Texas Chalk Talk

Chalk Talk 2008

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL

COACHES

DEDICATIO – DO COLEMA ........................................................................................1-2 KARI WALLACE (CIBALO STEEELE HS) PRACTICE STARTERS .....................................................................................................3-4 MIKE CARRABI E (DULLES HS) DULLES BASKETBALL BASICS ......................................................................................5-8 JASO COOPER (SUDAN HS) FAB FIVE REBOUNDING BASICS ...................................................................................8-12 BRIA ICHOLS (LANEVILLE HS) HALF COURT DEFENSIVE DRILLS .................................................................................12-13 DERIK SHORT (NAAMAN FOREST HS) THE NAAMAN 2-2-1 PRESS ...........................................................................................14-16 JA JER BERG (LAKE TRAVIS HS) A COACHES BURDEN… COMMUNICATION ...................................................................17-19 CHRISTI A CAMACHO (WAGNER HS) 1-2-2 HALF COURT PRESS ............................................................................................19 GREG GUILER (ST. MARKS HS) BASKETBALL WORTH WATCHING.................................................................................20-23 TOMMY GATES (NAVASOTA HS) TRANSITION DEFENSE ...................................................................................................23-25 TOMMY BRAKEL (NORTH CROWLEY HS) THE DRIBBLE DRIVE MOTION OFFENSE - NORTH CROWLEY STYLE ..........................26-29

DEDICATED TO DO COLEMA To win 893 varsity basketball games would put any coach in elite company.

When that coach gives back to the profession and is an example to others, serves his church and has his life in order spiritually, is surrounded by a loving family and has an enjoyable time in the process, he is the type of person we all aspire to be like.

Such a man is Don Coleman, who taught the game of basketball to young men for thirty-seven years, the final thirty at Memorial High School in the Spring Branch ISD. To understand this special man we need to go back to the beginning and relive the journey that has taken him to this point in his life.

Brandon C. (Don) Coleman was born on Groundhog Day (February 2), 1933, in Port Arthur, Texas, to Brandon and Sydney Coleman. He grew up in a lively family that included his brother Jim and two sisters, Ylora and Melanie. His mother, who died of breast cancer when Don was twelve, was a beloved English and history teacher at Port Arthur Jefferson High School. From her Don acquired his respect for scholarship and education. His father worked at the Gulf Refinery in Port Arthur and was a passionate and champion tennis player in Southeast Texas. After his mother’s death, Don spent much of his time with his father, watching him play tennis, learning the game from him and eventually winning many doubles tournaments as his partner. From his father he learned how to compete, to demonstrate integrity by calling the lines correctly and to be a gentleman on and off the court.

Don always strived to instill in his players the traits he acquired from his parents: scholarship, competitiveness, passion, discipline, integrity, and gentlemanly behavior. His father passed away early in Don’s coaching career, but the lessons he taught were put to good use.

Don began to play basketball in junior high school, but it wasn’t until he entered high school at Jefferson and came under the influence of Coach Pete Pense that he was inspired to dedicate his career to the sport. As a player under Pense, he made his first trip to the state basketball tournament, an experience that whetted his appetite to return again as a coach. In high school he continued to compete on the tennis team.

Following high school graduation in 1952, Don received a basketball and tennis scholarship to Lamar University (known then as Lamar Tech) in Beaumont. After his sophomore year, Lamar began to place strong emphasis on its tennis program recruiting players nationally and from Mexico. Don had to make a choice between tennis and basketball. He chose to play tennis, but prepared to coach basketball. He went on to lead the Lamar tennis team to many national achievements. He captured a record three straight Lone Star Conference singles championships and won the NAIA doubles title. At the end of his college career he always regretted that his mother did not live to see him receive the John Gray Award for best student athlete at Lamar.

After college graduation in 1955, Don returned to his high school alma mater as an assistant to his mentor Pete Pense for two years. In this role he had the opportunity to make his second trip to the state tournament, this time as Pence’s assistant coach.

In 1957, Don was hired to become the head basketball coach at Aldine High School where he remained for five years, making his third trip to Austin , this time as a head coach. The 1960 team won the third place trophy and his success at Aldine began to attract the attention of larger schools in the Houston area. Reluctantly, he left Aldine in 1962 to take the head basketball coaching position at the newly opened Memorial High School in the rapidly growing Spring Branch school district. This was his last career move. He coached for thirty more years, all at Memorial, where he built one of the most successful basketball programs in the nation.

At Memorial, Coach Coleman made four more trips to the state tournament, winning the state championship in 1966 and advancing to the state finals in 1967, 1969 and 1984. His teams won sixteen district championships and had additional playoff teams. He was selected by his peers to coach in the THSCA (1966), TABC (1992) and Greater Houston Area Coaches’ Association (2002) all star games, all of which his team won.

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At the time of his retirement in 1992 he had one of the top three coaching records in the state and one of the top eight in the nation. While compiling 893 wins Coleman led his teams to twenty or more wins for twentysix consecutive seasons and had an eighty-one game district win streak from 1964 until 1971. More importantly, he became known as a coach who always got the most out of his players. Jerry Kroll, who was the leading scorer on the 1966 state championship team, says he first met Coach Coleman the summer after his eighth grade year. “Coach started challenging me to work on my game and start pushing myself to improve before I ever set foot on the Memorial campus,” said Kroll. Wayne Howard (1967-69) cited Coach Coleman’s positive attitude as well as his teaching methods for the team’s success. “We were always well prepared and Coach’s attitude rubbed off on us. We always felt like we would win,” said Howard. Due to Coach Coleman’s influence both Kroll and Howard would become successful head basketball coaches. Both have moved on to successful business careers, a common trait among Don’s players in whatever their career path.

While coaching basketball occupied much of his time, Don also continued to pursue his love of tennis. He taught lessons and continued to play in the off season becoming a top ranked state Seniors Division player winning a state doubles title with his partner Buddy Lomax.

Coach Coleman has always been firm in his commitment to advancing the coaching profession both on and off the court. He valued his fellow coaches and encouraged and assisted young coaches entering the profession. During the 1987-88 season his strong leadership ability led to his being elected president of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, in which he is a charter member. During his presidency the association made many bold decisions that have resulted in continued growth and prestige, including moving the annual TABC clinic and convention from Waco to San Antonio.

Coach Coleman has also developed the spiritual side of his life by serving his Lord through his commitment to Bethel Independent Presbyterian Church. For the past twenty-five years he and his wife Mary Kay have hosted a weekly Bible Study / Fellowship Group in their home. He is also the chairman of the Men’s Ministries and a mentor to younger men using his leadership skills to positively influence their lives.

Don has received too many awards throughout and after his career to list here, but among the most prestigious is the naming of the 5,000 seat Spring Branch Coliseum after him. He has been selected to several Halls of Fame, among them the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. TABC’s annual Outstanding Coaches Award also bears his name. One of his biggest honors came the spring after his retirement was announced. Former players and supporters organized a black tie gala in his honor at a local hotel ballroom. An annual scholarship in his name was announced and Don and his wife Mary Kay were presented with a two-week vacation to London, England, including all expenses paid, passes to shows and other attractions and tickets to Wimbledon for the tennis championships.

By far Don’s greatest source of pride and enjoyment is his family. He and his wife of thirty-six years, Mary Kay, have four children. Brandon, Kevin, Scott and Barbara have all become successful just like their parents and the couple’s seven grandchildren add to their joy.

In addition to church work and supporting Mary Kay in various volunteer efforts, retirement has given them the opportunity to travel. After the trip to England, visits to Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and Mexico have followed, with more scheduled for the future. Knee replacement surgery in the last few years has changed the sport of choice from tennis to golf and the Coleman’s still attend all Memorial basketball games, supporting the program that he began.

Bob Springer, an assistant to Coach Coleman and the coach who succeeded him at Memorial, expounded on his abilities as follows “Don was always true to his players. He motivated them with integrity at all times.

He had the gift of knowing what to do and always doing the right thing in every situation.”

Near the end of his career, Coach Coleman was heard to remark that he felt blessed to have worked in what he called “the Golden Age of Coaching,” an era when players did what was asked of them and parents supported coaches. All who were fortunate enough to cross paths with Brandon C. (Don) Coleman came away with many golden nuggets of their own.

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KARI WALLACE, BYRO P. STEELE HIGH SCHOOL Coach Kari Wallace is starting her 18th year as a high school basketball coach in the San Antonio area. Kari is in her 10th year in the Schertz-Cibolo Universal City ISD and her fourth season at Steele HS where her team is coming off a final four appearance as a second year varsity program. Kari was named the San Antonio Express )ews coach of the year last season. Kari and her husband Scott have two children son Cody age 13 and daughter Kasey age 8.

“Practice Starters”—Up-Tempo Drills to find out if your team is ready for practice.

“Celtic Drill”-Ball Handling and Lay Up Drill Full court drill that starts at the baseline in the corner and everyone should have a ball if possible. First girl starts by speed dribbling up the sideline to ½ court. At ½ court she will change directions by what ever move you have chosen such as: cross-over, between legs, behind back, reverse, step back cross-over. Then she dribbles to the top of the key and changes directions again by the move you designated and scores a lay up. Second girl in line starts when the player in front has reached ½ court. Time is 1:30 on right side and 1:30 on left side with a goal. The goals is to make 35 lay ups in that time frame on each side. Consequences should be given for not reaching the goal such as squat jumps, sprints, push ups and crunches.

