In an interesting article in
this morning's Boston Globe, it's reported that Marquette is fidgeting with the team's lungs.
Inside an altitude chamber that simulates conditions at 9,000 feet above sea level, Marquette University guards Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal start pedaling stationary bikes. Realizing the challenge ahead, they look less than thrilled. Within minutes, Matthews and McNeal experience shortness of breath. Heart rates rise quickly. In five minutes, Matthews and McNeal have stressed their bodies far beyond what they could do on a bike outside the chamber.
After purchasing a customized altitude unit this summer for $41,700, Marquette became the first college basketball team in the country to integrate the hypoxic chamber into its training regimen, following the lead of professional sports franchises such as the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and Phoenix Suns.
When I was at alumni weekend this summer and they gave a tour of the Al Center, they showed the unit off. It doesn't look like much. Some kind of unit ventilator inside this glass-enclosed area abouyt 10 or 12' x 12'. A couple bikes inside and a treadmill I think.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty nuts.
I bet the kids hate that thing.
ReplyDeleteI bet Georgia Tech does not have one....Thanks TC
ReplyDeleteThe things we are absolutely WASTING money on in our basketball program are embarrassing and out of control. We need an AD who will rein this kind of thing in. It hasn't lead to post season success, it's not pulling in recruits, it's just paying to get articles written about our head coach.
ReplyDeleteCrean flies all over creation to see recruits (or is it be seen), yet our best players are all within driving distance (James a little further). It's nonsense!!
I'm in total agreement with the need for an effective AD SOON because of the very reasons you state about TC.
ReplyDeleteIf those last two posts were actually serious and not sarcasm, it just shows:
ReplyDeletea) The anti-Crean crowd will find anything to rip on him about.
b) You are insane.
c) see A and B
The biggest news in this string of posts is that gene frenkle is kind of guy who takes tours of the practice facility while his fellow alums were partying it up and getting reacquainted.
ReplyDeleteDid you guys even read the article?
ReplyDeleteThis isn't some crackpot invention. High Altitude training has been around for ages. And MU is only the first NCAA team to try it .. look at the pro teams that use it .. the Pistons, Heat, and Suns.
$41k for that device is a paltry sum for a device that'll last 10+ years. And that's a pittance to pay for our guys to be 10% less fatigued at the end of a game.
It's asinine comments like that why we turned off the anonymous comments for a while. Maybe it's time to go back, so you trolls don't have a place to post.
This is absolute BS...the majority of schools in the rockies have been doing altitude training since their inceptions....albeit natural.
ReplyDelete;-)
Let me get this right: investing in equipment and techniques to help the program is a bad thing. Silly coach.
ReplyDeleteSome of u folks need to take a break and decompress.
Or, read today's WSJ article about Ohio State athletics and gain some healthy perspective.
Gene: Take a breath. I assume all of us are MU grads, and are pulling for the program. The frustration is TC has 0 NCAA wins w/o D-Wade, yet draws a salary over $1 million, and when my daughter filled out her application, the tuition closes in on $40K a year. So we want some accountability, and a bit less koolaid consumption. No one is calling for the return of Mike Deane or BD, or Kevin O'Neil for that matter, but stop acting like Crean walks on water when in fact Bo Ryan has a much better track record, as frustrating it is to admit that sad fact.
ReplyDeleteHey, I love MU basketball as the next guy... but this just seems downright frivolous. Marquette has more important things to spend money on than some vacuum chamber. Just tell these kids to hold their breath. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteGood to see TC is on the leading edge in training. I doubt it very much if the players hate 'this thing." They are committed to doing whatever is necessary to come out on top. Better to have tried and failed (with this) than to have never tried at all.
ReplyDeleteHere's a tip, Tom.... save the $$$ on the chamber and go find a hill for the boys to run. If you can't beat'em, join'em.
ReplyDeleteWe really need an actual basketball game to talk about.
ReplyDeleteThis whole string is rediculous.
TC did not drop a ridiculous amount of money on this thing, all things considered. Give him a break, MU is going to tear it up this year, wait and see.
ReplyDelete