Talkin' Spartans: Couch, Rexrode & Sharp preview MSU vs. Harvard: Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch, Gannett Michigan MSU beat writer Joe Rexrode and Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp discuss the Spartans' upcoming NCAA tournament matchup with Harvard.
SPOKANE, WASH. — It’s easier to build a basketball program at Harvard than it is Michigan.
This is what Tommy Amaker has taught us. His story is evidence more than it is coincidence.
In seven seasons in Cambridge, Mass., he’s done three times what he couldn’t do in six years in Ann Arbor — find his way to the NCAA tournament. Tonight, Amaker’s Ivy League squad will try to do what his Wolverines rarely could, beat MSU.
Unlike at Michigan, he doesn’t have to.
Harvard was the perfect place for Amaker to resurrect his coaching career, from multiple standpoints — timing, understated advantages of Harvard, and an opportunity for a level of mid-major basketball prestige that can’t be had at Ball State or Bradley.
This is Harvard. If you win there, in basketball, it’s a story. And it’s easier than it’s made out to be. It should be, at least.
What semi-serious student wouldn’t be interested in a Harvard education and degree? What parent doesn’t want that for their child?
“Harvard is an incredible draw,” Amaker said Friday.
“It doesn’t get any better academically than Harvard,” Crimson sophomore point guard Siyani Chambers said, when asked why he chose his school.
Chambers had other options. He’s a legit Division I point guard.
Chambers’ teammates echoed him, then began talking about their relationships with coaches and teammates, their coach’s vision — the same dribble as every player does at every school, even if more eloquently stated. But other schools don’t begin by being Harvard.
Amaker can actually use the academic brand. At Michigan, he couldn’t.
To win at Michigan, you have to recruit against the behemoths of the Big Ten, Tom Izzo included. It’s recognized as a world-class research institution. But most of its recruits are only making a basketball decision.
At Harvard, from a basketball recruiting perspective, you’re looking for the best of the rest, convincing smart kids that Harvard ultimately offers odds of a better life than Western Kentucky.
“There’s no question that the brand of Harvard and the opportunity is really an opportunity of a lifetime to attend that great school,” Amaker said. “We have a chance to present our option to a variety of kids, whether they have scholarship offers or something else. I think the Harvard option is one that’s attractive.”
And it’s free, or close to it. The perception of Harvard is it’s a non-scholarship school. It is a non-athletic scholarship school. But in 2006, just before Amaker’s arrival, the school loosened its financial aid policy, allowing all students from household incomes of less than $60,000 to attend at zero cost.
Students from homes making $180,000 or less receive partial scholarships. All they have to do is be accepted to the university.
It’s impossible to truly know whether Amaker is a better coach than he was at Michigan. At 48 years old, he’s definitely more seasoned.
Mostly, he’s found a better fit. A place where he and his players sound alike, and where what he’s selling can’t be matched by those he needs to beat.
Source
This is what Tommy Amaker has taught us. His story is evidence more than it is coincidence.
In seven seasons in Cambridge, Mass., he’s done three times what he couldn’t do in six years in Ann Arbor — find his way to the NCAA tournament. Tonight, Amaker’s Ivy League squad will try to do what his Wolverines rarely could, beat MSU.
Unlike at Michigan, he doesn’t have to.
Harvard was the perfect place for Amaker to resurrect his coaching career, from multiple standpoints — timing, understated advantages of Harvard, and an opportunity for a level of mid-major basketball prestige that can’t be had at Ball State or Bradley.
This is Harvard. If you win there, in basketball, it’s a story. And it’s easier than it’s made out to be. It should be, at least.
What semi-serious student wouldn’t be interested in a Harvard education and degree? What parent doesn’t want that for their child?
“Harvard is an incredible draw,” Amaker said Friday.
“It doesn’t get any better academically than Harvard,” Crimson sophomore point guard Siyani Chambers said, when asked why he chose his school.
Chambers had other options. He’s a legit Division I point guard.
Chambers’ teammates echoed him, then began talking about their relationships with coaches and teammates, their coach’s vision — the same dribble as every player does at every school, even if more eloquently stated. But other schools don’t begin by being Harvard.
Amaker can actually use the academic brand. At Michigan, he couldn’t.To win at Michigan, you have to recruit against the behemoths of the Big Ten, Tom Izzo included. It’s recognized as a world-class research institution. But most of its recruits are only making a basketball decision.
At Harvard, from a basketball recruiting perspective, you’re looking for the best of the rest, convincing smart kids that Harvard ultimately offers odds of a better life than Western Kentucky.
“There’s no question that the brand of Harvard and the opportunity is really an opportunity of a lifetime to attend that great school,” Amaker said. “We have a chance to present our option to a variety of kids, whether they have scholarship offers or something else. I think the Harvard option is one that’s attractive.”
And it’s free, or close to it. The perception of Harvard is it’s a non-scholarship school. It is a non-athletic scholarship school. But in 2006, just before Amaker’s arrival, the school loosened its financial aid policy, allowing all students from household incomes of less than $60,000 to attend at zero cost.
Students from homes making $180,000 or less receive partial scholarships. All they have to do is be accepted to the university.
It’s impossible to truly know whether Amaker is a better coach than he was at Michigan. At 48 years old, he’s definitely more seasoned.
Mostly, he’s found a better fit. A place where he and his players sound alike, and where what he’s selling can’t be matched by those he needs to beat.
Source