By Scott Drew Deserves All The Accolades In The World For The Job He’s Done In Waco
March 30, 2010 – 10:45 am by Michael Bean
The magical ride for Scott Drew’s Baylor Bears has come to an end. Baylor couldn’t hold onto a late lead against the top seeded Duke Blue Devils on Sunday, but I don’t think they have anything to hang their heads about. Duke just made a few more plays down the stretch than did Baylor. Don’t think that this was a one year thing though for Drew’s program. The man can flat out coach and there’s plenty of talent in the state of Texas to go around. I think this is just the beginning for a program that was not long ago in as bad of shape as any in the country following the murder of a player by a teammate.
Drew joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis to talk about the job he’s done putting Baylor hoops on the map, what attracted him to the job in the first place, what he’s learned from his father (also a coach) on and off the court, and why he thinks Butler – his alma mater – may just win it all if they’re able to stay focused this coming weekend.
On how he was able to put the Baylor Bears program on the map:
“One key, it’s called players. We’ve been very, very fortunate. We’ve brought in players that have done well on the court and in the classroom. Top 10 % in the nation in the 4-year rolling APR, our progress report. Then this is our third straight 20 win season and the third straight postseason appearance. In the school’s history, we’ve only had five 20 win seasons now.”
On leaving Valparaiso, a school that’s meant a lot to him and his family:
“Well most definitely that was home. But I prayed about it, felt like it was a great opportunity. We have a niche, it’s the only private school in the Big 12 so it’s got a great academic reputation. It’s the oldest school in the state of Texas, the largest Baptist school in the nation, the weather’s a lot nicer in the winter, and we can all relate to that. As far as facilities, they’re top notch, so we knew it was just a matter of time before we got the players. And the administration has been outstanding, they’ve given us every resource we need to be successful, and we’ve been blessed with very talented players.”
On the influence his father has played on him as a coach and person:
“Well I’ve been fortunate to have been raised by…my dad’s the sixth or seventh all-time winningest active coach. So he’s won a lot of games, but what I think makes him special and someone that I try to learn from is he just cares about people and he related with people, and he does the right things for people. He’d rather spend time rather than recruiting making calls getting his former players jobs. I mean, he’s got a great heart.”
On the Cinderella story of his alma mater, Butler:
“Unbelievable story. I think Brad Stevens should be coach of the year, I think that’s a hands down deserving award for him. It’s one thing to make a Final Four, but to make it when it’s in Indy, you can’t write a better script. But you know what, we’ve had special things happen when it comes to Hinkle Fieldhouse, don’t we?”
On if he thinks Butler has what it takes to win it all:
“This tournament’s been more wide open than any other tournament because of the parity in men’s basketball. I can’t tell you when the last game Butler has lost, but it’s been a long time because they were undefeated throughout conference which is amazing and very hard to do, no matter what league you’re in – very hard to do. And they won the conference tournament, so I mean, there’s no reason to think they can’t keep it going. Now, the big thing will be because they’re going to have so much national attention, if they’re going to be able to maintain concentration and focus. But I know that everybody loves an underdog and that’s what we’ve always loved in the United States. Everybody’s going to be cheering for them.”
Listen here to Drew with Eddie White on 1070 The Fan
Tags: 1070 The Fan, Baylor Bears make Elite 8, best young coaches in college basketball, Scott Drew
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