Dan Hurley is arguably the best coach in college basketball right now. In this coaching clinic, Hurley shares the team defensive principles for his two-time national championship UConn Huskies team.
1) Strength of the “Pack“
None of your behaviors, mindset, the things you’re saying – those things can only make the “pack” stronger. You cannot allow yourself to do anything that’s going to make the pack weaker.
2) Consistent improvement
A focus on the daily process. Be obsessed with getting better, as a player and as a person.
3) Relentless Competitive Effort
We should never question if you’re passionate enough or competitive enough. You better be a “dawg” or you’re never going to continue to take the next step to excel.
4) Mindful communication
Have some emotional intelligence when you’re communicating with others. Have self-awareness, like if you’re playing like trash, then you probably shouldn’t be barking at other people. Have situational awareness. Ask yourself, “Is this a good time for me, if I’m a leader, to jump on a teammate who’s struggling?”
Toughness 2v2 Small-Sided Game
Here’s a small-sided game Coach Hurley uses as one of their “toughness tester” drills. Teaching defensive players to get back into the play when a small advantage is gained by the defense. If you’re a peel switch team, adapt the drill to fit your defensive philosophy.
When I first starting hearing coaches talk about conceptual offense, I remember thinking, “Yeah, but how do you get the players to know what to do next?” The answer lies in teaching players to understand and execute “triggers” within the offense.
In Dean Oliver’s book, Basketball on Paper, he identified what he called “The Four Factors for Basketball success.” These four key factors significantly impact a team’s ability to win games: shooting, rebounding, turnovers, and free throws.
Years ago, Kelvin Sampson decided that in order for his team to take the next step, they needed to create an identity. The result was the establishment of the “Core Four” – pick and roll defense, post trapping, transition defense, and offensive spacing.
Here’s a look at one of the “Core Four” – post defense.
Interested in diving deeper into basketball coaching topics? Or, just looking for some nuggets to implement into your program? For as a much as a trip to Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a donut, you can have in-depth basketball coaching resources delivered each week straight to your email inbox ($5.49/month or $49.99/year).
The offseason is here, which means it’s time to roll that VertiMax back out of the storage closet and get to work!
If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to download the VertiMax training app. On it, you’ll find both free and paid content. In the free content is a virtual clinic describing and demonstrating how I use the VertiMax to improve physical skills and basketball skills in the off-season months. As part of the paid content, you’ll find basketball-specific drills I use with our athletes, sample workouts, and also full video workouts of me working with athletes.
In the meantime, here’s a workout to get you started improving the lateral quickness of your players…
As a basketball player, summer is the time to get bigger, strong, and faster. The key to all that? Proper nutrition. Here’s are seven suggestions for building your off-season nutrition plan:
The offseason is here, which means it’s time to roll that VertiMax back out of the storage closet and get to work!
Already, some have contacted me this spring about ideas for VertiMax workouts to improve players’ vertical jump. If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to download the VertiMax training app. On it, you’ll find both free and paid content. In the free content is a virtual clinic describing and demonstrating how I use the VertiMax to improve physical skills and basketball skills in the off-season months. As part of the paid content, you’ll find basketball-specific drills I use with our athletes, sample workouts, and also full video workouts of me working with athletes.
In the meantime, here’s a workout to get you started improving the vertical jump of your players…
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love using sets with consecutive actions. Not only are they hard to guard, but you almost always end up with more than one scoring opportunity. For those of you who are 5-Out coaches, here are a couple 5-Out options designed with those consecutive actions…
Have you ever studied to see what back-to-back drives does to the flow and effectiveness of your offense? If you haven’t, check this out…
Attacking gaps with the dribble is foundational in most conceptual offenses. However, like anything else, you can have too much of a good thing. Radius Athletics’ Randy Sherman and A Quick Timeout Podcast’s Tony Miller break down the impact of double drives within your offense.
In your offense, what are the other 3 (or 4) perimeter players doing on a drive to the basket? Standing still? Cutting? Circle movement?
A simple way to improve your conceptual offense is to coordinate the movements of players as the ball is moved via dribble or pass. Two of those simple movements are included in the concepts of headlights and taillights.
Recently, I shared 3 small-sided games (SSGs) we use with our players to accelerate their improvement on the defensive end. This time, we’ll look at the offensive side of the ball.
Do you have a separate out-of-bounds playbook for man-to-man defense and zone defenses? Don’t waste the time and frustration teaching your players a whole new set of plays for each defensive scheme! Coach Ido Singer explains how to take your existing OOBs plays and tweak things to score against zone defenses.
More and more coaches are making 3-on-3 a staple of their basketball practices, and for good reason. Increased reps, more space to experiment, fewer factors to pay attention to for coaches (which can lead to improved feedback), and ability to focus on specific parts of your offensive and defensive systems are just a few of the reasons to incorporate these small-sided games (SSGs) into your regular routines.
During this past season, it seemed like every college and NBA team had their variation on Spain action. Some teams kept it simple with a middle ball screen followed by the typical back screen. Others flow into Spain out of transition. Here are a couple ideas for your team from the Dallas Mavericks and Kentucky Wildcats.
With the off-season here, small group workouts become even more important to the development of your players’ individual skills. Instead of exclusively practicing stand-still shooting or random off-the-dribble shooting, why not use the summer months to improve both your team shooting and your offensive system as a whole?
Bob McKillops’ Davidson Wildcats consistently rank in the top 30 in offensive efficiency at the Division I level. Based on player movement, screening and decision making, the Wildcats’ motion offense puts constant pressure on defenses.
