www.basketballsense.com Volume 11 Number 5 February 2005 Continued on page 2 Continued on page 4 by Ted Anderson Head Womens Coach Valley Center High School Valley Center, Kansas In 12 years of coaching high school women’s basketball, I have come to the conclusion that suc- cessful programs are developed in practice. Players develop habits in practice that are carried over to the games. Game preparation also is part of a successful prac- tice. Games are the reason that we hold practices. In this article, we will share our philosophies for successful practices and game preparation. Practice Philosophy We have a set way we prac- tice every day. Players are crea- tures of habit, and they like a consistent structure. We do not do the same things every day, but our structure remains pretty con- sistent. Our players know what to expect. We use the following 10 principles concerning practice to achieve results: Practice Philosophy by Neil W. Gabbey Back when I was coaching the middle school team at Gilman, I taught my players as many as five zone defenses that we would rotate each time the opposition dribbled down court. And while my primary reason for doing this was to take advantage of my play- ers’ intelligence and athleticism — not to mention keeping the oth- er teams constantly guessing — I knew all along that all we were doing was playing fundamentally sound man-to-man. Each time I teach a new crop of players how to play zone defense, I ask them to hold firm to the principles of man defense. “A good zone is really just a good man in disguise” has been my mantra for the last dozen years. So if your team is facing a good zone defense, how do you attack it? The short answer: run your man half-court sets. The other night, I watched the end of the Princeton-Temple game – which turned into John Chaney’s 1000th win, courtesy of an unmade goal- tending call. Ah, home cookin’! Mike Jarvis provided color com- mentary, and he admitted that it took him a few losses against Coach Chaney’s vaunted match- up zone before he realized that the best way to attack it was to run man-to-man plays. That is ex- actly what the Tigers did all night. Thanks, Coach Jarvis. While I cannot put my resume up against his or any other veteran of the col- legiate coaching ranks, I wish he would have called me eight years ago during one of those losses. I could have told him what my middle school players were doing to beat the same kind of zone. The longer answer: keep reading. Our current varsity team runs no half-court set “plays.” We run a primary break and then set up in a 1-4, if nothing else pres- ents itself immediately. We stress ball movement and player move- ment. But because we aim to play an up-tempo game, hoping to gen- erate turnovers and easy transi- tion baskets, most of our competi- tion elects to slow the game down and make it a 40-feet of Bobby Fischer instead of a 90-feet of Carl Lewis. On many occasions, this tac- tic has worked. Even against the most unassuming pointed zones, our players have been stymied, unsure how to maintain continual ball and player movement. I have to hit ‘PAUSE’ for a second: the last article I had published in Basketball Sense detailed teaching principles and outlined drills for ball and player movement. I promise that what follows will a) not rehash a previ- ous article and b) offer even more specific “plays” you can use as soon as your next practice. Attacking A Zone Principle 1: Players must move. Last week, I was watching another collegiate match-up be- It’s Just Man-to-Man In Disguise
Transcript
www.basketballsense.com
Volume 11 Number 5 February 2005
Continued on page 2Continued on page 4
by Ted AndersonHead Womens Coach
Valley Center High SchoolValley Center, Kansas
In 12 years of coaching high school women’s basketball, I have come to the conclusion that suc-cessful programs are developed in practice. Players develop habits in practice that are carried over to the games. Game preparation also is part of a successful prac-tice. Games are the reason that we hold practices. In this article, we will share our philosophies for
successful practices and game preparation.
Practice PhilosophyWe have a set way we prac-
tice every day. Players are crea-tures of habit, and they like a consistent structure. We do not do the same things every day, but our structure remains pretty con-sistent. Our players know what to expect. We use the following 10 principles concerning practice to achieve results:
Practice Philosophy
by Neil W. GabbeyBack when I was coaching
the middle school team at Gilman, I taught my players as many as fi ve zone defenses that we would rotate each time the opposition dribbled down court. And while my primary reason for doing this was to take advantage of my play-ers’ intelligence and athleticism — not to mention keeping the oth-er teams constantly guessing — I knew all along that all we were doing was playing fundamentally sound man-to-man.
Each time I teach a new crop of players how to play zone defense, I ask them to hold fi rm to the principles of man defense. “A good zone is really just a good man in disguise” has been my mantra for the last dozen years.
So if your team is facing a good zone defense, how do you attack it?
The short answer: run your man half-court sets. The other night, I watched the end of the Princeton-Temple game – which turned into John Chaney’s 1000th win, courtesy of an unmade goal-tending call. Ah, home cookin’! Mike Jarvis provided color com-mentary, and he admitted that it took him a few losses against Coach Chaney’s vaunted match-up zone before he realized that the best way to attack it was to run man-to-man plays. That is ex-actly what the Tigers did all night. Thanks, Coach Jarvis. While I cannot put my resume up against his or any other veteran of the col-legiate coaching ranks, I wish he would have called me eight years ago during one of those losses.
I could have told him what my middle school players were doing to beat the same kind of zone.
The longer answer: keep reading.
Our current varsity team runs no half-court set “plays.” We run a primary break and then set up in a 1-4, if nothing else pres-ents itself immediately. We stress ball movement and player move-ment.
But because we aim to play an up-tempo game, hoping to gen-erate turnovers and easy transi-tion baskets, most of our competi-tion elects to slow the game down and make it a 40-feet of Bobby Fischer instead of a 90-feet of Carl Lewis.
On many occasions, this tac-tic has worked. Even against the most unassuming pointed zones, our players have been stymied, unsure how to maintain continual ball and player movement.
I have to hit ‘PAUSE’ for a second: the last article I had published in Basketball Sense detailed teaching principles and outlined drills for ball and player movement. I promise that what follows will a) not rehash a previ-ous article and b) offer even more specifi c “plays” you can use as soon as your next practice.
Attacking A ZonePrinciple 1: Players must move.
Last week, I was watching another collegiate match-up be-
It’s Just Man-to-Man In Disguise
Basketball Sense Magazine 2 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
on closing out, jumping to the ball, and being tough.
