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During March Madness, HOOPSWORLD NBA analyst and coach Anthony Macri opens his notebook and offers an assortment of observations on players, matchups and strategies from the NCAA Tournament. Coach Macri serves as a player development consultant for the Pro Training Center and Coach David Thorpe, working with a variety of NBA and collegiate players on their skills and game understanding. During tournament time, the Coach’s Notebook will appear on HOOPSWORLD once or twice per week. 

The next level: Derrick Williams

University of Arizona forward Derrick Williams had one of the most productive seasons in the entire NCAA this year.  Possessing an effective combination of size, length, dexterity and power, Williams looks like a prototypical "tweener-4" at the next level. 

At 6’8 and around 235, Williams had a ridiculously efficient year for the Wildcats.  He finished the season second in the country in free throw attempts per game, and shooting just under 75% from the charity stripe meant he made them count.  His high percentage shooting continued beyond the arc, where he shot 56.5% on about two-and-a-half attempts per game.  This type of diversified offensive attack is rare in a college player and Williams looks like he could fill the role of scoring machine in the NBA. 

Where he really shines is in how he attacks the rim.  Williams is smooth in his approach, appears to understand and account for second line defenders, and changes speed and direction effortlessly.  His attack is rarely disjointed and he shows excellent body control and connectivity (connectivity means his lower body and upper body communicate and work toward the same goal – you would be surprised how many high level athletes have connectivity issues) as he counters when defenders step up to take away his primary drives.

While his strength is in his rim attack mentality and explosiveness, Williams looks like a guy who will also do well in a pick-n-pop offensive system.  His ability to shoot from the perimeter makes him a great candidate for sprinting to spots for shots, and his good first step and ability to read help angles will give him an advantage over the slower power forwards in the league. 

On the defensive end there is very little doubt Williams will be average at best.  While his versatility is a major positive on the offensive end and creates mismatches, he will struggle to guard bigger, more post-centric four men.  Of course, this should not be a huge concern: if guarding the LaMarcus Aldridges of the world was the standard measuring stick, it would be hard to find any good defenders.  Against the vast majority of the league, Williams will be able to use his athleticism and quickness to make up for deficiencies by taking smart angles and using his body. 

Because of his devastating dunks, Williams has been called "college Blake Griffin." But it seems a more apt comparison for Williams is a more athletic David West type, maybe with a dose of Michael Beasley thrown in for good measure.  While there probably isn’t enough of that kind of ability to make him a full-time three, he can probably play at least spot minutes in the position though his full-time job will be at the four where he is more likely to take advantage of his shot-creating and scoring skills against weaker perimeter defenders. 

He may not have been on many lists of top-three picks coming into the season, but he certainly looks like a lock now and it seems likely he has a chance at a long and productive NBA career.  As he adjusts to the bigger, faster, and stronger play at the professional level he will have a chance to put up efficient production for whoever selects him. 

Final Four coaching styles

Watching the college game it is easier to get an appreciation for the coaches than it is to develop one for individual players.  Because the successful coaches are around long-term and players’ time is (mostly) fleeting, teams and programs become readily identifiable by their coaches more than anything else. 

{AUTHOR_BOX}In the case of this year’s edition of the Final Four, each program’s coach has managed to build his team to become an extension of his own personality, and it has served each squad well. 

Butler’s Brad Stevens has imprinted his personality on his team as well as anyone, which is somewhat incredible at such a young age.  Stevens is the picture of calm and pragmatic on the sideline, able to cut through the noise and distraction and focus on the things he can control and the task at hand.  Like their coach, the Butler players approach adversity very even-keeled, rarely becoming flustered or over-excited, and their maintenance of emotion coupled with excellent execution is a potent mix in a tournament like this. 

Always known as a fighter with an aggressive personality, Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun is constantly heaping praise on his young players.  He does an amazing job bringing them together as a very tight-knit group and establshing an us-against-the-world mentality.  They respond with an attitude matching their coach’s fiery demeanor.  In fact, the way UCONN has continued to win through the Big East and now NCAA Tournament is by consistently playing harder down the stretch of games.  Their ability to maintain energy levels and execute gameplans in ever-changing conditions is a true testament to Calhoun’s tenacity. 

With a focus on motivation and getting his team to believe in something bigger than itself, Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart has taken this year’s tournament by storm.  His team, like him, is emotional, and they ride a huge burst of energy and passion out onto the floor which they sustain throughout the first half and into the second.  And just like their coach (watch Smart slow down on the sidelines with about 12 minutes remaining in the game), VCU tends to experience a lull at the midway point of the second half, before making just enough plays to seal the deal down the stretch. Their ability to get out quick and finish strong is directly tied to the way they respond to Smart’s coaching– as is the lull they occasionally struggle with during games. 

Kentucky’s John Calipari is always hailed as a top-flight recruiter, but only now are folks starting to realize how skilled he is as an Xs and Os coach.  More than anything, over his career Calipari has shown a near genius-level ability to adapt to changing circumstances.  From year-to-year and game-to-game, Calipari does as good a job as anyone in the country of morphing his system and approach based on his personnel and opponent.  As an extension of that characteristic, this Kentucky team has shown a remarkable ability to focus on taking away its opponent’s strengths and exploiting weaknesses, and the impressive capacity to do so from one possession to the next. 

A team taking on the personality of its coach is not a new concept, but the diversity of approaches and characters in this year’s Final Four make it an entertaining concept to keep track.  By the way, if you’re looking for my picks, I’m guessing we will see a matchup of Brad Stevens’ cool-hand Luke approach against the minute-to-minute adaptability of John Calipari in the National Championship Game on Monday. 

Have questions for Coach Macri? Be sure and drop by HOOPSWORLD on Mondays at 2PM Eastern for the Coach’s weekly basketball chat!  You can also follow Coach Macri on Twitter @CoachMacri.