’t have all the answers, but we love each other & seek solutions to injustice. We are willing to hear, feel, & fight for 1 another
#GriffStand
Congrats to my boy
@CoachWMartin
on becoming the head Men’s basketball coach at Missouri Western!! You guys have a guy who cares and who is going to push the guys everyday to be great! Know you’re gonna do great things there. Well deserved brotha! Love 💯
Let’s make this clear ..
@CoachMcCollum
is one of the BEST coaches in ALL of basketball... his team is the most efficient in all of college hoops.
A D1 program needs to scoop him ASAP... you will get a Thank You letter from the rest of the MIAA.. Sincerely ✍🏻
#RESPECT
THANK YOU
@SethOnHoops
for stopping by Pregame Practice today.
TRUE 🏀 LEGEND ‼️‼️‼️
We are humbled, blessed, and grateful that you will be calling our game tnite
For the last 2 yrs, my only mission was to have your back & cover all blinde sides; An honor I’ll cherish for life🦊🕳
Thank you for building the culture & showing how to fight for it everyday.
@wyo_mbb
is getting more than a bball coach. It goes way beyond the Juice
#SeeYaLater
Our
@MWSUMBB
leader
@CoachSundance
welcomed Baby Grace Eleanor Wicks into the 🌎 today.. coming in @ 22 inches long, I think she is going to give Kelsey Wicks (Notre Dame) a run as the best Wicks hooper in the family. Congrats Papa Wicks 🐻
Griff Nation, help me in welcoming
@CoachTPeete
to the FAM as Asst Men’s Bball Coach! We spoke this day into existence back in 2014 when I was a GA & Tim played for Tulsa.
🗣🌊🌍
Tim is :
• ELITE skill developer
• HIGH level recruiter
• Defensive Savant
• Foxhole Friend
Special S/O to former Cats
@agentTwany
& Daniel Orton for coming by Practice tonight and imparting some wisdom on our guys.
Huge thanks to
@KentuckyMBB
for the hospitality. It’s the people who still make this place so special
#LaFamilia
#GriffUp
You learn more in the losses;
In basketball & life.
One area where I failed in my marriage last year as a first time Head Coach was not prioritizing time with my wife
This season, win or lose.. Good practice or bad practice - Monday night is date night
Love you
@AvensRidgeway
Stop looking for shooting gurus and psycho analyzing your shot... get in the gym ... Reps, reps, reps are your answer. It takes 10,000 hours to master a craft. 🏀
Stealing a tradition from my UK days.. if you get dunked on in practice, you get the helmet ⛑
Freshman was our first victim 😤
#GriffUp
🦁🦅
#WatchYourHead
When you tell your team you want to be playing your best basketball in March, this is what it looks like ...
Great penetration, kicks, shot fakes, extra passes
#Execution
#Flow
I’ve been in tears all morning after watching the full George Floyd vid. As a privileged white male in America, I’ll never fully understand, but my heart & soul feel ripped apart. The lack of awareness & action against the injustice/inequality that remain in society is a pandemic
Excited to announce promotion of
@CoachTDfor3
from GA to Asst Coach. Ty is emerging as one of the top young minds in our game. He has a fierce competitive disposition that elevates those around him. He’s also the only person in our program who has beaten every team in the MIAA 😜
When you get to live your dream because of the hard work and sacrifice of others, that’s what true humility looks like. That’s exactly how I feel.
#FLOW
As we depart for the NCAA Tournament,
@MWSUMBB
wanted to leave a little gift to the people who allowed this season to happen. AD
@JoshLooney
& President
@Eak2Kennedy
LEADERSHIP amidst a pandemic is unmatched. They have directed THE FLOW & given us a pathway FORWARD
#GriffUp
😷🤙🏻
ELITE!!!!!
@GriffonWBB
heading to the ELITE 8!!!
Regional champs!!! I’ve never been more happy to have a delayed flight connection so I could watch this magical finish on
@TheMIAA
Network!!!
@CandiWhitaker5
ELITE!!!!!
This man makes every
@gogriffons
student-athlete feel like an ESPY award winner. The work he does to lift up Missouri Western Athletics is unmatched!
@RyanMenley
#GriffUp
My people ‼️🤝
Once a manager, always a manager.