“Defensive Mis-Match drill”—full court drill that requires communication between players, good passing skills and it focuses on defensive stops by hustle and heart. You start with 3 players on offense (red group) on 2 players on defense (blue group) then come back 2 offense vs. 3 defense go for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, switch to blue group having 3 offensive players and red group having 2 defensive players go for another 3 minutes. Keep score for each group for the total of 6 minutes. You can keep score by made baskets, rebounds or by defensive stops. Change it up time to time. You can build up to doing 4 on 3 then come back 3 on 4; then do 5 on 4 then come back 4 on 5. Kids love this drill because it is a full court competition drill! Consequence for the team that did not win the drill.

To start the drill you blow your whistle and the offensive lines makes a pass from the middle line to the outside line then back to the middle (pass then pass back as they go down the floor) because you don’t want them to just take off dribbling down or they will always beat the defense down. The defense sprints down the floor to get into good position. You play it with the rules of a regular game. If defense gains possession then go down the floor and try to score. If the 2 offense loose possession on the way down to play against the 3 defense then that possession is over and that group is finished. Once you have gone down and back with a group they

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Fire Drill”—full court lay up drill for a goal—1:30 on each side—goal make 60 on each side within the time frame—you will need a counter at each basket and 3 basketballs in each line to start. Ball starts at the baseline she passes and gets the pass back three times before she goes in and shoots a lay up. There are 3 passing stations and they rotate to the next line as they pass back to the shooter.

The second girl in the shooting line does not start until the ball is at ½ court. Once the shooter has shot the ball she goes to the passing line and the passing line gets the rebound and gets in the shooting line. As the shooter, you pass the ball then they will pass it back to you for 3 times then you go score a lay up. The last passer is the rebounder. Keep things moving in the drill by good communication between the passer and the shooter. Consequences for not reaching goal. Either you are a passer or you are a shooter in this drill; you do not do both as the same time.

Little Extra: we added this last year and it was a big help to our program. Everyone does it at the same time spread out on the gym floor.

“Explosion Workout:” takes 8-10 minutes but it is a great workout for the lower body—We do this every Wednesday during athletic period during the pre-season and some in the off-season.

2 sets of 10 squat technique 2 sets of 12 lunges to the right and left with toe facing forward 2 sets of 12 lunges crossover with toe facing forward and hips facing forward 2 sets of 10 squat jumps 2 sets of 12 step up onto the first bleacher in gym if possible.

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MIKE CARRABI E - DULLES HIGH SCHOOL Mike graduated from Flossmoor, Illinois HS and Lamar University (BS84, MS-85). After serving as a freshman coach and J.V. coach for Gerry Donohue he was named head coach at St. Thomas HS where they won the 1990 state TCIL championship. Two years at Sweeny, three at Crosby and the past 11 at Dulles have produced numerous play-off teams 3 regional tournament teams and last year’s 5A state runner-up. Mike and his wife Ginger (Dulles elementary principal) have 3 children. Andy is a senior who plays for his dad, Zach is a Dulles freshman and Kathryn is a 5th grader at Dulles elementary.

Dulles Basketball Basics At Dulles High we build our program essentially around three central ideas or thoughts: 1. Defense Transition Defense as the base 2. Rebounding 1-1 Box Drill 3. Man Offense Defense Our first and foremost thoughts on defense center on our ability to play sound, solid transition defense. If we allow our opponents to score too easily which really means too often it will make for a long night for us on the scoreboard. Of course we spend a great deal of time during the course of the year on every aspect of defense including: on the ball defense, post defense, perimeter (shell) defense, staying in a ball-you man position, denial defense (especially guard to forward entry passes), half court traps, full court traps, scramble defenses, and match-up defenses, etc. However everything that we attempt on defense must have transition defense as the base.

The single best drill we have used at Dulles for many years to teach and reinforce our transition defense is something we simply call the “Get Back Drill” The drill is run with the normal ten players, 5 players each on offense and defense. Two coaches (or a coach and a manger) are used in this drill. One coach stands at half court with a ball and the other stands out of bounds at either free throw line extended The offense runs their normal motion, sets, etc. When the coach yells “turnover” or “score” the offensive player with the ball immediately picks up the ball and throws a pass to the coach (manager) standing on the sideline at the free throw line extended. The offensive players now become defenders and sprint back towards the goal at their defensive end. The original defenders now become the offense. The coach with the ball at half court then flips the ball to one of the new offensive players trying to score a transition basket. The coach with the ball has much discretion as to who he throws the ball to start the offensive transition play. The defenders whom are now practicing transition defense have a few rules which they must adhere to: 1. All transition defenders sprint towards the defensive basket.

2. Only after the defenders have run to the basket do we worry about picking up and stopping the ball penetration. (all too often the first or second transition defender pick up the ball too early or too close to half court, where the offensive player has an easy time getting by him to score an uncontested layup) 3. When the goal is secured the transition defenders then close out to guard the perimeter players. (On close outs we teach the defenders to sprint 2/3 of the way to the perimeter offensive player and break down to guard the player the final 1/3 of the way) Communication is very important so that two (or more) transition defenders do not attempt to guard the same perimeter offensive player.

4. Defenders must take charges to stop ball penetration.

5. Defender should “run through” the ball if attempting to catch a offensive player ahead of him 6. WE NEVER WANT TO ALLOW AN UNCONTESTED LAY-UP!!

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Rebounding Through the years I’ve often heard coaches during games yell at their players to “block out”. Of course I do this also. However, I’ve often wondered how much time coaches actually spend in instructing and then honing their players rebounding technique. I believe very strongly that rebounding is something that can be taught and should be practiced repeatedly. Many years ago I picked up a drill which we have used ever since. We call it the 1-1 box drill. Although originally named for a one on one box out drill this rebounding drill can be used up to 5 on 5 if you prefer. The basics however must be taught in a one on one situation.

Four rules which must be stressed every time you practice blocking out are: 1. Contest 2. Contact 3. Control 4. Release & Get the ball Contest The single worst habit our players have had through the years is leaving their feet in attempt to block a shot. Not only are the players unsuccessful in blocking shots most of the time but the jumping leaves them in horrible position to block out their assigned man. Properly contesting a shot will rarely require the defender to leave his feet. We stress over and over to our players to “Contest” their opponents shot, don’t try to block it. We teach our players to properly contest shots while remaining on the floor, extending the near hand in an attempt to alter the offensive players shot. (Usually this means the defenders left hand since most opposing players are right-handed). WE DON’T WANT TO LEAVE OUR FEET. (Conversely, we teach and exhort our offensive players to give head and/or ball fakes in attempt to have the defensive player leave his feet) Contact As we contest with our left hand we teach a forward or front pivot to start executing the blockout on the offensive player. The player should step with his right foot splitting the legs of the shooter. As we step the player should also use his right arm as a sort of arm bar on the shooter on front pivots so that he can face the goal. From this point on the rebounder should not lose physical contact with the shooter until he is ready to release and get the ball.

Control It’s relatively easy to make contact with the offensive player while it is much harder to control the offensive player. After contact has been made and the pivot has been properly executed the rebounder should be facing the goal while the offensive player is at his back: maintaing physical contact by use of his shoulders, back, hips, pelvis, and legs. Arms should be spread wide with hands up and elbows as far to his side as possible. The rebounder must have a wide base in order to keep constant balance and contact with he offensive player. If the rebounder’s base is too narrow it is easy for the rebounder to lose contact and the offensive man to get by and often end up with the offensive rebound. Oftentimes in our drill we make the rebounders maintain control of his man until the ball hits the ground after the missed shot and then release to get the ball. Coaching point for your players: When a shooter misses he will obviously take you to the ball because he’s the only one on the floor who knows in which direction the rebound is going.

Release and Get the Ball Rebounders often release their opponents much too early. The times have been many where I’ve seen players perform contest, contact, and control perfectly only to release the player much too early. This step can’t be overlooked. The player must stay in control of his man until he can release and know he can get the rebound. Our players are repeatedly told that if all five players perform the four steps correctly: Contest, Contact, Control and Release the rebound will bounce harmlessly to floor as all the opponents are kept away from the ball.

1-1 box drill rules 1. Must perform all four steps: a.

Contest b. Contact c. Control d. Release & Get Ball 6

2.

Three successful attempts in succession will complete the players turn. (Shooters continue to rotate through) 3. All areas of the gym are considered in play. Bleachers, chairs, tables, walls, etc. Diving in order to secure the ball is both allowed and encouraged.

Offense We are not very smart here at Dulles as to figure things out on our own. Our offense like everything we do has been modeled (stolen) from others. In essence our offense is modeled after the Princeton offense invented or designed by former coach Pete Carril.

Basic thoughts: In our offense we try to have each and every one of our players to be able to do three basic basketball fundamentals; Pass, shoot, and dribble. This sounds easy, however for example post men must learn to handle the ball out on the floor as well as guards be able to master a variety of post moves. In conclusion we want to teach our players how to play basketball rather than to just teach them basketball plays.

