BASKETBALL COACH October 17, 01 SUCCESSFUL SET break after free throws Learn Train Develop Enjoy Stifle Scoring Elevate Intensity With Help Live Drill < WEEKLY Issue 4 $4.99 Be Spartan Tough With Your Defense Use The 6-On-4 Shell Drill At Every Practice HOW To HANDLE PLAYER CUTS NEW IDEAS FOR COACHES EVERY WEEK!
Learn train Develop enjoy October 17, 01 Issue 4 $4.99 < Be Spartan tough With Your Defense Contents Cut Players with Care BASKETBALL COACH SUCCESSFUL SET break after free throws Stifle Scoring elevate intensity With help live Drill Use The 6-on-4 Shell Drill AT every PrAcTice HOW TO handle PLaYer CUts Basketball Coach Weekly Issue 4 Basketball Coach Weekly 95 SW Iowa Drive Tualatin, OR 9706 Editor-in-chief Michael Austin michael.austin@ Contributors Brian Vraney, Justin Duke Illustrations Mike Renwick Pictures Action Images Production Matt Boulton, Julie Lifton Publisher Kevin Barrow kevin.barrow@greenstarmedia.net Customer Services Duncan Heard duncanh@ Managing Director Andrew Griffiths To advertise contact Elisabeth Cammell at advertising@ WEEKLY new ideas for coaches EVERY WEEK! (c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Click here to read the full disclaimer. To subscribe to Basketball Coach Weekly please contact Duncan Heard at Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK. You can contact Duncan via Skype at basketballcoachweekly or via email at duncanh@ Any good basketball coach knows this is the most agonizing, difficult time of year. Yes, last-second playoff losses stick with you forever. And sure, a 10-game losing streak isn t fun. But in a few weeks you are going to hold the fate of several potential players in your hands. The handling of player cuts is a delicate situation but being proactive about how you select team members sets the tone for the season and can lead to the development of athletes not quite on par with what you need for your current squad. Before tryouts begin, develop an evaluation form for judging players. It doesn t have to be a labor-intensive project but select the categories most important to the development of your team, such as: ball handling, passing, shooting, half-court defense, fullcourt defense, hustle, basketball I.Q., teamwork, etc. Rate these categories on a scale of 1 to 5 for every person in your tryout. Add up the numbers and the players with the highest scores make the team. A concrete evaluation form also is something to provide to inquiring parents about why their son or daughter didn t make the cut. From there, be upfront about the process of team selection. Most players realize there only are a limited number of spots available but reinforce it from the start while thanking everyone for being on hand for your tryout days. Drive home the point that this is the only opportunity to showcase skills, dedication and knowledge to earn a spot on your squad. Encourage players to go all-out during the next couple of days. When tryouts conclude, realize you are about to crush the dreams of some players. It s a harsh reality, so don t take it lightly. Be careful in how you inform players about your decision. Is posting a list on a wall near the gym the best method? Probably not. After dedicating hours of relentless work to impress you, Is posting a list on a wall near the gym the best method? Probably not QUICK HITTER Start the Season with These Empowering Words By Brian Vraney, head men s coach, Beloit College, Beloit, Wis. That first official practice of the season is a special day. Even if your players have been working out all summer and fall, when the entire squad is together show them you appreciate their efforts by meeting individually with everyone. This takes more time but is well worth it in the long run. In this meeting, run through the player evaluation form. For athletes who made the team, explain where improvement is needed for them to contribute to the team s success. For those who didn t make the squad, put together a packet based on necessary growth areas and drills to develop the skills required to compete for a position on next year s team. Encourage them to try out next year if they take your words to heart, they could show marked improvement and be an integral part of the following season s squad. Michael Austin Editor-in-chief under your control for the first time in the gym, there is nothing like it. Enthusiasm is high. Hopes and dreams are soaring. Here is what to say in those first moments together. We have the ability to have a championship season! To accomplish our goals we have to be great teammates for each other every day. Believe in each other, work hard for each other and make our play In this issue... lock-down defense Tom Izzo s Michigan State team serves as the model for defensive prowess - follow the Spartans lead for your own defensive philosophy 4 6-ON-4 SHELL DRILL Try this wrinkle on the shell drill to stop dribble penetration. 5 4-on- help live Increase defensive intensity in practice and push your players. Defense comes down to hustle and heart, this drill forces players to use both to succeed 6 Develop a form to rate players skills during tryouts Break After FREE Throws Win this special situation by having a play in place to run after a made free throw reflect the 4 Pillars of Success for our program (they know these prior to the first practice as the pillars are what we believe best helps us win games Communicate, Run the Floor, Rebound, Take Care of the Ball). Take ownership of our program and set the tone for the type of season we want to have with this practice. We need to be a better team in two hours than we are right now. www. Issue 4 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY
