BISON HOOPS BLOG

The 10 Worst Things We Do as Coaches by Mike Dunlap

2012-01-25T09:11:00.001-08:00

1. Take time to explain what we want from our players. We must strive for clarity
first.

2. Demonstration after we tell our players what we want; there must be a
demonstration each time. We need to give our players a picture demonstration
before we get into repetition.

3. Building blocks are the only way to develop a player. For example, if we do not
address a players feet and be specific about how we want him to pivot then it will
cost us down the road. Do not rush your teaching. We should do one thing at a
time.

4. Teaching your team to be physical takes technique, sequential instruction, and
patience. It is easy to call a player a "nutless wonder" without considering that
most players have never been taught the finer points of hand to hand combat. If
we would spend a little more time with football coaches we would figure out how
to teach our team to be physical.

5. Be objective about an all out effort. We demand that a player go at 100%
effort. What is 100% effort and has there ever been a player who knew what that
meant. Probably not? For instance, put a heart monitor on a player and measure
their heart rate. The instructor can be more objective about individual effort this
way. Yet, we talk and sometimes yell at our players about going "all out" all the
time. What a stupid statement when you really think about it. How can a player
read and think? For example, a good offensive player must learn how to change
speeds with cutting and ballhandling. This requires that the offensive player
control his body and NOT play at 100%. Too many times we buy into the myth of
the 100% effort and forget about going after a player's intellect before asking for
a quality effort.

6. Demanding perfection. What a bunch of crap! The more a person chases
perfection the less they can enjoy each act. How can a perfectionist be happy
with anything? The least enjoyable person to be around is the perfectionist; I find
a lazy dog to be just as unpleasant. Demand that people do the right thing, yet do
not fall into the trap that nothing is ever good enough. If you are always chasing
perfection then how can you teach a player to enjoy a job well done. As Coach
Wooden stated, "A man must find balance, be it emotional, physical, spiritual, or
intellectual.". Why is it that certain coaches will say that they were devastated by
the loss at the end of a 33-1 season? If you believe in your preparation and
teaching process then how can any loss devastate you? In other words, losing is
part of sports; you learn from it and move on. A disciplined mind comes in many
different forms and being mentally tough also requires that you must accept the
brutal reality that no one is perfect and a quality effort is a joy in and of itself
regardless of outcome.

7. Follow through. If you want discipline in your organization then follow through
with consequences for actions. Our discipline breaks down when we do not
quickly punish the transgression. How come so many coaches fall prey to this
area? Because it could hurt the outcome of your season if you lose a certain
player. My experience tells me just the opposite. For example, George
Gwoldecky, head hockey coach at Denver University, benched his best player for
the national championship game. Coach Gwoldecky made a statement for all
time- period.

8. Take care of ourselves first. Whether it is our mental and physical health (i.e
eating, exercise, prayer, reading, etc) daily schedule, finances, family, and other
personal matters, we need to address those things first. Why? Because if you are
not in order how can you fully give to your team, staff, and school? You cannot.

9. Apologize. We demand so much from others and we want them to see their
mistakes and fix them. In short, we set ourselves above our own vulnerabilities;
we should openly admit our errors. Once you have done this in front of your team
it will be much easier for them to acknowledge their mistakes. This is an
imperative act by the head coach if you want quality communication.

10. Allow for failure. Part of learning is the margin of failure and sometimes you just have to let the players fall flat on their rumps. This is difficult but necessary.

Baylor Individual Guard Workout

2011-09-03T21:31:00.001-07:00

Baylor Individual Guard W-out.docx

Stevens, Crean, Painter clinic notes

2011-08-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

BradStevensClinicNotes.pdf

Steph Curry Skills Academy handbook

2011-08-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Steph Curry Skills academy.pdf

Team USA plays

2011-08-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Team USA.pdf

Team USA practice notes

2011-08-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

USA training camp.docx

John makes Team USA for the World University Games

2011-08-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to John on being named to Team USA that will play in the World University Games in China!

Roy Williams on relationships

2011-08-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

The following are thoughts on coach/player relationships by Coach Roy Williams in his book, "Hard Work: A Life On and Off the Court."

Coach Smith taught me that your players are always your top priority. If I have a player in my office and the phone rings, I will not answer the phone. I have a Plexiglas paperweight that reads, “Statistics are important, but relationships last a lifetime.”

When it comes to mentoring my players, I look at myself like a teammate. I am playing as hard as I can every day to get them to believe in what I believe in: that there’s a right way to conduct yourself, there’s a right way to answer people, there’s a right way to dress when you go into a restaurant or get on a plane, and there’s a right way to play basketball.

See the rocks in your path not as obstacles, but as opportunities to climb higher or If you want to leave footprints in the sands of time—you better wear work shoes. On the first day of preseason practice, the Thought for the Day is always the same: It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit.

I try to never blow smoke with my players. I tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. I tell them the truth.

The simplest way to get me mad is with selfishness, lack of concentration, or lack of hustle.

via Coach Bob Starkey

ACKNOWLEDGING CONTRIBUTIONS

2011-07-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

The following comes from an interview by John Maxwell of Coach Wooden. Obviously there are many coaches who adhere to the philosophy of a player signaling to a teammate after a good pass. But do we as coaches and human beings look ways and opportunities to acknowledge the contributions of those that we work with and live with on a daily basis?

In 2003, when I interviewed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, he told me how he would often teach his players who scored to give a smile, wink, or not to the player who gave them a good pass. “What if he’s not looking?” asked a team member. Wooden replied, “I guarantee he’ll look.” Everyone enjoys having his contribution acknowledged.

via Coach Bob Starkey

Warren Buffett's hiring guide

2011-04-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

From Don Meyer's evening of excellence

3 things Warren Buffett looks for when hiring:

1. work ethic
2. intelligence
3. character

& Without character, work ethic and intelligence
don't matter

- Don Meyer

VCU roll-replace

2011-04-11T12:10:00.001-07:00

This is a set from our friend Shaka Smart. We got to know Shaka quite well when he was an assistant coach at Clemson and recruited John Jenkins.

VCU pick n roll.pdf

Difference between coaching and teaching

2011-03-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

“There is a difference between teaching and coaching. When you are instructing your team about the actual game, you are teaching them, transmitting knowledge and information to them. There are guys who don’t teach their players anything or much of anything, but who go around and recruit the best players and win—they’re coaches but not teachers.”
--Pete Carril

Kevin Stallings on playing with less talent

2010-10-12T19:59:00.001-07:00

Coach Stallings was asked this question at the Vandy coaches clinic this past Saturday.

"What are some things you can do to make up the difference when you are

short on talent?"

