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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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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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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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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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 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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If you want to rebound like Kevin Love then you need to avoid these common rebounding mistakes!

1. Standing still and watching the flight of the ball.
2. Assuming the shot will be made and running down to the other end of the court too early.
3. Assuming a specific teammate or specific opponent will rebound the ball.
4. Thinking you can just out jump your opponent so you don’t screen out
5. Running under or getting pushed too far under the basket.
6. Moving into a position directly behind an opponent and then staying here. (Players who do this often get stuck with the nickname “Velcro”)
7. Being afraid of contact and not fighting for crucial inside position.
8. Not anticipating where the ball will come off the rim and then racing to that spot.
9. Rebounding with only one hand instead of two.
10. Bringing the rebound down below your waist where the defense can grab it

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What constitutes a careless or lazy foul?

1. Reaching instead of moving your feet to establish good defensive position.
2. Reaching because you are tired and out of condition.
3. Fouling out of frustration after a bad call or play.
4. Committing a technical foul. Since most leagues now count technical fouls toward disqualification, loss of control not only puts you in foul trouble but also creates an unforced turnover!
5. Fouling because you are too slow getting back on defense and are out of position.
6. Trying to block shots instead of taking a charge.
7. Going over the back of an opponent for a rebound instead of establishing good rebounding position.
8. Fouling a player in the act of shooting.
9. Playing defense by standing behind a player in the low-post area.
10. Establishing defensive stance after your opponent has already received the ball.
11. Fouling a dribbler from the side.
12. Committing an offensive foul by driving into a crowd.
13. Creating a foul on your teammate by coming off a screen before the screen has been set.

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Thanks for all the support over the years. If it weren’t for our subscribers and our loyal blog readers we wouldn’t exist!

Here’s the link to the article.

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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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