5-Out Offense is all the rage these days. With today’s players’ skills and an overall emphasis on spacing, ball movement and player movement, 5-Out Offense provides opportunities for every player on the court to contribute on the offensive end.
Here are two adjustments to make as defenses evolve to take away actions within your normal 5-Out Offense.
What happens with the four other players on offense when the ball is passed into the post? Do you avoid throwing the ball into the post altogether? Post feeds are a great way to invert your offense and run actions on the perimeter to open up players for scoring opportunities.
So, what’s the plan for your team this offseason? Surely it’s more than, “get better,” right?
Ultimately, the improvement of your team lies in the off-season improvement of your individual players. But the plan has to be more specific than just “get better.” Players need to know what skills are needed for them, and your team, to have success this coming season. That all starts with a well thought-out player evaluation plan.
Old timers, like myself, would tell you, “You don’t need a play call to back door somebody. When your defender turns his head or overplays the passing lane, back cut.” Even in today’s game, that’s a read every player should be taught to make. However, with many teams today moving away from denial, in-the-passing-lane defensive systems and to gap systems, it can be harder to get “back door” opportunities in the natural flow of your offense… which is why you’re seeing teams use set plays to create burn cuts (i.e., “back doors”).
For years, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has used a variety of sets to maximize the skill sets of his stars. This year has been no different. And while much of the 2021-22 season saw the Blue Devils primarily playing out of basic concepts (i.e., ball screens, drive and kicks, etc.) in the half court, Krzyzewski has leaned on his Horns playbook in the first four games on this year’s NCAA Tournament. Let’s go inside the XsOs.
A tendency toward action bias can at times lead basketball coaches and players astray, undermining short and long term progress.
Coaches are hard workers. One does not ascend the coaching ladder of success without long hours and commitment to the job. There is even a term assigned to this phenomenon – grinding.
But is all of this “grinding” necessary? Or does much of it come from a tendency humans have towards action bias? Coaches and players alike can succumb to the pitfalls of a cognitive bias called action bias, but being aware of them may help.
Optimism Bias can lead to unrealistic expectations, disappointment and emotional turmoil for coaches who do not guard against it.
There are numerous cognitive biases – or mistakes in reasoning – humans are susceptible to. Coaches can and do fall prey to these biases as well. One such bias is the optimism bias and failure to guard against it can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment.
Cognitive Bias In Coaching: Thoughts on avoiding the pitfalls of Outcome Bias for basketball coaches, teams and players.
“But Coach, I made it…”
The above phrase is one that many coaches have heard before. The lessons of shot selection are often lost on players after a favorable outcome follows a subpar decision. This is one example of a common cognitive bias called Outcome Bias.
Coaches: Is Choice-Supportive Bias plaguing your ability to make good decisions and move on from bad ones? Here’s how to spot and defeat it.
As coaches, we have all made decisions that we have come to regret. During preseason planning you may be excited about an offense, defense or lineup you have selected. You spend early season practices preparing your team to carry out the strategies you chose.
Earlier this season I listened to Eric Mussleman speak to his team on the importance of contesting shots. He referenced the 2015-16 NBA season to explain why the distance of your closeout on a shot makes all the difference. He said that defensive FG% was lower as shots were contested closer. You can hear him talk to his team in the YouTube video at the end of this post.
Looking for ideas to improve your basketball playbook? This year’s NCAA Tournament teams offered a variety of ideas to help your half court offense, zone offense, and special situations.
Flip the traditional setup – Inverted Offense posts up a guard, running actions above to create huge advantages and tough covers.
While attending the NABC Coaches Convention a few years back, I was intrigued when I saw the session titled, “The Analytical Edge: Underutilized Strategies to Increase Win Percentage,” presented by Frank Dehel of Dribble Handoff.
There is incredible value in running sets with multiple actions, and the options are nearly endless – here’s a few to get you started.
For those who read the companion blog post on plays with consecutive actions, you may have already begun tweaking your playbook to include a few more of these types of sets. Before you get too far into finalizing things, here’s one more suggestion…
String together consecutive actions to creates advantages by forcing the defense to make back-to-back quick decisions.
During my second year as a college assistant coach, we had a Division I point guard transfer into our small program. His skill in the pick and roll was quickly apparent, not just to our staff, but also to our opponents. In just the first few games, the typical high ball screen became less and less effective as teams would adjust their defense to force our ball handler to give up the basketball.
Coach Karl Smesko, head coach for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles women’s basketball team, provides insight into early season development, introducing offensive skills and systems, and ideas for improved shooting
University of North Florida’s Matthew Driscoll discusses how his program continues to thrive despite changes in transfer portal rules and ever-growing NIL opportunities.
Kate Paye, head coach for the Stanford Cardinal, gives an inside look for coaches and players on what college coaches are looking for in recruiting. She talks finding the right fit, skills needed to catch a recruiter’s eye, and the challenges facing today’s athlete.
Jim Boone, head coach for the Greensboro College Pride, talks about the process of beginning to turn around a losing program. He shares practical advice, the ups and downs, and the importance of staying true to your identity.
Omar Mance is a Player Development Assistant for Wisconsin Herd (G-League) in the Milwaukee Bucks organization. He provides insights on NBA Draft workouts and how coaches can apply player development and evaluation into their own programs.
Coach Dave Davis is back to talk about playing fast. This time, hou’ll hear how his offensive system was designed to be one of the top scoring teams in all of NCAA.
Molly Miller, head coach for the Grand Canyon University women’s basketball team, breaks down her pressure defensive philosophy, She shares teaching cue, drills, and more!
Chris Spatola, current ESPN College Basketball analyst, discusses UConn’s run to a title, team building in the current college environment, and the coaching carrousel.