9. Take days off during the week.
We look for spots in the calendar where we can give our players a day off. It recharges our players’ batteries as well as the coaches.
10. Shorten practice in February and March
We cut practice down as the season progresses. After Christ-mas we quit at 5:14 and later in February we try to conclude by 5:00. We want fresh legs as well as fresh attitudes late in the season.
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Editor: Larry Lindsay
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day by 7:00 a.m. Our players read through it every day before prac-tice. They look for drills that they like and for what our goals are for the day. They know what to expect that day. Sometimes we do not put the ending time on practice. Players know that they might get out earlier, or that we are going to keep going until they get it right.
2. Start and end on timeWe start practice at 3:09 and
end by no later than 5:29. At 3:09 we have a one-minute talk and then begin practicing. Our players always have the option to stay and shoot after practice and a lot of them do.
3. Short talksWe have stand-up meetings.
In each meeting, we try to talk for one to two minutes max. Our feelings are that players have just completed seven classes and they are ready to play basketball. Our sit down talk is in the middle of practice. We treat this like half time, and the next segment of practice is very intense. We em-phasize coming out strong in the third quarter.
4. Stretching gives too much time for players to talk
We do warm-up drills. If our players want to stretch, they do
it on their own. They have 24 minutes before the start of offi cial practice. As soon as we are fi n-ished with our talk at 3:09, we get after it.
5. One set conditionerWe do one conditioner a day
called “Oak Hill.” In three groups, the players dribble a certain num-ber of lengths with the weak hand. The drill is anywhere from 7 to 25 lengths. The players are rest-ing one third of the time. There is a time goal on the drill. We reach the goal or run another length for each second over the goal. This drill is used early in the practice.
6. All drills are for bloodWe put a time and score ele-
ment on all of our drills. We also keep track of one hand catches and drops. We like to put pressure on our players in so called boring drills.
7. Condition through basketball
We would rather run full-court drills that the players enjoy than get on the line and run. UCLA, 11-man break, and full-court shooting contests are the players’ favorites.
8. Specifi c defensive principles each day
We make sure we have a defensive emphasis each day. We will continue to try to improve our defense every day. We work hard
Volume 11 Number 5 3 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
ESPN College Basketball: Catching Up with Coach Majerusby Brian McCormick
Hard 2 Guard Skills Academy
I admit I learned as much about baseball by watching ES-PN’s Baseball Tonight with Harold Reynolds and Tony Gwynn than I did by playing nine years of Little League. ESPN’s college football show has frequently been impres-sive, as Kirk Herbstreet, Mark May, Trev Albert and others do a superb job in breaking down Saturday’s game. However, ESPN’s college basketball coverage has always been disappointing. Dukie V. is a cheerleader more than an analyst, and the information oth-ers provided seemed basic and repetitive.
Until now. With Rick Majerus retiring from coaching, ESPN has a legit, number-one analyst. He is not a cheerleader. He is an educa-tor, even while doing a telecast.
In the opening game of the season, Majerus introduced numerous concepts. For experi-enced basketball coaches, these may not be new terms. For a fan or a young coach, however, the concepts and his explanations are advanced and covered more than the last coaches’ clinic I attended.
I have long been a Rick Maje-rus fan. I remember my dad show-ing me funny quotes by the Ball State Head Coach in USA Today, before I ever had an interest in coaching and before Majerus hit the “big time” at Utah. I have been fortunate to attend his basketball camps as a coach and watch him teach and listen to him lecture. His intelligence is every bit as evi-dent on television.
Early in the George Wash-ington vs. Wake Forest game, he called Chris Paul a “three-tier passer: he can make the pass in
transition, the post entry pass, and the pass in a half-court drive and kick.” Of course, everyone strives to fi nd point guards that are three-tier passers.
Early in the game, Majerus introduced the term “shadow.” This is a concept I saw Majerus employ when Utah played Texas and TJ Ford, and one which I stole and used effectively.
The “shadow” is essentially the defender of the inbound passer in a full-court defense. If the point guard is going to pick up and pressure full court, the Shadow stations himself six to eight behind the ball to provide help immediately if the point guard is beaten off the dribble. It is not a double team or a run-and-jump; instead, it is a safety net for the point guard.
Because the point guard has the insurance behind him, he is able to apply more pres-sure and disrupt the opponent’s point guard. Using the Shadow is a great way to defend a fast point guard or to support a guard in a man-to-man press. Majerus pointed out that Wake Forest ef-fectively used the Shadow to slow the GW guards, while Chris Paul and Justin Gray dribbled through the GW man pressure and created numerous advantages on a con-sistent basis.
The fi nal point Majerus emphasized on several occasions early in the fi rst half is the “drive line.” The drive line is often mis-understood by players and under-taught by coaches. When defend-ing the ball handler, the defender must take away the drive line; the defender cannot allow the ball handler to continue in a straight line to the basket.
Often, defenders — especially in transition — get in front of the person, but do not defend the drive line. If the offensive player
uses a small in-and-out move or even a hesitation dribble, the de-fender is out of position to stop a drive to the basket.
It is especially apparent on the wing. As the offensive player dribbles the ball along the sideline with his outside hand, defenders typically play the offensive player’s inside shoulder/hip. However, in this position, the defender is behind the ball (as the dribble is out in front of the ball handler). The defender must position him-self along the drive line, which is the straight line drive of the ball handler.
When an offensive player hesitates in this situation, and the defensive player slows, if the defender does not move one extra step to take away the drive line, the offensive player has a signifi -cant advantage if he explodes with his fi rst step to the basket.
Defenders must defend the ball, not just the player. By de-fending the drive line, the defend-er will be in better position to take away an offensive player’s direct line drive and fi rst step. This is the key to being a good on-ball defender. Players should force the offensive player to make an extra move or a better move to go by the defense and not allow a straight line drive to the basket.
Majerus’ basketball brilliance is in his succinct explanations of otherwise complicated concepts. His presence elevates basketball coverage to a new level and puts ESPN’s college basketball cover-age on par with its Major League Baseball and College Football coverage.