Basic Alignment: We do not number our offensive positions. We have two guards, two wings, and a post. The two guards start in a position we call “elbows high”. The guards are positioned at the “elbow high” splitting the difference between the top of the key and the center circle. The wings are ABOVE the free throw line extended as wide as possible. The post starts as low as possible below either free throw lane block very close to the baseline.

The four perimeter players are stationed where they are enabling the guard’s pass to be about the same distance if he passes G-F or G-G. The post is as low as possible because he will be very active below the free throw line extended and most post defenders are not too inclined to chase the offensive player all over the area below the free throw line. In actuality most of our players can and do play all five positions.

Circle We usually start any man offensive series with our early offense. We then usually go to half-court offense by running what we call circle. Out of our basic alignment our post flashes to the top of the key to catch an entry pass form the guard (or wing if the Guard passed there first) Both Guards then sprint to the front of the rim looking for a pass from the post for a lay-up. If the guards reach the rim without receiving a pass they then circle to the out side and come up off a brush screen and return to their original guard spots. This play is hand signaled. We may run this once or several times per possession. We are looking for a). Layup from the guard, b) layup from the screener, c) jump shot from the guard or d) post jump shot. Running circle also allows us a chance to determine if the opponent is running a man or zone defense. If the defensive players follow the cutter through then we consider the defense to be playing man defense.

Chin Chin is a called play initiated by a guard. We have the normal offensive alignment. Two guards, two wings, and a post. The play starts with a guard to guard pass. The second guard immediately swings ball to near wing. Ist Guard makes an L cut to the basket (1st guard follows the pass to 2nd guard- at center court line he changes direction once and cuts to the goal as post who now is positioned at the top of the key in the middle of the floor sets a screen). Post repositions himself toward 2nd guard whom is now using a back screen from the post. Chin now is repeated with the wings playing the guard spots and the guards playing the wings.

High Post There are four entries to start high post, 1). Away, 2). Follow, 3). Lane Cut, 4) Reverse High Post starts without any hand or verbal calls. It is indicated by a guard to guard pass or a guard waving the other guard through and centering the ball with a dribble. When the guard-guard pass is made the first guard cuts through the elbow closest to him and runs through to the opposite corner. 1 is in opposite corner, 2 receives pass and centers ball with dribble, 3 being opposite the post comes toward near elbow, 4 drops towards near corner, 5 goes to elbow of original guard 1.

Away When 2nd guard enters pass to post he screens away 3 reads the defense and either accepts the screen for a curl or refuses the screen and goes backdoor.

Follow When 2nd guard enters pass to post he follows the pass and screens far wing (#4) (4 accepts (curls) or refuses (backdoor) the screen 7

Lane Cut When 2nd guard enter pass to post he cuts down the middle of the floor looking for a return pass and layup.

Reverse When 2nd guard tries to enter pass to post but he is covered we can run reverse. The 2nd guard while centering the ball on the dribble doesn’t pass the ball to the post so he reverses his body and dribbles at 3 who goes back door. 1 rotates up to the wing.

Low Post Low Post is not hand signaled or called verbally. The guard passes to near wing and cuts through to opposite corner Low post set up after first pass) When pass is entered into post both 1 and 3 go to their corners. 5 tries to score, passes to either corner for shot, passes to man at top cutting to basket, or throws to top of key follows pass to elbow and initiates high post.

Hopefully what I have shared has been of some value to you. We don’t have any answers for anyone else. We concentrate on what we do and attempt to be do those things to the best of our collective abilities.

JASO COOPER, SUDA HIGH SCHOOL Jason Cooper has been in the coaching profession for 9 years, with stops as the Assistant Women’s Coach at his Alma Mater Wayland Baptist University (3Years) where he also was a member of the Pioneer Men’s basketball team, Cotton Center, Olton, and now beginning his 3rd season at Sudan. Sudan is coming off two consecutive appearances at the Regional Tournament as well as a State Finalist finish last year. In two seasons at Sudan, Cooper’s teams have amassed a 61-11 record. Last year he was named the Lubbock Avalanche Journal Coach of the Year. Jason and his wife Amanda have two children, Jenna 8, and Johnathan 4 months.

Fab-Five Rebounding Series You might be a coach at a small Texas school if….

1. Your All-State Forward, the lead actress in One-Act-Play, the Student Council President, and the Band’s Drum Major are all the same person.

True Story: When TABC asked me to write something for this years Chalk Talk, I was honored and accepted without hesitation. I really wanted to share something remarkable with everyone, not the same old stuff. I did some experimenting with my team this year and I finally figured out how to stop my players from telegraphing their passes. I thought this was a great breakthrough and I was going to share this awesome knowledge with all of you but, recently I have noticed a new trend, OMG! Now they are TEXTING their passes…. Sorry, it is just as bad as the old telegraphing method just a lot faster. Lol Ok, in all seriousness, over the course of nine years in coaching I have progressively spent more and more time working on and studying defense and rebounding. As a coach I really take pride in my teams defensive/rebounding abilities. We spend a ton of our practice time breaking down different situations and working on individual footwork as it relates to the team defensive philosophy.

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As I studied the defensive philosophies of other coaches, I noticed a trend, finishing the ‘D’ with a rebound. What a novel idea, to rebound! It is always so frustrating to play great defense for 30 – 45 seconds and force your opponents to take a bad shot, only to see them grab a quick/easy rebound and put in a bunny shot from the block. What a let down for your team. Not only is it demoralizing it is often the demise of your team in a big game. I really don’t enjoy watching the other team get easy shots. So I began to search for ways to teach the last and most important part of Defense, the rebound.

Through experience and research I have come up with a group of five rebounding drills that we do on a regular basis here at Sudan. Two of these drills are specifically defensive, two are specifically offensive and the Meat Grinder is a combination drill that pulls it all together and adds a little transition/conditioning to the package. It is one of my favorite drills. If we only have time for one rebounding drill we will do the Meat Grinder.

I have to preface these drills by saying that they are not my creation but merely the result of thievery from great Coaches on my part. I simply added my own twist to them. We do these often, at least twice a week.

I will also say it is very important for you to manipulate these drills to fit your team’s needs. I will vary drills depending on our opponent by “hassling” the rebounders, trapping them or anything else that an opponent may do to us.

NOTE: Make all your rebounding drills intense and game like. Make drill losers do some sort of physical punishment like push ups or running. This will add to the intensity of the drill and help eliminate brother/sister -in-lawing.

O BABIES Purpose: This is great for teaching the physical side of offensive rebounding and finishing the shot. You Darwinist will love this drill because Natural Selection is on display and survival of the fittest is in full swing.

Set Up: You need one basket, one ball and a group that is ready to work.

Coach 1) 2)

Three players come out into the lane and move in a circle. The coach has the ball at the FT line and takes a shot.

The three players battle for the ball and a “Put Back.” a.

Players may only take 1 dribble and they must shoot from inside the lane. b.

If the ball bounces out too far, then they return the ball to the coach and he takes another shot.

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Once a player scores

they rotate to the back of the line. While the two remaining players continue to battle for a “Put Back” and a new player from the baseline enters the game. New players are fresh and often score quickly. A kid that gets stuck out there for a long time will become a better player or die on the court. L Continue till someone has scored “three” points.

NOTE: Don’t call many fouls, make it rough but keep it safe. We have occasionally lost a tooth or blackened an eye in this drill so be careful. The kids love it!

Rebound “Tough Drill” Purpose: This is a defensive rebounding drill. It reinforces the importance of “Ball Awareness” and of course blocking out.

Set Up: You’ll need a half-court, one ball and nine players.

1) Start with 3 offensive players around the perimeter and 3 defenders on them.

2) Offensive players pass the ball around while defensive team works on “Ball-You-Man” positioning.

(Shell Drill) 3) The Coach gives a signal (Whistle) and whoever has the ball takes the shot. Everything counts as a miss, so if the shooter hits the shot then they must get it out of the net.

4) All defensive players and players on the baseline must yell “SHOT!” and then “BOX!” when the shot goes up to give the defenders an audio cue to block out. We make them do pushups if they don’t make these calls.

5) Players on defense attempt to block out the offensive team. Whichever team gets the rebound stays on and the other team rotates off.

6) A new group comes in on offense and the drill starts again.

Note: You can only score a point if you are on defense to start the drill. So essentially, a team must first get an offensive board before they can get on defense and begin to score points. We play to five, and again we don’t call a lot of fouls here.

Also, we will set this drill up to cover things our next opponent will do to us. I.E. we will begin the drill with a Pick N Roll by the offensive team. Or we may begin with a double screen down for a shooter. Be creative!

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Monkey in the Middle Purpose: Great for teaching players to control the rebound and also works on jump timing. I say this is an offensive drill but jump timing is huge on both ends of the floor.

Set up: You have three players at a basket with one basketball. The players will rotate in a counter clockwise pattern.

1) Player 1 starts by throwing the ball off the backboard high off the glass to player 2 who is waiting on the opposite block. a.

Player 1 goes baseline side and gets behind player 2.

2) Player 2 times her jump and explodes up to get the ball with two hands above her head. a.