Coach Marck Cascio shares Xs&Os observations from the men’s and women’s college basketball tournament as well as provides a checklist for postseason evaluations for coaches as they wrap up the season that was.
Dan Krikorian is the associate head coach for Chapman University and the co-host of Slappin’ Glass podcast. He breaks down Euro Ball Screen Offense and shares some of his best actions for the offense.
Brandon Bailey, assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, dives into today’s defensive schemes in the NBA. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Coach Bailey was an assistant for the Detroit Pistons as well as a head coach for the Boston Celtics’ G League team.
Mackenzie Novak, assistant coach for the New Mexico Lobos, breaks down Pace & Space Offense. she shares skill development drilles, reads within the offense, and more!
Ryan Pedon is the head men’s basketball coach for the Illinois State Redbirds. He talks about pivoting when things don’t go according to plan, evaluating players and staff, and cultivating your program in the off-season.
Former UNC Tarheel Joel Berry joins the podcast to talk about preparing for a rivalry game, winning in the postseason, and his favorite memories from Duke vs. UNC.
Tim MacAllister, current Western Kentucky assistant coach and former Texas Tech assistant, breaks down the no middle defense. He shares the defensive philosophy, break down drills, and ideas for competing against modern offenses.
Every coach today says they want to “play fast.” Most of their teams don’t actually play fast. Dave Davis’ teams play FAST. You’ll hear how his offensive and defensive systems create a system of play matched by few.
Long-time college basketball coach, James Jones, shares his philosophy for team defense. The Yale head coach provides strategies for breaking down individual skills, teaching team defense, and maximizing your coaching staff.
Mike Nettti, assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes, discusses ideas for practice planning, including player development, creating a competitive environment, incorporating assistant coaches, and reviewing practice performance for improved future performance.
Maryville Scots’ Raul Placeres is back, this time to talk about his version of Drive and Space Offense. He breaks down the offense, practice suggestions, and more!
Matthew Ridge’s 84.17% winning percentage is the highest winning percentage in the country at the NJCAA level. His teams have 5 top-5 finishes at the national tournament in the past 14 years. His team currently sits at #2 in the national polls. In this episode, he breaks down his Half-Court Scramble Defense.
Kansas State Wildcats’ assistant coach, Rodney Perry, provides an inside look at Jerome Tang’s program. He shares a behind-the-scenes look at the Wildcats tournament run last season along with advice for those seeking to advance in the coaching ranks.
Courtside Consulting’s Mark Cascio breaks down offensive adjustments for both gap defenses and pressure defenses. He also shares ideas for generating more 3PAs within your conceptual offense.
April Schilling, assistant coach for the Dallas Wings, shares an inside look at game prep at the WNBA level. In addition, she breaks down teaching ball screen offense reads.
JP Nerbun is the author of the book, The Sports Parent Solution: Proven Strategies for Transforming Parents from Obstacles to Allies. He shares strategies for partnering with parents and strengthening the relationship between coaches, athletes, and players.
TJ Rosene is the head coach for the Emmanuel College Lions (NCAA D2) and director of coach development for PGC. He discusses developing players’ roles and the practical application to shot selection.
Natalie Nakase is an assistant coach for the back-to-back WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. She discusses team culture, pace and space offense, her first head coaching experience, and more!
Brent Tipton, head coach for NBBL’s BBA Kornwestheim, dives into the 2-sided break. He shares teaching points, breakdown games, and even how to flow into half-court offense.
Marc Hart of System Basketball jumps on the podcast to talk modern Dribble Drive Motion offense. We dive into latest trends, tips for teaching, and the future of DDM.
Patrick Wallace, assistant coach of the Iona Gaels, joins Tobin Anderson’s staff in year one at Iona. He gives a behind-the-scenes look at the process of continuing the winning tradition there with the Gaels.
Mike Jagacki is the author of the book, “The Lockdown Program.” He shares tips for defensive teaching and how the Lockdown Program can turn your players into elite defenders.
After finishing her four years playing for the Michigan Wolverines, Danielle Rauch became a graduate assistant coach for the Clemson Tigers. Thanks to COVID-exceptions, Danielle is now starting her 5th year of eligibility as a player for the Clemson Tigers. She shares her unique perspective moving from coach to player.
What if I told you there’s a defensive system that takes away opponents’ 3PAs AND neutralizes their ball screen actions? In this week’s episode, Coach Nick of BBALLBREAKDOWN dives into his brand-new zone defensive system called “Chase Defense.”
Doug Novak, assistant coach for the Northern Kentucky Norse, shares his thoughts on practice planning during the 2021 Basketball Coaches Clinic, hosted by the Bob Jones University Bruins.
Skill development trainer Shane Hennen discusses modern training for today’s athletes. He shares suggestions for teaching specific skills, ideas for helping players overcome mental hurdles, and more!
Mark Cascio, veteran high school and college coach and also founder of Courtside Consulting, discusses the use of small-sided games and the advantages of employing a games-based approach in your practices.
Jeremy Growe, associate head coach for the Furman Paladins, talks about building Furman’s concept-based offense, including teaching terminology, how to rep via play, and innovating concepts.
Greg Neeley, head coach for the Piedmont College Lions (NCAA D3), breaks down his 2-1-2 zone defense. He shares player responsibilities, special calls, and drills for repping the defense.
Gilbert Abraham, Director of Player Development for the Portland Trail Blazers, describes the role of player development during the summer months, including the NBA Summer League, and shares ideas for training for improvement in fundamental skills.
Peace Pacers’ head men’s basketball coach, Claude Shields, shares how his team transition from Princeton to 5-Out and then from 5-Out to Princeton. You’ll hear how he COVID resulted in a re-vamped offense and how things have evolved over the last several years.