McCormick runs Hard 2 Guard Skills Academy: http://hi5hoopschool.tripod.com/academy.
Basketball Sense Magazine 4 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
tween two top-20-ranked squads, and I could not believe my eyes. While one team fell back into a (pretty fl at) 1-2-2 zone, the other team worked the ball from point to point: lead guard passed to the wing, wing looked in the post, wing reversed the ball to the point, point contin-ued the reversal to the opposite wing, opposite wing looked in the post, and…you get the picture. Throughout this wholly unin-spired and ineffective attempt to attacks gaps and create driving and passing lanes, the only player who moved appreciably was the main post player. The ball never reached the corner, which meant that the defense was never forced to extend, and each guard held the same position around the arc for what seemed like days.
It’s funny. Just days before, I sat in the stands at Calvert Hall, watching our junior varsity squad “attack” a very static 1-2-2 in the exact same manner. And it worked for Gilman School’s JV about as well as it worked for Kentucky: not.
The basic principle of man defense is “ball-you-man.” Fortu-nate for most zone defenders, this axiom is never really tested be-cause the only moving part is the ball. “Man” never moves, unless the player with the ball has found a driving lane.
The good part about this, from the offensive standpoint, is that most zones get lazy. I con-
stantly tell my players that all high school players end up watch-ing the ball after two passes, which opens up a host of weak-side opportunities — but that
comes later.Lead guards
are often reluc-tant to give up the ball un-less they have foreseen that pass leading to an immediate scoring attempt. Nevertheless, we try to teach all our players that the “fi rst pass”
is the “best pass” for the simple reason that it gets the ball mov-ing, which forces the defense to react. There’s nothing zone de-fenders love more than someone who dribbles in place and watches his teammates. That means rest. For your players, it also means offensive confusion.
Once your lead guard gives up the ball, do not let him stand still at the point awaiting a rever-sal. Not only does this teach him bad habits and selfi sh tendencies — such as, “My team is hopeless unless the ball touches my hands every fi ve seconds” — but he has little opportunity of doing any-thing productive offensively be-cause the entire defense remains poised, looking right at him. Just like player movement against a man-to-man, each player should move after each time he passes the ball: cut to the basket or screen. Speaking of that…
Principle 2. Players must screen.
We already said that the zone defense was really just man-to-man in disguise, right? How do you beat a man defense? Screen-ing and cutting to the basket. So
Man-to-Man in Disguise (cont)
continued on page 5
do the same things against the zone.
Say you’re facing a pointed zone (1-2-2 or 3-2). The fi rst thing to consider – although not a must – is splitting your point to see through the gaps. Not only does the split point allow for more dif-fi cult-to-defend passing angles, but it also creates easy-to-read screening opportunities for your players.
Once the lead guard has made his fi rst pass, he has two options:1) cut to the basket – simple but
maybe not immediately effective2) set a screen for a wing/post
player on his same side – this creates the chance for a taller player to curl into the lane and receive an entry from the op-posite wing
3) fade to the weak-side wing behind a screen from his side’s wing/post player – this is our favorite option because it: Al-lows for a skip pass Creates a screen-roll opportunity with a miss-match
The University of Arizona runs something similar to this, but they add another weak-side screen: when the ball is on the
opposite wing, P moves outside of the low-post defender, who has moved help-side into the lane. This allows the weak-side guard or wing to slide into the corner and be open for a skip pass. If the low-post defender is the fi rst to re-
continued from page 1
Once your lead guard gives up the ball, do not let him stand still at the point awaiting a
reversal.
Volume 11 Number 5 5 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
spond and comes out to challenge the shooter, P will be open for an entry before the help reacts.
Another basic play often overlooked when attacking a zone is a simple screen-roll. As long as weak-side players stay involved in the play and cut to the basket, the benefi ciary of the screen will have multiple outlets, as all defenders will be watching the ball — and not the cutters behind them.
Principle 3: Players must skip pass.
I know. You already picked up on that, but it bears repeat-ing — over and over and over again. Unless your roster boasts Nate Archibald, Bob Cousy, and Tim Hardaway, you are asking too much of your ball-handlers to attack gaps simply via point-to-point reversal.
Especially with the courtesy of the weak-side screen, the skip pass is almost always an option after the all-important fi rst pass.
We have a 6’7” center. And too often, we try too hard to enter the ball to him when he starts to post on the same side as the fi rst wing pass (see above diagram). But once we skip the ball over the defense, he cuts across the lane and is an immediate option on either the low block or the elbow (depending on where the weak-side W has moved to).
Principle 4. Players must look into the post after reversals
Say you choose not to split the point, which means you have a point, two wings, a high-post, and a runner along the baseline. We have found that our most ath-letic players are incredibly effec-tive using the short corner while running the baseline. Still, try to counsel these players not to worry about where the ball is too much,
otherwise they will keep chasing the ball reversal executed by the guards and wings. Instead, initi-ate the offense with the fi rst pass to the wing, involve a weak-side screen, skip pass, and then the runner can reach the ball-side short corner after the skip pass.
When G receives the skip pass from W, a few dribbles to-ward the corner should create a good passing lane to the runner (R), who can then hit P as he rolls to the basket.
Again, this entry to the short corner is only available after a skip pass; otherwise, the ball-side post defender matches up against R. After the skip pass, however, the now ball-side post defender must come out to play the ball, which means R is open along the baseline.
In a recent pre-game, I said to our players, “Statistics like points and assists should be ac-cidental. But rebounds, steals, drawn charges, loose balls, and screens — these are the statistics that you have to make a con-certed effort to go after.” If you can convince your players that a good weak-side screen or a good skip pass against a zone defense is crucial to their getting the ball back — three passes later — with a great chance to score, you are now playing team basketball.
Man-to-Man in Disguise (cont)We will pay up to $100
for articles that we ac-cept for publication. Only original and unpublished work will be considered. If possible, please send double-spaced submis-sion by email to:
Players may not remember what coaches tell them about the technical aspects of basketball. But they will never forget the
coach.-Anonymous
X’s and O’s are the least important thing in basketball. All
successful teams do one thing year after year. That one thing is that they start over new again.
