1-ON-1 FINISHING DRILLS

Below are two 1-on-1 drills that will work on finishing at the basket while the offensive player's shot is being contested. Your players will also work on contesting shots without fouling.                


                  Michigan Finishing Drill

• 1 and 2 both face the basket.
• While still holding the ball, 1 places the ball on 2's back.
• The rep is live when 1 rips the ball off 2's back and attacks the basket.
• 2 tries to defend the basket as 1 tries to finish.

               

                     Handoffs Finishing Drill

• Coach stands between 1 and 2. 1 and 2 are facing the basket.
• Coach starts with the ball. 
• Coach will handoff to either 1 or 2.
• If Coach hands off to 1, 1 is offense and 2 is defense. 
• 1 attacks the hoop while 2 tries to contest and/or block their shot.

YOUR SEASON JUST ENDED. WHAT NOW?

Your team just got beat in the playoffs, and your season just ended. What now? In the first few days that follow the last day of a the season a coach's emotions are still all over the place. Coaches constantly wonder what they could have done differently in that last game that could have helped their season continue. Hindsight is still 20/20, right? As coaches, we typically struggle with the end because we all want to win. We want to advance as far as we can in the playoffs. It's part of our competitive nature that we strive to win, win, win. These emotions will eventually settle, and that is when coaches gain a clearer perspective of the experiences of the season. 

To keep moving forward, after the completion of your season, coaches should consider the following:

1. Keep things in perspective. Whether your team won 30 games, or finished in last place, remember the big picture. 

• How much progress did your team make during the season?
• Did your team follow and live by the core values of your program?
• Did your players enjoy the experience?
• In twenty years do you think your players will say they are glad they were part of this team?

 2. Even though the season has ended your job as a coach has not ended.

• What message/theme do you want to have for your post-season meeting with your team?
• Have your planned your team banquet?
• Will you have exit meetings with each of your players? 
• What kind of off-season opportunities have you planned for your players?
• Workouts
• Strength Training
• Camps
• Leagues and/or tournaments
• What teams do you want to add/delete to next year's schedule?
• Will you be making an changes or additions to your coaching staff?
• Are there any style of play changes you need to make with the personnel you have coming back next season?

2 DRILLS TO HELP FINISHING AT THE BASKET

LOUISVILLE 1-ON-1

1 starts at the elbow while X1 starts right underneath the basket. On coach's call, 1 dribbles around the cone and attempts to get to the basket while X1 sprints to touch the cone. X1 attempts to stop the score.

If 1 scores, they go back to the offense line. If X1 gets a stop, they go to the offense line and 1 goes to the defense line.     

MICHIGAN DRILL

1 and 2 both face the basket.

1 places the ball on 2's back.

1 rips the ball off 2's back and attacks the basket.

When 2 feels the ball leave their back they can start to defend as 1 attempts to finish at the basket.      

   

COACHING VIDEO NOTES: LARRY EUSTACHY "CREATING TOUGHNESS"

The following notes were taken from a coaching video by Larry Eustachy titled "Creating Toughness". The video was made when Eustachy was the head coach at Iowa State.  He is the current coach at Colorado State.

In creating toughness, it starts with the coach.

Eustachy feels that coaches with the label “player’s coach” don’t last long.  Considers himself a demanding coach. Coach needs to be demanding.

Coaches need to have that first day excitement every single day of the season. Your players deserve it.

A coach can be demanding without cursing or raising their voice if it isn’t their way.

You can be demanding, but there has to be some fun/enjoyment so they want to come back.

You can’t ask more of the individual or team than they can give you. Coach has to understand their team and where they are at.

The start of creating toughness...His team prides themselves on being the strongest team in the conference (physical strength). All the weight room time gives your players an edge physically and mentally. Knowing the work they put in, they see results physically, and they believe they are stronger.

Create adversity in practice. Put the players in stressful situations.  You can certainly be complimenting along the way.

Start practice with 5 sprints in 30 seconds.

In practice drills they have no out of bounds.  Gets players in habit of getting after loose balls.

During scrimmage time they use regular out of bounds rules.

95% of coaching is getting players to play hard.

If a player falls down, gets knocked down they must get up within 2 seconds or the team runs. Obviously if they are hurt, stay down.

5-MAN WEAVE
Go up and back two times.  Have two groups and take turn with their reps.

