Friday, November 28, 2025

The Smartest Guy in the Room

A line often attributed to Lincoln says, “I learn from everyone — sometimes what to do, sometimes what not to do.” 

What tools can we share with players to help them learn, to become "the smartest guy in the room?"  

Add value

  • "This is what I can do for you." LA Rams coach Sean McVay says, "Everyone benefits from coaching."
  • Are we investing our time or spending it? Limit distractions. Cellphones are great tools and distractions. 

Improve attention

  • Recognize attention limits. The Pomodoro Technique uses 25 minutes on and five minutes off. Study with a strategy. 
  • Mindfulness improves attention and behavior, even in elementary school aged children
Learn about learning
  • Spaced repetition extend the learning period, don't cram. "Repetition is the mother of learning." Wooden's EDIRx5 (explain, demonstrate, imitate, repeat x 5) was ahead of its time. "Repetitions make reputations."
  • Self-testing after study, ask ourselves "what did I learn?" and "what was the author's intent
Simplify
  • Simplifying recognizes limited "working memory." Jocko Willink, Navy SEAL leader, tells of an operator who says to reduce the plan to three items, because that's all he can remember. There's truth in that. 
  • "He who chases two rabbits will catch neither." - Russian proverb  Teach players and teams to be good at what you do a lot. Being good at half-court defense and handling pressure will keep you in a lot of games. A variation from Wooden, "“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
Checklists 

Teach the symmetry of the game. Coach did it another way with a hand-drawn "Key" and three "Keys to Victory." 


Storytelling
  • Man is the storytelling animal. People remember stories. We tend to remember 'peak' and 'end' experiences. The end experience of the Webber timeout, Princeton backdoor winner against UCLA, or Carolina eight points in eighteen seconds to take Duke into overtime stick with you.
  • Capitalize on storytelling features - SUCCES - simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, stories  
Habit formation
  • "Win the morning; win the day." Develop a morning routine that works for you. Pick (the items), Stick (with them), Check that you're applying them. 
  • "Make good habits easier and bad habits harder." If something is a distraction, get it out of the way. If something helps, keep it obvious. 
Summary:
  • Add value
  • Improve attention
  • Learn about learning
  • Simplify
  • Use checklists
  • Become a storyteller
  • Habit formation
Did you notice that these are not specific to basketball? They work for most aspects of life, including relationships and work. 

Lagniappe. Study video. "Movement kills defenses." 

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