Here are a few things he mentioned in his answer:

1. Be more physical (toughness, effort, loose balls, defensive rebounding, etc)
2. Take more time in offensive possessions without losing confidence, rhythm, & flow
3. steal points ex. tip play, baseline o.b. plays

TSU Fist offense

2010-10-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

TSU Fist offense.pdf

Xavier Newsletter #5

2010-10-07T17:17:00.001-07:00

Xavier Newsletter 5[1].pdf

Florida Coaching Clinic

2010-09-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

Florida_Coaches_Clinic_2010[1][1].pdf

LSU Lady Tiger Defensive General Concepts

2010-09-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE PAINT AT ALL TIMES
◄When the ball gets to the paint it creates easy shot opportunities in the paint
◄When the ball gets to the paint it creates easy perimeter shots (especially 3’s)
◄When the ball gets to the paint it creates help and recover situations
◄When the ball gets to the paint it creates closeout situations
◄When the ball gets to the paint it creates fouling situations
......taking away the paint starts with transition defense
......stance, head, eyes and footwork are critically important
…...team defense — having the ability to help early — is a necessity

WE WANT A HAND ON THE BALL
◄When the ball handler has the ball and has not dribbled…
......we want to have a hand on the ball — constantly mirroring the ball!
◄When the ball handler is dribbling…
......we want the defender to have a hand on the ball as it is dribbled!
◄When the ball handler is attempting to pass…
......we want a hand on the ball as it is passed with the goal of deflecting it!
◄When the ball handler is attempting to shoot…
......we want a hand on the ball to block or alter the shot!

WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE OPPONENT’S STRENGTH
◄This will come from scouting and game preparation

WE WANT TO HAVE A COMMUNICATIVE DEFENSE
◄We want to be constantly talking at all times
◄This will increase our concentration and execution

WE WANT TO DO ALL THE ABOVE WITHOUT FOULING
◄Do not give your opponent’s easy scores and free throws are easy scores
◄Don’t bail out bad shots or bad plays
◄Make our opponent’s make plays

WE WANT TO FINISH WITH A BLOCKOUT AND A REBOUND
◄Grabbing the rebound is like picking up your paycheck at the end of the work week.

via Bob Starkey LSU

John Jenkins follow through

2010-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but posting this picture from camp last summer. John came and spoke to our campers and demonstrated proper shooting form. I thought this was a great pic of his textbook follow through and just wanted to share.

Tommy Bowden

2010-09-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to hear Tommy Bowden speak last night at an FCA dinner @ First Baptist Hendersonville. He said that he wanted his teams to learn five things. They were:
1. Responsibility
2. Accountibility
3. Committment
4. Discipline
5. Sacrifice

Niagara Obs

2010-09-22T11:20:00.001-07:00

Niagara OB's.pdf

Xavier newsletter 9-14-10

2010-09-14T08:26:00.001-07:00

Xavier Newsletter 1[1].pdf

Post up for a forward & 3 for a SG

2010-09-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

posting up a forward and three for sg.pdf

Russian National Team set play

2010-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH_TIME_-_GREECE_V_RUSSIA_[3][1].pdf

Notes from Utah Jazz Assistant, Gordon Chiesa

2010-09-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

Notes from Utah Jazz Assistant, Gordon Chiesa
via Greg Brown UCF Women's basketball

While coaching High School I came across this from Mike Shanahan. It really had an impact on our philosophy and success. As a high school coach you are at the mercy of the players at your school. Therefore, you have to go to war with the troops you have, not the ones you wish you had.
One of the best things we did was #3. Really focusing on the two things we did well with that year's team.

Thoughts On Understanding Your Strengths & Weaknesses

1. Do not let other’s expectations set our limitations
2. I more than anyone else, know the powers I possess.
3. Look at your team and figure out the two things they can do really well—as well as anybody n the league, conference, district. Then make sure there’s not a team in your district that does those two things better.
4. Maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
5. You have to define what you want to do.
6. The outside world will try to bring you down.
7. Oliver Wendell Holmes—“What lies behind you and what lies ahead of you is of very little importance when it is compared to what lies within you.”
Posted by Greg Brown at 11:28 AM 0 comments Labels: Preparation
Friday, August 27, 2010
Your Reality Is The Reality You Create

Your Reality Is The Reality You Create

Your reality is the reality you create. If you have positive beliefs or representations, it’s because that’s what you have created. If you have negative ones, you’ve created them.
Belief is the foundation of excellence.
The first step toward excellence is to find the beliefs that guide us toward the outcomes we want.
The path to excellence consists of knowing your outcome, taking action, knowing what results you’re getting, and having the flexibility to change until you’re successful.
To model excellence, we have to start with the belief systems of excellence.

Posted by Greg Brown at 5:22 AM 0 comments Labels: Mental Preparation, Process of Excellence
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Process of Mental Toughness

MENTAL TOUGHNESS A WAY OF LIFE

• Achievement rarely comes without enormous hardships
• Keeping your head, when others are losing theirs
• Goal for mental toughness is a conscious decision a person makes in order to increase their opportunity for success.
• Bob Costas—the anticipation of what “might” happen is almost as important as what actually happens.
• Mental toughness is a skill, not a talent. It is learned and developed.
• It is a process of using your mind to gain the most from your abilities.
Posted by Greg Brown at 11:56 AM 0 comments Labels: Mental toughness
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
..... all he did is beat you

Jackie Robinson on teammate Eddie Stanky:

"He can't throw, he can't hit, he can't field. All he can do is beat you."

Posted by Greg Brown at 10:20 AM 0 comments Labels: Compete
5 Things Team Members Need To Know

5 THINGS TEAM MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW

1. What is expected from each
2. That each will have the opportunity to perform
3. How each one is getting along
4. Guidance will be given to each when needed
5. Each will be rewarded for their contribution
Posted by Greg Brown at 10:01 AM 0 comments Labels: Leadership, Team Attitude
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Process of Excellence--The Mental Approach--"Rightness"

As we work our Process of Excellence--we understand the role of the mental approach. We must eliminate the mental clutter. The following article is a great example:

The Feeling of Rightness—Eliminating Mental Clutter

Some Oriental philosophies have made the state of mind their primary focus. The concept of acting without self-conscious thought was probably first crystallized by the Samurai swordsmen of medieval Japan. Using some of the philosophical concepts of their time, they determined that the best way to beat one’s adversary in a duel was to fight without delay of thinking. Polished technical skill was a prerequisite, but the actual moves were dictated by feeling rather than thought. By refining their intuitive sense through the constant discipline of practice duels they were able to develop a state of mind that minimized the clutter of such thoughts as “oh, no, is he going to try to attack me from the left or the right?” Instead, poised and balanced, the Samurai could respond, as if he were at one with his opponent, as if he “knew” each moment what would happen next.

“The body learns the state of mind.” In other words, when you are learning something it’s worth it to turn off, unplug, or tune out the mind for a little while. Zen archers of the Orient gained their discipline, not by focusing on the target, but by striving for the feeling of “rightness” in the shot. If the shot was “right,” hitting the target comes naturally. Bulls-eyes on tiny targets in darkened rooms are part of what Zen archers do, but not for the sake of hitting targets. Their purpose is a form of meditation, a quest for that feeling of “rightness”.

