Q&A: This coach Sabin is likeable

As much as I like all of you guys - and I really do mean that - there's nobody, and I mean nobody, that I enjoy getting a little post-hoop pool time in with than Sabin. It wasn't the same without him and thankfully we got him back in the fold for VII.

The phrase "burying the lead" is a term from journalism that many of you are probably familiar with. For those that aren't, it's the idea that in journalism, you should always begin (lead) with the most important information. To bury the lead is to erroneously save the most important part for the end, where you risk having already lost the attention of the reader/viewer. I bring this up because Sabin has been holding out on us on with what I consider a MAJOR storyline for VII and even waited until the tenth and final question to finally bring it to light. As someone on the other team, I got worried when I read it. No doubt it will tip the emotional scale. Sorry, Wes. Your team, if it has any sense, is no longer playing for you. 

Finally, just a little context for those of you who aren't familiar: Sabin is 0-4Life in PCTI and is the league's elder statesman. Turns out, those two things are on a major collision course this year. Read to the end and you'll see. Though there's plenty of good info throughout, too. 

1. Before we dive in to everything, let’s get an update on what you've been up to in your life. Job, Kids, etc. How's your infamous Plano pickup game holding up? Something tells me that your answer will differ from the 26 year old single guy that we last featured.

Wife and 3 kids are doing well. For those who may not know much about me, I'm a sales manager with a banking company in Dallas. I still try to hoop at least twice a week, but sometimes do not achieve it. My son is a basketball player and chess enthusiast. I coach a few 6th grade basketball teams, so he and I get to spend a fair amount of time together at hoops. Oldest daughter is a softball player and drama queen. 18-month old is toddling around, starting to talk, and otherwise ruining my life.

My famous pick-up game is on life-support. The Saturday morning run remains relatively strong with decent players, but many of us are getting old like me. The Wednesday night run has suffered with my work-travel schedule. In the last two years, I became an outside sales guy for my company and my travel has really picked up. Between my career and my family, life is really busy and there are precious few moments of relative quiet. But I have a feeling that I will look back on this time with fondness.

2. It seems to me that since returning to PCTI you have been a little more diplomatic than in the past. Perhaps it's because you feel slightly out of touch having missed a season, or maybe you feel less qualified to talk because (at least when we first linked back up) you weren't quite as dedicated to basketball as you had been in the past. I really don't know. In any case, I'm curious how you honestly feel about your game right now. 

I'm probably as bad at basketball right now as I have been 25 years. Compared to PCTI II, I'm slow, unathletic, and weakish. However, I'm shooting the ball really well and that is always going to be necessary in PCTI. The reality is that I can help my team quite a bit just by playing my normal game....shooting well and being solid everywhere else. I certainly wouldn't call myself a dominant offensive player the way I was at Higdon's age. But I can still be a reasonably productive secondary offensive player to Abe and Joe.

3. From and individual and statistical perspective, you had the best PCTI in history and put up stats that I think will never be close to being matched. Statistically, what should we expect from you this year?
I may have a sporadic game where I go for a big offensive number, but I expect that my VII averages will fall in line with my historical averages....11ppg, 6rpg, 3apg, 45% FG, maybe a block or steal here and there. I've always told Danny that if you are shooting 40% in PCTI, you are doing very well. My bigger contributions should be in the areas of coaching, leadership, and encouragement. Yes, I'm bringing my coach's clipboard.

4. The tape from last year's PCTI is online, meaning that you could actually watch some of it if you wanted to. Will you study any of the footage as a refresher?

No. I'm NBA only. I'm guessing that most of us are experiencing varying and gradual levels of decline, but everybody's core game remains unchanged.

5. In the past you've dedicated yourself to training leading up to PCTI. Some guys (myself included, to a point) enjoy PCTI in part because it gives them extra motivation to go to the gym and it's interesting and inspiring to hear what other people are up to. Do you have any specific training plans this year?

In PCTI II and III, I lifted quite a bit heading into those tourneys and felt really good physically, enough to make it through the weekend. But what I noticed in I and IV was how I ran out of gas after game 5. Maybe it's age and maybe I just hit my limit, but it reminded me that there is no replacement for running and hooping. So I'll add more running to my workouts this year, as well as still play 2-3 times per week.

6. Before I ask about the draft strategy, lets break down the squads as finished products. Walk us through each team as you see it and what you perceive to be the key advantages and challenges for each.
My basketball philosophy is that you can never have too much shooting and you can never have too much chemistry. Ironically, I think each team got one of these.

