We spend a lot of time talking about defense but we don’t spend nearly as much time talking about finalizing the defensive possession. Murry Bartow, the head coach at East Tennessee State University, once shared the following thoughts in a presentation at a coaching clinic.

We can finalize the defensive possession by:

Being in position, seeing the ball, and getting a steal.

Taking a charge.

Pressuring the offense into committing a turnover.

Rebounding the basketball.

The obvious purpose of playing defense is to keep the offense from scoring and to regain possession of the basketball. A defensive possession cannot be considered success unless both of those things happen.

In other words, players and coaches can’t be satisfied with playing good defense or even with playing great defense as it is possible at times to play great defense and still give up a score. Therefore the goal must be to play effective, game changing defense, and that can only happen if the possession is finalized!

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With the Super Bowl coming up I’ve noticed how many players being interviewed have talked about teamwork and team chemistry. Do they suddenly believe in teamwork because their teams are in the Super Bowl or are their teams in the Super Bowl because they believe in teamwork?

In the book Game Plans for Success by Ray Didinger, Coach Marty Schottenheimer talks about how coaches can only do and say so much when it comes to instilling values such as teamwork.

“That direction is much more effective coming from a player that coming from a coach. Players get tired of listening to coaches. When the guy at the next locker verbally kicks a player in the butt, it makes an impression. . . . .

A coach can scream and holler about teamwork, but the teams that really have it are the ones on which the players live it and demand it every day. It comes with a mutual respect and internal leadership.”

I would have to completely agree. Teamwork that is “forced” upon the players is usually short lived and insincere. The only enduring and effective form of teamwork must be genuine and must come from the players. As John Wooden used to say, “The main ingredient to stardom is the rest of the team!”

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1. Mikan Layups   1:00

* Goal = 0 Misses & 0 Drops

2. Box to Box        1:00

* Passer on each wing. Post breaks block to block, receives pass and makes post move. Gets own rebound, throws it back out and breaks to opposite block

* Goal = 0 Dropped Passes

3. Elbow to Elbow Jump Shots 1:00

*Passer/rebounder underneath basket (variation – put passer on the wing)

* Goal = 75%

4. High Post Drive  1:00

* Start on block. Break up to High Post, receive pass, square up and drive. Get to basket in one dribble. Rebound own shot, pass it out, break up to opposite High Post

* Goal = 0 Misses

5. High/Low 3’s 1:00

* Post steps out to top of the key, receive pass from wing, and shoots the 3

Each one minute segment is to be run at full speed. Keep track of made shots and constantly try to set a personal best.

This could be run as a circuit with several players going through several repetitions. Keep score and the work out becomes a competition.

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The following ideas came from a clinic presentation given by Jerry Wainwright who is currently an assistant coach at Fresno State University.

1. To calm the players
2. To motivate the players
3. To run a special play
4. To reinforce individual assignments
5. To stop your opponent’s momentum
6. To quiet down the crowd
7. To ice an opposing free throw shooter
8. To let your players rest
9. To make an immediate offensive or defensive change
10. To stop the clock

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Let’s be honest – for the majority of players shooting the basketball is the most fun part of the game. But it’s also safe to say that shooting the ball is even more fun when it consistently goes in the basket. There’s just something addicting about watching the ball rip cleanly through
the net! For  true ballers there’s nothing like it!

Here is some sound shooting advice written by long time NCAA Div. 1 assistant coach Randy Brown:

1. Good Shooters spend time each day on proper shooting technique. Good Shooters use a chair to “form shoot” for 10 minutes before taking their first shot at the basket.
Poor Shooters spend time on their shooting technique when they “have time.” Poor Shooters grab a ball and go to the three point line to begin launching shots.

2. Good Shooters work on moving without the ball and “prepare” the shoot the ball before ever catching it.
Poor Shooters wait for their turn to shoot then think about getting a shot off.

3. Good Shooters start close to the basket and make 5 straight before moving back.
Poor shooters shoot from all areas of the floor “hoping to make it.”

4. Good Shooters study other good shooters and follow their habits
Poor Shooters shoot the ball the same way without any help from others.

5. Good Shooters study the path of the ball and where the ball hits the rim. They make adjustments based on where the ball hits the rim; long/short, right/ left.
Poor Shooters judge their shooting accuracy solely on whether the ball goes in or not.

6. Good Shooters square up to the basket before shooing, called “Ten Toes.”
Poor Shooters are not concerned with alignment they just want to quickly get their shot off.