• If you miss the shot on the last time, you do it again
• If you don’t catch the ball with two hands, you do it again
• If the ball hits the floor, you do it again

FULL COURT 4-ON-4 DRILL

• If a team scores at one end, they keep the ball and continue to try and score at that end.
• If defense gains possession they transition to the other end and attempt to score.
• Emphasize things you want to work on. This can change every time you do this drill.
• Whatever you emphasize that day must be done or there will be a consequence.
• If it’s hands high on a closeout that is being emphasized and a player doesn’t do it, then the team runs.
• Any turnover results in running at the end of the drill.  If White team has three turnovers, they run three sprints.
• This drill also works well in 3-on-3.

Some coaches want practice to go smooth.  Smooth is no good. Things going wrong is good. Makes the players and the team tougher.

3-ON-3 BLOCKOUT DRILL

Three lines outside the three point line; one at the top of the key and one on each wing. The first three are defenders, the next three are offense.  Back the three lines back to give the 3-on-3 space to play.  They play 3-on-3.  The defense needs to get three stops in a row to get “out”. If the defense gives up an offensive rebound and still get a stop, it doesn’t count.  Need to get three stops in a row without giving up an offensive rebound. Each possession a new offensive team comes in so the defense is going against fresh players to make it more challenging.

THE MAN DRILL

5-on-5 halfcourt drill. 60 second drill

Offense cannot dribble, must catch with two hands, can’t travel, and no handoffs. Defense tries to prevent the offense from catching the ball.

Each offensive player keeps track of how many catches they had in 60 seconds. Then switch offense and defense.  New defensive players guard the player that guarded them.  At the end of this 60 seconds determine which player had the least number of catches. That player loses and has a consequence. If they tie, shoot a 3 to determine the winner.

Don’t take the fun out of it.  Be demanding. The players will know if you genuinely care about them. They will buy in if they know you care.

TWENTY SHOOTING DRILL

I'm always looking for different ways to incorporate shooting into my practices. I typically try to use drills that are as game-like as possible. But, there are occasions when I am looking to work on getting more shots up so our players can work on technique, confidence, shooting under pressure, or just getting some reps. 

The 20 SHOOTING DRILL will get your players a lot of shots with some pressure added.  

• Put three players at each basket with one basketball. 
• Players are competing against the other players at their basket.
• First player to 20 points, wins. 
• Each player keeps their own score, and calls out their score after each make.
• Shot made inside the three point line = 1 point
• Shot made beyond the three point line = 2 points.
• All shots must be 15 feet and beyond.
• Player shoots until they miss and when they miss a new shooter comes in. Shooter cannot shoot from the same spot two shots in a row.     

You can add other variations to this drill like:

• Have players shoot from specific spots on the floor.
• Put a time limit on the drill and when time expires, the player with the most points, wins.
• Add a second ball to increase the number of shots
• Give a bonus point for making five shots in a row

PREPARE YOUR TEAM FOR THESE 20 LATE GAME SITUATIONS

I have put together a list of late game situations that coaches need to prepare their team for.  You may not even encounter some of these situations during the season, but don't get caught off guard, and prepare for them. These are situations that as a coach you need to think about so you at least know what your choices will be if you are faced with them.

1. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
2. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
3. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
4. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
5. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
6. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
7. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
8. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
9. You are behind 2 or 3 points with a few seconds left and your player is at the free throw line with one shot. 
10. Tie game with one minute left to play. Your team has the ball.  When do you attempt to score?
1. Do you hold the ball for one shot?
2. Do you take the first available shot?
11. Tie game. Your team has the ball with 10 seconds to play. No timeouts. What do you want your team to run?  Do you want them to attack the rim? Get the ball inside? Run a specific set play? Who do you want to take the shot?
12. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 10 seconds left.  Do you foul or play it out?
13. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 4 seconds left. Do you foul or play it out?
14. You are down 3 and on defense. If you decide to not foul on a big possession late in the game, how will your team defend ball screens?
15. Your team is on defense. You are behind by 1 point with 30 seconds left in the game.  The offensive team is in the bonus. When, if at all, do you foul?
16. You are ahead by 2 with 10 seconds left in the game.  You are on defense.  Offense will take the ball out baseline OB and has to go the length of the court. Offense is in the bonus. How do you defend them? 
1. Do you apply a full court press?  If so, what type?
2. If you don't apply full court pressure, where do you start defending the ball?
17. You are on defense.  Your team is ahead by 4 points with 20 seconds to go.  You have two fouls to give.  Do you have your team commit non-shooting fouls?
18. You are down 10 points with three minutes to go in the game. At what point to you start fouling and put the other team on the free throw line?
19. You are ahead in a one possession game (1, 2, or 3 points). Your team is on defense. The opposing team calls a timeout with 8 seconds to play.  You've played zone defense the entire game.  Do you play man-to-man on this last possession if it is something you have in your team's arsenal?
20. Do you have a delay game on offense when you are attempting to secure a lead late in games? If so, when do you start using it?

