The number 1-ranked men’s team in the nation (NAIA) is undefeated Shorter University coached by Chad Warner in Rome Georgia. The first paragraph of a recent article reads below:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As the NAIA’s only undefeated team remaining, Shorter (Ga.) maintained its top ranking in the fifth regular-season edition of the 2011 – 12 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Monday. One week after its first top billing in school history, the Hawks were the unanimous selection with 12 first-place nods and 312 points in this installment. Shorter made its No. 1 debut by handing then-No. 4 Southern Poly (Ga.) a 74-65 loss on Jan. 19. That win helped push the Hawks to 18-0 on the year.
This was written earlier last week, because currently, Shorter is 22-0.
I wanted to bring your attention to Coach Chad Warner for a specific reason. This is his second year with the Read & React and as with most coaches, his first year was not quite “all in”.
That was his perception, not mine (I thought he did a good job that first year); however, during this past summer, he told me that after watching the movie Moneyball, he was inspired to step further out of the traditional basketball box and go “all in” with the Read & React this year.
I’ve been in his practices – I know what kind of a coach he is – so I’ve been looking forward to these results. Needless to say, I’m enjoying watching his reward knowing the anxiety that a coach goes through when he/she makes a commitment to something as nontraditional as the Read & React is.
As soon I can get some footage for the Tribe, I’ll post it.
Until then, the best description I can give you is that his team has a certain ease with the Read & React. There is a loose aggressiveness to how they play. I’ve seen relatively few forced shots. Although nothing is ever perfect, they give me the impression of a team that knows how to wait on their shots and their scoring opportunities.
They’re fun to watch – I’ll keep you posted.