-Anonymous
The essence of coaching is the vision you have for your team
and how it is communicated.-Anonymous
A good coach needs a patient spouse, a loyal dog, and a great
post player, but not necessarily in that order.
--Anonymous
Basketball Sense Magazine 6 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
Basketball Sense NotesWashington State head
coach Dick Bennett believes that technique is not as important as results.
Former DeMatha High School head coach Morgan Wootten thinks it is important to be a good listener.
When selling defense to his team, Catholic head coach Scott McClary reminds his players that at least ninety-percent of the game is played without the ball.
O’Connell head coach Joe Wootten will not run something in a game unless he has worked on it in practice.
Coastal Carolina head coach Pete Strickland believes that play-ers are made in the summer.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski wants his team to always read the defense, even in transition. When the wings get to the scoring area, if the defense is back, he wants them to spot up. If the defense is up on the wings, he wants them to cross.
South Carolina head coach Dave Odom switches the low cut on cross screens, with the man taking the cutter making contact with his back (so the post is im-mediately fronted). If the cutter comes high, the players will stay with their man.
Dick Bennett wants his play-ers thinking about three things when closing out: do not let the dribbler turn the corner, do not give up the rhythm shot, and dis-rupt the offense.
Tennessee women’s head coach Pat Summitt says that her players play one-on-one all sum-mer, so one of the fi rst things she must do is get them to play with-out the ball.
Maryland head coach Gary Williams will change his pressure defense constantly to keep the of-fense off balance.
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams wants the ball to move quickly in his passing game offense.
Morgan Wootten believes that there is no progress with-out change, but not all change is progress.
Former college coach George Raveling says you should spend more time planning practice than conducting practice.
To test his three-point shoot-ers, Purdue head coach Gene Keady will set up a drill with one ball, one passer, and a shooter. The shooter is trying to make one hundred threes in ten minutes.
Joe Wootten teaches his play-ers to foul by going for the ball; they just might get the steal.
Former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson does not believe in treating all players the same.
Pete Strickland tells his play-ers that each day they either get better or they get worse.
St. Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli believes the game is for the quick.
Former NBA assistant Bob Kloppenburg believes you smother the rebound; fi nd the outlet and sprint back in transition defense.
Scott McClary wants his players to stagger their feet when in a defensive stance. He does not want their feet to be parallel.
UNC-Greensboro head coach Fran McCaffrey wants to keep the ball centered on offense.
Butler head coach Todd Lickliter does not want his players to dribble across midcourt un-less they can get at least ten feet across.
Mike Krzyzewski suggests that when you are running your half-court offense in practice to blow the whistle and stop the ac-tion. At this point, you can check your team’s spacing, and ask players who are in a screening action what they are going to do next.
Georgia Tech assistant Mack McCarthy does not want his play-ers to pass up an opportunity to screen.
When defending the high pick-and-roll, Dave Odom will trap the dribbler until he backs away from the action.
Minnesota head coach Dan Monson does a lot of work on shot preparation.
Former Utah head coach Rick Majerus will work one-on-one contesting every day in practice early in the year. He wants to build the habit of extending the hand and altering the shot.
Volume 11 Number 5 7 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
Dick Bennett tells his play-ers closing out to take away what the offensive player can see. The offensive player is looking for the low post, the shot, or a cutter, and a defender with high hands can prevent the man with the ball from seeing those things.
Gary Williams says that if you press, you must start the first day of practice.
Rather than scrimmage, West Georgia head coach Ed Murphy will play games lasting from one to three minutes.
Pat Summitt starts her de-fense out at ninety-four feet.
Bob Kloppenburg will force the man on the wing to drive base-line and trap the dribbler.
Roy Williams wants his play-ers to go back door if overplayed.
Morgan Wootten does not dis-cipline to punish, but disciplines to teach.
Former St. John’s head coach Mike Jarvis liked to use dribble hand-offs in transition.
Todd Lickliter will sometimes match a zone trap, and then try to beat it with penetration and force the defense to rotate.
Gene Keady will run the tra-ditional two-man fast-break drill (rebound-outlet-dribble middle-fill wing) with five endings. They will finish with a lay-up, a jump shot, a pass back to middle for a shot, a loop to take the wing out, and a dribble penetration from the wing.
George Raveling believes that it is important for assistant coach-es to know who they are and not to try to mirror the head coach’s style.
American head coach Jeff Jones says that you must develop a philosophy on inbounds plays. Are you simply trying to inbound the ball, or are you trying to score? If you are trying to score, are you trying to score right away or in the possession that follows?
Joe Wootten likes to attack on a made shot because when a team scores, they relax.
Illinois head coach Bruce We-ber says it is important to make visual changes when taking over a new program.
Nolan Richardson wanted to get in the head of his players and find out what made them tick.
Former Texas head coach Abe Lemons said the key to good basketball was not throwing the ball away and not taking bad shots.
Scott McClary is not big on forcing the ball to a particular spot.
Gary Williams believes in one trap and out when pressing. If the defense gets beat out of the trap, retreat and set up your drop back defense.
Phil Martelli wants his drills to be symmetrical (i.e. they can be run on both sides of the floor), he wants them to be competitive, and he wants them to have a name the players can learn.
Fran McCaffrey wants to take the ball to the action on offense.
Mike Krzyzewski says it is important for a coach to shut up and let his kids talk on the floor.
Mack McCarthy teaches his players to widen out and find the ball if they are confused on of-fense.
On a wing pick-and-roll, Dave Odom will either force the dribbler to the baseline or force middle and trap.
In defending a UCLA cut, Bob Kloppenburg will force the cut-ter to go behind the screen and switch men.
Ed Murphy says you should severely criticize the action and not the person.
Pat Summitt converts in ev-ery drill including one-on-one and two-on-two drills.
Rick Majerus videos every single thing at practice. He has three cameras at every practice.
Gene Keady will vary the number of passes he allows in the three-man weave drill. He will allow either three, four, or five passes.
