re: Is basketball hard to coach?

Yes. Basketball is hard to coach

Players matter obviously and most coaches at the top level are good enough that the players are going to make more of a difference than the coaching

But if you pick a coach that is a clown he can ruin a team or program. Watch LSU with that talent. If they don't make the tourney that's a prime example

Rarely do you see a coach like bo Ryan who consistently out perform his talent and beat other top coaches