Player 2 then either tips the ball back across the backboard to player 3 (Advanced) or she comes down, “Chins It” and then passes it over the top again to player 3.

3) Player 3 then rebounds and passes to player 1.

4) Players continue to rotate through the drill for a set number of repetitions. We usually go 15 and then rest. We will do 3 to 4 sets of 15 on this drill. It is fast and should get their heart rate up.

Circle Block Out Purpose: Teaches making good contact and holding the block out.

Set up: This drill can be run with 2 to 4 players. In high school we usually do this with 3 players. You will need a cone and 1 ball for this drill. The set up is at the half-court center circle.

1) Place the ball on top of a cone in the middle of the circle.

2) On the coaches command, the 4 players on the inside of the circle (X’s) must: a. Turn and find the man (O’s). b. Step their foot right between the opponent’s feet. c. Turn and make contact in the following order (this example is with the right foot leading). i. Right Forearm ii. Right Hip iii. Both Cheeks J 3) Once contact has been made the defensive players turn and “sit down” on the offensive players. a. BUTT IN THE GUTT!!!

4) Defensive players must hold the block out for 4 seconds.

5) Offensive players try to get by the defender and take the ball off the cone.

O E MAJOR RULE!! Tell players on offense that they need to go hard for the ball, but they cannot dive or go between the legs.

Stay off the floor in this drill. Variation: Sometimes I will hold the ball high and strong the middle of the circle and make them pull it away from me.

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The Meat Grinder Purpose: To teach team rebounding along with transition and conditioning.

Set Up: You will need 1 ball and a full court for this drill. You will also need to split your team into two even groups. Team O and Team X will be used here.

1) Team O puts three players in the lane and all remaining members make two lines above the 3pt line they will be the outlet/ middle people.

2) Team X has three players in offensive rebounding position Middle and 2 others on the opposite end of the floor ready to defend the 3 on 2 that will ensue. Remaining members make three lines on baseline and are ready to come in on the next rotation.

Outlet 3) Team O players move in a circle inside the lane, Team X players remain still.

4) A coach takes a shot and all players must make the calls, “Shot” – “Box”. a. Again we do push-ups if they don’t make the calls.

5) Team O attempts to block out Team X and secure the defensive rebound. a. If Team X gets an offensive board then play is live 3 on 3. i. Team X gets 1 point for the offensive board and they also get points for any basket they make in the live 3 on 3. So they could score up to 4 points here if they make a three pointer after the offensive board.

6) When Team O secures a rebound, they must: a. Chin-it b. Make an outlet pass c. Get the ball to the middle of the court d. Complete the 3 on 2 transition to the other end of the floor. Team O receives points for a made basket on the other end. ote: The Team O member that got the rebound will be the third member of the 3 on 2 portion of the drill. Also, the emphasis here is on “Defensive” rebounding but the offensive team could potentially score more points each turn. This puts the pressure on the team who has defensive position to start. In this illustration Team O has the advantage we will do 5 – 10 turns and then switch.

BRIA ICHOLS - LA EVILLE HIGH SCHOOL Coach )ichols has been coaching for seven years after graduating from Stephen F. Austin University in 2001. He earned his master’s degree from SFA in 2006. In 2007 he led Laneville to the state finals where the Yellowjackets were runner-up to )azareth. Laneville returned to the championship game in 2008 where they defeated Goodrich for the Class A Division II state championship. Brian and his wife Heather have a daughter Kristene (12) and a son Kaden (1). He also serves as the elementary school principal at Laneville.

HALF COURT DEFE SIVE DRILLS During my four seasons as head coach at Laneville I have been blessed with some outstanding young men, which has made my job a lot easier. I often feel like my biggest responsibility is to make sure everyone is on the bus and my bus driver’s certification is valid. In all seriousness though, we have a great group of kids, who work hard and love the game of basketball and I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with them.

While typically we apply full-court pressure to our opponents, it is my opinion that well coached, disciplined teams typically handle the press well. It then comes down to how wins in the half court. While we have had some success, we have also seen what happens when you don’t play well defensively in the half-court.

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We constantly stress to our players that our goal is to force our opponents into taking low percentage shots and not giving them second opportunities.

Like most teams, we spend a large portion of our practice time breaking down our defense. Normally we begin with one-on-one drills and build up to 5 on 5 work, both in the half and full court. Below I have included several drills which we like to use frequently throughout the season to reemphasize some key basic points.

2 Man Jump to Ball For this drill we like to break things down to simply moving towards the ball on the pass. Many time players will only react to the player they are guarding and with this drill we emphasize moving on the pass with both defenders reacting, much like puppets on a string. As shown in Figure 1, the offensive players will make multiple passes back and forth with the defenders reacting to each pass, one step off the line of the pass and one step towards the ball. On the sound of the whistle the players will then play a quick two-on-two game, the emphasis here on no lay-ups and no second shots.

4 Man Shell/Deny Flash While we do variations of your typical shell defensive drills, one in particular we use quite frequently is defending the backside flash. Again, we are stressing to the players the importance of reacting to the ball and their man, knowing where each is at all times. As shown in Figure 2, when the ball is passed to either corner the backside guard will cut hard to the ball side block. The defenders should react on each pass. The defender on the flash should work to not allow the cutter to “cross his face”, keeping a good defensive position on the post. Normally, we have our defenders in the post shade 3/4 on the baseline side when the ball is below the free throw line. We are also stressing to our backside defenders to communicate whether or not they have help.

The ball is then rotated back up and the cutter returns to an open corner.

Defending the Flex Cut and Down Screens A huge challenge for us and I suppose for most high school teams is defending against the screens away from the ball. During this segment we will have one unit run flex sets against our defense. The challenge for the defenders is to learn to “loosen up” away from the ball in order that they and their teammates can slide through the screens more easily. Unless we specify beforehand the defenders will not switch on screens. It is important for the defenders to buy their teammates time by helping on the screen and then recovering to their man.

FIGURE 1: 2 Man Jump to the Ball

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2: 4 Man Shell w/Deny Flash

FIGURE 2

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DERIK SHORT - AAMA FOREST HIGH SCHOOL Coach Short is beginning his 2nd year as the head girls basketball coach at )aaman Forest High School in Garland, Texas. Last year the Ranger Ladies finished with a 30-7 record and made the first appearance in the state tournament by any team in the Garland ISD. He was named 10-5A Coach of the Year, as well as Dallas Area Coach of the Year by the Dallas Morning )ews. Coach Short has been coaching in Texas for 14 years, with previous head coaching experience at Red Oak HS as well as being a boys assistant coach at Allen HS, Mesquite HS, and Trinity Christian Academy in Addison.

He has four daughters, Talia (20), Kayle (18), Mckenzie (13) and Addyson (7).

The Naaman 2-2-1 Press The nature of all presses is to apply pressure. According to Webster, to press means “to act on something aggressively through a steady pushing of force, to extend influence upon”. Pressure, in turn, is defined as “the application of force” as well as “the burden of physical and mental distress”. Several words in these definitions stand out to me as a coach…. aggressive, steady, force, influence, physical and mental distress. In life experience, we know that when we experience aggressive levels of pressure or stress over long periods of time, our ability to handle that stress or pressure begins to break down. We begin to feel burdened and it takes its toll on us physically and mentally. It affects our ability to function or cope. These realities occur on the basketball court as well. Relentless aggressive pressure, in the form of a full court press, can if applied throughout the course of a game break down your opponent and greatly affect their ability to cope and function. Put into basketball terms, it greatly affects their ability to execute their offensive game plan. The constant pressure leads to both mental and physical breakdowns by your opponent.

Any press, given the right execution and/or the right personnel to run it, can create pressure that breaks down the opponent’s ability to execute. However, I believe that the 2-2-1 press has certain advantages over other presses which make it more effective than say the 1-2-2 or the 1-3-1. The 2-2-1 is a very versatile press.

It offers you the opportunity to aggressively trap in the full court while attempting to force your opponents into turnovers and create easy lay ups. It also offers you a way to control the tempo of the game by applying soft pressure in the full court and trapping when the opportunity presents itself. Finally, you can place emphasis on different areas of trapping in order to give your opponents different looks each time down the court. In the following examples, I will demonstrate the press and give some insight into coaching points that are stressed when teaching the 2-2-1.

Figure 1: Once the ball is entered, the 1 takes an open stance, encouraging the ball-handler to push the ball up the sideline. The 1 cannot allow the dribbler to reverse dribble to the middle of the floor. As the offensive player dribbles up the sideline, the 1 begins to apply pressure. The 3 reads the offensive player. If the dribbler goes into a speed dribble, then the 3 comes up aggressively to trap with the 1. They are responsible to cut off the sideline. If the offensive player is in a controlled dribble, then the 3 can slow play back until dribbler goes into speed dribble or they can look to trap past half court using the backcourt line as a third defender. The 5 is responsible for the first sideline pass, anticipating a steal if possible. The 2 rotates backside middle taking away any pass to the middle. The 4 rotates back to the lane and defends against any deep pass.

