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| Basketball coach Rollie Massimino used visualization techniques to help his team win the 1985 NCAA men's basketball title. (Photo Source: SI.com) |
During the 1984/85 season the Georgetown University
men’s basketball team was a juggernaut.
Led by All-American center Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas won 30 games during
the regular season and rolled into the NCAA tournament final against Villanova,
a team they had already defeated twice in conference play.
Villanova coach Rollie Massimino employed a new
defensive scheme to confuse the Hoyas and keep the game competitive. Yet, it may have been the power of suggestion
that helped his Wildcats pull off a 66 to 64 upset victory.
According to an obituary
published in the Washington Post (Massimino died on August 31 at the age of
82), the coach inspired his underdog team through psychology.
“Go back to your rooms,” he told his players hours
before the tipoff. “Close your eyes and picture yourself playing this game to
win. Don’t play this game not to lose. Play it to win. Believe you can win.”
Villanova played what many sports writers consider
to be the perfect game against a near unbeatable opponent. They shot 79 percent from the field and made
an astonishing 9 out of 10 shots in the second half.
Was it that coaching? Or did hypnosis take down the Hoyas that
night?
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