George Raveling thinks coaches spend too much time on how to do things and not enough time on why they do things. Play-ers must know the purpose of what they are doing.
Jeff Jones believes that who inbounds the ball is a critical deci-sion.
In his passing game offense, Roy Williams wants his players to let the passer cut first.
Nolan Richardson wanted to cover in practice what would hap-pen in the games.
When attacking zones, Todd Lickliter wants his men to know who is guarding them and to take them away from their home base.
Bruce Weber says it is vital that your best player buys into your system.
Basketball Sense Magazine 8 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
Post Iso 11 dribbles to the wing as 3
screens for 2 crossing the base-line. 5 steps out and 4 screens down for 3.
1 reverses the ball to 5. 5 then passes to 3. 2 steps up and back screens for 5, who cuts to the basket.
3 looks to pass the ball into the post.
Post Iso 31 dribbles to the wing as 2
clears out and sets a back screen for 5. 3 cuts to the post area.
If 5 is not open, 1 passes to 2 at the top of the key.
2 dribbles to the wing area as 3 steps across the lane and sets a diagonal screen for 4. 3 pops out after screening.
Post Iso 21 passes to 4 on the elbow
and cuts to the basket as 2 dives to the post area. 5 sets a brush screen for 3.
After screening, 5 rolls to the basket as 4 reverses the ball to 3. 3 dribbles over and looks into the post. 1 and 4 set a staggered screen for 2.
If 5 is not open, 3 reverses to 2 at the top. 4 screens for 1 who pops out to the wing area.
Basketball Sense Playbook
Volume 11 Number 5 9 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
Cross1 dribbles to the wing as 2
and 3 cross on the baseline. 4 slides to the opposite elbow and 5 moves to the opposite post area.
2 then back screens for 4, who cuts to the basket. 1 looks for 4 posting. If the post feed is not there, 1 reverses the ball to 2 at the top.
4 and 5 cross screen on the pass.
Dive 41 hits the wing and dives to
the ball-side corner as 5 dives into the post area.
4 sets a down screen for 3. 2 passes to 3.
4 posts up as 3 dribbles over to get a good passing angle. 5 fl ashes to the top of the key, and 1 and 2 exchange positions on the opposite side of the fl oor.
Step Up FlareFrom a 1-4 set, 1 dribbles to
the wing area as 2 clears to the post. 4 and 5 exchange sides.
2 sets a back screen for 4, who cuts and sets a ball screen for 1.
1 drives off the screen as 2 cuts off a fl are screen by 5.
Basketball Sense Playbook
Basketball Sense Magazine 10 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
Bucks 3 Up1 passes to 2 on the wing and
makes a basket cut off 3’s screen.
If 1 is not open, 2 passes to 3. On the pass to 3, 1 sets a cross screen on 4 and 5 will down screen for 1.
If 1 receives the pass, 5 cross screens for 4.
Triangle BasicThis is a simple set to get the
ball into the post and then read the defense. 1 hits 5 in the post. 2 and 1 cut to the opposite side of the fl oor as 4 dives into the op-posite post area. 3 cuts to the top and 3 must cut far enough for 5 to see him.
If 5 does not have a shot op-portunity, 5 can pass the ball out to 3.
On the pass out, 5 follows the pass and sets a ball screen. 4 will fl ash to the top.
Hawk Up 21 dribbles to the wing as 2
makes a cut off a double screen by 4 and 5.
As soon as 2 clears, 4 and 5 set a screen for 3. 3 cuts to the top and receives the pass from 1.
2 then cuts to the opposite wing area off the double screen by 4 and 5.
Basketball Sense Playbook
Volume 11 Number 5 11 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
By Brian McCormickHard 2 Guard Skills Academy
I never stretched. When I played, I never stretched, believ-ing it was merely to prevent injury and I managed to avoid muscles pulls and sprains without stretch-ing. Then, during my junior varsity season, at our fi rst weight-lifting session with the strength and con-ditioning coach, he laughed at my best friend and I doing squats and said we were the most infl exible athletes he had ever seen. Unfortu-nately, he did little to instruct us, and I never improved my fl exibil-ity, which, in turn, hindered my strength and quickness develop-ment.
In college, I learned the im-portance of stretching while on the UCLA Crew team. I learned more about the physiological importance of stretching and fl exibility and its role in lengthening the muscles and assisting in strength develop-ment, but, most importantly as a rower, I knew that if my stroke frequency remained steady, and I could lengthen my stroke, I would go faster. So, if I could stretch the oar a couple of inches further on each stroke, I would add more power to the stroke. Therefore, in-creased fl exibility was essential to increasing the speed of the boat.
With this rudimentary un-derstanding from my background, I all but ignored stretching and other footwork, speed, quickness, and agility drills during my early basketball practices. Then, while coaching in Sweden, I watched one team warm-up prior to a game and use a basketball for only 5:00 of the allotted 30:00 pre-game warm-up and witnessed another player, current Miami University point guard Sandra Jansson, one of my personal favorites, go through an extensive plyometric pre-game warm-up.
While European players are often criticized for their defensive defi ciencies, I was impressed by the players’ quick feet. American announcers often credit soccer for European and African play-ers’ advanced footwork, but, from what I witnessed, it has as much to do with the players’ pre-game/practice routines as anything, as not every International basketball player started as a soccer player.
As I prepared workouts and practice routines for the up com-ing season, I decided to learn from my experience and implement a series of warm-ups to begin practice; drills to focus on quick feet and increased jumping abil-ity. As a women’s coach, these drills are especially important, as a pre-practice jumping and agil-ity program is one method some researchers believe women can reduce the risk of ACL injury.
We generally have three warm-up routines: jump rope, sta-tions, or a full-court plyometrics warm-up (carioca, running back-wards, bounding, lateral bound-ing, high knees, butt kicks and high/power skips), and sometimes we combine elements. We gener-ally spent 10-15 minutes warming up.
When we do our station warm-up, we loosen up with jogging, running backward, and carioca. Since we have 10 players, we use only fi ve stations at any one practice, but we use seven different stations throughout the season. Each player goes for thirty seconds and then she rotates and rest for thirty seconds. Our main focus throughout is creating drills to teach quick change of direction and fi rst-step quickness.