You guys never hesitate to reach out if I can ever do anything for you. I know the work you put in.. always proud to call myself a former UK manager. Changed my life. 🙏🏻
I’ll never ask my guys to do something I’m not willing to do WITH them..
shared suffering = shared success
Important Note : MASKS WERE UP WHEN NOT IN FULL SPRINT! 😷
It only takes 12% of a team to shift culture (positively or negatively).. That means that on most B-ball squads, it takes only 2 guys to either ignite or drain the energy of the teams culture... Choose to be an Igniter 🔥
#CultureWins
🤙🏻🦁🦅
One of my fav things about the offseason is studying other teams that do things @ a high level
On the docket:
1.Abilene Christian D
2.Northwest Mo O
3.Arizona BS D
4.UCLA O
5.Morehead State BS D
6.Loyola Chicago O
7.Wyoming BS O
Any other suggestions? 📚🏀🧠
Top reasons to play for
@CoachSundance
🔊:
1) JUICE (what’s understood doesn’t have to be explained)
2) Skill Development (Former Pro & has trained/coached over 50 pros)
3) Culture (Don Meyer Disciple w/ a splash of Swag)
4) Servant Leader (Players ALWAYS first)
#GriffUp
Practicing social distancing on our first staff retreat... I am so blessed to learn from these guys.. I couldn’t have assembled a better staff.
#FLOW
🌊
1) How many Presidents do you know who show up to play 1on1 with Students?
2) How many of them have a jumper like
@profmattwilson
?!? 👀💦🔥
Yes, this is OUR President of
@MissouriWestern
getting BUCKETS on member of Student Government.
So proud of what these PLAYERS have done for this school & community. I am so humbled and honored to be their coach. The resilience they showed to fight through adversity all year will have a lasting effect. This season may be over, but we are far from finished.
#FLOW
#GriffUp
Advice I’d like to give my younger self in this profession :
It’s not about WHAT you do, it’s about WHO you are; Your motives & intentions.
Anyone can do a job & check off a “to do” list, but few will choose to bring positive energy & lift up others around them constantly.
I’ve never been around anyone more deserving of success... a true “one percenter” in talent, skill, work ethic and most importantly CHARACTER.
He’s just getting started! 💍
The few times I was blessed enough to meet him, he always took the time to have a real conversation.. I’ll remember that way more than the championships & scoring titles. His legacy will forever transcend the game of basketball and time itself.
#MambaForever
Two “TESTS” you have to pass in our program 🏀📚
To be Offered a Scholarship :
1) Talent
2) Energy
3) Skill
4) Toughness
To Play Minutes Once You’re Here :
1) Trust
2) Efficiency
3) Sacrifice
4) Tenacity
#FLOW
🌊
#GriffUp
🦁🦅
Let’s talk sacrificial love personified… what this kid has BATTLED through this year :
Broken Back
COVID
Flu
Bells Palsy
Mono
They say a pic paints a thousand words, but this doesn’t even do the half.
I freakin love you
@Alexjohn101
You are SuperMan
Congrats to Trevor Hudgins, well deserved and earned.. it’s awesome to see someone from our league (MIAA) get a chance in THE League.
IF YOU CAN PLAY, THEY WILL FIND YOU!
The Houston Rockets are signing NW Missouri State G Trevor Hudgins to a two-way contract, his agent
@GeorgeLangberg
tells ESPN.
A 2-time Division II Player of the Year.
Got a surprise package from
@WolvesAthletics
this AM
First Regional/NCAA Tourney appearance in 11 years for the Griffs
Northern put on a phenomenal Regional.. First class staff & people in Aberdeen
Working hard & excited about returning... & advancing further
#GriffUp
#FLOW
Thank you seniors
You laid the brick🧱
You brought the juice🧃
You initiated the tidal wave of FLOW🌊
This moment👇🏻 ... I will cherish beyond this lifetime. I LOVE YOU
This man
@CoachWes_Smith
has done it ALL for
@MissouriWestern
with a true heart of service & love.
• Undergrad student manager 🏀
Undergrad Business Degree 🎓
• Grad Asst / Director of Op’s 🏀
MBA 🎓🎓
A true Griff through and through
We love you Wes!
Happy Anniversary
@AvensRidgeway
TWO YEARS (✌️) of this marriage thing… like everything, you sure make it look easy… Best decision I have ever made and it’s not even close.
Thanks for sharing today with Basketball. I love you and choose you beyond concepts of space/time ♾⚓️
#GSI
: When a tornado warning shelters everyone in Looney, and the Wizard behind the camera steps out from behind the curtain to hustle everyone in P-I-G
🎥 by yours truly… I’m digging the role reversal… full interview to come. Stay tuned
@RyanMenley
If you want something you’ve never had, it’s not as much about DOING what you’ve never done as it is SACRIFICING what you’ve never given up.
Many are willing to DO more, few are willing to sacrifice more.
What are you willing to give up for what you want most?