I asked several of my guests to share their philosophy on shooting development as well as their favorite individual, small group, and team shooting drills. Episode features, Illinois State’s Ryan Pedon, Kansas State’s Rodney Perry, VMI’s Dave Davis, LSU’s Gary Redus, Ohio State’s Mike Netti, and App State’s Mark Cascio.
Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s National Director of Recruiting, discusses coaches’ roles in developing players, what college coaches are looking for in players, NBA draft prospects, and more!
Rex Walters, assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets, discusses player development at the professional level. Included is a film break down with players from Coach Walter’s Hornets team.
Coach Mark Cascio, assistant coach for the App State Mountaineers and owner of Courtside Consulting, provides suggestions for off-season player development, including culture development, training ideas, and practice design.
Gary Redus, assistant coach for the national champion LSU Tigers, talks all things player development – the importance of building relationships, what it takes to be successful at the college level, and the traits of an effective skill development coach.
Tim Johnson, assistant coach for the Furman Paladins, discusses the program’s wholistic approach to developing players. He talks player workouts, shot training, system building and more!
Raul Placeres, head men’s basketball coach for the Maryville College (D3), provides an inside look at the Scots historically successful program. He shares practical advice for cultivating culture, tying on-court performance to your culture, and more.
Hannah Barber just finished her 5th year as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide women’s basketball team. She gives an inside look at being a college athlete, including tips for improved shooting, becoming a better point guard, and acclimating to the college game.
Nick Pasqua, head men’s basketball coach for the Converse University Valkyries, breaks down his morphing 1-3-1 defense. He talks teaching points, special calls, and avoiding pitfalls in playing zone.
Mike Bothwell is a 3x all-conference winner for the Furman Paladins. This year, Bothwell returned for his COVID year to help lead the Paladins to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years. He talks about the Dins run along with who his picks are to advance in the Final Four.
Gail Goestenkors, former head coach of the Duke Blue Devils and the Texas Longhorns, gives an inside look at the preparation process that goes into a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Parfait Bitee is an assistant coach for Pat Skerry’s Towson Tigers. Coach Bitee shares insights on the Tigers’ flow offense, including ideas for teaching new players conceptual offense, how to make conceptual offense unique to your program, and the future of conceptual offense.
Cara Consuegra’s 49ers team is built on her five specific core values of Heart, Effort, Accountability, Respect and Toughness. In this episode, Coach Consuegra discusses the 49ers’ HEART culture, their elite defensive system, and how to teach rebounding to players.
Coach Steve Lutz led the Islanders to the NCAA Tournament in his first year at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. He talks about building a championship team in less than 8 months, teaching pressure defense, playing conceptual offense, grouping offensive actions, and when to use set plays.
Jamie Quarles, associate head coach for the University of Buffalo Bulls, serves as the offensive coordinator for head coach, Jim Whitesell. Coach Quarles discusses his role as the OC, how he teaches spacing, and some of the challenges in running a conceptual-based offense.
Oregon Ducks’ women’s basketball coach, Kelly Graves, dives into ball screen offense, including teaching reads for the ballhandler, the use of various screens, and modern trends for ball screen offense.
After four years as a student manager and data analyst for Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange, Dominic Samangy now serves on staff with Eric Musselman’s Arkansas Razorbacks. Dom discusses the application of analytics to scouting, recruiting, and game preparation.
Josh Schertz, head coach for the Indiana State Sycamores, shares some thoughts on conceptual offense, including triggers within flow offense, inverting half court offense, and attacking ball screens.
Brian McCormick, author and long-time basketball coach, discusses basketball’s “fake fundamentals” and ideas for improving carry-over for players to game competition.
USC Trojans associate head coach, Chris Capko, provides an inside look at the scouting process. He shares ideas for preparing your team, discusses the differences between prepping for a star player vs. a system of play, and gives advice for not overloading your players.
FDU’s Tobin Anderson is in his first year with the Knights. He talks about introducing and teaching 5 Out Motion Offense to his new team, his 80-80-80 stat, and ideas for motivating players.
JP Nerbun is the founder of TOC Culture Consulting and the author of the book, “The Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture.” In this episode, he shares practical ideas for creating and implementing your team’s culture.
Lipscomb assistant coach, Kevin Carroll, breaks down conceptual offense. He provides ideas for introducing concepts, repping through 5-on-5 play, and adjusting to zone defenses.
Pace University’s Bruce Hamburger has close to 40 years of coaching experience at the college and professional levels. He talks about transitioning from a head coach to an assistant, what his time in the WNBA taught him, and how to thrive as an assistant coach.
Jeremy Growe, associate head coach for the Furman Paladins, breaks down the teaching points of footwork, how footwork relates to pace of play, and the connection of footwork to decision making.
Coach Matt Sayman is the author of the book, “The Leftovers: Basketball, Betrayal, Baylor and Beyond.” He shares lessons learned from the ’03-’04 Baylor Basketball season and how those lessons impact him today as a basketball coach.
North Carolina Wesleyan; John Thompson has over 30 years of experience teaching the game of basketball. He discusses the teaching and learning processes, including how to introduce systems of play, what to do when players don’t get it, and being yourself as a coach.
Long-time college basketball coach, Chuck Love, dives into player workouts, including the use of film, decision-making in the pick-and-roll, and some of his favorite shooting drills.
Aaron Roussell is the head women’s basketball coach for the Richmond Spiders. He shares ideas for practice planning, including incorporating assistant coaches into, teaching plays, and overall practice design.