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Coaching Points: We refer to our 2-2-1 press as an inside-out press. This means that we protect the middle of the floor and force the action to the outside. It is important that the press “squeezes the middle”, not allowing any penetration or passes to the middle. The middle is considered anything inside the lane lines extended down the entire court. If the ball gets to the middle, the press is broken and the defense retreats back into the paint and is now into a half court defense, which could be a zone or a man. We emphasize back side rotation. If the backside players don’t rotate quick enough, you will be vulnerable to a middle or deep pass and possibly give up a quick basket. Therefore, it’s important to emphasize rotation which protects against this happening.

Figure 2a: Ball Reversal: If the ball is reversed by pass, 1 will sprint back to the middle of the floor to guard against the middle pass or a reverse pass. 2 will play the reversal inside out, taking a flat line towards the dribbler and forcing the offensive player up the sideline past half court. The 2 cannot allow the dribbler to attack middle. As the dribble progresses up the floor, the 4 sprints up and attempts to trap with the 2. The 4 is responsible to cut off sideline while the 2 is responsible to defend against middle penetration. 5 rotates back to the paint defending against the deep pass, while 3 rotates back to defend against middle pass in the area of the top of the key.

Coaching Points: We will give up a ball reversal by a pass. It is critical that the 2 not run straight up the court, but that they take a flat inside out path that invites the dribbler to dribble up the sideline. We also want to allow the dribbler to get up the floor. The trap on a reversal should come after the ball has crossed half court. Again backside rotation is critical as we continue to defend and protect the middle of the floor. If backside does not sprint and defend middle, you are again vulnerable to middle pass which effectively ends the press.

Figure 3: Sideline Pass off the Reversal: If sideline pass is made over the top of the trap by the 2 and the 4, the 5 is responsible to step out and contain the offensive player log enough for the 4 to trail the pass and create a trapping situation in the corner. The 3 drops down to defend and protect the basket, while the 1 rotates back to the paint in midline defensive position. The 2 sprints back to playside elbow or can defend against a pass out of the trap back up the sideline. This effectively puts us in our 2-3 zone defense, if we are dropping back into a zone.

Coaching Points: I really like the trapping on the backside when the ball is reversed. For whatever reason a lot of teams relax when they see the ball come across half court and they don’t do a good job of getting in the passing lanes with their offside players. And most teams believe that if they pass over the top and down the sideline that you are going to drop back into your half court defense and that they have defeated the press. Therefore, you can take advantage of the offense relaxing and stay in an aggressive trapping stance. If we can get an aggressive corner trap, then we have effectively cut off the passing lanes with the rotation of our backside defense. This gives us an opportunity for a late turnover.

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Figure 2b: Sideline Pass off the Original Trap If after the original trap with the 1 and the 3, the ball handler attempts to make a sideline pass, then the 5 has the option to anticipate the pass and aggressively attempt to steal the ball; or if the 5 cannot make a steal, the 5 corrals the offensive player, forcing them up the sideline (not allowing middle penetration), while the 3 trails the pass looking to trap on the sideline with the 5. The 4 rotates over to defend against a pass to the block and even possibly a pass to the short corner or corner. If the 4 extends out, the 2 must rotate back to the paint and defend the paint. The 1 must then drop back middle around the top of the key. If the 4 does not extend to the corner, it frees the 2 to drop to the middle and frees the 1 to defend against the pass up top.

Coaching Points: You can really play the front side aggressively. You must get an aggressive and solid first trap. The 5 must really anticipate the sideline pass, and backside rotation cannot be late. Aggressive play can expose gaps in the press and can make you vulnerable to middle passes or deep passes. You must spend a lot of time focusing on backside rotation emphasizing the importance of getting into the passing lanes.

As stated earlier, the 2-2-1 press is a very versatile press. In the example shown above, the press is played aggressively. It is critical, if you play an aggressive style, that your players do a good job of rotating and getting in the passing lanes. We spend a great deal of time in practice emphasizing the importance of getting in the passing lanes because that is where the steals and the turnovers are going to occur. Another point of emphasis is teaching the players how and where to trap. The traps must be aggressive and are key to forcing your opponent into making bad passes. We teach our players to anticipate where the offense is going to be and to read game situations. As you can see, there are many places on the floor where trapping is possible, but there are many times when the opportunity to trap does not occur. You can also play the 2-2-1 soft, allowing the offense to move the ball up the floor, but controlling the tempo of the game. This is most effective against teams that may be more talented and/or more athletic who like to push the ball up the floor. This soft press can slow them down, get them out of their game, and along the way you may pick up an unforced turnover or two. Finally, what I like about the 2-2-1 is that you can emphasize different areas to press. This will allow you to give your opponent different looks. For example, if a team doesn’t have guards that can handle the press, you might emphasize aggressive traps early. If a team has guards that can handle the ball, you might choose to shorten the court and turn the 2-2-1 into a half court trapping defense by playing soft up front and then being aggressive in the half court, possibly even looking for corner traps near the baseline. Regardless of how you decide to play the 2-2-1, I think you will find that it is a press that you can utilize from start to finish, or to complement the other presses in you arsenal. Over 12 years, I have used a lot of different presses, but I have found that when your goals are to apply constant pressure and to breakdown your opponents ability to execute their offensive game plan, the 2-2-1 is both versatile and effective.

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JA JER BERG, LAKE TRAVIS HIGH SCHOOL Jan Jernberg attended high school at San Antonio Alamo Heights and college at Pan American University, graduating with a bachelors degree in 1970 and his masters in 1976. After becoming head coach at Edcouch-Elsa in 1972, he also served the same role at Round Rock, Dallas St. Mark’s, Poteet and West Orange-Stark before arriving at Lake Travis in 1997. He is closing in on his 600th career victory in a 32-year tenure. He has been involved with TABC since it’s inception in the mid 70’s, designed the original TABC logo for the original association newsletter and previously served on the TABC board in 1981.

A COACH’S BURDE … “COMMU ICATIO ”!

I gave serious consideration to sharing some great play or special drill we do with the idea it was going to enlighten some young coach with the sure-fire solution to one’s offensive or defensive dilemma…maybe not. Since everything I have ever used in the way of “Xs and Os” was stolen from some other coach or has been worn out from OVER-use throughout the years, I am realizing more and more that there may not be anything really new under the sun!

Therefore, I have chosen a topic that I have given much thought to in my thirty-five years of education.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no well-defined method to assure good “communication”, but a coach should have a well-defined philosophy with regard to this subject if he or she is going to--not just thrive, but survive—in coaching today. I will admit that I am no expert on the subject. If anything, my friends will probably say I talk way too much. So be it—I admit to being long-winded. This is really not about WHAT you say, but how—and to whom—you say it! There are two extremes and I will touch on both of them. First, the old philosophy of “loose lips sink ships!” really holds true in coaching—always weigh what you are about to say, BEFORE it rolls out of your mouth. Secondly, there are ALWAYS good reasons to say less than there is to disclose too much. Sometimes it is even better to let a parent or player ask questions before you go into great detail. The other extreme can be just as dangerous. Do not pass up opportunities to clarify a position or to embrace a chance to explain something to a parent who has a real concern. Work towards having an authentic “open-door” policy. I am a firm believer in a “democratic dictatorship”. Allow everyone to respectfully verbalize his or her opinion—players, parents, assistants—then do what YOU think is best. An open mind and an open dialogue will go a long way towards keeping the waters calm. But do embrace the term RESPECTFULLY in your exchanges. Do not allow someone to be disrespectful and, in turn, never let yourself cross that line, even when you feel angry. Note: try to avoid any confrontations with parents immediately after a game… we’ve all been faced with that before, I know!

“COMMU ICATE, CLARIFY, JUSTIFY” I have been a head coach for thirty-two years. Out of my eight stops, three of the job interviews sited the same problem with the previous regime—“lack of communication”! So what does that REALLY mean?

Usually it refers to “not enough wins to please the power-base”. Isn’t it strange that you can win 25-30 games a year and be silent, talk too much, speak a foreign language, etc. and it won’t really matter? But, just in case, this really HAS been a problem, start your system off on the right foot. Whether you like it or not, be prepared to do these three things—“communicate” (verbal, written, email, etc), “clarify” (you may have to say the same thing more than once using different rhetoric!) and “justify” (be prepared to substantiate your decision… whether you like it or not). All of these factors can come into play while dealing with many different people…

ADMI ISTRATORS… Try to remember—they hired you mostly because you are the best choice for the school and the kids.

At the same time, there are those “out there” that are counting on you making them look good. Be clear of your expectations of them…and keep copies of ALL correspondence, emails, etc—ALL lines of communication.. Just be cautious.

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Most principals, APs, ADs, etc are solid people, but sometimes “C-Y-A.” means “cover-your-administrator”!

Unfortunately, when there is some heat you may find yourself all by yourself in a time of need. We have all known at least ONE principal that melted under the heat from a powerful “community-father”—one that thinks you haven’t won enough, are not playing the right kid, or “does it differently on his AAU team he is coaching”! I’ve seen it happen in my own area more than once. It’ disgusting, it’s not fair, but it DOES happen.

