In my coverage of Cal State Fullerton’s 100-91 victory over Montana Friday, I neglected to point out a game strategy -- employed by Titan coach Bob Burton -- which I consider an important predictor of a team’s success later on during the season.
Burton gave significant playing time to nine of his players, all of whom saw a minimum of 11 minutes on the floor, with only senior Frank Robinson getting more than 30 minutes. Of those nine, only one failed to score. In contrast, seven Montana players logged 15-plus minutes, and three played more than 30 minutes, with Matt Martin clocking in at 37.
The fact that the Titans played a full bench and still won the game
is an indicator of depth and talent. But it can be argued that because so many players saw action, the Titans always had a fresher team on the floor, particularly when they made their crucial second half run. There were obvious signs of physcal and mental fatigue in Montana players precisely at the point the Titans made their run.
Beyond the fact that it’s simply good policy to give
PHOTO: Zach Graves, one of several young Griz players who will get better with experience.
younger players as many minutes of playing time as possible, the practice pays dividends for coaches and their teams all season long.
There are the obvious benefits:
• younger players get game experience early, when losses aren’t as critical as they are in league play.
• it’s good for team morale because players who see regular action are less likely to experience "morale blues" from riding the bench.
• In the case of a mid or late-season injury to a starter, players who step in will have had real-game experience.
• It sharpens an entire team’s mental involvement. If you know you’re going to play, you stay involved, ready to contribute.
And, there are the long-term intangible rewards:
• Team depth will strengthen game by game. Deep teams will have the ability to withstand the fatiguing season-long grind that often takes its toll on squads that play only 7 or 8 players
• A coach who gives time to young players will be able to use actual game experience to evaluate how younger players can start to fill specific roles later in the season.
• The skill gap between first and second string players narrows over the course of a season, which boosts team chemistry and increases the odds that a team will peak a the right time.
The practice can be a gamble for a variety of reasons. And, some coaches have the continual pressure to win every game NOW, and so they always put their most experienced players on the floor.
For Burton and his Titans, the 9-man rotation is already paying dividends. It’s easy to see that the Titans are already not only deep, but a well-balanced team with solid chemistry. The Titans are ranked a well-deserved 14th in this week's Mid Majors Poll and will certainly challenge for the Big West title.
The Grizzlies have a return match with the Titans in Fullerton on Dec. 20. The game will be an ideal test to measure how well the Griz can make improvements on the defensive lapses Montana Coaches Wayne Tinkle and Nate DuChesne addressed in my intervews with them on Friday. The Griz, like the Titans, have several younger players who have benefitted in recent games by getting more experience. By then, the Grizzlies will have had three more games -- against very tough competition -- to sharpen their defensive focus and build their team depth.
However the game turns out, one thing is certain. Montana's pre-season schedule has been loaded with top tier teams -- each with a unique style of play. It's the perfect schedule to prepare Montana for conference play. And I hope -- despite how tough the schedule is -- upcoming games will provide the right conditions for the Grizzlies to give as much playing time as possible to as many young players as possible. After all, they only stand to get better. And that will be very good for this team down the stretch.
