John Beilein and Tom Izzo would both like to see more practice time before college basketball season
John Beilein still keeps the old six-week calendar he used at the start of seasons' past. It was the Michigan coach's implementation plan, going from fundamentals to the ins-and-outs of his offense and defense.
Along the way, though, the schedule changed. Six weeks until the first game turned into four and schools around the country started cramming everything in.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is a proponent of lengthening college basketball's preseason.
AP photo
“The first week would be so fundamental, we’d have a scrimmage after four weeks and now often times you’re playing a game after four weeks,” Beilein said. “Hopefully, as we continue to enhance the game, the college game, the time they may be allowing us down the road with increased practice time in the fall.”
The idea of doing just that came up on the Big Ten teleconference Monday from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who has similar problems to Beilein when it comes to implementation.
He and Beilein both said they would like to see one of two things happen - either move the beginning of practice to the start of October or push back the start of games another week or so.
It’d allow for more time, something the coaches feel they no longer have. Michigan State, for example, had 10 games in the past month. Combine that with mandatory NCAA off-days, and there’s not much time once the season gets going to tweak things, let alone make bigger improvements.
“I just don’t think we’re getting enough time to practice,” Izzo said. “I’d like to see us in early October and gradual into it, it could be 10 hours a week and then 15 and then 20 so you get a little bit more health-wise. You’d get better, you wouldn’t be cramming as much in and I definitely don’t think we’re really getting enough time to practice.
“That’s just my opinion, not anybody else’s. So blame me for that, not anyone else.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.