7. Good Shooters shoot from an athletic position known as Triple Threat position. One quick movement from triple threat produces a solid shot.
Poor Shooters catch the ball in an upright position then take time to bend their knees before shooting. Poor Shooters do not play in triple threat.

8. Good Shooters use their whole body to shoot the shot. They know that their LEGS make shots with good form.
Poor shooters shoot the ball with their upper body only and throw the ball at the basket instead of shooting it.

9. Good Shooters follow through consistently by “throwing their hand into the basket.”
Poor Shooters are inconsistent in their follow through resulting in inconsistent results.

10. Good Shooters understand the importance of BALANCE before, during and after the shot! The feet are always under their head.
Poor Shooters shoot off balance from all different kinds of angles. Their feet are rarely under their head.

Key Questions:

1. How many of these describe YOU as a shooter?

2. Your goal is to accomplish all 10 of the “Good Shooter”
characteristics as you grow and develop as a basketball player.

3. What is your score out of 10 and how badly do you want to be a Good Shooter?

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At this point in the season I have been thinking about how I can strengthen my team and prepare for a run at the playoffs. My first thought was to concentrate on eliminating any “weak links” but then I read these words written by Bob Starkey, long time men’s and women’s assistant coach at LSU and now an assistant at the University of Central Florida:

I have thought often over the course of the past two years about this particular blog post.  Rarely do you want to tackle one of those life-long coaching axioms.  But that’s what I’m going to do.

“You’re only as strong as your weakest link.”

Now don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that your team wouldn’t be better if your weakest player had a great attitude and was a hard worker.

But I am saying this: “You’re only as strong as your strongest link.”

I base my premise on years of coaching.  I have been fortunate to have coached some special teams.  During my tenure on the college level I have been to six Final Fours — special teams indeed.

Some of those teams had a player or two that didn’t work as hard as they could have or didn’t have the best of attitudes.  In fact, with a team, it is almost a safe bet that you will have one or two.  But the one thing those Final Four teams had was a player or players that were incredibly committed to having a great team.  They were leaders in their actions and in their words.  The best players on those teams were the hardest workers.  The best players on those teams were the unselfish.  Coach Don Meyer said at the very first clinic I ever heard him speak nearly 20 years ago that “if your best player is your hardest worker than you have a chance to be good…but if he’s not, you could be in for a long season.”

The strongest link is the most important because it is the link that holds the chain together.  The stronger that link, the more links it can “carry” and “lift.”  If you have a team that is top heavy with strong links than you are about to have a great season.

I believe a good coach can minimize the effects of a player with a bad attitude or poor work ethic if they are at the bottom of the chain…but if that weak link is at the top it’s going to break at some point and you will be scrambling to hold it together.

As a coach, I think it is important to recognize that and make sure that you put the necessary energy into communicating and motivating your strongest link.  Too often we get caught as coaches spending 80% of our time on the bottom 20% of our team.

Work hard to find and develop strong links.  Talk to them about how important they are to the success of the team.  Let them know that it is up to them to be the hardest workers when the coaches aren’t around.  They need to be the most enthusiastic whenever everyone else is flat.  Yes, they need to get on their teammates when necessary to hold them accountable but they most also know when and how to lift them when need be.

Make the time to meet periodically with your “strongest link” to coach him or her up.  Give them the attention they need and make sure the team knows that you have his or her back.  Coach your strongest link on what you need from him or her in all areas of the game — including on the floor, in the weight room and in the locker room.

I have also coached teams that had good talent but did not have a strong link at the top and those teams ALWAYS felt short of their potential.

I would add “the strongest link carries the chain.”  How strong is your strongest link(s) and what are you doing to make them stronger?

Starting tomorrow, as we get ready to start the second round of conference play, I am going to make sure my strongest links are even stronger!

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Nothing excites me more than watching a team change defenses or schemes during the game. The reason I love it so much is because of the strategy that then gets set in motion. When teams change things up then coaches have to adapt and that is really when things get moving. One of the best weapons a team has is the use of a full-court-press and I want to talk about 3 different times when a press is effective and when it should be set up.

I’m not going to discuss the different types of presses in this game, just the reasons why and when to press.

1. When you need to change the tempo

Teams often think that presses are created just to get steals and cause turnovers but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Missouri is coached by Mike Anderson who is notorious for his ’40 minutes of hell’ style that he learned from Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. The idea behind his pressure is simply to create a tempo that he wants his team to play at. It ensures in almost every case that his team will be able to play at the speed they want to play at. When Missouri struggles it is when they aren’t able to get their press in play and speed up the other team. They want an up and down style that is caused by the press and if it creates turnovers then great, but if not then they still get their desired purpose.