Station 1: Lane-line SlidesWe teach most of our on-ball
defensive stance and movement through this drill and later in one-
Skill Stations Step-up Warm-up Intensityon-one drills. In this drill, a player lines up at one side of the free-throw lane and slides to the other and then back again. Each player goes for thirty seconds while the partner counts.
Station 2: Mikan DrillThis drill practices baby-hook
shots. Start under the basket and step-out with the left foot on the right side to shoot with the right hand; grab the ball from the net, keeping the ball above your shoulders, and step to the left side of the rim with your right foot, shooting the ball with the left hand. Continue.
Station 3: Jump SquatsEach player squats down
and then jumps as high as pos-sible, swinging arms high into the air. We teach girls to focus on a soft landing so they learn to land properly from a vertical jump and absorb the force of the impact throughout the muscles of their legs, not just in the quadriceps and knee joint.
Station 4: X-Lay-upsEach player attempts to
make as many lay-ups in thirty seconds as possible. Each player starts at an elbow, dribbles, and attempts a lay-up. She rebounds the ball and runs to the other elbow, returning for a lay-up from that side of the court. Continue in this pattern until time has elapsed.
Station 5: Partner ShootingPlayer 1 passes the ball to
Player 2 and closes out to the shooter. P2 shoots the ball and follows her shot to rebound the ball. P1 contests the shot and relocates for her shot, moving continuously and calling for the
continued on page 13
Basketball Sense Magazine 12 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
High School Wonder Teams in New Jerseyby Chic Hess
The Roaring Twenties in America was full of wonders. With the likes of Johnny Weissmuller, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Geh-rig, Bill Tilden, Jack Dempsey, Knute Rockne, Bobby Jones, Red Grange, Gene Tuney, and even Man o’ War, the sports world pros-pered during this boom period.
Unbeknownst to one an-other at this time, two high school basketball teams were perform-ing legendary feats as well. Carv-ing a niche in Indiana basketball folklore were the Franklin Won-der Five who, during a four-year period (1919-1922), went on a 104 to 10 rampage. Their coach was the youthful Ernest “Griz” Wagner who had a winning formula and a phenom of a player in Robert “Fuzzy” Vandivier. The other team was the Passaic Wonder Teams from New Jersey.
Professor Ernest A. Blood, who coached the Passaic Wonder Teams, holds the distinction of becoming basketball’s fi rst great coach. At nineteen-years-old, Blood became fascinated with basketball within months of Nai-smith’s fi rst game at the Spring-fi eld YMCA International Training School. As a kid, Blood spent the most of his time in YMCA gym-nasiums where he excelled in all sports. Later, as a physical educa-tor he used the new indoor game as a means to an end — making stronger, healthier bodies and as a catalyst for shaping boys into men.
Starting in 1894, Blood be-gan instructing others in YMCA classes in the skills of basketball. Shortly thereafter, he was coach-ing his own team as the popular-ity of the game spread. His YMCA coaching record illustrates his early experience.
By the time Blood arrived at Potsdam Normal School in 1906, he was a seasoned veteran with an over-all nascent system in tow. His years as a student and later as an instructor at Dr. Dudley Allen Sargent’s Harvard Summer School of Physical Education put Blood on At Potsdam (1906-1915), Professor Blood coached high school age boys to humble the likes of Niagara, St. John’s, Notre Dame, CCNY, and other adult teams. Records reveal that his crack “Normal Five” team never lost to another high school team.
After moving to Passaic, Prof installed basketball hoops in school playgrounds and vacant lots throughout the city. He in-cluded basketball fundamentals in the physical training curriculum and promoted basketball in the city’s recreation de-partment and YMCA. The youngsters in Passaic, a town of immigrants, gravitated to the charismatic little professor’s style and enthusiasm.
“Prof,” as peers, players, and fans in Pas-saic called him, lead Passaic to a 20-0 record in 1915-16 before
being directed away from coach-ing (1916-1918) because of the teacher shortage created by the war. Returning two years later, Prof stretched his win streak to forty-one games before losing in the state fi nals. The following season, he commenced the longest winning streak (159) in the history of boy’s scholastic basketball.
As Griz Wagner had at Franklin, Prof had a few stand-out players. One, in a long line of excellent players, was Bobby “Thousand Point” Thompson, a 6’1” sharp shooting forward who became the fi rst scholastic player to score one thousand points in one season. During one stretch in the win streak, Prof let Thomp-son play long enough to leave his mark—225 points in four games for a 56.3 average.
YMCA Location Dates of Employment Record
Brooklyn Central Branch Oct 1, 1896-July 1, 1897 33-2
Nashua, NH Sept 1, 1897-Oct. 1,1898 54-2
Rutland, VT Oct 1, 1898-Sept. 1,1899 16-1
Pawtucket, RI Sept 1, 1899-Sept. 1,1900 75-10
Somerville, MA Sept 1,1900-June 1, 1906 132-9
TOTAL 310-24
Prof Blood’s YMCA Coaching Record
Game #71 Wednesday, January 25 Ridgewood 101-12: 63 points
Game #72 Saturday, January 28 Eastern District 100-28: 62 points
Game #73 Tuesday, February 1 Hackensack 103-20: 31 points
Game #74 Saturday, February 4 Williams Prep 145-5: 69 points
Bobby Thompson Four Game Point Totals
Volume 11 Number 5 13 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
Passaic’s squad numbered over twenty players with most of them seeing playing time in Prof’s team-orientated system. Who knows how many points Thomp-son would have scored had he been allowed to be the focus of the offense and see more playing time.
During Prof’s fi nal season (1923-24) at Passaic, The India-napolis News dispatched sports editor William E. Fox to get the real lowdown on this East Coast aberration. After watching a cou-ple of games, Fox made an astute comparison. He agreed that Pas-saic had a “mighty-fi ne” team, but he felt that if they were to invade Indiana for a period of fi ve weeks and play the fi ve best teams in the state, he would pick the home teams in three of the fi ve. Man for man, several Indiana teams bested the New Jersey boys.