Article is by Drs. Tom and Randy Read found the in the book, “The University of Success” by Og Mandino
Posted by Greg Brown at 4:32 PM 0 comments Labels: Mental Preparation, Process of Excellence
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Gordon Chiesa Offensive Development Thoughts

Notes from Utah Jazz Assistant, Gordon Chiesa

Back in 1999, I worked Rick Majerus’s camp and took these notes from Coach Chiesa’s clinic to the campers:

1. He was responsible for Hornacek and Stockton
2. Hands and feet are your career.
3. There are All-Stars who can’t catch the ball.
4. Must be in shape
5. Must be able to change speeds
6. Always cut with hands above waist
7. Play the game with hands above the waist
8. Body in motion, tends to stay in motion; body at rest tends to stay at rest.
9. Most cut to be guarded, rather than cut to get free.
10. When you change direction, you must rotate your hips.
11. Must be great with the ball to get the opponent in trouble.
12. The game is about confidence. Real confidence vs. False confidence
13. Establish a permanent pivot foot.
14. Bring the ball back to your body on a catch. “Load your gun”
15. The ball will only do what you teach it to do.
16. Master the skills. Ball quickness is key to being a great offensive player.
17. Always catch the ball with long arm. Explode your hand thru the defenders contesting arm.
18. These things are the building blocks of playing offense.
19. If your shot is blocked, your ball is slow.
20. Read the defense—Jazz spend 25-30 minutes working on this.
21. Long arm coming towards me, tells me to drive. Because his body weight is forward and he’ll come out of his stance—can drive either way—this is how you draw fouls—rotate hips; get up foot past his foot..body to body.
22. Most guys play laterally. Must play forward, body to body.
23. Spin dribble is a sign of weakness, means your ball is slow.
24. “Jump out” of your offensive move. Second dribble you clear the defender.
25. “Short arm” equals a stationary jumper.
26. Most players don’t know when to drive or shoot.
27. Watch great players to learn from their game.
28. Go at their body on drives.
29. Only 10 percent of players in the NBA can guard the ball.
30. Everything in the game is based on “hands and feet”
31. Too many players catch the ball, “lock Kneed”
32. Master the skills, it’s not about talent. Everyone has the talent to work hard and to work smart.
33. It’s fun to try to be great.
34. Mind-Body fusion.
35. Extraordinary work habits and mind.
36. Trying to chase greatness.
37. Make A Difference (MAD)
38. Step up be somebody and be a leader
39. Get your foot to the back foot of the defender.
40. You determine how far you will go.

Greece zone offense vs 2-3

2010-09-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Greece zone offense.pdf

Sean Miller Baseline OB plays

2010-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sean Miller Arizona Blob Plays chalkboard.pdf

Herb Sendek Man set

2010-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Herb Sendek Arizona State Chalkboard-1.pdf

Team, Team, Team

2010-09-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

BO ON "THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM"
When we hammered home our famous mantra, “The team, the team, the team,” that didn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation. When I came up with that, I wasn’t trying to be clever. It means if you’re late for the team bus, I don’t care if you’re Jim Mandich, Anthony Carter and Desmond Howard rolled into one. That bus is leaving, it’s leaving on time—and it’s leaving without you!

Look, they know Bo is always sitting up at the front of the bus, and when pullout time comes, he just checks his watch and says, “Driver, it’s time to go.” We don’t have anyone checking who’s here and who isn’t. We don’t check! I never took roll. If you’re on the bus, you must be on time, and if you’re not on the bus, you must be late, and it’s your fault. Driver, it’s time to go!

We’ve had guys running up to the bus as we were pulling out—starters, even—and the guys on the bus always started yelling, “Coach! So-and so’s running up to the bus!” I didn’t care who it was. I guarantee you right now I never even turned around to look, because the answer was always the same: Driver, it’s time to go!

Everyone knew Bo’s not mad at you, he’s just leaving you. And I’ll tell you why: Because it’s just not fair to the other guys who took the trouble to get there on time. The bus waits for no man!

Driver, it’s time to go!

And as your big All-American grows smaller in the bus’s rearview mirror, he’ll have time to consider if you really meant what you said about the team, the team, the team. Leave a guy standing in the parking lot just once, and you better believe he’ll be a half-hour early next time. Once everyone knows I’m not holding the bus for anyone, trust me, they get there. They always do.

That bus symbolized the foundation of our values: simple, straightforward, no exceptions. You start cutting corners for this guy or that situation, and before you know it, you’re spending all your time playing judge and jury, deliberating over very little incident, when you should be leading your team. It’s painful sometimes, but you create a lot fewer headaches for everyone, including the players, when you simply stick to your guns.
via Bob Starkey LSU

Rick Pitino's 8 traits that corrupt team chemistry

2010-09-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

1. Jealousy:
It’s a surefire way to disrupt the unity of any team. We must instill a belief with all our team members that everyone succeeds when one of us succeeds. There should be a sense of satisfaction from watching someone else excel, knowing that we all had a hand in it. It certainly helps when the stars are humble and remember to recognize their cohorts when receiving awards or honors—but even if they don’t, the mindset should be that what’s good for one is good for all.
•How to prevent jealousy: Work hard to disburse credit equally among your constituents. You should have a well-hones sense of fairness and be sharply attuned to who isn’t feeling the appropriate amount of love. Little ego strokes can make a big difference.

2.Cynicism:
It will infiltrate when the going gets tough. Cynical people believe they are not part of the problem. Cynical people question the plan and doubt the leader. That’s because cynical people don’t understand how to find the proper solutions to the problem. In their minds, the end result will not be positive, so they’re no going to fully commit to the group effort.
• How to prevent cynicism: A one-on-one meeting that confronts the cynical individual with his own behavior is a must. Most negative people don’t realize how they’re tearing apart the fiber of a team unless it’s pointed out to them. Leave no doubt that the cynical behavior must change. There will be consequences for anything that undermines team chemistry.
.....
3. Inflated ego:
It occurs when team members believe the group cannot function or succeed without them, because they’re so far superior to their cohorts. Even the most talented individuals in any endeavor must realize that their value only matters within the framework of the group.
• How to prevent inflated ego: Make sure the egotistical team member is aware of the talents of those around him, and encourage him to recognize those while checking his own ego at the door. Point out to that person that there is room for improvement in his performance; believe it or not, they’re not perfect. Keeping them humble and working to improve every day is vital. In many recovery programs, ego is said to stand for “Edging God Out.” It might be worth reminding the egotistical that only the Almighty is immune to self-improvement.
.....
4. Inflexible personality:
“I know I’m right. You just don’t understand. I can’t believe you don’t see it that way.” Sound familiar? You’ve probably heard some of that in your office. The inflexible personality does far more talking than listening, like one of those TV talk shows that put four pundits in boxes and have them try to outshout each other. The inflexible personality can find fault with others but rarely himself—embellishing points and stories to portray others as unreasonable. The inflexible personality will argue against every criticism of his performance, no matter how small. Unfortunately for that person, there are no guarantees that his way is the only way.
• How to prevent the inflexible personality: Use examples of how teams win with a variety of strategies; how they change and adapt to sustain success. The New England Patriots began their championship run with defense, but their undefeated regular season of 2007 was marked by record-breaking offense. The defensive leaders like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison were fine with that, as long as it was good for the group as a whole. Challenge people to create outside their box.

5. Discipline deficiency:
A lack of discipline leads to poor habits, and poor habits become destructive to the will of any business or team. People who are on time will notice those who are late and wonder why that behavior is tolerated. They’ll think you’re playing favorites. Or, the punctual people start running late as well, figuring there is no accountability for it. Suddenly, you’ve got a breakdown in discipline. Morale has eroded, cynicism has crept in, and everyone is looking for shortcuts when shortcuts won’t work.
• How to prevent discipline deficiency: Stay focused on what it takes to succeed, emphasizing daily habits. Only allow deviations from those habits when it cannot be helped.