HORNS SET FROM NEW ZEALAND 2013 OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIP

The following is a Horns set that New Zealand ran in the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship For Women.

Diagram A

Diagram B

Diagram A
1 passes to 4.
1 sprints and screens for 2.
2 cuts up the three point line.
5 sets a ball screen for 4.












Diagram B
4 uses the ball screen and is looking to either get their own shot or hit 5 on a roll to the basket.

Diagram C

Diagram C
If 5 is not open, 4 will pass back to 2.
2's first option is to get their shot. If not they look for 5 sealing their defender in the post.

3 STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY COACHING

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO

Step 1: Surround yourself with good people.

Step 2: Serve others.

Step 3: Repeat.

4-ON-4 TALK & STOP DRILL

The 4-on-4 Talk & Stop Drill forces your players to work on communication, defensive positioning, closeouts, and executing your defensive philosophy.

SETTING UP THE DRILL
Four offensive players align outside the three-point line.  Four defenders line up in a vertical line inside the lane area.  Coach starts with a ball under the basket area.







EXECUTING THE DRILL
The coach calls out the name of one of the defenders and passes the ball to one of the offensive players.  The player whose name was called will closeout on the the ball, while the other three defenders match up with the other three offensive players.  On the flight of the ball the three defenders must communicate, call out the name of the person they are defending, while getting to the proper defensive position based on where the ball was thrown.

They play out the possession until the offense scores or the defense gains possession of the ball.

SCORING THE DRILL
+2 for the defense if they get a *clean stop.
+5 for the defense if they take a charge
+1 for the offense if they draw a foul or for any made shot
+1 for the offense for all offensive rebounds

*A clean stop for the defense is when they prevent the offense from scoring without giving up an offensive rebound.

THE IMPORTANCE OF "GLUE" PLAYERS

Glue players are needed.  They are vital to a team's success.  They contribute things to your team that don't always show up in a box score; things that can't always be measured with a stat. 

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF A GLUE PLAYER

• Sprints the court in transition
• They might night receive a pass in transition, but the fact they sprint could draw a defender to them and open up a teammate for a score
• Talks on the court
• Call out screens on defense
• Makes sure the team is in the correct offense or defense
• Makes sure the team is matched up on defense
• Motivates their teammates
• Dives for loose balls
• This can be contagious 
• Forces the person they are defending to give extra effort just to get open
• This tests the will of the person they are guarding.
• Makes the extra pass on offense
• Pass up a good shot for a great shot
• Forces the defense to work extra hard
• Follows the game plan.
• They understand the game plan.  
• They execute the game plan. 
• Takes care of the ball on offense
• They aren't careless with the ball.  They are poised with the ball in their hands.
• Genuinely cares for their team
• Speaks positively of their team, teammates, and coaches
• Represents their team to the best of their ability on and off the court
• Serves others

SUCCESSFUL TEAMS NEED GLUE PLAYERS

Any player can be a glue player.  I think some coaches see glue players as players on their roster who maybe aren't the most talented.  This can be the case, however your most skilled players can be glue players as well. If your most talented players are glue players then chances are your team has a great chance to reach its full potential.

The average fan sitting in the stands watching a game might wonder why certain players are getting so many minutes if they aren't scoring, rebounding, or filling other stat columns.  Most likely those are glue type players they are wondering about.  In a team sport like basketball we have to remember that we don't always play our five best, we play our best five. Your best five are the five players that play best together.  Many times a glue player or two are part of that best five.

CELEBRATE YOUR GLUE PLAYERS

I encourage coaches to celebrate their glue players.  In a film session point out an example of a player running the court in transition, setting a great screen, or making the extra pass. Stop play on the practice court to point out an action of a player that makes them a glue type player.  While in a huddle during a timeout you can let your team know how important a dive on the floor for a loose ball was for your team because it gave you an extra possession.  While talking to the media you can highlight players that do these glue player type things that are keys to your team's success.  Your glue players need to be celebrated so let them know how important they are to the team.  