Ben's team has a lot of component parts that constituted one the best teams in PCTI history. Even though it may be hard to define, it seems like Ben's team may be the kind of team that plays well together and gets better the more that they play. His team has dangerous primary players in Ben and Beas, both of whom can be the best player in this tournament for long stretches. But his team also has great support pieces that do necessary basketball behaviors for winning. You are the best trash man in the biz, and I mean that with respect and admiration because it is a skill. Dan remains an underrated asset to any team. I’m surprised that so few basketball junkies notice it. Hops can help any team in any game to have success. And I’m sure that TP and Rainbow will have moments that make me regret not taking them in the draft.

On my side, I feel like I have 4 of the best 5 shooters in PCTI. Assuming we all don't go cold at the same time, this could certainly help us to score the ball at an even rate. I've always felt like scoring and shooting are at a premium in PCTI, so hopefully we can score it efficiently. I feel like I have the best player in the tournament, and that can help us win any game. JT does just about everything well, and typically has 1 or 2 big games that help clinch a victory. Spot can shoot it with anybody. Cockstrong may be the most versatile player in the tournament and can guard anybody. Bruise is a great teammate that kills himself to help the team, and Wes, well, I like Wes. He gets a bad rap for different things, but he is easy to play with and he cares about doing well for his team. If I had to sum up, I think I have a bunch of guys on my team who give a crap and are skilled shooters. I like what I got.

But on balance, I feel like both captains drafted well and that this will be a very competitive series. I want to put the Kittens in my rear view...

7. If you could have one redo with this draft, where would you apply it?

Not sure if I would've done anything differently. I knew I would target Abe and Joe, then just hoped that guys like Beas and DK were available, but they weren't. I was hoping you would be there for me as well, but apparently Ben's dislike of your game doesn't extend past Round 1. I was lucky to get Spot with my 4th pick. Also would've liked to have Hops, but you can't get everybody. Ben drafted well, and a lot of my guys were selected by him. So I'll roll with my team the way it is and feel very comfortable with all of my guys.

8. Your admiration for several PCTIers is well documented. Who is your favorite teammate? On the flip side, who is your favorite PCTIer to compete against?

There are a lot of guys that I admire. I love how hard Beas and Joe play, which is why many of us enjoy playing with them. I admire how Abe has this incredible ability to play through being tired. Most of us sub out or play less hard, not him though. HIs engine keeps on churning regardless of score or circumstance. And I really like that Spot brings such positive energy to his team because I value that. But if I had to pick, DK is one of my all-times faves on any team because he makes me better as a player. We value the same things on the basketball floor and it makes us compatible when we are teammates.

On the flip side, I love playing against JT, Beas, Abe, Donley, Hops, and DK. All of those guys have taken turns guarding me in the past and have given me difficulty for different reasons. With Abe and Donley, it's their strength that gives me problems. With DK and Hops, it's their activity level and ability to stay engaged while they chase me. And with Joe and Beas, those dudes are just crafty and unpredictable defenders. I have a difficult time scoring against some of these guys and it forces me to play at my highest level if I am going to have success.

9. What is your single favorite PCTI on court memory?

A few are memorable...PCTI 3, Game 1 when the Kittens burst out to a 22-4 lead. I thought we had a chance. PCTI 4, Game 2 watching McKinney panic as his coach was about to chuck us from the gym for cursing. The reality is I haven't won much in this tournament so I don't have any championship moments. So I would have to choose PCTI I, game 4 cramp game. This was an introduction to how unprepared we all were for the weekend and how cruel that Lexington gym was to us. I still hate The Blue...

10. Let’s talk about the off-court element. The new guys have likely heard, "Sabin doesn't drink" and little more. To be fair, it's a nice headline grabber, but for many of us (I know not all of us, Quad Idiots) we're way too beat down to drink much over the course of the weekend. I consider you PCTI's great conversationalist, a fact that I think more than makes up for your perpetual sobriety. With that said, give us a little primer for what to expect when games are not in session.

Despite my reputation as a PCTI villain, I really enjoy connecting to PCTIers off the floor. Besides the obvious connection we all have with basketball, I also enjoy getting into discussions about life goals, careers, relationships, politics, religion, etc...I believe that as the years roll by we will start to really value our dinner conversations as much or more than we do our basketball performances. As the basketball gods would have it, my 40th birthday falls on July 9, which just happens to be the date when PCTI VII's champion will be crowned. The best birthday present my team can give to me is a victory to improve my PCTI record to a less-than-healthy 1-4. I'm really looking forward to seeing you and the other fellas at PCTI. Should be a great time and thanks for re-connecting me with this beloved event. See you soon!