COACHI G PEERS… When it comes time to where you may need to “circle the wagons”, make sure you have been fair, honest and approachable with the other coaches you work with so you can count on their support in a time of need or crisis. Is this give-and-take always going to be balanced? Not likely, but resolve yourself to always be the one breaking the ice and keeping those lines of communication open. This can particularly be difficult between football-basketball, basketball-baseball or even mens’ and women’s’ basketball. Try to work on a common and equitable ground. If you have a “pimple” between you and another coach, find an opportunity to clean it up and don’t let it get “infected”. Above all, try to stay OUT of the AD’s office—he doesn’t need the staff headaches.

TEACHERS… They all need to know you are not a “coach first-teacher second”. Make sure if they have a problem with your player in the classroom that YOU will step up and take care of it. If you can, let them know a phone call, text message, email, whatever—will get results with a player. Try to convince them to come to you FIRST. Also, let them know you care about the academics and be prepared to let a player “sit” or go to study hall if he can’t take care of the first priority—his or her education. Another tip: spend some time at lunch in the teachers’ lounge, go to an afterschool “happy hour”…let ‘em know you care!

EWSPAPER… Just a few brief words…you may not like dealing with the media and you may not always feel very bright-eyed and positive, but they have a job to do as well and you should grin and bear it when it comes time to share your feelings on games, whether you win or lose.

PLAYERS and PARE TS… This is where it all can become very sticky. Both players and parents have a tendency to take exception most often when they feel they have been “in the dark”! Players will say “coach never told me he wanted to change my shot” and parents will offer this—“had I known what my son really needed to improve on, I could have helped him along the way!” I’m not sure I have a solution for your particular situation but I can tell you two things that have helped me. I coach in a school district where there are a lot of affluent, welleducated, critical-thinkers that have NO problem questioning the status-quo. I think we all agree that, often, all the kids we have in the program as 8th graders or freshmen will not be around as seniors. For a youngster to develop at the pace needed to compete at the varsity by the senior year, he or she is going to have to make a great commitment. So what should parents expect? We literally map out a “fiscal year”-- just like a corporation! The calendar begins after the state tournament. “Phase I” is our strength and individual skill time. We test them, work them, drill them and retest them at the end of May. “Phase II” is the summer—independent work (leagues, tournaments, etc.). Personally, I stay clear of this, but want the kids to have a list of individual expectations with regard to conditioning, strength, etc. “Phase III” is about the fall and goes through the preseason (team development and transition work). “Phase IV” is our non-district schedule—this is where a player shows me what he can do…it is “time to shine”! Everyone will get an opportunity to perform under fire. “Phase V”—we are in conference play and our rotation should be set. If you haven’t done it as a player by this time, your chances of solid minutes are, pretty much, null and void!

It is important for players AND parents to know all of this—in detail—from the first day. I do NOT trust phone calls, a player carrying home the message, or a flyer. I start every year off by gathering email addresses (both parents if possible) and establishing a newsletter system. We have a basketball logo attached, have three sections called “where we’ve been”, “where we are” and “where we’re going”, along with a concluding statement. The newsletter goes out each month and outlines EVERY detail of our program. It also discusses, in-depth, how a player flourishes, survives, or is cut loose.

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We make sure every parent knows when there are try-outs, how we do them (all staffs must go through a threeday, 15-point evaluation) and when there will be final rosters. We make it a point to keep on file all details of a candidate’s performance. All newsletters are saved on the computer. I have already been faced with this reality. Months, even years later a former player or parent can come back and make accusations that may be covered in such a record. The newsletter can be VERY valuable in defending one’s position from a legal or ethical standpoint, if necessary. My situation was about “what was said” to a player regarding summer league participation. The player, under oath, said one thing and I said another. It went all the way to the brink of UIL, but a previous year’s newsletter spelled out exactly what I had asserted. It saved me a lot of grief!

CHRISTI A CAMACHO – WAG ER HIGH SCHOOL Coach Camacho is entering her 22nd year of coaching. She has guided the Holmes Huskies to the play-offs eight times winning four district championships.

Presently she is at San Antonio Wagner High School. Coach Camacho needs two victories to reach no. 100 at Wagner. That total includes the program’s inaugural season at the junior varsity level in 2005-06. She has won 92 percent of her games over that three year span (98-8 record). She was elected Express-)ews Coach of the Year for season 2006-07. This past season the Lady- T-Birds in their second year of varsity competition were undefeated district champions and state semi-finalists.

Coach Camacho’s career coaching record is 354-156.

Wagner Thunderbird Basketball 1-2-2 Half Court Press We start our 1-2-2 HCP about 6’-8’ from half court line. As pt. guard dribbles across half court. X1’s objective is force her to choose a side. Pass or dribble.

- - - - - - - designates trapping areas.

Fig.1 If X1, is forcing her right. X1 and X3 will trap in corner, X2 will take middle away. X5 steps up X4 goes ball side elbow.

Fig. 2 If O1 throws to O3 baseline and X5 can’t get the steal then X5 will trap with X3. X4 will drop to low post defense (front). X2 drops back side defense and X1 drops to top of key.

Fig. 3 Points of Emphasis: *If ball is reversed to opposite side up top, X1 will trap with X2 in trapping area (left top corner) and X3 will take middle away. *Tell X2 not to leave middle until X3 releases her. *Once ball is reversed after it hits first baseline we will trap opposite corner baseline.

That would put X4 trapping with X2. X 5 would be ball side low post. X3 would have backside help. (Same thing opposite side) *If ball is in area or passed too quickly where a trap cannot be made, we play a normal 12-2 defense rotation. *If ball is in area or passed too quickly where a trap cannot be made, we play a normal 12-2 defense rotation.

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GREG GUILER, DALLAS ST. MARKS HIGH SCHOOL Greg Guiler is a native of Columbus, Ohio. A four year starter at Canal Winchester High School, he helped compile a 73-22 record but fell short in the state semi-finals to a team led by upstart freshman, LeBron James. Guiler attended Cedarville University on a basketball scholarship, where he became the school’s all-time assist leader. Upon graduating in 2004, he migrated south to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. He has since completed his Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Ministry and just finished his second year coaching the 2007 SPC state champion St. Mark’s School of Texas. Guiler and his wife, Lea, reside in Dallas.

Basketball Worth Watching I have to begin with a confession that will upset the stomachs of most readers: I prefer watching football over basketball. Yes, the TABC should revoke my membership for such blasphemy, but I cannot help it!

When the air turns crisp, the leaves turn color, and college championship t-shirts turn scarlet and gray (you didn’t think this Columbus boy would fail to put in a plug for THE Ohio State University, did you?), my hand just naturally reaches for the remote control. Maybe it’s the fact that football has a 40 second break in between plays so I can satisfy my constant urge to change the channel without missing any action. Maybe it’s the competitive fun of fantasy football (although I can’t say that I’ve been much competition at all since my first-round draft pick, Tom Brady, went down for the year in week 1). Maybe it’s the fact that football only arrives on the week-ends, and so I feel the need to soak it all up before the week-long drought. Or maybe, just maybe, watching football on TV affords me the mental vacation that watching basketball does not. Huh? How can watching TV ever not be a mental vacation?

Well, think about it – when the ball is snapped in a football game, the camera stays locked on the ball. As viewers, we see the linemen struggle with each other, we see the quarterback drop into the pocket, and we see the running back(s) receive a hand-off, help block, or look for a screen pass. However, we have no clue what is going on downfield. We can’t see what sorts of routes the wide receivers are running or what pass coverage is being used. All we get is a sliver of the action that leaves us standing around in the break room the following week marveling over individual exploits that were only captured because a certain player happened to be in the vicinity of the ball. Thankfully, multiple camera angles and instant replay give viewers a little better perspective, but rarely do you hear someone say, “Wow, the routes those receivers ran were so crisp!” or “that linebacker does a great job of shedding blocks!” And the fact that we can’t see anything taking place off the ball makes it impossible for us to appreciate the coaching. Aside from criticizing or applauding a decision to go for it on fourth down, we can’t begin to evaluate what’s happening on the sidelines because we can only see a portion of the players at any one time!!

Now think about a basketball game. Yes, the TV camera still gives priority to the ball – a reality which drove me crazy during the Olympics, when I desperately wanted to see how the USA team was running the floor to get such easy lay-ups in transition. However, every half-court possession affords us, the viewers, the luxury of assessing every player and every coaching move. It’s exhausting!! Not only do I get to see the ballhandler make the spectacular cross-over past his man, but I also get to see the rotation of all four other defenders as they react to the breakdown. Not only do I get to see a player catch a pass and knock down a shot, but I also get to see the tough screen that was set and the correct read by the cutter to get him open. And, best of all, I get to sit on the edge of my couch and watch every move of the chess match that unravels between coaches, as they establish their game-plan and then make adjustments on both ends of the floor. I know that a lot of people are critical of the NBA, but the reality is that televised basketball – college or professional – provides a greater learning opportunity for coaches than any other major televised sport!

