It would be easy to tell who the good coaches were if they all had a few games with the exact same roster. If the players were the same, play-calling and strategy would become more evident. You’d be able to see which coach players played the hardest for, how the coaches made the individual talents form the most effective team fit.
Since this is not possible, we must measure the quality of coaches not just by how successful their teams are but how successful they are in relation to the talent and chemistry – and availability – of the players on the floor. And most coaches, particularly in an era where the transfer portal is less an option and more a matter of course, are in the habit of adjusting on the fly. It’s not about who can draw up the best play but who can find the play that the five guys on hand are best equipped to make.
This is where Micah Shrewsberry is in Year 1 of his Penn State tenure. He is making the most of what he has, and in doing so is producing a brand of basketball that isn’t exactly elegant but has made his first Nittany Lion team perhaps more competitive than it ought to be.