REMEMBER:  Not all of the players on your roster are going to have the same skill, BUT they can all be glue players.  

SHARE YOUR IDEAS

I'd enjoy hearing from other coaches on how they celebrate glue type players.  If you have suggestions, please share with me.  You can reach me by email at dietelgreg@gmail.com

BASELINE OB PLAY FOR A SHOT IN THE POST

1 sets a cross screen for 5.
5 cuts to the opposite side of the rim, looking for a pass from 3.
2 cuts to an opening near the top of the key to give 3 a passing angle.

Immediately after setting the screen for 5, 1 sets a screen for 4.
4 cuts toward the lane area looking to receive a pass from 3.
1 then pops out to the three point line.
5 continues to pin their defender looking for a pass from 3.

BEING A PARENT, A COACH, AND THE INFAMOUS 20 MINUTE RULE

This article was posted here back in 2012.  Recent discussions with coaches, parents, and coaches who are parents led me to reposting it today.  Enjoy.

Coaches and parents will want to read this.

Basketball coaches learn from each other all the time.  We share information, borrow some, and are always watching and picking up tidbits wherever they can.  One of the most important pieces of advice I learned in my 20+ years of coaching didn't come from my past experiences as an athlete, or a coaching clinic, or a coaching colleague, or even a coaching DVD.  This piece of valuable advice was given to me from my wife.

This information is for all coaches.  As a coach we interact with the parents of our players.  BUT if you are a coach and a parent this is especially for you.

I am a basketball coach.  And like most basketball coaches it is difficult for me to watch any basketball game for pure entertainment purposes.  It doesn't matter if a coach is watching game 7 of the NBA finals on television or the first game of a fifth grade league at the YMCA, we seem to analyze the game we are watching as a coach.  This is not a bad thing because it is a part of who we are and how we are wired.

Add your own children to the mix and you have a tough balancing act.

I have been fortunate to say that I have been able to watch my own children participate in sports, including basketball, for many years.  I'm no different than the next parent as I get nervous for my child as they play because I want them to perform well and feel good about themselves.  But I also watch the game with a coach's mentality (after all it IS what I do).   And who do parents watch more closely during games? That's right, their own kid.  Again, I am no different than other parents.

After a game was finished my wife and I would wait with the other parents for our children to come over and visit with us after their coach was done talking to them.  We always greet them with a hug and a "good job".  But then my coaching personality kicked in and I would start rehashing the game with them.  I wasn't necessarily judging how well they played, but I would talk to them as if they were one of the players on my own team.  I would ask them questions about a particular possession, or an adjustment the team made, or even what their thought process might have been during a certain play.  I thought I was just talking to my kids and connecting with them about something they also have a passion for. I later learned that this is not what my children thought I was doing.

ENTER THE 20 MINUTE RULE...My wife is smart.  She could see that our kids weren't always interested in rehashing things immediately after the game was completed.  Her exact words were, "They don't need a coach right now, they need their dad."  And she was right.  I felt I was able to add insight to our kids because I am a coach.  This may be true, but it wasn't what the kids needed at that time.  So, she introduced the "20 Minute Rule" to our family.  The 20 Minute Rule means that when we meet up with our children after one of their games we don't talk about specific parts of the game for twenty minutes.  We don't have a stopwatch that counts down the minutes until I can ask my first question (that would look a bit funny).  I started to take those first few minutes with the kids after games and continued to give them a hug and tell them "good job", but it also gave them a chance to initiate the conversations we were to have after the games.  And once the twenty minute rule was over the discussions about the game were less coach-player orientated, and more dad-child orientated.  We still discuss the games but after the 20 Minute Rule these discussions started later at home, not in the gym immediately following a game. Also, it allowed my words of, "I really enjoyed watching you play," mean more to my children when it wasn't followed by questions about the game.

Because coaching is a big part of my life, and my kids are active in athletics, the 20 Minute Rule is one of the best pieces of advice I have been given.  It's shown me how to be a parent of an athlete in a way that makes the overall experience better for my children. Thanks to my wife.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR COACHES

This is a list of a few of the books I took the time to read so far this summer that I feel can help us as coaches. Happy reading!

Toughness by Jay Bilas
I recommend you put this at the top of your reading list. You want a tough team, this is the book that can help you start implementing strategies to use with your players/team. Bilas shares his own thoughts along with other people, from a variety of professional backgrounds, to share their thoughts on toughness.