Defensive drills Michigan State s tenacious defense comes from aggressive drill work in practice Lock-Down Defense Want a top-notch defense like Tom Izzo s Michigan State squad? Work on it every day and install these two drills into your practice plan right now T hey may not win style points from a lot of fans and commentators, but Tom Izzo s Michigan State teams are held in the highest regard within coaching circles. Known for defending for all 40 minutes of the game, Izzo has led the Spartans to 47 victories during his 18year career, including six trips to the Final Four, seven Big Ten titles and one NCAA championship (000). And while he can t take all the credit, Izzo has led a national shift in focus from up-tempo offense to lock-down defense during his reign. In 1994, the year prior to Izzo getting the head coaching gig at Michigan State, the national scoring www. average per team was 75.0 (this was aided by the shortening of the shot clock from 45 to 5 seconds, which bumped up team totals by 1.4 points). Last season, the average NCAA Division I team scored just 68.1 points per game and of course Izzo s Spartans allowed a meager 59.1 points per game, which was good for second-best in the Big Ten. Youth and high school coaches continue to draw up extensive Xs and Os while trying to develop new ways to score the basketball many times winning simply comes down to who can stop the other team from scoring. Of course, simply is understating it. Michigan State isn t one of the best defensive teams year-in, year-out just by stepping on the court. Izzo drives this point home in practice and you should too. The next two pages contain a pair of drills that should be a part of any team s practice plan. They are easy to run from a logistics standpoint but difficult to withstand unless a player is giving maximum effort and that s the point. Defense is about effort, hustle and desire. There are no breaks on defense for successful teams, so start pushing that focus in your practices. It will lead to less scoring for your opponent and subsequently more victories for your squad. Issue 4 Words by: Michael Austin Activities by: Justin Duke, head girls coach, Scio High School, Scio, Ore. BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY
Lock-Down Defense 6-on-4 Shell Drill Based on Tom Izzo s method on teaching defense, this drill forces players to work as a cohesive unit to stop dribble penetration and subsequent passes WHY USE IT Playing great defense comes down to footwork, hustle, communication, rotations and stopping the ball. This drill, which is a staple in what Tom Izzo does defensively at Michigan State, covers it all. SET UP The offense is playing with a 6-on-4 advantage. Place an offensive player in each corner. This player must drive the baseline anytime he or she receives a pass. HOW TO PLAY Action begins with a pass to the wing [1]. On a pass to the corner, the defensive rotation begins. The wing defender slides low to follow the ball. The ball-side top defender jumps in front of his man. The weak-side top defender shifts down to the free-throwline area. The backside post gains position in the lane []. On the baseline drive, the defender in the lane steps up to stop the dribble as the ball-side wing defender slides to the block. The ball-side top defender moves into the middle of the lane while the weak-side top defender comes low to protect the backside of the lane []. TECHNIQUE It s easier for a player starting on the weak side to slide over and defend the ball handler as the action always is in front of him or her. The offensive players in each corner must use the dribble to drive the baseline whenever they receive a pass. This forces the defenders to rotate quickly into position to stop the penetration 1 This defender is the key to the drill. The action remains in front of him or her, which makes it easier to stop the dribble penetration Cover the backside of the defense by having this player slide down. Being under the hoop allows for this defender to close out on either weak-side player if a skip pass is thrown If this defender attempts to follow the passes, then stop the baseline dribble, he or she isn t going to have enough time to cover all that ground. Have this defender s rotation remain between the passer and the ball handler The wing defender now is positioned to cut down the angles for the ball handler to pass back to the wing or to the top www. Issue 4 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 4