2. To wake up your team

If your team is playing flat then nothing can get them to play harder or wake up like a press can. It is along the same lines as #1 but different in the sense that sometimes a team just comes out with a lack of energy and the press gets them running and involved in the game quicker. I love watching teams that employ a press when starting a game just to ensure that they get out on the court and know the game is on from the opening tip. It’s a great reason why Missouri and pressing teams are so successful especially early in the season.

3. To create turnovers

This one is the most obvious but when teams are pressured they tend to make mistakes. The press creates the feeling of having to hurry or getting rushed to make a play. Players often have more than one defender coming at them and it causes them to stress and make poor choices. Turnovers lead to easy baskets and more possessions for the other team. Any time the defense can take away a shot chance they improve their chance of winning in the end.
Other situations worth considering the full court press

Some great times to throw a press out are after made baskets, made foul shots, inbound plays on the opposite ends of the court or even on missed foul shots. Most coaches will have some presses taught to each team that will be used in certain situations.

Not only should you know when to run the press your team also needs to know how to beat the full-court-press when it is used against them. Learn from the best coach in the game Duke Head Coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Check out his full court press break instruction.

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Here are the final 21 thoughts for new coaches. If you have any additional thoughts that I can add to the list I would love to hear about them!

1.   Start your own basketball camp

2.   Become an incredible note taker

3.   Understand the value of attention to detail

4.   Learn how to be a rebounder and passer for drills and individuals

5.   Be loyal to yourself and coaches in your program

6.   Get a job description typed early and follow it to the letter

7.   You go to all the classes and get all the best grades

8.   Be the best at everything you do

9.   Be ready for grunt work and to suck some scum

10.  Be ready to make no money for a while

11.  Have a plan written out for what you want to do and what level you want to work

12.  Start a coaches club –  a network of coaches  that share information with each other

13.  Make your own business card if your program doesn’t provide one

14.  Get to know your boss and help him become better and more successful

15.  Make a portfolio of ideas, strategies, drills, offenses, defenses, etc;

16.  Become proficient with video technology, editing machines, computers, copy machines, fax machines, and telephone systems

17.  Establish goals and work on them everyday

18.  Establish yourself as a winner

19.  Remember the stories of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Joe Torre, and John Elway (Perseverance)

20.  Remember only a certain small percentage make it to the “big time”

21.  Pray to God and have faith that everything will turn out for the best.

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While working on my current eBook, A Comprehensive Guide to the 2-3 Zone, I was looking through my files and came across something interesting that I thought was worth passing along to new coaches looking to get on the fast-track of success in this profession.

While there was no author attached to this paper, I don’t think I could have said it better myself!

There are 36 items on the list. Here are the first 15:

1)     Relationships are more important than wins

2)     Learn how to speak well

3)     Be professional in all aspects – Talk, body language, dress – First impressions last a lifetime

4)     You will be judged by wins and losses, you be the judge of your own values, morals, ethics

5)     Work basketball camps to meet new contacts, learn strategy, understand the game

6)     Attend a basketball clinic every fall for new ideas

7)     Learn to recruit – You will recruit everyone you come in contact with parents, referees, students, administrators, high school coaches, high school players

8)     Be positive in everything you do – People are watching (Image) (Perception)

9)     Be willing to do anything for the team within reason

10)  Talent is not over rated – Recruit Talent and Character

11)  Know how to break film and become very proficient with X’s and O’s

12)  If you want to coach at the college level – Have a very good player that you can give to the college coaches

13)  Start your own AAU program

14)  Make sure you are with a program that will promote winning

15)  Become a personal ambassador for the game of basketball

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Long time basketball coach JD Barnett developed a well deserved reputation as being an outstanding defensive coach and mentored both Tubby Smith and Tom Izzo.

Here are Coach Barnett’s Defensive Rules given at a coaching clinic when he was at the Uniiversity of Tulsa:

1. Contest every shot
2. Retreat quickly to the ball line which is the line parallel to the endline at the point of the ball
3. Allow no penetrating passes lower than this line
4. Allow all non penetrating passes
5. Always see the ball and your man
6. Try to intercept any lob or bounce pass
7. Jump to the ball on every pass
8. Maintain proper weakside position
9. Always trap the ball in the low post
10. Keep pressure on the ball at all times
11. Never foul a man who is not an offensive threat
12. Do not give up layups
13. Do not give up second shots

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