Jason Kemp, assistant coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, provides an inside look into the process of rebuilding a Power 5 program. Coach Kemp talks transfer portal, player development, and training specifics in this week’s episode.
App State assistant coach, Mark Cascio, returns to discuss making plans as a coaching staff for the upcoming season. We talk construction of workouts, timing for introducing systems of play, and more.
Jamodi Podcast’s Matt Sayman talks with Coach Tony Miller about constructing your offensive system, teaching players how to play, and some of those fake fundamentals that can steal our practice time.
In the second part of this series on offense, Coach Jim Boone digs into their Blocker-Mover, including what it is, the variations you can use within the system, and how they teach it there at UAFS.
In part one of this two-part series, Coach Jim Boone breaks down his philosophy for offense and offers some suggestions for those building their own program’s offense philosophy.
The Athletic’s Mike Prada is the author of the book “SPACED OUT: How the NBA’s Three-Point Revolution changed everything you thought you knew about basketball.” He goes next level on how modern basketball became what it is today.
Brianna Finch, assistant coach for the Boston Terriers’ women’s basketball team, discusses decision-based training for summer development, appropriate feedback for learning, and the skills college coaches are looking for in recruits.
Andrew Wingreen has served as a coach and schools at various levels, including Bob Jones University (NCCAA), Bethel University (NAIA), Lancaster Bible College (NCAA D3), and Stetson University (NCAA D1). He shares some of the lessons he’s learned in hopes of helping coaches in their own individual journeys.
Donnie Jones, has been a head coach at Marshall, UCF and at Stetson. In addition, he was an assistant coach for the Florida Gators back-to-back national championship teams. He shares his 10-steps for building culture with your basketball program.
Baylor’s Scott Drew discusses his new book “The Road to J.O.Y.: Leading with Faith, Playing with Purpose, Leaving a Legacy.” Purchase Coach Drew’s book here.
Tee Butters is the associate head coach for the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. He gives an inside look into college recruiting, including what coaches are looking for, what role high school coaches should play, and the process for finding your school.
In the second episode of our recruiting series, Stanford’s Kate Paye talks about the uniqueness of each individual’s recruiting experience. She discusses the importance of fit with a program, characteristics of a create recruiter, and the challenges faced in modern recruiting.
This is the first episode in a series on the recruiting process. Columbia University’s Bruce Hamburger shares what college coaches are looking for in potential recruits and what potential student-athletes should be looking for in a college program.
Mark Cascio just finished his first year as an assistant coach for the App State Mountaineers. He discusses their process for postseason evaluations, including how those evals shape players’ offseason workouts.
Former Kansas Jayhawk, Rex Walters, stops by to talk tonight’s championship game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tarheels. We discuss key matchups, each team’s X-Factor, and predictions for the tonight title game.
ESPN’s and Sirius XM radio’s Chris Spatola digs into the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. We talk the importance of veteran play, Duke’s new look, Houston’s defense, what can keep Gonzaga from winning, and the Big 12’s showing.
Coach Ido Singer is an assistant coach for the UNC Greensboro women’s basketball team. He shares his philosophy on baseline out of bounds plays and what you should consider when it comes to selecting BLOBs for your team. Included are some of his favorite Xs and Os.
Sam Allen is known in the basketball world for his work with PGC Basketball, Blue Collar Basketball, and the Hardwood Hustle podcast. We talk using basketball for training for person development, coaching the intangibles, and opportunities for personal development for coaches.
Matt Woodley has experience coaching at the high school, college, and pro levels. He is currently the special assistant to Head Coach Steve Forbes at Wake Forest. In this episode, Coach Woodley discusses s variety of individual and team concepts for defending today’s modern offenses.
After spending time as an assistant coach at schools like Baylor, Clemson, and Valparaiso, Coach Matt Driscoll is now the head men’s basketball coach at the University of North Florida. He discusses how they break down conceptual offense, important stats for the offense, and how they generate more 3s and finishes around the basket.
Miami Hurricanes’ Chris Caputo is one of the top assistants at the Division I level. In this episode, the Hurricanes’ associate head coach shares suggestions for defending modern offenses, goals for defensive statistics, and what it takes to be a great defensive coach.
Tim Capstraw is a former NCAA D1 head coach and the current radio analyst for the Brooklyn Nets. He discusses Kyrie Irving’s return, the differences in coaching at the NBA level, and what separates stars like Kevin Durant.
Wesley Brooks, assistant coach for The Ohio State University women’s basketball team, discusses 5-out offense. He shares tips for choosing which version to use with your team, how to go about introducing the system to your players, and player workout ideas for coaching 5-out.
What do you track during games? How does that impact your practices and your team’s focus? Stetson’s Andrew Wingreen joins the show to talk trackable data and the implications for your program.
Arkansas Razorbacks’ Mike Neighbors is well-known for his “Functionally Fast” offensive. He goes next level, explaining how to teach this face-paced style, how to limit turnovers, and what to practice to make your team faster.
Jack Castleberry is the associate head coach for the Citadel Bulldogs. After a health issue sidelined Citadel’s Coach Duggar Baucom, Coach Castleberry found himself in the head seat against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. He talks about the experience, how his team plays with pace, and improving your team over the course of a season.
Kim Carducci is the author of the book, “The I of the Tiger: The Athlete Identity and Remedying Sport’s Greatest Conflicts” and founder of Everything Athletes. She discusses ways in which coaches can help athletes facing mental health issues related to injury and retirement.
Scafati Basket’s assistant coach, Francesco Nanni, dives deep into the topic of attacking switching defenses. Defenses frequently use switches to neutralize advantage-creating actions in the modern game. Coach Nanni provides tactics for teaching your players how to attack those switches.