The Golden Whistle by Jim Burson
Coach Burson uses a story of an up and coming coach to share his thoughts on how a coach can be successful.  He shares his own experiences from a variety of situations that can help coaches make a positive impact on their team on and off the basketball court.  Coach Burson has put this book into a format that makes it easy to read, and easy for coaches to apply strategies with their own team.

The Politics of Coaching by Carl Pierson
This is the actually the second time I've read Coach Pierson's book. And it will not be my last.  His book is a must read for younger coaches, but is equally as beneficial for veteran coaches.  Pierson provides so many helpful hints that will give coaches a great opportunity for longevity in the coaching profession. I have given this book to new coaches coming into our program.

The Hard Hat: 21 Ways To Be A Great Teammate by Jon Gordon
I'm a big fan of all of Jon Gordon's books, but this one blew me away.  This is what I call a Wow! book.  It will make an impact on you not only as a coach, but as a person.  This is Gordon's first "true story" as it is written about about a former Cornell lacrosse player named George.  So many valuable lessons for coaches, players, and people in general in this book.  It's a quick read, but it is one that you will no doubt refer back to many times.

Leadership Lessons Of Abraham Lincoln edited by Meg Distini
This book is full of quotes and thoughts from Abraham Lincoln.  The author does a nice job of organizing them into different topics such as discipline, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and determination.  This is a book you can pick up and read for a few minutes at a time and pick up some valuable gems to get you to think.

COACHES: WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS OFF-SEASON TO GET BETTER?

Coaches provide their players with multiple opportunities throughout the off-season to help them improve as basketball players.  Coaches need to do the same to improve at their craft. We owe it to our players and our program to continue to learn and grow as coaches.  Here are 14 ideas that might help you continue to grow as a coach.  Nothing real groundbreaking here, but hopefully something will ignite a spark or thought that will help.

1. Attend coaching clinics.Some valuable information can be learned.  Clinics are also great for networking and sharing ideas with other coaches attending the clinic.
2. Get together with coaches in your area to have roundtable discussions. Share thoughts and ideas. I have taken part and even organized roundtables and found them extremely valuable. 
3. Contact college coaches and set up a time to visit with them. Most are willing to do so when their time allows. I would encourage you to have specific topics or questions ready for the college coaches ahead of time.
4. Work basketball camps. Not only is this a chance to work with players other than your own you will get a chance to observe other coaches work.
5. Coach a travel or club team. Working with kids outside your program can be refreshing.  Or coach a youth team in your own program.
6. Watch game film of your last season.  Focus in on what hurt your team in your losses, and what helped during your victories.  Make note of these and figure out what needs to be a focus for your team as you continue throughout the off-season and prepare for next season.
7. Watch games.  Attend AAU or summer league games and write down your observations. What did you like?  What did you dislike? What could you use with your own team or program?
8. Watch games on TV or online.  You can catch some FIBA games online during the summer.  I like to DVR college games throughout the winter and then watch them over the summer with more of a coach's eye. Have your notepad ready when you watch them and take notes.
9. Read as much as you can that can help you as a coach.  As you read each book, take notes on them. Coaching books have so much information in them that some things can get lost in your memory.  Writing down, or highlighting, tidbits you find important will be helpful in your recalling of this information. 
10. Use the internet.  There are many great websites and blogs on the internet that focus on coaching basketball, the game of basketball, and coaching.
11. Learn something new about offense, defense, and philosophy.  Put a list together of what it is you'd like to learn more about, then find the information needed to learn. Take action.
12. Organize your own files.  If you're like me, you have a ton of files stored away in a file cabinet, on a shelf, or the computer.  Take time re-organize them all so that you can be more efficient when looking for this information in the future.  You might even find something you forgot you had and decide it is something you can apply to your team this upcoming season.
13. Breakdown the toughest teams in your conference, section, or in the state.  What makes them so good? What do you have to do to beat them?  Start formulating a plan now.  Don't wait until you only get two days to prepare for them during the actual season.
14. Relax.  Take some time for yourself.  Connect with family and friends that you don't get to see as much during your season.  Coaches run 100 mph during the season, so don't forget to take a little time for yourself when you have the opportunity to do so.