The Union Hill game that Fox observed with all the noise and ex-citement reminded him of a Bed-ford-Anderson game. He thought that the Passaic players physically resembled those at Anderson High School, but they responded like the Franklin players—they didn’t get excited, and they didn’t worry about what the other team was doing.
Fox did have one wary thought for the basketball wor-shipers in Indiana—Passaic was not what Passaic had been. It was well understood that the previ-ous year’s Passaic team was thirty points better, and the team two years before was better than last year’s team. This edition of the Wonder Team survived almost solely on teamwork. In the past, when the talent level was notice-ably better, Passaic was a formi-dable opponent for any team. In Fox’s humble opinion, there had never been an Indiana team thirty points better than the Passaic team he observed.
In Prof Blood and the Won-der Teams: The True Story of Basketball’s First Great Coach is a fascinating account of basketball history. Newark Abbey Press is the publisher and it is available at bookstores, www.profblood.com or call (800) 247-6553.
Chic Hess, Ed. D. is a for-mer two time NAIA college district and NABC-Kodak National Junior College Coach of the Year who is now serving as the Vice President for the Division of Physical Educa-tion in the Southwest District of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
ball. P2 passes to P1 and contests shot. Partners shoot together for the entire minute.
Station 6: McHale DrillThe left hand tips the ball
continuously against the back-board while the right hand grabs the net (rim). Do six and switch to the right-hand side. The right hand tips the ball against the backboard while the left hand grabs the net (rim). Repeat on the left-hand side for a total of 18 tips.
Station 7: T-Drill with 2 Ball Dribbling
Set-up the T-Drill with cones 5-7 feet apart in the shape of a T. Each player starts at the intersec-tion of the T and slides to the cone to her right, while dribbling two balls. She shuffl es to the left cone and fi nally back to the intersec-tion. She sprints to the cone straight ahead and back pedals to the bottom of the T, then returns to the intersection and continues in this manner for thirty seconds. The player waiting for her turn should work on stationary two-ball drills while resting.
These quick drills provide a fast-paced warm-up that needs little instruction and insures that the players break a sweat. Our fo-cus is on getting through the drills quickly, meaning the team sprints from station to station, and play-ers go hard with lots of intensity in each drill, knowing they have some rest time in between. These drills focus on ball control (6 and 7), quick change of direction (1, 2, and 7), jumping (3 and 6) and shooting (2, 4, and 5), allowing us to work on a number of skills in a short amount of time.
McCormick runs Hard 2 Guard Skills Academy in Portland: http://hi5hoopschool.tripod.com/academy
Skill Stations (cont)Wonder Teams (cont’d)
“We take three or four quick hit plays, run them all together, and call that our “1” offense. You can control who you’d like to have shoot the ball. We teach the players to reset the offense in three to four seconds, following each quick hitter. We use another verbal (example “2”offense) for a second set of quick hit-ters. The players soon realize that there are many options for guards, wings and post players. We name all of the quick hitters when we teach them, and at anytime we can go back to the one or two quick hit plays that has been most effective”.
Tim CollinsHead Men’s Basketball CoachCalifornia Baptist University
NAIA Division I
A Concept that Works
Basketball Sense Magazine 14 Volume 11 Number 5www.basketballsense.com
1 enters the ball to 3. 5 and 2 slash to the ball side. 4 drifts down. i steps out and then cuts back door to the basket.
1 dribbles and hands off to 3. 3 dribbles to the middle. 5 sets a fl are screen for 1.
1 penetrates low opposite of the stack. 5 cuts up to the elbow and receives pass from 1.
1 passes to 3 and cuts through to the low block. I reverse pivots to post up.
The ball is reversed 1-2-4. 4 feeds the post (not too low). 1 screens down on the help defense. 5 feeds back to 3.
by Brian McCormickVance Walberg and the
Fresno City College Rams (FCC) are notorious for their pressure defense and unique full-court press. This season, it appears, the Fresno City offensive attack is getting more recognition, as ESPN spoke glowingly about Fresno City and Coach Walberg during St. Mary’s College (SMC) games at Madison Square Garden dur-ing the Pre-Season NIT. SMC has adopted some of Fresno City’s offensive principles, as well as re-cruited FCC’s starting two-guard from last season, Walberg’s son.
The Rams complement its attacking defense with a quick hitting offensive attack. While it appears to the naked eye that they simply dribble down court and shoot quickly, there is more to the attack, including several quick hitters designed to get dribble penetration, lay-ups, or three-pointers.
The offensive base is to shoot open three-pointers or lay-ups. The philosophy is spreading and it alone is not unique to FCC. How-ever, the approach differs from many other schools who strive for the same results. Walberg wants to isolate a ball handler on one side of the court and allow the player to dribble penetrate. He puts a shooter in the corner and forces the defense to decide: cover the shooter and not help on the ball handler or stop the ball and relinquish an open three-pointer. Many teams now take the ap-proach of forcing the Rams to make lay-ups without providing help to the on-ball defender be-cause the shooters in the corners are lethal.
The Rams start in a four-out set with the post opposite the ball. This provides a one-on-one op-portunity for the point guard to dribble penetrate to initiate the
Fresno City’s Pressure Offenseoffense. The point guard tries to get to the rim or if cut off by help defense, to kick the ball out to the strong-side corner for a three-pointer. The Rams focus on us-ing a jump stop off penetration to clear space, land on balance, and prevent charging violations.
In addition to the basic dribble penetration to initiate the offense, it runs several quick hit-ters. The following fi ve are exam-ples of plays the Rams use to get open threes or lay-ups.
Examples 1-5A
continued to page 15
Volume 11 Number 5 15 Basketball Sense Magazine www.basketballsense.com
5 penetrates to the opposite low post. 1 loops off the screen by 4 back to the middle.
by Lason PerkinsThe following selections are
from Jeff Jansen, a peak perfor-mance coach. You can fi nd out more about Jeff and his material at www.jeffjanssen.com
Lesson from The Legends of Sports Psychology1. Forget about the Zone, Help
athletes refocus when adver-sity strikes. Regularly simulate adverse conditions in practice.