🔑’s to success :
📓Study with people smarter than you
🏃🏼♂️Run with people faster than you
🏋🏼♂️ Lift with people stronger than you
🙏🏻 Pray with people wiser than you
If you are the smartest/most skilled in a room, find a new room 🚪
HS & College Athletes : Don’t neglect conditioning over the summer.
No matter how strong or skilled :
When the lungs give out , soon follow the mind and body.
Big night for Griffs in exhibition @ the crib :
@CoachTPeete
served as acting Head Coach and got his first DUB! I enjoyed being his asst on bench.
@CoachWes_Smith
got bumped from GA to asst coach and got his first scout DUB!
Every player got in and contributed
#23Strong
🦁🦅
All that bounce means nothing if you can’t absorb contact and get to the rim... finishing over a tough wall-up or THROUGH physicality is more impressive than the open space windmill in your highlight reel.
Prove that your weapon is functional!
Can you become a pro as a D2 player? - Yes
Can you become an impactful pro as a D2 player? - Absolutely
Proud that
@MissouriWestern
will be represented on the largest stage for
@SuperBowl
LIII
#SuperBowlLIII
This makes me really proud & also honored to work with my staff…
@CoachPsteve
has played on the highest stage both in college & pros, yet he always leads with a servant mentality.
@CoachSundance
passed on the Don Meyer standard : “everyone takes notes, everyone picks up trash..”
As I sat here & waited for the crowd to clear out, I watched this Missouri Western assistant coach pick up every piece of trash, paper, & water bottle on the bench. Even going back multiple times to make sure he got everything.
#class
MoWest asst
@CoachTPeete
is always reading, zooming, watching film... constantly looking for ways to grow mentally, spiritually, professionally.
I hope our guys learn how to always thirst for knowledge the way Coach Peete does!!!
Find an assistant who does both 🤣💛
That time of year.. as player ailments go up, so do
@CoachJonHood
practice minutes. Man was a 🪣 today‼️
Will get the normatec ready for film this afternoon.
Belmont earned and deserved an at large bid.. 26-4... More wins than anyone in college basketball
(Tied with Gonzaga)
He’s too classy to say it, but I have a feeling this will be fuel for
@CaseyAlexander_
& his squad. They are a special team and will be for years to come.
Time reveals all things ⏳
If you are putting in the work, don’t be discouraged : It will come to light
If you aren’t putting in the work, don’t be fooled : It will get exposed
The WORK never lies 🤐
I say this with NO hesitation :
@CoachWes_Smith
is the best kept secret in all of college hoops ‼️
Won’t get sappy, but none are more deserving … let’s get to work COACH
#OurCity
An integral piece of the St. Joseph basketball scene and
@MWSUMBB
just went full-time. Please join us in congratulating
@CoachWes_Smith
on his promotion to assistant coach!
#OurCity
|
#StayGold
📰 —
THE GAME IS AN ILLUSION...
40 minutes of lights, cameras, & stats don’t tell the story... The countless hrs of workouts, practice, & preparation define who you really are as an individual & as a team. How you spend THOSE minutes determine who becomes a winner in ball & in life.
Agent 0 = Infinite Green Light 🚦
I told
@ReeseGlover5
when I recruited him that I thought he could lead the NATION in 3pt made.. didn’t know he would accomplish the feat in just his second year. High volume @ 41% 🔥
Not enough credit/appreciation is sent out to all the AAU coaches out there. Most have full time jobs and families they sacrifice time/energy with in order to develop kids & give them opportunities to further themselves in life!
Honoring HOF Coach
@stjocoach
& his 97-98 Griffs Team. His team was inducted into the HOF tnite. Their team was ‘98 MIAA regular season & tourney champions.
With over 600 wins, 5 MIAA championships, & 10 natty tourney appearances, I’m humbled by his guidance & support!
#GriffUp
The Wizard behind MoWest Analytics :
@CoachWes_Smith
🧙♂️
He goes way beyond the numbers, but Coach Weston Smith is as good as anyone I’ve been around (at ANY level) when it comes to DATA 👑
His mind lives in the matrix, but everything FLOWS from his heart.
Anyone looking for a GA or young assistant MUST look into
@nate5_moran
. Fresh off NIT finals run, the former
@LipscombMBB
guard is hungry to get into the coaching profession. Intelligent, Ambitious, Hard Working, and Trustworthy!
Perhaps the biggest no brainer for me since becoming HC is the promotion of
@CoachWes_Smith
to Graduate Asst Coach. Weston is the glue that holds everything together for
@MWSUMBB
. I can’t imagine leading this program without him as a true “right hand man.”