Who is the most innovative college basketball coach today?
–Guan H Tan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia This is a hard one — but definitely worth answering. When you think about it, how much genuine innovation is left to be done in basketball? There are only so many ways you can play the game. And yet there are a few innovators — guys who continually experiment with new ideas on the court — left. You can tell who they are by noticing all the other coaches who copy them. Before you freak out and send all sorts of angry e-mail, please note that I’m not calling these guys “the best coaches in college basketball” (though some would surely be on that list, too). Rather, I’m giving you my take on the most innovative coaches at this moment. Here goes: 1. Roy Williams (North Carolina). I’m going to contradict myself (and Williams, for that matter) after I quoted the coach describing himself as a “copier” in Sports Illustrated recently. The fact is, Williams is such an eclectic borrower (from sources as disparate as Dean Smith, Bob Huggins and Jerry Tarkani