6. Lack of passion:
If you cannot sense the energy and excitement from people you’re trying to recruit or hire, they might not have it. They should be passionate and driven enough to know what they want—to have goals and expectations and to articulate what they’ll do to meet them. One year I asked one of my players what he wanted to accomplish outside of basketball. This player, at the end of his junior year, responded, “I don’t know.” I dismissed him from my office and told him to come back the next day with something better. I told him I don’t deal with I-don’t-know people. At age 22, young people should have some plans and ideas, or at least be searching for help in creating them. I-don’t-know people wallow in mediocrity. People lacking passion don’t enthusiastically seize every opportunity to improve themselves. They love what success could bring them, but they don’t want to put in the hard work it takes to become successful.
• How to prevent a lack of passion: Make your own passion a beacon for others to follow and emulate. If you’re not boiling with observable enthusiasm, those around you might not, either. Try to surround yourself with high achievers. Celebrate the grind. When hard work yields results, point it out—loudly, if necessary. During the long hours, remind your people that it will pay off in the end—cheerfully, if possible.

7. Excuse making:
When someone goes wrong, it’s never their fault. They’ll point fingers in all directions except at the person in the mirror. College basketball players will blame teachers for shortcomings in the classroom, referees for bad calls, teammates for not getting them the ball. I always tell my guys that failure is OK if they own up to it and use it as fertilizer to make things better. I tell them excuses are a sign of weakness, and weakness won’t be tolerated.
• Channeling Bill Parcells once again: You are your record.

8. Front-running: The front-runners are at their best when everything is going their way. It’s easy to be upbeat and positive when you’re playing well and your team is winning—but how do you respond when times aren’t so good? Sports and business are full of people who can ride a wave of positive momentum, but aren’t so good when they have to generate momentum in the face of opposition or adversity. They tire mentally and physically and are bypassed by their competition. They become self-satisfied too easily.
• How to prevent front-running: Keep the hammer down during good times. My halftime speeches are always more volatile and demanding when we’re ahead—players will take criticism more easily in that setting, and they’ll stay on task. When we’re behind, I try to be more analytical, calm, and upbeat. When we have a double-digit lead late in games, I’ll tell my team during timeouts that the scoreboard doesn’t matter; we’re tied, and I want to win the next four minutes by the next media timeout. I create a game within a game, trying to keep the pressure on them to rely on their fundamentals and do what we’ve coached them to do. Keep your own emotions on an even keel, and maintain your discipline. If you get overly comfortable when things are going well, it’s a signal to others to let their guard down and relax.
via Bob Starkey LSU

Duke set plays

2010-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Duke’s “A Set” offense chalkboard.pdf

John Calipari sets

2010-08-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

John Calipari Kentucky Late Shot Clock Play chalkboard.pdf

Princeton offense rules

2010-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

Princeton Rules.doc

Princeton offense

2010-08-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

Princeton Back door offense.doc

Rick Majerus Post Play Thoughts

2010-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Rick Majerus Post_Play_Thoughts[1].doc

Georgia set plays

2010-08-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH-TIME_-GEORGIA_V_MISS.ST_[1].pdf

John Wooden on "Fight"

2010-08-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Fight is a determined effort to do the very best we can do. On the basketball court, fight is measured by hustle: diving to the floor for loose balls, sprinting to fill a lane on a fast break, taking a charge, picking up a missed defensive assignment or stealing the ball from an opposing player. It's digging in, gritting our teach, standing our ground. When we have fight, we are always ready to respond. We are quick, but we don't hurry. We make fewer mistakes, because we have the level of our intensity under control. A player with fight has a contained fire burning in his or her belly. This emerges as focused passion. Players with fight never lose a game; they just run out of time. Therese days, I hear a lot of talk about getting up for a big game. No game should be bigger than any other. People with fight can't get up any higher for an important game because they get up for every game. When people with fight step onto the floor, they always give everything they have to give, whether it's for practice, a scrimmage or a championship game. There's no such thing as losing when we've made the effort to do the best we can do. If we use our fight and determination to do our best, success will take care of itself."

Pete Carroll's Practice Approach

2010-08-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of great information in "Win Forever" by Pete Carroll but my favorite section was - "Our Approach To Practice." I've already written about it briefly: http://bit.ly/dkwn5j. Here is even more on Coach Carroll and his thoughts regarding practice and it's role in his success formula:

“Practice is Everything” is one of the core tenets of the Win Forever philosophy. We want to create an environment that will permit each of our players to reach his maximum potential, and one of the ways we do that is by practicing with great focus. A player who is fully prepared on the practice field will feel ready to meet whatever comes his way on game day and thus, feel more confident and able to minimize distractions of fear or doubt.

At USC, we began each practice day with a team meeting. There, I always attempted to set the focus and tone for the day, always with enthusiasm. I was simply demonstrating the energy I wished to see from the coaches and players as we approached practice that day.

Once practice began, everyone was expected to operate at full throttle. I wanted to practice as game speed. We would never allow for anything but full speed and full effort in games, and I wanted us to practice exactly like we played. I believe when you give athletes a chance to perform at varying levels of intensity, you offer an invitation for varying levels of performance.

We liked to remind our players, “If you’re walking, you’re wrong!”

We would always strive to create continuity and consistency. We were even very careful to be precise with our language and terminology. I don’t like synonyms and varied definitions when it comes to terminology. If you want to communicate effectively, you need to be clear with the words you use.

We also recognized the need for a certain amount of variety. You cannot coach for very long without recognizing that routine, through necessary for success, can sometimes become monotonous.

Routine is enormously helpful in teaching players essential fundamentals. If you practice something consistently enough, when the critical moment comes in a game, the players will be able to perform without tightening up. They will be comfortable with the situation and make the right decisions. But if you believe in the importance of practice, as I do, you also know that you have to always keep your players interested and fully engaged. You can’t just do the same thing practice after practice or the players will lose interest.

All coaches facet this problem in one way or another. Too little routine and the message doesn’t get through; too much, and your players can get worn out. Finding the right balance and emphasis is critical for keeping practices fresh and players focused.

The way we handled it at USC was to have a different theme for each day of the week during the season.

“Tell the Truth Monday” was the day when we got our entire team on the same page in terms of what had occurred in our last game. Who performed well and who didn’t’? Why did the game go as it did and what should we take away from this game experience? It was imperative on this day that we think and speak as one and move ahead in harmony.

“Competition Tuesday” was the day we celebrated the central theme in the program – competition. We emphasized creating a great level of competition for the upcoming practice, with minimal attention paid to our opponent and the upcoming game. We accentuated the competitive matchups between individual players, position groups, and the offense and defense.

“Turnover Wednesday” was completely dedicated to the factor we believed most determines the outcome of football games, turnovers. USC won fifty-three straight games when we had a positive turnover ratio. Simply stated, when we created just one more turnover than our opponent, we were unbeatable. Long before this string was established, the first words out of my mouth when addressing our team each fall and each spring were always, “It’s All About the Ball!”

“No Repeat Thursday” was meant to emphasize the execution and precision of our weekly game plan. Practice was shorter on Thursday, with great focus on doing things right. All kicking game phases were emphasized along with a near-flawless demonstration of the game plan to such a precise level of performance that no plays needed to be repeated. Hence the name “No Repeat Thursday.”

“Review Friday” was our final on-field practice session and the last opportunity for all position groups to clean up issues and perfect their performance for game day. This was our most disciplined and regimented practice, where we paid strict attention to the fine details.

For our staff, Friday was all about proving to our players that they knew they were going to win and that we had earned the right to feel that way. We relied on our practice efforts during the week to lead us to this mentality, and we looked toward Review Friday to finalize the week.
via Bob Starkey LSU

2010-08-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Coach Don Meyer always talks about the fact that "if your best player is also your hardest worker, you have a chance to be a good team."

