“It’s the most extreme form of team basketball,” Panther guard Daniel Saeli ’19 told a reporter for NBC affiliate WANDTV. “There is no selfish way to play ‘The System.’”
Media attention descended on Greenville University last semester after the Panthers stepped up the frenetic pace of their unique style to score 200 points in one game. Frank Cusumano of KSDK News dubbed the players’ revolving 50-second shifts and relentless press “the most entertaining brand of basketball in the land.”
Forbes Magazine said the Panthers’ offense operated “at a level never before seen in college basketball.”
Media outlets scrambled for a word with Coach George Barber to hear about “The System,” an approach that gives more athletes more playing time, Barber’s purpose.
According to Forbes, G.U.’s 2018-19 team maintained the largest roster in the country. Seventeen players suited up for the 200-point game; 30 players filled out the program overall.
Double roster, double influence
Doubling the usual roster exposes more students to Barber’s influence in the locker room too. His favorite inspirational quotes line the walls:
- “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
- “Faith, hope, and love . . . and the greatest of these is LOVE.”
- “De-emphasize the win. Play with freedom.”
Against this backdrop, with open Bible. in hand, Coach peers over reading glasses to look his players in the eyes. Convinced he has their full attention, he proceeds:
“Alright . . . Romans 12:2: ‘Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of the world.’ Even in sport—that’s my addition—‘But let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think.’”
Shockingly short shifts
The scripture is appropriate. Asking players to expend more energy than they ever dreamed possible in shockingly short shifts demands a new way of thinking. Cusumano asked senior Johari Dix, “Are you actually tired after a 50-second shift?”
“Yes sir,” the guard replied firmly. “We’ve got to go hard that 50 seconds.”
Likewise, Barber goes hard maximizing teachable moments. A player’s four years fly by quickly, and he’s determined to make the most of them. Sometimes the. “Barberisms” linger for former Panthers like Jamal Daniels ’17: “I can’t promise you that you’ll go to the NBA,” Barber told Daniels, “but I can promise you that you’ll be a better man playing for me.”
Daniels took it to heart. “My first week in Greenville, [Coach] gave me a Bible with my name engraved on it, and that was special for me; I’ll never forget it.”
Like an explosive 50-second “short” shift, the small gesture packed punch.
EXTREME PANTHER BASKETBALL
| Personnel | Plan | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 32 players from 10 states 15 players per game three groups of five players alternate in shifts. 14 players average between 11.8 and 19.6 minutes per game | Defense: full court press 100% of the game; Offense: Shoot within 12 seconds of taking possession Take at least 100 shots Grab at least 50% of available offensive rebounds Force 32 turnovers; Take 50 three-point shots Outshoot the opponent 25 to 1 | NCAA record holder for scoring average: 135.1 points per game Most combined points scored in a Division III game: GU 200, Fontbonne U. 146 – Panther field goal attempts: 154 – Panther three-pointers: 91 |
Morris Sampler 