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New calendar requires programs to adjust preseason approach

WCC Basketball Tournament - Semifinals San Diego v Saint Mary's

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Bill Grier of the San Diego Toreros watches the clock during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at the Orleans Arena March 9, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

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Friday marks the official start of the 2013-14 college basketball season, as programs are now allowed to begin practicing on September 27. The scheduling change essentially added three weeks to the college hoops calendar, and this has required programs to take another look at the way in which they handle the preseason.

The key for many coaches: getting their players ready for the upcoming season without running them into the ground. And with practices beginning even earlier, this has become an important balance to negotiate. With that in mind, both San Diego and San Diego State are thinking of ways in which to ensure that their players will be at peak physical condition when their seasons begin in early November according to Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“It basically makes the season three weeks longer,” USD coach Bill Grier said. “You have to be smart about it. In this business, you’re always worried that someone else is doing more than you. You can’t get caught up in that. Everyone I’ve talked to has the same concerns, and that’s injuries and burning your guys out.

“I think there’s going to be a learning curve for all of us because it’s the first time through. Everyone seems to have a different approach to it.”

The new calendar has also impacted the way in which schools open practice. Gone are the days of “Midnight Madness” marking the start of the college basketball season, a development that’s unfortunate in the eyes of many. But the fact of the matter is that things began to change when the NCAA allowed schools to kick things off at 5 p.m. local time on the Friday closest to October 15 instead of having to wait until late at night, so we’re somewhat used to teams eschewing the “Midnight Madness” idea.

With the rule change programs are allowed to practice 30 times within the 42-day period, which could mean that the preseason teaching won’t have the “hurried” feel that it did when practice began in mid-October. Will that ultimately have a positive impact on the quality of basketball being played, especially early in the season? Hopefully that will be the case.

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