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT...AND ENJOY

I hope you all have had a great start to 2014.  Normally this blog is devoted to basketball and basketball coaching topics that attempt get you to think, or it's just simply sharing information.  Today's entry is slightly different as it is more of a personal reflection of mine.  Don't stop reading though as I am hoping that this will trigger some positive memories of your own that remind us all what a great profession coaching is.  This particular list will not be about wins, losses, or championships, but it will be about the many other things that we get to witness as a coach.  And these are definitely things that make our jobs enjoyable.

• Our team volunteered to work with Special Olympians.
• Being recognized as one of the top academic teams in our state.
•  Watching our seniors graduate.
• Seeing how well upperclassmen welcome younger players into our program.
• Team get-togethers.
• Seeing our players take part in other sports, clubs, and organizations.
• Getting a "thank you" from a player who acknowledges the work you do as a coach.
• Having a parent go out of their way to say "thanks".
• Helping players organize themselves as they prepare for making a college choice.
• Writing recommendations for players.
• Hearing from teachers how our players are good citizens in school.
• Seeing confidence grow in players.
• Our team volunteered to read to elementary classrooms.
• Seeing players step up and become leaders.
• Watching players show genuine gratitude to their parent(s) on Parent's Night.
• Seeing our players commit to outworking our opponent.
• Having our players show genuine support for each other.
• Team welcoming challenges and understanding how they help us in the long run.
• GREAT participation by our players during the off-season (gym and weight room).
• Players asking to keep the gym open longer during open gyms.
• Learning new schemes and the team buying into them.
• Treating floor burns as badges of honor.

These are just a few memories that I have from 2013. Hopefully they help remind you how lucky we are to coach.  Nobody wants to win more than I do, but there is so much more to enjoy about coaching than winning.

Have a great 2014!

8 WAYS TO KEEP DEVELOPING AS A COACH

Coaches - Here is a question for your to consider about yourself, "What are you doing to continue your development as a coach?"  We are always promoting work ethic and skill improvement to our players.  The coach must also remember that they must continue to work and improve as well.  Below is a list of 8 things coaches can do to help themselves grow as a coach.

1. Meet regularly with your coaching staff.  The off-season is a great time to meet and share thoughts and ideas with each other.  Have an agenda for your meetings.  Talk personnel, X's and O's, scheduling, practice design, overall philosophy, potential changes to be made, etc.

2. Coaches Roundtables.  If you have a chance to become involved with a roundtable discussion with other coaches, do it.  It is a great opportunity to collaborate, learn, and network with other coaches. 

3. Coaching DVDs.  Set aside some money in your team's budget (or personal budget) that allows you to purchase a few DVDs each year.  You may not use everything you see on a DVD, but if you pick up one thing you can use for your program it is worth the purchase.

4.  Attend coaching clinics.  One of the great things about coaching clinics is you get to see a variety of coaches speak on different topics.  Another benefit of attending a clinic is getting to connect with other coaches.  There are a lot of quality side-discussions with clinic attendees that occur at clinics where you can pick up some great information.

5. Attend college practices.  If you have a college team in your area, contact them and ask if you can attend practices. Bring a notebook and be ready to take some notes. 

6. Contact other coaches to learn about something they do that you really like.  Typically coaches are willing to share with each other.

7. Focus on all aspects of coaching.  Don't just focus on the X's and O's of the game. Learn more about building relationships, motivation, and other aspects of this nature.

8. Remember that none of us know it all.  So keep an open mind to listening, watching, and to even possibly change.

333 DRILL

333 stands for playing 3-on-3 and needing 3 stops.  The 333 Drill has mostly a defensive focus, but you can also coach offense at the same time.  This drill forces your players to defend at a high level over a period of time.

333 starts with three offensive players and three defensive players playing 3-on-3.  The remaining players form three lines near half court waiting to get into the drill.

The goal is for the defensive team to get three clean stops.  A clean stop is when the defense prevents the offense from scoring.  A clean stop also means that the offensive team does not get an offensive rebound during the possession. If the offense shoots and misses, gets an offensive rebound, and then turns the ball over this would NOT be a clean stop for the defense because they gave up an offensive rebound.

The defensive team must get three clean stops before they are "out".  After each possession a fresh group of three offensive players comes in to play against the three defenders.  This makes the challenge even greater for the defense, as it forces them to play through fatigue while competing against fresh players.

Once the defensive group gets three clean stops, a new group of three defenders come in to attempt to get their three clean stops.

