Learning Lessons in a Comeback

By now, you have probably seen and/or heard about Nevada’s improbable comeback against New Mexico. Or…you’re living under a rock, perhaps.

As a quick refresher, Nevada was losing by 25 points midway through the second half. They were still losing by 19 points with about 4:00 minutes to play. And, with just over 1 minute to go in the game, they were losing by 14 points. 14 points!!

Here…watch for yourself (and we’ll talk more below the video):

It’s pretty obvious that the biggest lesson to be learned is that the game isn’t over until it’s over. Cliche as that may be, it’s true. Here though are more ideas:

Play until the final buzzer sounds.
No kidding. Many players don’t understand this concept.
Play with confidence.
Nevada didn’t have a lot to be confident about through 39 minutes. But they kept playing hard and coaching hard. They stayed confident.
Luck.
It was needed here. Nevada banked in a couple of 3’s and needed some other luck. While you can’t always count on luck, hard work will often create luck.
Never Quit. Ever.
As you can see with the final score, they didn’t quit. A majority of players would have simply ‘gone through the motions’ those last 5 minutes.

Oh….and one more learning lesson….

MAKE FREE THROWS!

If New Mexico makes one more free throw down the stretch they win. Practice free throws and practice them in competitive situations. They are kind of important.

Another good read on this comeback is from Nevada Coach Eric Musselman. The following article is from the Quad City Times. FYI, Coach Eric Musselman is also a good Twitter follow @EricPMusselman.

Read: The Strategy Behind Nevada’s Improbable Comeback

Coaches, share this video with your players and help them understand to never quit! There is always a chance until the clock reads 0:00