The following, from Pat William's book, "How To Be Like Mike," lends credibility to his statement.

"The first Bulls practice after Jordan made his comeback to basketball in 1995 ended with Michael walking to the baseline, one his own, and running windsprints. Without a word, all eleven of his teammates joined him."

2010-08-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

"With accomplishments
comes confidence
and with confidence
comes belief.
It has to be in that order."
- Mike Krzyzewski -

via Bob Starkey LSU

Kevin Eastman Tips for Shooting

2010-08-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

1. Be ready on the catch.

2. Ten toes to the rim.

3. Only change his form if the shot doesn’t go in. Make him the best worst form shooter.

4. Two second rule: As soon as it’s 1 cm into our players fingers I’m counting one two. Players don’t have a great understanding of game speed when working out.

5. The better the shooter you are, the better your shot fake needs to be. Definition of a shot fake is a real shot that you don’t shoot.

6. When you chart your players’ shots give them percentages for free-throws, lay-ups, jump shots and three-point shots.

7. Break it down so they know what to work on.

8. Players can be receptive to stats.

via Bob Starkey LSU Basketball

5 Things that kill a player's potential

2010-08-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

5 Things That Kill Player's Potential

1. Low pain threshold.
2. Low Basketball IQ for what we do
3. Selfishness
4. Can the person do the intangibles? (charges, loose balls, pitch aheads, rotations)
5. Drugs and Alcohol

via Greg Brown
http://ucfwbbthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/5-things-that-kill-players-potential.html

Illinois Hi-Low set play vs 2-3 zone

2010-08-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

via Zak Boisvert

illinois set vs 2-3.pdf

Hawaii Flex Action set play

2010-08-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Hawaii.pdf

via hoopjunkiesonline.blogspot.com

Ernie Kent man offense transition

2010-08-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ernie Kent Man to Man offense transition.pdf

Bob McKillop's 7 keys to basketball

2010-08-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

1. Seeing
See the game
Makes you quicker
See that you are denied and go back door.

2. Talking
Families break down because they do not talk
Talk with your hands and your mouth
Ask for the balls with 10 fingers

3. Flesh on Flesh Contact
Set hard screens body to body
Box out physically

4. Be detailed
Run to the ball as a teammates saves it OOB
Do not dribble a loose ball. Pick it up and chin it
Sacrifice position for possession in the post
Screens
.....A. Crack the opponent
.....B. Point your crack in the direction you want the cutter to come
Catch a ball low and loaded
...........
5. Always be on balance
Defensively
With the ball

6. Finish
Finish every play
Finish every shot you miss in practice
The last part of the play needs to be the strongest
Finish your basket cut to the rim then space out to the 3 pt line

7. Be an actor
Foot fake
Fake the screen away and basket cut
Pass fake/shot fake

2010-08-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Got this list via Darren Hardy of Success.com through one of his great tweets:

1. Make sufficient sleep your highest priority.
After breathing, sleeping is our most fundamental need. It’s also the first thing we’re willing to give up in an effort to get more done. Begin quieting down at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Avoid anything stimulating, such as the Internet, mysteries, and intense conversations. Wind down with mellow music, a bath, or herbal tea.

2. Exercise begins with the First Step.
If you’re struggling to find the time or motivation to start an exercise routine, buy a pedometer and record the number of steps you take every day. Shoot for 10,000—the recommended daily number of steps to ensure you are getting enough movement in your day to be fit.

3. Prioritize your tasks the night before.
The number of potential distractions, interruptions, and fatigue tends to increase throughout the day. Do the most important work of your day first, before checking email, if possible.

4. Become a Type A Eater.
Decide in advance what you’re going to eat, in what portions, and at what intervals. That’s the best way to avoid endless temptations, unconscious cues, and “that-looks-good!” surprises that override our self-discipline and cause us to veer off track.

5. Breathe deep.
If you feel negative emotions coming on, or when you feel frustrated, annoyed, or anxious, simply take a few deep breaths. Extend the exhale to decrease your physiological arousal and quickly restore a sense of calm.

6. Give Thanks.
Write a note of appreciation to someone in your life once a week. We’re far quicker to notice what’s wrong than to celebrate what’s right in others. You might be surprised to discover how energized and inspired people are when they feel recognized and appreciated.

7. Log Off Your Email.
Try turning off your email completely for at least one hour a day. Use that time to devote your full attention to a significant task or larger challenge you’re facing.

8. Daydream for Breakthroughs.
Schedule at least one half-hour a week to brainstorm around some issue at work. You can help access your right hemisphere by doodling, listening to instrumental music, going for a long walk—anything that lets your mind wander.

9. Take a break.
Taking time to renew every 90 minutes keeps your body in alignment with its natural rhythms. Much as we cycle through stages of sleep at night, so we go through a similar cycle every 90 minutes throughout the day, moving from a state of higher energy slowly down into fatigue.

10. Accentuate the Positive.
Make a list of activities that you enjoy most and that make you feel best. Intentionally schedule at least one of these activities into your life each week.

via Bob Starkey LSU
From Matthew E. May at OpenForum.com

Gene Stallings on planning and conducting productive practices

2010-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

GENE STALLINGS ON PLANNING AND CONDUCTING PRODUCTIVE PRACTICES

1. Every team in the country has good Xs and Os. The difference is in performance, and good performance comes from lots of research, hours of planning, and proper use of time.

2. It is important for everyone to use the same terminology. Both the offense and defense should use the same names for plays, coverages, formations, forces, alignments, stunts, techniques, and personnel. To reduce confusion, the offensive and defensive coaches should use the same name in speaking to any combination of players.

3. Important Points to Remember:
• Football players win games by making plays. A player cannot consistently make good plays if he’s confused.
• Players must use techniques properly. Learning to do this is what practice is all about.
• Being loud does not make you a good coach.
• There is no substitute for knowledge.
• You cannot coach well without some enthusiasm.
• The best-coaches teams usually win.

post via Bob Starkey LSU

UCLA Conditioning and Fundamentals

2010-08-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

UCLA CONDITIONING AND FUNDAMENTALS.doc

Winning The Games Within The Game

2010-08-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

WINNING THE GAMES WITHIN THE GAME REVISED.doc

Steve Alford Individual workouts

2010-08-10T19:07:00.001-07:00

Steve_Alford--Iowa_Individiual_workouts.pdf

Matthew Kelly quote on self discipline

2010-08-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

"Successful people are in the habit of being disciplined. Undisciplined people are in the habit of being unsuccessful"

- Matthew Kelly

The Best Things Ive Seen in Coaching: Don Meyer

2010-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Best things i've seen in coaching.doc

John Wooden Happiness Keys

2010-07-26T11:23:00.001-07:00

John Wooden - happines keys.doc

John Jenkins interview with NBADRAFT.NET

2010-07-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.nbadraft.net/john-jenkins-interview

www.nbadraft.net has John ranked as the #39 overall player on their big board (Top 100 prospects)for the 2011 draft . They have him going in the first round to the Lakers the 2012 draft. Copy and paste the above link to check out his interview or just visit www.nbadraft.net

Trademarks of Northern State & Coach Don Meyer

2010-07-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Trademarks of Northern State.doc

What makes a good basketball team?

