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What: “Court Sense: The Invisible Edge in Basketball and Life”

Price: $16.95.

By: George A. Selleck.

Publisher: Diamond Communications, South Bend, Ind.

If every basketball player possessed court sense, coaches would have fewer ulcers, use less profanity and never want to retire.

This book explains what court sense is--using your head to improve your ability--and offers suggestions and insights on how to develop it.

The problem is, those without court sense probably won’t read it because they think excelling in basketball is all about talent, athleticism and leaping higher than your opponent.

But Selleck, a standout point guard at Stanford from 1953-56, provides powerful evidence that court sense is a key ingredient in turning an average player into a good player and a good player into a great player. And court sense can carry over into other aspects of an athlete’s life, from work to the classroom to family life.

My favorite chapter deals with learning to stay in control.

“You choose whether you are going to lose your cool or keep it,” Selleck says. “No one makes you do it. It is always your choice.”

So many athletes have been involved in on-court eruptions. How does an athlete ignore trash talk or maintain composure despite a bad call?

“Mental toughness is not something you’re born with,” Selleck says. “It is a set of specific, learned attitudes and skills. You learn to be mentally tough by surviving the hard or unfair things that happen to you in life.”

“Court Sense” gives athletes ideas and ways to outsmart and out-maneuver more talented players.