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SPORTS Wednesday 22 March 2023
College hoops staffs specialize to meet roster, NIL demands

By AARON BEARD Zooms on the eve of beat-
AP Basketball Writer ing No. 1 overall seed Gon-
Kelvin Sampson has been zaga to reach a second
around college basketball straight regional final.
long enough to remember “I think it was five, maybe
when preseason practices four (Zooms), before we
started in October follow- played Gonzaga the night
ing a true offseason, teams before, up until maybe
remained largely intact for 11:15, 11:30 at night doing
multiple seasons and play- Zooms when you are trying
ers weren’t permitted to to make an Elite Eight, play-
pursue endorsement deals. ing in a Sweet 16 game,”
It might as well be a differ- he said.
ent planet now. Musselman, whose team
The way Houston’s coach is fresh off beating 1-seed
sees it, the top-tier pro- and reigning national
grams must evolve to bet- champion Kansas, has a
ter manage recruiting, the 14-person support staff be-
transfer portal and roster yond his three assistants
demands, and athlete Houston coach Kelvin reacts to a foul call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball and the goal of being “at
compensation deals. game against Central Florida Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Houston. the forefront of analytics.”
“Absolutely, you have to,” Associated Press That includes a director
the 67-year-old Sampson of internal operations, di-
said as March Madness – former (graduate assis- ly taking on tasks such as of strategies, working with rector of scouting, recruit-
headed to Sweet 16 week- tants) and managers that breaking down film. Tang game plans, scouting and ing coordinator, assistant
end. “To (manage) those work in the front office at and Michigan State’s Tom film review. He is part of a director of recruiting and
kinds of things, you’ve got the (NBA’s) Phoenix Suns,” Izzo each has a chief of broader effort to deal with scouting, and seven gradu-
to have specialization on Kansas State first-year staff. roster management in the ate assistants.
your staff.” coach Jerome Tang said Top overall seed Alabama portal era, when rosters Consider it the trickle-down
That means bolstering sup- before clinching a Sweet has a director of scout- change dramatically from of NBA influence into col-
port staffs, much like how 16 appearance. “Those ing and analytics. Fellow one year to the next. lege ranks.
analysts and quality con- guys told me that the four Southeastern Conference “It’s the college version “Players watch the NBA
trol staffers have become guys that are on the bench team Tennessee has some- of free agency and it’s guys, they want to be like
common across college across the country are one overseeing analytics. something that goes on all them, play like them, be in
football. Specialized roles probably the same. It’s the Titles vary. The goal doesn’t. the time and it continues an offense like them,” said
for recruiting, scouting or next level that separates “I have people on my staff to grow on a daily basis,” Baylor coach Scott Drew,
analytics. Adding spe- you.” in charge of something with Sutton said. “We have to whose team reached
cial assistants to aid head March Madness resumes one of our kids 24 hours a retain our players. … So the tournament’s second
coaches, general manag- Thursday, and there are day,” Sampson said. “And having a larger to staff to round. “Then you look at
ers to navigate the new era examples of these increas- it’s all built around relation- be able to be involved in staffs. And as universities try
of players profiting from use ingly specialized staffs on ships. You know, these kids the current players’ lives to keep up and provide the
their name, image and like- teams still chasing a nation- can transfer today and and then have an eye on best for their student-ath-
ness (NIL), even creative- al title. not even have to tell the what’s happening outside letes, then you’re getting
content staffers to pump Six teams — Houston, Xavi- coach. They can just go of your program in terms of into analytics. You’re get-
out videos or social media er, Texas, Arkansas, San to the compliance office. the transfer portal.” ting into nutrition. You’re
to promote the program’s Diego State and Florida … So in order to combat Juggling that with the core getting into player devel-
brand. Atlantic — have an assis- those kinds of things, it’s goal – winning games — opment.”
If anything, staffs are start- tant or special assistant to more and more important isn’t easy, either. That has included the very-
ing to resemble their coun- the head coach, often de- that you’re involved in their For Arkansas coach Eric pro-sounding role of GM,
terparts in the pros. signed as catch-all helpers daily lives.” Musselman, that meant arriving at Duke and De-
“I’ve got three – I guess who shoulder administra- Kevin Sutton joined Kan- stopping game-prep work Paul as an NIL resource to
there are four of them now tive duties while potential- sas State’s staff as director last year for recruiting players.q

NBA suspends Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks

for 18th technical

NEW YORK (AP) — The for a loss to the Clippers He will sit out Wednes-
NBA has suspended Mem- on March 5 after receiving day night’s game against
phis Grizzlies forward Dillon his 16th technical foul in a Houston and risks another
Brooks for one game with- loss to Denver on March one-game suspension if he
out pay for his 18th techni- 3.Brooks earned his latest picks up two more techni-
cal foul this season. suspension Monday night cal fouls.
Joe Dumars, the league’s with 7:26 left in the third Brooks also was fined
executive vice president quarter of the Grizzlies’ $35,000 by the NBA last
and head of basketball 112-108 win over Dallas. He week for shoving a cam-
operations, announced dunked, and then danced era person while chasing Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) gestures toward
the suspension Tuesday. his way back down the a loose ball during a loss in Dallas Mavericks players in the second half of an NBA basketball
Brooks also was s uspended court. Miami.q game Monday, March 20, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn.
Associated Press