Dr. Matthew Raidbard is a former college basketball coach and the author of “Lead Like a Pro: Effective Leadership Styles for Athletic Coaches.” He discusses practical ideas for building the player-coach relationship, the importance of a coach’s personal core values in leadership, and perceived vs. actual leadership for coaches.
Graham Maxwell, assistant coach for the Emmanuel College Lions (GA), shares thoughts for both assistant coaches and head coaches for improving the roles within a basketball staff.
Steve Prohm has been a head coach at both Murray State and Iowa State, reaching the NCAA Tournament at both schools. He shares insights on developing your playbook, organizing timeouts, balancing work/life, and more.
Do you coach any players with aspirations of playing college basketball? Matt Sanders, head coach for the Calvary University Warriors, provides suggestions for high school coaches helping players find a place to continue their college careers.
Thomas Bridges is an assistant video coordinator in the NBA. He discusses where the current game of basketball is moving, suggestions for succeeding as a player at the next level, and how analytics and video have created an opportunity for a career in basketball.
Mike Leviere is in his 10th year as the women’s basketball coach at Bob Jones University. He shares what it’s like to start a program from nothing, lessons learned from his experience in running a team, and advice for those who want to coach for more than wins.
CJ Watson spent 10 years in the NBA as a member of teams like the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, and Golden State Warriors. He shares insights on what it means to “be a pro” and what it takes to contribute at the highest level.
Lewis Shine, former college player and college basketball coach, shares the best defensive tips from his new eBook, “Keys To Becoming A Top Defensive Team.”
Nicholas Sciria joins the show to discuss Doug Lemov’s book, “The Coach’s Guide to Teaching,” and provides a basketball coach’s perspective on the teaching required for effective coaching on the hardcourt.
Great Britain’s U20 national team coach, Alan Keane, breaks down the 2020 Olympic basketball games, analyzing modern basketball concepts for coaches and players, alike.
Addi Walters is a member of the Iowa Wolves’ (G-League) coaching staff. She shares her experiences from the G-League Bubble. her summer training pros with Phil Beckner, and working this year’s NBA Draft Combine.
Guam’s Coach Brent Tipton is back to talk narrowing the competitive gap. This time, he breaks down the Tagging Up Rebounding System and why it may be a great fit for your program.
CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone is back on the podcast to preview the 2021 NBA Draft. He shares what makes Cade Cunningham so special, first round “sleepers,” and why this draft class is so intriguing. In addition, Kyle breaks down potential 2022 and 2023 draft class stars, Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, and Paulo Banchero.
Drew Hanlen, NBA skills trainer and CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball, shares his thoughts on the most important characteristics of a player development coach, how to organize a workout, and the necessary skills for succeeding in today’s game.
After serving at Cedarville University, John Leonzo is entering his first year as an assistant coach for Wright State Raiders women’s basketball team. In this episode, he discusses Dribble Drive Offense, changes they’ve made to fit their program, and adjustments for modern defenses.
Mike Jagacki is an assistant coach for the Hofstra women’s basketball team and the creator of Lockdown Defense. He shares the importance of a defined defensive system, teaching cues for defense, and in-game adjustments to help improve team defense.
We’ve gone back into the vault for this interview with Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes. Coach Forbes shares how the acronym GRACE helps him teach and build culture within his teams.
Radius Athletics’ Randy Sherman breaks down zone offensive strategies, including adjustments for junk defenses, teaching points for your players, and rebounding suggestions the offense.
After an illustrious career as a college and professional player, Jonathan Jones is now a member on Mitch Henderson’s Princeton staff. Coach Jones dives into player development for Princeton Offense and shares what it takes to be a successful college assistant coach.
Brent Tipton, head coach for the U17 Guam Men’s National Team, provides strategies for narrowing the competitive gap. Topics include two-sided break, tagging up, switching defense mid-possession and more.
North Florida’s Matthew Driscoll talks about his road from high school to community college to assistant to NCAA D1 head coaching. Stories, insights, and important lessons – a little bit of everything on this episode.
We’ve gone back into the vault for this interview with Bethel University’s Doug Novak. Coach Novak is a master teacher, and in this episode, he’ll explain how he introduces new ideas and plays to his team during practices for optimal learning.
We went back in to the Quick Timeout vault to grab this interview with Coach Mark Cascio of Courtside Consulting. Coach Cascio talks about his version of conceptual offense and what it takes to have your team playing modern basketball.
Montverde Academy’s girls basketball coach, Special Jennings, talks about her transition from college and professional player to high school basketball head coach. A unique perspective from one of the great, young talents in coaching.
Former Fighting Irish women’s basketball coach, Muffet McGraw, shares her experiences preparing for a NCAA National Tournament title game and gives her thoughts on the weekend’s men’s and women’s championships.
What’s your plan to improve your program this offseason? Coach Jerry Stackhouse, former UNC Tarheel player and current Vanderbilt Commodores head coach, shares his experiences for bettering your game in the offseason.
ESPN college basketball PxP man, Rich Hollenberg, has had the unique opportunity of having an front row seat for hoops games this season. He shares some insights on a few of the top college coaches and how adaptability has helped them lead their teams to new heights.
Hoop Vision’s Jordan Sperber is back to make his annual pre-NCAA Tournament appearance. He goes in-depth on the strategies and analytics for some of the top teams in college basketball.
Coach Aaron Fernandez has experience coaching at the youth, high school, and college levels. In this episode, he shares his philosophy on small-sided games, including suggestions for setting up, scoring, and improving your SSGs.