2010-07-15T08:41:00.001-07:00

What Makes A Good Basketball Team.doc

Meddling Parents Ruin Coaching

2010-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is an article I ran across last week and thought I'd share it. I don't share all the views that are presented in this article. As a parent, teacher, and coach, I have a unique perspective. My father was also a coach, teacher, & administrator. Ive been on about every side of the fence on this one. My dad says, "players have camps, coaches have clinics, but parents have nothing." I plan to start posting parenting articles from time to time.

Meddling_Parents_Ruin_Coaching.doc

Don Meyer Motion Offense Progression

2010-06-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Motion offense progression.doc

Eric Musselman coaching skills

2010-06-29T19:52:00.001-07:00

Eric_Musselman_37_essential_skills_notes_kcs.pdf

Billy Donovan transition and conditioning drills

2010-06-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Billy_Donovan_10_aggressive_transition_and_conditioning_drills.pdf

Good Attitude vs Bad Attitude

2010-06-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Players with good attitudes:
1. Listens to his coaches and teammates with respect.
2. Takes responsibility for actions.
3. Shows empathy and humility towards others and the game.
4. Accepts coaching & constructive criticism
5. Is eager to learn
6. Soaks up information like a sponge.
7. Pulls for teammates
8. Builds up and encourages
9. Realizes its not about you.
Players with bad attitudes:
1. Gripes and complaines about teammates and coaches
2. pouts when on the bench
3. makes excues
4. thinks only about himself and his points / playing time
5. embodies a me first attitude in his dress
6. doesnt listen to his coaches
7. thinks only about himself
8. tears others down
9. thinks everything revolves around him

Tom Izzo Zone sets

2010-06-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Tom_Izzo_Zone_Sets.pdf

5 Characteristics of successful players

2010-06-20T19:08:00.001-07:00

FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS.doc

courtesy of www.coachmeyer.com

Izzo offense basic set plays

2010-06-15T20:23:00.001-07:00

Tom Izzo is a set play coach. Here are some of his main sets.

Izzo offense basic set plays.pdf

Kansas Ball Screen Offense

2010-06-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

Bill_Self_Kansas_Ball_Screen_Offense_Notes.pdf

Duke Team Defense

2010-06-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

Mike_Krzyzewski_Team_Man_Defense[1].pdf

SC Shooting Camp 2010

2010-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

with special guests Shan Foster & John Jenkins
go to www.bisonbasketball.org for more pix

Rick Majerus Post Play

2010-06-08T18:33:00.001-07:00

Rick_Majerus_Post_Play.doc

A very good piece on post play.
- SM

2010-06-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

I got this in an email from Coach Meyer last weekend just before Coach Wooden passed. I never get tired of reading anything by John Wooden. - SM

On Life “Things work out for the best for those who make the best of the way things work out.”

“When you’re through learning, you’re through.”

“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”

“Wooden Family sets of 3’s”

Never lie. Don’t whine.

Never cheat. Don’t complain.

Never steal. Don’t make excuses.

“Balance is one of the most important things in basketball and in life as well.”

"Talent is God-given; be humble.
"Fame is man-given; be thankful.
"Conceit is self-given; be careful.”

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

Coach’s Faith

“God never closes one door without opening another.”
“I am just a common man who’s true to his beliefs.”
“O’ Lord, if I seem to lose my faith in Thee, do not Thou lose Thy faith in me.”

From Coach’s Expectations For His Players

“Remember that you represent others who are responsible for you as well as yourself and your personal appearance and conduct should not reflect discredit in any way upon yourself or upon those whom you represent. Cleanliness, neatness, politeness, and good manners are qualities that should be characteristic of those who are of great influence on young people and you certainly qualify for that category. Be a good example.”

The Team

“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”
“The star of the team is the team.”
“No player is bigger than the team.”

On Being The Best You Can Be

“Don’t try to be better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be.”

“Beating an opponent is not a goal, but a by-product of success.”

“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming”.

“…acquire peace of mind by becoming the best that you are capable of becoming.”

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”

“I am not what I ought to be, not what I want to be, not what I am going to be, but thankful that I am not what I used to be.”

“Success is not something others can give to you.”

“Anger prevents proper thinking and makes you vulnerable.”

“Motivation must come from the belief that ultimate success lies in giving your personal best.”

“You never fail if you know in your heart that you did the best of which you are capable.”

“We don’t control what the other team does to prepare. We can only control what we do to prepare.”

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

“Play to your potential.”

“A combination of personal qualities and values are intrinsic to making the effort to reach (a player’s) potential as a person. There is a direct relationship between what it takes to be a good basketball player and the requirements for being a good person.”

Practices

“The way you practice is the way you play.”
“Practice is where a championship is won.”
“End practices on a happy note.”

About Teaching Youth

“The greatest word in the whole dictionary is love.”

“Be slow to criticize and quick to commend.”

“Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics. It’s one of a parent’s greatest responsibilities and opportunities.”

“The person you are is the person your child will become.”

Paying Attention To Details

“Little things done well is probably the greatest key to success.”

“If you do enough small things right, big things happen.”

“Be quick but don’t hurry.”

Getting Good Shots

2010-06-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

What is a good shot?

...On balance
...Deomonstrated consistency by player at a give range
...Teammate doesn't have a better shot
...A defender is not pressuring the shot

How do we get good shots?
...Take care of the ball...avoid turnovers
...Look to pass inside to someone posting up on the block
...Catch the ball ready to shoot
...Spread out (spacing) to make it harder for the opposition to play help defense
...Pass quickly
...Set good screens to get teammates open
...Crash the offensive boards -- this includes the wings
...Use ball fakes
...Beat the defense off the dribble to get away from the defender
...Square up quickly
...Use the reverse pivot
...Avoid filling

How do we stop opponents from getting better shots?
...Have a commitment to playing defense. Good defense is an attitude.
...Play alert and active
...Force Turnovers
...Learn the defensive rules
...Limit the opponent to one shot -- box out
From Tara VanDerveer's Coaching Manual

Texas vs Missouri sets

2010-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH TIME MISSOURI TEXAS.pdf

3 Ingredients to every player's success

2010-06-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

1. Self-Discipline
2. Competitive Fire
3. Self-Belief

SCHS Motion terms, phrases, & concepts

2010-06-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the ideas we use when teaching our motion offense at SCHS.
1. V cut
2. pass away from the defense
3. think before you move
4. move with a purpose
5. play within yourself
6. know your capabilities
7. catch and face
8. be ready to shoot
9. hold your screen
10. show a target
11.play your man on offense
12. Wait, Wait, Wait when getting
a screen

Motion Concepts
A. When you pass, move, but do not follow your pass.
B. Do not make 2 simultaneous cuts to the same area.
C. Make use of all screening opportunities off the
ball & move / cut with a purpose
D. Call out the name of the person you are setting the
screen for
E. When you receive the ball, see the rim, post,
action. Hold for a 2 count. Do not pass too
quickly.
F. If a screener's back is to you, hold the ball to see
what develops. Be patient. Do not reverse the ball
while a screen is taking place.
G. maintain 15-18 foot spacing on the perimeter.
H. Dont make a cut into the post players area. Give him
room to work.
I. Only use the dribble to bring the ball up the court,
improve your passing angle, drive the ball to the
basket, get out of trouble.

These obviously arent all original but they are the general ideas and concepts we try to teach our guys.