Because of that reality, I feel a greater responsibility to pay close attention whenever I watch basketball on TV. And while I still have a great deal to learn, I want to share three offensive actions that I have observed regularly in televised games that have been very successful for our teams at the high school level: 20

Action #1: Pick the picker Now when I say “pick the picker,” I do not mean screening for a player who just set a screen, as utilized by a lot of high school coaches in sets similar to the following:

Instead, the “pick the picker” action a lot of NBA teams use involves a screen being set for a player who is on his way to screen for another player. Here is an example of a play that works very well against teams who try to “hedge” hard or “show” on ball screens (the 5’s defender will not get to the ball screen quickly enough due to the double screen set by 2 and 4):

Similarly, this action can prevent a screener’s defender from helping deny a shooter when he first curls/flares a screen (5’s defender will be slow to bump 1 curling due to 3’s back screen):

Action #2: Pick the passer This action is my favorite of the three, simply because it prevents defenders one pass away from only maintaining “ball-you-man” peripheral vision (defenders must keep their head on a swivel to keep from getting back-screened, which means they will be slower to help on ball penetration). It’s extremely easy to incorporate into any offensive look and can provide an especially nice complement to pass and pick away schemes, since intelligent screeners can pop or slip to create reversals, even when teams are switching screens. Consider the following simple example:

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Or, if you would prefer to get your big men more involved in the perimeter screening game, you might find success with the following continuity look:

Action #3: Pick the Catcher All college/pro teams that I have seen implement this action do so in the second or third layer of a fairly complex set in an effort to create scoring opportunities for a very gifted offensive player. If you don’t have ample time and talent to work with, I would not recommend considering this look. If you are interested, however, then we need to start by establishing common terminology because this action is most effectively set up with what I’ve always heard called a “wheel” (a type of curl cut designed to go away from the ball). A few years ago, I remember Ben Howland’s final four team at UCLA running something like this:

As you can see, the purpose of the “wheel” is to get your scorer (in this case, the 3 man) peeling off back to back screens in a manner that forces his defender to trail him, so that when the ball is caught, the defender is disadvantaged and the 3 man is able to attack the basket. Now, as teams scout this sort of play, the “pick the catcher” action can become deadly:

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A slightly different look involves a more vertical “wheel” cut designed to get your scorer (we’ll use the 3 again) his “pick the catcher” action closer to the top of the key. This is a set that can be run anytime things break down and your best player ends up with the ball out front:

Without question, television allows us to pick up a ton of tidbits as coaches. Yes, there’s a lot of one-on-one, plenty of show-boating, and maybe even some trash talk. But the next time someone says, “The NBA has gotten so bad – it’s hardly even basketball anymore!” fight the urge to agree and instead watch closely with a notepad in an effort to learn something new.

TOMMY GATES, AVASOTA HIGH SCHOOL Tommy Gates just completed his 26th year in the coaching profession, 20 as a head coach, the last ten as athletic director/head basketball coach at )avasota High School. Since his arrival in 1998, )avasota is 284-67 with 6 district championships, 9 playoff appearances, 3 regional tournaments and one state tournament. He has previous head coaching stops at Hillsboro, Whitney, Comanche and the University of )evada. His 20 year career won loss record is 438-205. He is married to the 1987 Miss Texas the former Jennifer Thames.

They have two sons, Jersey (16) and Jayce (12) and one daughter, Jasmine (9).

Transition Defense On Sept. 7, 2008, our basketball coaching community lost a giant when former UTEP coach Don Haskins passed away. He was known as the coach who hastened the full integration of college basketball when he started five black players for Texas Western College against an all-white University of Kentucky team and won the 1966 NCAA national championship. His story was made into an award winning movie, GLORY ROAD. In addition to his contributions in the area of civil rights, he will also be remembered as one of the true great defensive coaches of all time. Having played college basketball himself for the legendary Hank Iba of Oklahoma State, he made defense his cornerstone of success. Early in my own coaching career, I had the honor of working for two of Coach Haskins former assistant coaches---Ken DeWeese and Tommy Jones. I also had the opportunity to watch numerous UTEP workouts.

Whatever success my teams have achieved I believe it is because our efforts of the defensive end of the court. Getting back in transition, guarding the basket, not giving up lay ups and stopping the ball are vital in defensive success. Attached is a drill that we use every day.

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TOMMY BRAKEL, ORTH CROWLEY HIGH SCHOOL Tommy Brakel graduated from Sul Ross University in 1993 where he was a two time )AIA all-american. After 4 years as an assistant at Crowley H.S. he became the head coach of newly opened )orth Crowley H.S. in 1998. He has led the Panthers into the play-offs each year while compiling a 290-56 record. He has been voted district coach of the year 6 times, won seven district championships and this past season he led )orth Crowley to a 38-1 record and the 5A state championship. Tommy and his wife Debra have a daughter Ashley (10) and a son T.J. (7).

The Dribble Drive Motion Offense – orth Crowley Style As we all know, there are many different styles of play in which you can be successful in this great game.

We’ve all heard the coaching clichés of “It’s not what you teach, it’s what you emphasize” or “They won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”… My point is, that we at North Crowley feel that you have to be totally sold on what you are doing, you have to emphasize daily the core beliefs of your program and you have to have to strive for complete “buy in” from your players.

Selling of the System In May of 2005, Coach John Calapari was one of the keynote speakers at our Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Clinic in San Antonio. We (our North Crowley basketball staff) initially debated on whether or not to attend his session. After all, we were a program that ran sets exclusively and would probably get very little from his clinic on a freelance dribble drive offense. We chose to go ahead and attend as we figured that “someone will try to run this mess and we better know how to defend it.” Needless to say, Calapari’s clinic, followed by watching the Spurs use many of the same general offensive principles later that night in a Western Conference playoff game, ignited our interest.

In the fall of 2006, Coach Calapari was in our gym several times recruiting. We used the opportunity to “pick his brain” on the offense.

Coach Cal is a great basketball mind and loves to share and teach. We spent several hours in the office breaking down film of his Memphis team as he passionately explained this relatively new offensive system. Coach Cal’s Tigers had a great 2006 season finishing 33-4 and making it to the NCAA’s Elite 8.

Meanwhile, the Panthers from North Crowley had another very solid season at 28-6 before an Area round playoff exit bowing out to a very well coached and disciplined team from El Paso Montwood for the second season in a row. Our staff spent the entire spring off-season watching films and looking at stats of past playoff losses. We had several staff meetings to consider a possible change of our core beliefs within our program. We were looking for answers on how to get over that proverbial hump of disappointing playoff losses.

In the fall of 2007, we decided to “make the jump”. Our decision came from our spring meetings as we needed to give our players something to believe in - something that would help us get that total buy in we were in such desperate need of obtaining from them. Our assistant coaches spent several days during our fall off-season implementing a few defensive changes that we were going to make, while I loaded up and traveled to Memphis, Tennessee where I had the opportunity to attend the Mid-South Basketball Clinic hosted by Coach Cal, catch a practice of the Tigers and pick up some films of several of their games and practices. The transition was now completely in motion.

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The Dribble Drive Philosophy The philosophy behind this offense is simple. Ask yourself one question: with 8 seconds left on the clock and down a point, what are you going to do as a coach? Many coaches will answer “get to the rack”. If an aggressive attempt to get into the paint with the intent of drawing a foul, getting a high percentage shot, or kicking for an open three is good enough for your last set of the game, then why would you not want to go with that philosophy for an entire game? We could use several pages talking about the different rotations; drags, drops, blurs, pull backs, clips, rises and clean-ups. Or, we could just simply sum it up with three words that we use every day in practice: free, key, three. This offense calls for an attempt to first drive the ball with the intent of getting to the line, second a shot in the paint, or third an open three pointer.

The Math behind the Madness The philosophy sounded great, but being a staff which always has and always will believe in the value of statistics, we needed a little more. At the Mid-South Basketball Clinic, Coach Cal diligently broke down the points per possession statistics of his past Memphis Tiger teams. Keep in mind our free, key, three philosophy as we begin to talk about points per possession.

At the University of Memphis, their goal is to be able to shoot 70% from the free throw line. If they are successful at hitting their FT% goal, then they will score at a 1.4 points per possession clip on every possession that they get to the line. Another statistical goal they have is to shoot 65% in the paint. If they are successful in obtaining this goal, then they will score at a rate of 1.3 points per possession.

They would also like to shoot 35% on open 3 pt. shots, a percentage that would allow them to score 1.05 points per possession. Coach Cal’s staff went back and charted the Tigers’ field goal percentage on mid-range jump shots over a two year span and came up with 28% during that time frame The 28% translated to .56 points per possession. It doesn’t take a math major to figure out that if you can have the same number of possessions as your opponent and a higher “points per possession” statistic, then you should be a happy coach at the end of 40 (or in our case 32) minutes of play. Understanding the points per possession philosophy is critical to the success of any offense.