Chantel Osahor is an assistant coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks and former All-American at the University of Washington. During her time as a player, Osahor recorded 42 double-doubles, including a 30-rebound game. She shares some ideas for helping your players become better rebounders.
Josh Pastner is in his 13th season as a head coach at the D1 level. You’ll hear how his offense has evolved over his time at Memphis and Georgia Tech, ideas for practicing team offense, and where he thinks the game is going offensively in the coming years.
Abe Woldeslassie is the head men’s basketball coach at Minnesota’s Macalester College (NCAA D3). In 2018, he took over a program that had won just 35 games in 10 seasons. In this episode, he shares how he’s changing the program’s culture and how his past experiences as a player and coach have helped him revitalize the program’s culture there at Macalester.
Joanne P. McCallie is the former women’s basketball coach at Maine, Michigan State, and Duke. She is also the author of the new book, Secret Warrior, the story of her own mental health journey.
Zak Boisvert, Army assistant coach and creator of PickAndPop.net, talks his love for learning, getting players to compete in practice, and what he’s learned from European basketball.
Christopher Spartz is the founder of SWSH and a former college basketball player and coach. He shares how he’s helping players break down and improve their shooting mechanics with the SWSH shooting sleeves.
In these excerpts from a recent HUDL Basketball IQ Workshop Series, you’ll hear how coaches are practically using analytics to improve their practices, individual workouts, and games.
Bruce Weber, head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats, provides a checklist of essential elements for your team’s defense. In addition, he shares how his defensive philosophy has changed over the years as well as a few drills to help improve your team’s defense.
Joerik Michiels is the co-founder of Elite Academy in Antwerp, Belgium. As a professional skills trainer, Joerik has experience coaching and presenting at camps and clinics around the world. In this episode, he shares how small-sided games have revolutionized his coaching, from the youth levels through the professional ranks.
Long-time coach, Lason Perkins, does a deep-dive on European offense, including Euro Ball Screen Offense. We also talk Horns sets, including how to develop Horns actions specific to your team.
Chris Mongilia has helped the Princeton Tigers become one of the best digital and social brands in college athletics. In this episode, he shares ideas and strategies for elevating your program’s brand in the minds of recruits, alumni, and fans.
Steve Dagostino is an expert on basketball training, having played at the professional level and coached for USA Basketball. In this episode, he shares some of his best insights on skill and player development.
Florida State University head coach, Leonard Hamilton, consistently has one of the top defensive teams in the country. He shares insights on the Seminoles defense and the culture of toughness he’s created there in Tallahassee.
Ed Schilling has trained over 60 NBA players from his time at Indiana, UCLA, Memphis, and UMass. In this episode, you’ll hear how he’s adapted skill development for these unique times.
As a 3x national champion (NCCAA), Mark Berokoff has some experience in scouting and game prep. In this episode, he shares some of the things that have helped his Randall Saints succeed against teams from every level.
What happens in the first 10-15 minutes of practice sets the tone for the entire session. Andrew Wingreen and Tony Miller discuss various ideas for getting your practices off to a great start.
In part 2 of this conversation with Coach Jon DeMarco on the Get Better Show, Coach Tony Miller shares some of his favorite small-sided game (SSGs) and group drills from reinforcing your team defense.
NBA skills trainer, Gilbert Abraham, goes next level in this talk on ball screen offense. His elite teaching of pick and roll basketball will help coaches at every level.
Long-time ESPN personality, Dick Vitale, joins the show to discuss his new book, “The Lost Season: A Look at What the Journey to the 2020 National Championship Could Have Been.”
Jackie Carson is the current coach and a former player for the Furman Paladins. As a player, Carson finished her collegiate career in the Paladins’ top 10 for points (2nd), rebounds (7th) and blocks (2nd). She shares tips for being an effective post player at both the high school and college levels.
Chris Spatola is an ESPN college basketball analyst and former member Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils basketball staff. On this episode of “Coffee with Coaches,” we talk leadership, teamwork, building culture, and more.
With the start of basketball season approaching, we dive into the topic of conducting tryouts and constructing your team’s roster. Michael Lynch, head boys’ basketball coach at Leicester High School (MA), shares some suggestions from his 15+ years of experience.
Edniesha Curry is entering her third season as an assistant coach for the Main Black Bears men’s basketball team. She is currently the only woman serving as a full-time assistant coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. In this episode, she talks about two of her areas of expertise, self-scouting and skill development.
Bobby Cremins is the former head coach at Georgia Tech, College of Charleston, and Appalachian State. He amassed 579 wins (.607 winning percentage) at the NCAA Division I level, including 3 ACC Coach of the Year awards, 4 Southern Coach of the Year awards, and a Naismith Coach of the Year award (1990). His teams appeared in 11 NCAA Tournaments, including 1 Final Four (1990). In addition, he coached on multiple gold medal USA Basketball teams.
Wesley Brooks is an assistant coach for the University of Michigan’s women’s basketball team. During his time with the Utah Utes and Michigan Wolverines, Coach Brooks has been instrumental in developing both perimeter and post players into all-conference players. In this episode, he shares some of his best tips for training players in the area of skill development.
Coaching is so much more than developing athletes into better basketball players. Mike Sotsky, assistant coach at Harvard University, discusses was to help players grow as people, not just as players.
Rex Walters, former head coach at the University of San Francisco and associate head coach at Wake Forest University, shares his thoughts on creating your defensive system as well as what makes a great offensive play.
Jefferson Mason, player development specialist for Dr. Dish Basketball, joined A Quick Timeout’s “Coffee with Coaches” show to share tips for improving your players’ skills this off-season.