MSU set play

2010-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH-TIME BUTLER MSU- REPORT TEASER.pdf

Davidson set

2010-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Some sets Davidson used vs. WVA early last season.

CRUNCH-TIME DAVIDSON VS WEST VIRGINIA[1].pdf

Remove the clutter

2010-06-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

From Darren Hardy of Success Magazine comes four suggestions to get in control of the information you allow into your head:

1: Cut the Cord.
Most of what passes for news is negative, sensational and appalling and has no contribution to your personal goals in life. Stop watching any broadcast TV, don't read the newspapers and don't listen to news radio.

2: Selective Listening.
Set up RSS feeds to pull information on specifically what you need/want to read about. Register for newsletters or blog updates on topics and subjects that are relevant to your objectives. Once they become unproductive then unsubscribe.

...............
3: Low-Information Diet.
If you aren't comfortable getting only the most productive and relevant information you need to be more successful, then at least put yourself on a low-information diet. Find 15 minutes a day to catch up with national and world news updates—whether through a favorite news aggregator online, newspaper or single radio program—then don't overconsume.

..................
4: Mind Your E2E Ratio.
What is the primary difference between the 5 percent who are wealthy and those who are not? The 95 percent focus their attention and extra time on entertainment while the 5 percent look to spend their extra time on education. Evaluate yourself: How much time do you spend on entertainment and how much on education? The imbalance of this equation could be the reason your life isn't where you want it to be.

Check out: www.SuccessMagazine.com
Post compliments of Bob Starkey / LSU

Indiana Isolation sets

2010-05-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Tom Crean Indiana University Late-clock isolation plays chalkboard.pdf

Two really good isolation sets.

Attitude

2010-05-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

ATTITUDE:
1. Only disability in life is a bad attitude.
2. You can name 5 or 6 people who walk in the door who will pick up a room.
3. Cancer starts with one bad cell.
4. You can modify behavior but you can't rehab character

Tim McClellan Strength and Conditioning

2010-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Tim McClellan Strength and Conditioning Coaching Notes[1].pdf

Boston "up" set

2010-05-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Doc Rivers Boston Celtics Up Set Play.pdf

Boston sets

2010-05-30T11:49:00.003-07:00

CRUNCH-TIME ORLANDO BOSTON.pdf

Joe Torre’s 12 Keys to Managing Team Players, Tough Bosses, Setbacks and Success

2010-05-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Five guidelines to help become more serene in your approach to your job

1. Focus on the Present
a. Hank Aaron said, “Each at-bat is a new day.” No matter what our line of work, we all endure slumps.
b. We can learn from past failures and mistakes, but we shouldn’t get stuck there.

2. Maintain Your Perspective
a. Sense of humor. Support of teammates. Knowledge of our abilities based on past performance. The realization that tomorrow is a chance to do better. These things make up the “big picture” viewpoint.
b. Struggling batters and pitchers benefit by learning from their mistakes. But they suffer from mistakes when they become so overwhelmed by self-doubt that they can’t stay focused enough to make useful changes in their approach.

3. Control What You Can, Let Go of the Rest
a. When you control what you can, you know you’ve done everything possible to succeed. That means hard work, total commitment, painstaking preparation, and squeezing every ounce of ability from yourself.

4. Feel the Fear, Succeed Anyway
a. Fear doesn’t have to destroy their ability to be patient, to make adjustments, to play with passion.
b. Our togetherness as a team reduces our stress levels, because we know we have one another’s support through the tough times.

5. Keep Your Cool
a. Challenge people without always having to raise your voice.
b. Practice patience in every endeavor.
c. Consistency yields calm: Don’t let yourself get too low over one defeat or too high over one victory.

Rick Pitino Practice Breakdown

2010-05-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

1. Shooting (15)
2. Transition Offense (15)
3. Man Offense (15)
4. Zone Defense (15)
5. Pressing and Trapping (15)
6. Press Attack (15)
7. Man Defense (15)
8. Special Situations

Purdue vs. Indiana sets

2010-05-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Crunch-time play - Purdue VS Indiana [2][1].pdf

Bob Hurley One Day Coaching Clinic Notes

2010-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Bob Hurley One Day Coaching Clinic ][1].pdf

Pat Riley’s Philosophy

2010-05-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

1. Bump and run on defense. Make that your go to part of the game.
2. Two most important things: REBOUNDING & DEFENSE
3. Defense: Be the most physical in the league. The idea of the game is to take the opponent out physically and mentally.
4. Spend your time getting into your players head individually. There is only so much you can do coaching a team.
5. Make certain that your players understand that if you’re going to be a team it has to be a team defense, team offense, never I always WE.
6. It’s what you get from the games you lose that is extremely important. Did we learn from losing? This is an important part of any team.
7. We want to, as much as possible, try to make our players understand who has strength in what areas. Talk about that a lot, spend time, do the things you need to do to try to make people understand that.
8. In dealing with administration, management, etc., understand that they are extremely interested in only themselves.
9. To have a great basketball team you have to have more mental preparation than physical preparation. Once you’re mentally tough, you can become tough physically. Once you’re tough mentally you can overcome being tired, you can overcome fatigue.
10. Always practice as hard as you can. Go for it even the day of a game.
11. Make certain that your team is mentally prepared. Don’t show them a ton of film. Mentally prepare them with your voice and mouth. Get them tuned into what you want.
12. Game day preparations. Real hard workout the day of the game, go after it that night.

Butler zone action vs Syracuse

2010-05-26T08:02:00.001-07:00

Brad stevens zone offense chalkboard[1].pdf

Phoenix Suns quick hitter

2010-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Phoenix Suns quick hitter.pdf

Defensive Analysis by Greg Brown

2010-05-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

ANALYZING OUR DEFENSE
1. One on One Defense
a. Focus on our player’s ability to fight through
i. An off ball screen
ii. An on ball screen
iii. Closeouts
iv. Shot pressure
v. Ball pressure
vi. Coverdowns
vii. Blockouts
2. Post Defense
3. Vision
4. Opponents Scoring Sequence
a. How are they scoring on us?
i. Transition
ii. Put backs
iii. Vs set defense
iv. Out of Bounds
v. FT’s
5. Penetration
a. Where does penetration occur?
b. How did they generate the penetration?
compliments of Greg Brown UCF http://ucfwbbthoughts.blogspot.com/

W.Va vs Pitt sets

2010-05-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH TIME WEST-VIRGNIA VS PITT [2][1][1].pdf

4 Tips to Career Perspective

2010-05-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

Some great stuff from Stephanie Zonars on something that is very difficult for many of us in the coaching profession -- finding balance:

Leaders are overwhelmed with many roles and responsibilities. Making life work means figuring out how to integrate the various areas of life in a way that brings satisfaction and meaning.

We’re working our way through seven key life areas that impact your life balance. So far we’ve addressed faith, family and wellness. This month we’ll look at career.

Most of my clients don’t struggle with job satisfaction, but rather with keeping their career in perspective. Perhaps you can relate. Has your pursuit of professional excellence taken over your life, prohibiting you from giving attention to other areas?

Former Ball State Associate Head Coach, Lisa McDonald, loved being a Cardinal for the last 9 seasons. Though she developed better life balance habits in recent years, life as a college coach allowed her only about 3 weeks a year with her family in Arizona. She decided it was time for a change and recently left coaching to move back to Flagstaff to work with her brother's company as a personal trainer.