Lock-Down Defense 4-on- Help Live This high-intensity drill pushes players hard while constantly cycling them into action so everyone gets a turn to attempt to stop the opposition WHY USE IT Expect players to give it their all on defense this is not a time to rest. This drill focuses on closing out hard on perimeter players while keeping an eye on backdoor cuts to the hoop. SET UP The offense is playing with a 4-on- advantage. A coach is positioned on the wing with a ball and is not guarded. HOW TO PLAY The coach has the option to pass or penetrate to start the action. In this instance, the coach passes to the top. On the pass, the defenders close out on their assignments. The ball continues to be passed around the perimeter with skip passes allowed [1]. After several rotations, the offensive player at the top of the set tries to dive to the rim. If open, the coach throws this player a pass for a potential layup opportunity []. Once the ball is shot, rotate in new players with the shooter and defender coming off the court, the wing moving to the top, the corner to the wing and a new offensive and defensive player entering the action []. TECHNIQUE This is a high-octane drill, which is why you constantly are cycling in new players. There is no downtime while the ball is in motion. 1 On the initial pass to the top, this defender tries to get into the passing lane between the top and wing. On the pass to the wing, this defender then closes out hard to disrupt the wing player s passing options The coach either passes or dribbles toward the hoop to start the drill. The bottom defender steps up to stop dribble penetration, otherwise players close out on a pass to the top After pushing the defenders by constantly forcing them to rotate and close out, a backdoor cut from the top creates an opening. Instruct defenders to be mindful of this despite their exhaustion There are no freebies in this drill. Even if the backdoor cut is successful, the defender must recover to defend the layup Once the shot is taken, everyone quickly rotates to the next spot on the floor. Offensive and defensive players shift counterclockwise www. Issue 4 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 5
Transition Offense Break After Free Throws SUCCESSFUL SET Teams playing fast must transition quickly in all situations, including after a free throw get moving with this fast break WHY USE IT Fast-break teams need to push the ball in all situations, even after a free throw. Use this opportunity to catch the opposition off balance. SET UP Avoid forced passes during the center fast break. Quickly moving up the sideline allows players to know where the next pass is to go. HOW TO PLAY Determine the fast-break side based on the last number on the second count on the game clock (go right if it s even, left if odd). The point guard takes the ball out of bounds and the player on the opposite block pops toward the near sideline with the ball-side elbow player moving toward mid-court on the right side. The player at the top of the key breaks to the center. The weak-side elbow fills the lane along the left sideline [1]. TECHNIQUE The point first looks deep to the player in the center of the floor, then up the right sideline []. The player in the center streaks toward the ball-side corner and receives a pass. The passer sprints diagonally to screen for the weak-side elbow player who moves from the opposite corner to the ball-side block. The pass goes from the corner to the block for an easy scoring opportunity []. 1 Position the point guard (or best passer) in this spot to start the transition as this player has the best sense of moving the basketball quickly into play The point guard looks to the right sideline and passes to whoever is open, opting for the teammate farther away if available to get the ball moving faster up the court Activities by: Bill Coste, head boys coach, Blanchet High School, Ore., and author of Basketball Plays, Tricks And Gimmicks The first look is the long pass down the center of the court. Having the best passer inbounding the ball makes this option a reality if the opposition isn t paying attention After not receiving the initial pass, the player in the center hustles to the ball-side corner and prepares to receive a pass Upon making the pass to the corner, the passer sprints to the opposite block and sets a hard screen. This frees the player on the opposite side for an easy opportunity close to the hoop www. Issue 4 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 6
Thank You, Basketball Visionaries Many, many thanks to everyone listed below you are the final members of the Basketball Coach Weekly 100 Club, which is now complete! You have shown that you are true visionaries in the world of basketball coaching part of a select group of people who have chosen to do all they can to become better coaches. Together we will make basketball coaching a more enjoyable, more rewarding experience. I will be in touch with all 100 Club members soon, to arrange your profiles for the Basketball Coach Weekly website and to invite you to our Scoring in Transition webinar. Eric Alviti, New Fairfield, Conn. John Anderson, East Greenwich, R.I. Iain Andrew, South Yarra, Australia Robert Baker, Calgary, Canada Mark Beinborn, Rock Island, Ill. Steve Benke, Highland, Calif. Nimrod Clouden, Brooklyn, N.Y. Tonya Conrad, Fairfield, Ill. Billy Davis, Norcross, Ga. Carl Dufford, Johnstown, Ohio Tim Ehst, Lansdale, Penn. David Goodrich, Cheshire, Conn. Chad Hinders, Buffalo Center, Iowa Reginald Howard, New York, N.Y. Phyllis Jones, McDonald, Pa. Michele Kutzler, Souderton, Penn. Matt Maloney, Oak Park, Ill. Dan McDermott, Kenmore, N.Y. Trent Morgan, Charlotte, N.C. Alicia Mucher, Houghton, N.Y. Ryan Parkinson, Hale, Mich. Jennifer Patrick, Quebec, Canada Tobin Reid, Chandler, Tex. Chanda Rigby, Elba, Ala. Todd Rywolt, Barrington, R.I., William Sweet, Holliston, Mass. Lloyd Wagnitz, Grand Island, Nebr. Camille Williams, Salmon, Idaho Sabra Wrice, Stratford, Conn. NEXT WEEK: LIMIT TURNOVERS! www. Issue 4 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 7