2. Coaches must fi nd and develop team leaders. Give your players leadership opportunities
3. Help athletes deal with fear. Fear is based on past events or future worries. Keep players focused in the present.
7 Steps to Building Your Athletes Confi dence (from the book The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches)1. Focus on potential: What you
see is what you eventually get.2. Plant seeds of success
3. Sell athletes on themselves: Help them feel capable.
4. Give them a specifi c and simple plan to succeed
5. Emphasize working hard and deserving success
6. Set people up for early success7. Accentuate the positive
Ideas from Marty Schottenhemier, head coach of the San Diego Chargers
Good competitors make mistakes. Bad competitors repeat them.
When things are going well, you can win with anyone. When things aren’t going well, the only way you can win is with people who have character.
This is about a system. Not a system of X’s and O’s, but a sys-tem of the way you conduct your business. It’s about the environ-ment you create, the teaching you present, the ability to communi-cate and getting them to value the goal.
One of the things I think is really important, if you want to be a good teacher, is that when something happens rather than screaming at the kid, ask them what happened.
What You Need To Know about People by Dr. John C. Maxwell1. People like to feel special, com-
pliment them.2. People look for a better tomor-
row, give them hope.3. People need to be understood,
listen to them.4. People lack direction, navigate
for them.
What Your People Need to Know About You by Dr. John C. Maxwell1. Followers want to see character
in their leader.
Coaching Wisdom to Ponder2. Followers want to sense compe-
tence in their leader.3. Followers want to be challenged
by their leader.4. Followers want to feel convic-
tion from their leader.
Notes from In the Zone by Dr. J. Mitchell Perry1. The Paradox of Performance
a. We do not associate athletics with fun or enjoyment
b. We are most relaxed when we enjoy what we are doing
c. We associate work with nega-tive images.
2. Polar Thinkinga. We interpret all situations as
win-lose.b. Polar thinking moves you into
the future instead of keeping you in the present.
3. Your Critical Advisora. This is the voice inside our
head that is constantly critical about our performance.
b. This voice keeps you in the past.
c. No one can criticize you more than yourself.
4. Power of Hands Freea. Enjoy the moment, the presentb. Play with enjoyment.c. John Wooden had the ability
to keep players in the present by not focusing on winning. He kept them focused on prepara-tion vs. outcome. He would say UCLA outscored an opponent vs. beat them, we won, etc.
d. Bill Walsh focused on perfor-mance and improvement.
e. You get what you focus on.
5. The Leverage of Languagea. Learn to use power words that
direct you toward specifi c pro-ductive actions.
b. Words create images, images create emotion
6. Techniquesa. Keep your eyes off the prizeb. Focus on improvement
continued from page 14
Fresno City (cont)
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It’s a Different Way to Play the Gameby Bob Anderson
Williamsfi eld High School
We have always felt at Wil-liamsfi ed High School that we needed to do things a little differ-ent if we are going to give our kids a chance to win. Our enrollment in grades 9-12 runs around 80 kids each year. Therefore, we feel it is very diffi cult for us to match up in a man-to-man defense, plus the 3-point shot makes it very hard to play a straight zone defense. With these thoughts in mind, we have used a variety of combination de-fenses, which have served us well over the past 25 years.
Our fi rst step in teaching these defenses is to familiarize our players with the slides and rules of the traditional 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones. Once you have taught these two zone defenses, it now opens the doors to playing many differ-ent types of combination defenses.
With this article, we are only going to talk about the two main combination defenses that we use. We use the 41 defense when we are playing someone with on outstanding scorer, and the 32 defense when we play an opponent who has two outstanding offensive players.
First, let’s take a look at how we play our basic 41 defense. When we call for the 41 defense, we are going to be playing four of
Combination Defenseour defenders in a 1-3 zone, and the fi fth defender will be assigned to our opponent’s number one offensive threat in a man-to-man situation. Here are a few rules we give to our players who are de-fending in the 1-3 zone:The point of the 1-3 zone is usually a guard that will pick up the ball in the middle of the fl oor when it crosses the 10-second line. When he is not guarding the ball, we want him to sag back toward the lane and help on the opponent’s post players. We play our best rebounders at the wings and they defend the offense on the sides of the fl oor down to the baseline. If the ball is shot on the opposite side of the fl oor, they are responsible for the weak-side rebound. Your middleman needs to be a hard-nosed player who will play between the ball and the basket and front any post player in that line. He also needs to be ready to help on dribble penetra-tion. In addition, all zone defend-ers must always see the ball, contest shots, block out, and, last but not least, help on the special offensive player your are playing with a man-to-man defense.
There are also a variety of rules for your man-to-man de-fender. You as a coach, through scouting, need to be able to tell your man-to-man defender exactly how you want him to guard. Do you want him to deny his man the ball? Does he have help-side responsibility? Does he double the post? In addition, your man-to-
man defender should know if his man shoots the three, and if his man has post moves. Your man-to-man defender should also be ready to handle screening situa-tions as you want him to.
The second of our combina-tion defenses is called 32 defense. This is our 3-man zone, usually in the form of a triangle, with two of our defenders playing man-to-man defense on our opponent’s two best offensive threats.
The rules for our defend-ers playing the triangle zone are the same for our point man and two wing players in our 1-3 zone. Again, it is most important that our two man-to-man defenders know exactly how they are going to defend the opposition’s two of-fensive threats.
We have found through the years that most teams attack our 41 defense with their zone offense and in most cases they will run their man-to-man offense against our 32. This is where scouting becomes very important, and we depend on this to prepare for our opponents.
Combination defense must be drilled just like any man-to-man or zone defense, and we drill every practice. We have also developed our own way of handling screens and also some unique ways to trap out these defenses.
We have also had a good time talking with former players about these defenses, and many times this leads to new ideas which we put in to help us make these de-fenses better. But one thing we all agree on—it is a different way to play the game.