Over the past two seasons, Richard Westerlund’s Great Lakes Christian College team has been in the top two in all of college basketball in steals (826) and forced turnovers (1386). In this episode, Coach Westerlund shares his philosophy for pressure defense, both full court and half court. If you’re looking to improve your team’s defense this season, this episode is a must-listen.
Want to improve your shooting mechanics and mindset this off-season? Fletcher Magee, former Wofford Terrier and current professional basketball player, checks in to talk about shooting mechanics, getting yourself out of a shooting slump, and the fundamentals of great shooting.
Ever wonder what makes the best college coaches in the country the best? In this episode, Pete Wehry, national director for Nations of Coaches, shares some of his observations from a few of the top college basketball coaches.
Looking to up your team’s PPG this season? Evaluating your offense’s effectiveness during the summer months? Jaycob Ammerman, video coordinator for the UCF Knights, provides suggestions for how to best design and select offensive actions for your team.
How would you evaluate your own leadership is a coach? In this episode, Matt Doherty, former UNC Tarheel’s player and coach, talks about leadership lessons learned during his 30+ years of being around the game of basketball.
Do you, or someone you know, dream of becoming a college basketball coach? Matt Mossman (Oklahoma Sooners) and Andrew Wingreen (Stetson Hatters) join Tony Miller to discuss their paths to the college ranks and what you should be doing now to prepare for being a valuable member of a college basketball staff.
Ray Lokar is the Director of Coaching for Gold Standard Coaching. Coach Lokar is a native of California who grew up a UCLA Bruins basketball fan. His dreams came true when he had the chance to work John Wooden’s basketball camps in the summers at UCLA. Coach Lokar shares some of things learned from the then-retired Bruins coach, including what made Wooden such an effective teacher.
Cori Close is the current women’s basketball coach for the UCLA Bruins. While an assistant, Close was introduced to Coach Wooden, and over the next 17 years, she developed a close friendship with Wooden. She shares in this episode how the legendary coach impacted her as both a coach and person.
Andy Hill won three national championships in the early 1970’s as a UCLA Bruins player. Hill later went on to become the president of CBS Productions. He reunited with Coach Wooden after 25 years and became a close friend to Wooden. In this episode, Hill talks about that bond and the lessons learned from his friend.
Steve Lavin is the former head men’s basketball coach for the UCLA Bruins. Lavin met Coach Wooden while an assistant in the early 1990’s. Once promoted to head coach, he drew on Coach Wooden’s wisdom to help guide the Bruins to 6 20-win seasons, including 4 appearances in the Sweet 16 and 1 in the Elite Eight. He gives an inside look into Coach Wooden, the person.
Swen Nater was a member of two of Coach John Wooden’s national championship teams (’72, ’73), backing up Bill Walton at the center position. Although he never started a game at UCLA, Nater was drafted in the first round of the NBA. In this episode, he gives an inside look into Wooden, the coach.
Adam Bradley is the founder of Lead’em Up and long-time host of the Hardwood Hustle podcast. On this episode, Adam talks with Tony Miller and Andrew Wingreen about developing leaders, the importance of communication, and how the Lead’em Up program can help your team.
Do you want to improve your ability to connect with and motivate your players? To help coaches better understand their players, Dr. Neal Ring joins A Quick Timeout podcast to discuss the DISC assessment. Dr. Ring is a certified behavioral consultant and former high school and college basketball coach with over 20 years of experience in athletics. In this episode, he explains the basics of the DISC assessment and how understanding the DISC’s results can be the key to unlocking our players’ full potential.
Coaches agree about the importance of coaches knowing about and caring for their players. However, that looks very different for a lot coaches. In the second episode of “Coffee with Coaches,” Coach Tony Miller and Coach Nick Hauselman discuss the player-coach dynamic as well as ways coaches can effectively motivate their players.
Coach Mike Shaughnessy stops by the podcast to break down skills development training. Coach Shaughnessy has experience as a college player and coach and is a proven skills development trainer. In this episode, we talk about designing workouts, essential skills for training, and preparing players for the next level.
Despite the popularity of social media, many college and high school sports programs are failing to take advantage of the marketing and branding opportunities presented by social. In this “Coffee with Coaches,” Coach Tony Miller and Coach Mason Waters share ideas for implementing a social strategy and creating engaging content.
Looking to improve your ability to teach shooting to your players? Want ot be able to identify common mistakes in players’ shooting techniques? NBA shooting coach, Dave Love, shares some of his secrets to becoming an effective shooting coach.
Long-time college basketball coach and ESPN analyst, Jimmy Dykes, talks about the pandemic’s effect on college basketball, how he’s managing during these difficult times, and his new book, The Film Doesn’t Lie.
Joe Abunassar is the founder and president of Impact Basketball. Coach Abunassar has trained thousands of players, including 130 NBA Draft picks, in his 20-years of basketball training. In this episode, Coach Tony Miller and Coach Abunassar focus in on the 5 pillars of basketball training.
Coach Mark Cascio is back to answer your questions about conceptual offense. He discusses some of the year-one struggles when installing the offense, tips for a smoother transition, and more.
Coach Donnie Jones is well-known for turning around struggling basketball programs. In this episode, you’ll hear the steps he takes to instill a winning culture into a program.
In the second episode in our week-long series on the Pack Line Defense, Coach Kevin McGuff talks specifics of the Pack Line defensive system. We go into detail about positioning, ball screen coverages, post defense, and more!
In this first episode in our week-long series on the Pack Line Defense, Coach Andrew Wingreen rejoins the show to talk about installing the Pack Line defensive system. Coach Miller and Coach Wingreen discuss the basics of “the Pack,” including the importance of ball pressure, closeout techniques, and post defense.