Unforeseen Bonuses to the Dribble Drive As we began to implement the dribble drive offense and attempt to instill new points of emphasis with our players, we were pleasantly surprised by a few bi-products of the system along the way. 1) The Memphis Offense, as we called it, was more than just an offense; it was a frame of mind. A frame of mind that taught our kids to attack at all times. We felt that not only were we a better team when we had the ball in a half court offensive situation, but we also became a better team offensively in transition as our players were relentlessly searching for the defensive seams to attack. 2) You can talk about ball screens, off the ball screens and different cuts, but we have always felt that one of the most difficult things to do in the game is to pressure and contain an aggressive offensive player without fouling. At North Crowley, we have always felt like one of our “trade marks” year in and year out is being a really good, aggressive defensive team. It did not take us long to realize that having to guard this offense every day in practice, we would get a LOT better at guarding the ball handler off of the bounce and therefore becoming even a stronger defensive unit. 3) The aggressive style would often cause a couple of problems for our opponents. First, it would tend to get our opponents’ starters into foul trouble. As we were playing at a faster pace and creating more possessions, this constant barrage of slashing guards and forwards attacking their defense was more often than not too much to handle without fouling. Second, our constant assault on the paint seemed to wear our opponents down. We noticed it wearing them down both early in the game (before our opponents’ starters caught their second wind) and late in each half. Both of these problems tended to result in the same thing, our opponents having to play deeper than they were used to playing. 4) Our kids and even our parents loved our new offensive scheme. We were no longer asking certain members on the floor to be screeners for our primary offensive weapons and then get out of the way. We were asking each of them to attack the basket offensively and to make plays. They each felt more of a part of our offensive game plan and team chemistry became better than ever.

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Letting go of the Reigns Switching to the DDM offense was much more difficult for our staff (and me personally) than our players. We liked being the ones that called who was going to take the shots and where they were going to take them from on the floor. After all, there is no way that our players would make better decisions on the fly than we would from the bench. How many times over the years had we seen one of our players that we didn’t want shooting the ball, take a low percentage shot at an inopportune time when we were supposed to be making the decisions? Now, we are going to let them make the decisions? Forget shot selection for a minute, what about shot distribution? Did we really want our 5th best offensive player looking to take as many shots as our McDonald’s All-American? With all of the aforementioned concerns, we stole one last simple phrase from Coach Cal at his clinic. “Do what you do!” We used this phrase all day every day in practice. The best offensive players on your team are often the best offensive players because they can score in a variety of ways.

They can usually find a way to get to the free throw line, can usually beat their man off of the bounce and can usually stick an open three. Therefore, they can score in all three ways that we look to get our offensive shots.

If a player is just a slasher and can’t shoot the three at the percentage that we are asking, he is automatically limited to about two-thirds of the number of scoring opportunities as your best offensive threat… Remember “Do what you do!” If a player is just a three point specialist, the same concept applies. He is going to be limited to approximately one-third of the scoring opportunities as your best offensive player… “Do what you do!”

For the 2007-2008 season, our best offensive players attempted 598 FG’s and 247 FT’s for the season. Our second best perimeter threat attempted 296 FG’s and 76 FT’s for the season.

What about our Bigs?

True, this offense was not designed in the traditional fashion with a primary post player posting deep into the paint with his back to the basket on each possession. We have played that way for a few seasons in the past and had a lot of success in doing so. Looking back, it was probably because we were taking care of the “free and key”. I think there is a common misconception that this offense is not designed to utilize a post man offensively. We attempt to empty the ball side post the majority of the time to create larger driving lanes and make the opposing big travel further to help on dribble penetration. We do not, however, want our offensive post being eliminated from the offense. There are many opportunities throughout the course of the game for our big to pick and roll, pick and pop, duck in, skip and seal or flash to the ball. Last season, our post player was a 6’3 post and was voted to the state tournament’s all tournament team and never posted up with his back to the basket the entire trip to Austin. He made his offensive mark on our season “cleaning up” missed shots and running the floor hard in transition.

In comparison to our two leading perimeter players, our starting post attempted 261 FG’s and 121 FT’s for the season.

Realizing our Dream Throughout this article I made sure that everything was “we” and “our”. To be successful it is very, very important to put the best people that you can around you. Just like with the players, you must have total “buy in” from your staff which means allowing them to take ownership in some of the decisions that are made within the program. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to play for, coach under and be around some incredible coaches along the way. I have also had the luxury of having great assistant coaches while here at North Crowley. I do not feel that the Dribble Drive Motion Offense was what allowed us to win our first state championship in our 10th season, but I do totally believe that the willingness to change allowed there to be an opened door for total buy in from our players, our basketball community and our staff. Everyone has to find their own inspirations and their own core beliefs for their program; and remember… “Do what you do!”

Best of luck to all as you chase down your dreams!

Panther Basketball

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Panther Basketball Memphis Offense Mathematical Theory Behind the Offense (Free, Key, Three) The entire offensive philosophy is based on the simple math of points per possession. The points per possession are based on %’s shot from different areas of the floor.

FT’s – 70% from the line. (.70x2=1.4 points per possession) Lay-ups – 65% from the field. (.65x2=1.3 points per possession) 3-pt FG’s – 35% from the field. (.35x3=1.05 points per possession) Mid-Range FG’s – 30% from the field. (.30x2=0.60 points per possession) Turnovers – 0% (0.0 points per possession) Other positives to playing this aggressive man to man offense: • Gets your opponent in foul trouble • Wears your opponent down physically • Teaches the offensive player “How to play the game” • Will make us better at guarding the ball defensively Fun to play up-tempo style of play

Points Scored in a 70 possession game 98.0 91.0 73.5 42.0 0.0

Quotes: “All incredible teams are in incredible shape.” - Larry Brown “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” - John Wooden “Do what you do!” – John Calipari

Terminology Points per Possession – The # of points scored for each offensive possession that we have.

Free, Key, Three – The order in which we are looking to score.

Drop Zone – The area from the elbow to the top of the key.

Drag Zone – The area from the elbow to the top of the block.

Rack Zone – The area below the block.

Gaps/Lanes – Areas on the floor between defenders.

Down Hill – Refers to our angle back towards the basket after our arcs on drags.

Stride Stop – A form of jump stop where the pivot foot is established first (helps with balance).

Window – A lane where a player can get to receive a pass from the player with the ball (If you can see the passer’s eyes, then he can see you). We never want to players working the same window. Primary & secondary windows.

Clip the Hip – The guards ability to penetrate hard directly off of the defender’s hip without being forced wide. We are looking to draw fouls on the defense by attacking the hip of the defender.

Back Cut – Move to the basket utilized by the ball side wing when his defender is over playing.

Play Through Them – Term we use for our guards to play through the contract (we try to initiate contact not avoid the contact) Drag/Euro – Move used by the ball side guard to replace a penetrating guard for separation & floor spacing.

Blur Cut – Cut made by the guard (after pass to the wing), the cut should be made flat & hard asking for the ball. The cut is actually a diversion and serves as a legal moving screen.

Kick Back – Pass made by the primary ball handler to a guard crossing behind.

Wave Through – A signal by the guard with the ball waving strong side wing to the post or weak side.

Pull Back – The guard with the ball signals a “pull back” by backing up with their dribble sending guard through to change sides of the floor.

Quick – A quick pass from guard to wing & quick clear out to the weak side by the guard to create wider gaps and/or an isolation.

Relocation – The term used for a post player who is “relocating” across the lane to the weak side.

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Duck-In – The post dives hard into the paint gaining position on his relaxed defender.

Clean-Up – The term used for the post to “clean up” all of the back side rebounds.

Seal – The post man’s term for “sealing” his defender deep in the paint after ball reversal.

Role – Term used when we want to be very careful with our shot selection – When we call “role” no one shoots outside of their comfort zone/designated role on the team.

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European floor spacing with Princeton offensive principles.

The San Antonio Spurs use the same floor spacing.

Have to be good FT shooters, good finishers & good 3 Pt. shooters.

Offensive Principles Mind Set – The Memphis offense is as much a state of mind as it is an offense. Like all offenses, the Memphis offense relies on timing and floor spacing. The difference between the Memphis Offense and most others is the proactive, attack at all times mentality that is taught to our players. The Memphis Offense requires players to be aggressive and attack teams defensively. The terminology of (Free, Key, Three) comes into play as we are asking our players to try to get to the line 1st, get to the paint 2nd & shoot 3’s 3rd.

Understanding – Most offenses are designed to get the ball to their best scorers in an area where they shoot the highest percentages. The Memphis Offense requires each player to have an understanding of floor spacing, angles and timing, windows & their teammates (as well as their own) capabilities and limitations.

Floor Spacing – When we are constantly asking our players to “clip hips, split seems, and rack it” on the offensive end of the floor, spacing is the single most important principle. We utilize the NBA 3 pt. line for floor spacing purposes. Daily in practice, we place markings on our floor the distance of the NBA 3 pt line in the deep corners, the wings and the off-set points (lane line extended).

Angles & Timing – 2 more key principles in virtually every offense. We take these 2 key principles a step farther by adding the recognition of seems and how to create them. As in all offenses, passing angles and angles of cuts are very important. Of equal importance In the Memphis offense, the recognition of these seems is crucial. How many gaps do you have between yourself and the next offensive player’s defender?

Shooting the basketball at North Crowley is not an equal opportunity job… we want our best players shooting the ball from the areas where they will be most successful.

Every game is determined by 2 statistical categories possessions and percentages.

Offensive basketball is about spacing, timing & precision.

TABC ADDRESS: PO Box 2886 Sugar Land, TX 77487-2886 PHONE: 281-313-TABC

FAX: 281-313-8224

E-MAIL: TABCHoops@aol.com WEBSITE www.tabchoops.org President Steve Buckelew Vice-Presidents Teresa Durham J.D. Mayo Immediate Past President Linda Harding Executive Director Rick Sherley 30