Drill Variations
*Coaches can allow the offense to just play. But you can also have the defense defend ball screens, down screens, dribble handoffs, back cuts, flare screens, or any other specified movement by requiring the offense to execute these during their possession.
*Cap the number of defensive possessions a group of three defenders can have.  For example, if you cap it at six possessions the defense has to get their three clean stops within six possessions.  If they don't, the run.
*Require the offense to get a paint touch before they shoot.  This keeps the offense in an attack mode and prevents them from settling for jump shots.  A paint touch can come from a post entry pass, dribble penetration, or passing to a cutting player in the lane.

STOP ADMIRING THE PROBLEM AND CHANGE!

During pregame warmups I was visiting with the coach of our rival opponent.  The opposing coach has had a long and very successful career.  Personally, I always enjoy competing against his teams because I know I will have to be at my best.  As we were exchanging typical small talk I had mentioned to him how impressed I was with how his team ran their half court offense and sets when I scouted them a week earlier.  He actually started to laugh, which surprised me because I was sincere with my comment.  He then continued and said, "Yes, we might be able to run our offense and our sets well, but it doesn't matter how well you run your offense, or what offense you run if you can't put the ball in the basket."  Hmm...

This was a "wow!" moment for me.  We had always dedicated time during our in-season practices to offensive skill development, but I will admit I was more of a drill coach that liked to break down our offense and defense to keep working on getting better at each.  And I think back to how many times I wished we could shoot a few percentage points better.  And I think back to how many times I wished we had a few more quality ball handlers on the roster.  Or maybe said to an assistant, "They just didn't work hard enough on it during the off-season."  FINALLY, I recognized I needed to make a change instead of just admiring a problem.  A coach always wants their team to improve, right?  Hoping for improvement is one thing, but taking action to fix it is another.

What I had been doing was admiring the problem instead of trying to take control and help fix it. The decision was made to then dedicate more of our in-season practice time to skill development. Dedicating more in-season practice time to skill development will obviously improve the offensive skill of our players.  The result of this becomes less hoping by the coach for a few percentage points increase in shooting percentage. 

Offenses and set plays are a big part of basketball.  But those offenses and set plays will look much better when your offensive skill is better.  Sounds simple, but it's true.

STATEMENT THAT SIMPLIFIES YOUR DEFENSE

One of my favorite off-season activities is to visit and talk shop with other coaches.  I've learned a lot over the years from having conversations with college, high school, and youth coaches.  Sometimes these conversations have a specific topic on the agenda, while other times we have a random dialog that leads us into several topics.  Either way, I get a chance to learn.

Many times these conversations will turn to X's and O's.  I would bet that most, if not all, coaches spend part of their off-season diagramming plays in notebooks, on scraps of paper, and napkins when ideas strike.  I was having one of these in-depth X and O discussions with another coach when they made the following statement:

"The better you are at one-on-one defense, the less your teammates have to help you.  This keeps your defense balanced.  This makes your team tougher to score against."

I realize that this statement is not groundbreaking by any means.  But at that moment it was very powerful to me and it simplified things for me ever since.  At that time I had been a head coach for ten years, but this simple statement made our teams better defensive teams from that point on. Simple but powerful!

Coaching points to remember when practicing defending the ball:
1. Practice defending the ball every practice.
2. Each day choose different spots to start defending the ball.
*wings
*corners
*elbows
*top of the key
*short corners
*short wings
*mid lane line
3. Limit the number of dribbles an offensive player can make (2 or 3 depending on starting point).
4. Start each rep with a closeout.
5. Make the drills competitive.
*Keep score
*Consequence (run) for giving up dribble penetration to an area you don't want the ball to go.

2 OR 8 FREE THROW SHOOTING DRILL

2 or 8 is a free throw shooting drill that includes both pressure shooting and conditioning.  This drill is best utilized with two players shooting at one basket.

Player A goes to the free throw line while Player B rebounds for them.  Player A will shoot free throws until they either make 8 in a row or miss 2 in a row.  If Player A misses 2 in a row before they make 8 in a row they run a predetermined number of sprints.  If Player A makes 8 in a row before they miss 2 in a row they do not have to run.

Player A could make 5 in a row, then miss one.  If they miss the next shot, they run (that would be 2 misses in a row).  If they make that next shot their count is now at 1 in a row and they continue.

Player B starts to shoot once Player A is either finished with their 8 makes in a row or running their sprints for missing 2 in a row.