UCF coach Donnie Jones said he is grateful for the opportunity to spend more quality time with his players this summer.
A new NCAA rule allows college basketball coaches to spend two hours a week for up to eight weeks during the summer on the basketball court working with groups of four players or less. It is similar to the amount of time coaches are allowed to spend with players participating in fall preseason workouts.
Before the rule change, players were allowed to spend extensive time with strength and conditioning coaches but the contact with the basketball coaches was limited to academic work.
“I think it gives us a chance to be interactive with them,” Jones said. “Usually when the season ends, our hands are off. Now we can teach and keep them in the mindset of being together. I think it creates some organization for them.”
First year Tulsa coach Danny Manning, who previously was a star college player and has been an assistant coach at the college level, said the closer contact with players helps coaches keep them out of trouble.
“It’s great, but it’s about time,” he said. “We’re excited. Beyond coaching, it’s going to improve the ability to maintain personal relationships and discipline. You spend time with the guys, you can look them in the eye and you can keep them on the right track. A lot of times before, summers were free reign because they didn’t see the coaches that much. This is much better.”
In the past, players used to squeeze in on-the-floor workouts with any non-college coach they could find. In some cases, the athletes relied solely on pickup basketball games in the offseason, which rarely helped them correct fundamental mistakes.
“That’s one of the best changes they’ve made, in my opinion, in a long time,” Marshall coach Tom Herrion said. “Giving us access to our players is only going to help. No one’s going to get a clear advantage from a competitive standpoint, but I think all of us are a lot more comfortable having access to our players in the offseason.
“Our hands are on them in workout situations. Instead of them going out and trying to train somewhere else, they’ll have a clearer understanding of how we want them to develop. It will help us academically, it will help us in so many different ways.”
A variety of other NCAA rule changes went into effect during the summer.
* The NCAA is cracking down on poor sportsmanship, promising to hit coaches with more technical fouls for prolonged negative attacks lobbed at officials.
* The NCAA clarified the guidelines for when officials should call charges and blocking fouls, making sure a defender isn’t rewarded for solely standing outside the arc when an opponent is driving toward the basket.
* Temporary decals, such as tournament logos, must be consistent with the playing surface. In the past, some temporary logos applied to the top of arena floors have caused players to slip and fall during games.
ilimon@tribune.com or 407-650-6353. Read Iliana Limón Romero’s blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/knightsnotepad.