For Lisa, better life balance and living a values-driven life meant changing jobs. Better life balance for you may not require a job change, but it will likely require some change. If you have trouble:

• Turning off your cell phone, or not answering work calls/emails at home or after hours
• Being “all there” mentally and emotionally when you are with family/friends
• Leaving your office at a reasonable hour
• Relaxing and turning “work” off in your mind
• Making time to exercise, recreate and eat right
• Getting through a day without caffeine
• Saying no
then it’s time to evaluate your career and make some adjustments to live a healthier life.

You want to know the truth? Are you ready? Ok, here you go— you will never get it all done! No matter how long you work, there will always be more to do. And yet, we weren’t created to work 24/7/365. Stress, burnout and health issues besiege those who try.

Your work is part of your life—and a good part. But it’s not meant to be your life. Here are a few ideas to help create more separation between your career and the rest of your life:

Take a vacation: Americans earn the least amount of vacation days in the world, and still 35% of employed US adults don’t use their vacation days. Make a commitment to take all your vacation days…every year.

Go unplugged: Decide to spend daily, uninterrupted time with your family, a friend or even by yourself and refuse to answer work calls or emails. Put it in your schedule and tell your co-workers.

Leave the office: Schedule appointments that will force you to leave the office at a reasonable time. Agree to pick up the kids three days/week or to meet someone for dinner.

Be accountable: If you know that changing a particular habit will give you better balance but you can’t seem to change it on your own, agree to pay a friend $10 for every time you don’t follow through. It’s amazing how a little cold, hard cash motivates!

Life Beyond Sport Bottom Line: you were not meant to work all the time. Losing perspective on your career and believing that you're indispensable at work leads to unhealthy habits, sending the others areas of your life into a tailspin. Get perspective on your career, set some limits around it, and become more productive and happy.

Visit Stephanie's website: http://www.lifebeyondsport.com/
Compliments of Bob Starkey / LSU Hoops

Evaluating a game the Don Meyer way

2010-05-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a great post from Coach Don Meyer on the system he uses to evaluate his team's performance:

Tools that we use to determine how well or poorly our team actually played. Many times the scoreboard is a poor judge of your team’s performance.

...............
1. Turnover Margin: Looks to see if your team has “sureness” with the ball on offense and whether your team can create turnovers on defense. As the coach, you might have a goal of having a +5 margin, for instance, or you might set a mandatory goal of, for example, always having less than 10 turnovers and having a goal of forcing at least 15 turnovers.

2. Rebound Margin: Using a rebounding margin is a good barometer of how well you competed on the glass, and is probably better than measuring your rebounding effort with absolute numbers. For example, having a goal of out-rebounding your opponent by +10 is probably more realistic than saying that your goal is to get 50 total rebounds every game. Each game will have a varying number of rebounding opportunities due to the pace of the game, referees, etc.
.....................
3. Field Goal Attempts: If everything is equal, the team that gets the most and the best shots will win. Newell’s Rule = “Get better shots than your opponent and get more of those better shots.”
...........................
4. Field Goal %: Two rules that your program could live by are; your best shooter should have the most shots (shooting isn’t equal opportunity) and your worst shooter should have your best FG% (only takes lay-ups, wide open shots).
.....NSU Grading System:
..........4 = Wide open lay-up
..........3 = Wide open shot by good shooter
..........2 = Contested shot by good shooter
..........1 = Terrible shot
..........0 = Turnover

....................
5. Free Throw Attempts: The golden rule is to make more free throws than your opponent attempts.

6. Free Throw %: It’s one thing to get to the free throw line; it’s another thing to make your free throws. Great teams make their free throws.

7. No player scores more than 15 points: We like to use 15 points as a barometer to see if any one player really hurt our team. Most teams may have one or two stellar scorers that require special attention on defense and if our team can’t slow those players down, it will
be a long night. Holding great scorers under 15 points is a great measure of how well your team is playing team defense, because it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to stop a great scorer with one defender; help-side, rotations, and an overall effort by all five players on the floor is required.

8. 3-Point Game: Refers to both on offense and on defense. On offense, it’s simple enough – your team must make open 3’s. The players that are great 3-point shooters need to be the ones taking those shots. On defense, we always stress the concepts of “No 3’s to a 3” and the concept of a “Dead 3," who is a player that has at least 50% of his/her attempts from the three-point line. A Dead 3 gets no standing looks; he/she must dribble to a shot. Thus, how well did your team defend the 3-pointer? Also, how well did your team get your 3-point shooters open?
..............
9. Floor Game: The floor game encompasses a wide range of possibilities, including getting loose balls, taking charges, saving the ball from a turnover (saver-savee idea), etc. Your team could have a goal of taking a minimum of 2 charges, or getting 90% of all loose balls, etc.
...................
10. Assist Game: The assist game can mean many things. As a coach, you can look at your team’s assist: turnover ratio, possibly with a goal of 2 assists to 1 turnover (2:1). In addition, you can look at the assist to made basket %. Another, less subjective way of tracking assists would be to track how many “screen assists” your team has in a game; the number of times that a team member’s screen (possibly a back or flare screen) led to a wide open shot or lay-up.
- post compliments of Coach Bob Starkey / LSU

Some Don Meyer quotes

2010-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

"For every one hundred people that can handle failure, there is but one who can handle success"

"You can't want something for somebody more than they want it for themselves"

"Pepole aren't attracted to you because of what they see in you. They are attracted to you by what you see in them"

"Players that are afraid to be embarrassed will never be great"

"An important part of coaching is to eliminate excuses by players"

"You don't have to win championships to be a champion"

Bob Knight quote

2010-05-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

“I’ve always felt you can beat average, mediocre teams in a lot of ways. You can only beat good teams with good, solid basketball. My whole concern with everything we do is how will it work against the best teams — not in most games against most teams but in the biggest games against the best teams.”

Fran Fraschilla Ball Screen Offense

2010-05-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Fran Fraschilla Ball Screen Offense Zak[1].pdf

Orlando Magic Back Action

2010-05-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Stan Van Gundy Orlando Magic Back Action Chalkboard[1].pdf

Coach K: Components of good defnese

2010-05-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

1. Conditioning
- never rest on the defensive end
2. Courage
- dive on loose balls / Take a charge
3. Intelligence
- understand our defense in game situations
4. Habits
- constant reps, do defensive drills daily
5. Attitude
- positive defensive attitude
- don't fear failing
- confidence in selves & teammates

Coach K: Principles of Defense

2010-05-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

1. Vision - See ball at all times
2. Move as the ball moves making
gradual adjustments.
3. Communication- glue that holds
all 5 players together. To talk
you must concentrate on what is
happening on the floor.
4. Aggressiveness- but don't foul.

Senator Jim Tracy visits SC

2010-05-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

Senator Jim Tracy taught a governament class Thursday morning at Station Camp High School in Gallatin and toured the facilities. He is pictured here with Za'Montreal Rodgers, the current Middle Tennessee Vice President of DECA for 2010-2011. DECA is a student organization for Marketing students at the high school and college level. Senator Tracy is being awarded as an Honarary Marketing Academy graduate. This is the highest honor a marketing student at Station Camp can earn. It requires a student to take four courses of marketing and compete at a DECA competition before judges.

Box &1 set play

2010-05-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

BOX AND 1 SET PLAY AWESOME.pdf

We had great success with this play when John Jenkins
played here.