Where do you want to go?

Change of pace...change of direction....change the rhythm of your dribble - and get wherever you want to go on the basketball court.

My oldest son was very good at this and used angles to get into the lane at will versus some very good defenders. I particularly remember a fairly one-sided matchup between him and a pretty athletic looking defender. After a number of penetrating drives leading to baskets or assists the other coach yelled,

"LOOK AT HIM! ... LOOK AT YOU! ... HOW?!?"

Change of pace...change of direction....change the rhythm of your dribble ... Thats how!

BAKETBALL BELIEFS

I don't believe in Quantum Physics when it comes to matters of basketball.
While reading - think "Crash Davis " in Bull Durham
(remember - Bull Durham comes with an "R" rating.)

BAKETBALL BELIEFS

I believe in the basketball.
I believe in running the floor,
the first open man,
the ball reversal,
the open shot,
the jump stop,
and the pivot foot.
I believe in setting screens,
using screens,
dribbling for a reason,
good passing angles,
being "shot-ready"
and catching passes with two hands.
I believe in spacing, court vision, the"assist/turnover ratio", and the concept of "relative motion".
I believe that there oughtta be a constitutional amendment outlawing the dunk and the hand-check.
I believe in a good, defensive stance,
pressure on the basketball,
influencing to the sideline,
preventing penetration,
fronting the post in the "red-zone" and playing behind in the "smile".
I believe in the "ball-man-line",
help-side defense,
checking cutters,
committing to the basketball,
taking the charge rather than blocking the shot,
team rebounding,
and I believe in the beauty of long, solid possesions that always result in a shot on offense and a contested shot on defense.

Runner vs Odd Front Zone

We ran this against all Odd Front zones (3-2, 1-2-2, 1-3-1)

I've found out that the best attack was also the simplest. Here goes:
2 post players at the block-who may flash a step or two when the ball is at the diagonal guard - no farther.
2 guards in a 2 guard front who should not move more than a step or two. Be a threat to shoot off the catch I always told them that "the second best thing that can happen in this offense is that you are guarded!"
Your best player (read "smartest") goes WHEREVER HE SHOULD, basically - "go where they ain't", and the other players need to FIND HIM.
The runner needs to go to the wing, corner, flash in the middle, wherever he needs to go to get open - but KEEP MOVING! The players just need to be in tune with the runner and at least every 3rd pass should find him (or her).

He should be a threat to score, but maybe having good vision, being a good passer, and knowing WHERE to go is more important. Often times the "runner" gets far more assists than baskets. If you choose the right spot and someone steps up or out to guard you - someone is always open! Imagine flashing into the middle and a touch pass to one of the 2 posts if that defender stepped up to defend. Draw it up and see the possibilities.

If the defense stays in their 3-2, being in the gaps and the runner finding a spot should be fairly simple. If the defense "matches up" you've gotten them out of their 3-2. With the runner working to find the "right spot" and the passers occupying their a defender then working to find the runner - a shot will materialize shortly.

How simple was that? Have 4 guys just stand in the right spots and tell your best player to go wherever he should. Seriously.I liked this offense so much that my only problem was that we didn't get to run it for very long. A few possessions and easy shot opportunities and the opponent got out of it !;?)

Mismatch Etiquette

In light of the 170-35 blow-out victory by Yates High School over Lee High School in Houston, I though I'd repost a newsletter topic I wrote first back in 2004, with a few additions/edits.

Coaches should try to schedule games against teams that will present somewhat of a challenge. While padding the schedule with wins may seem attractive, playing teams of inferior talent will actually hinder a teams development. However, many times in preseason tournaments obvious mismatches between two teams occur or a league may be set up where you have to play someone far inferior. The tough thing for coaches in this situation is figuring out a way for their team to get everything out of the game that they can, without humiliating the opponent.

Coaches, in the 1st half - do your thing, play your game, anything goes. If the lead starts to get real big, your regulars may not be benefiting anyway, so play your substitutes a little more. Mix up some lineups and play a couple of subs with the starters. You may find a diamond in the rough. Try a player at a different position. You may get a pleasant surprise. If you know ahead of time it might go this way, it's not a bad time to reward someone and give someone a start

When playing against teams or players who are not quite as talented, it is still important to play at YOUR best. Do not drop your level of play simply to defeat the opponent. Compete against your own personal best every time out, and try to achieve that. To do that AND respect your opponent, there may be some additional strategies that you employ.

2nd half (or at least the 4th quarter) Adjust your strategy to practice specific situations that you may face somewhere down the line. *The key point is to EXPLAIN this to the players so that they realize that they ARE NOT letting up but actually working on strategies that will make them better.

1) Play everyone and mix up your lineup. Insert a few subs with a couple of starters. The starters work hard and still deserve to get some time. This mixes it up.

OBJECTIVE:you never know when an injury or foul trouble (maybe both) may force those players into an increased role. Prepare them to play with the regulars

2) Don't press full court. I don't care if you are a pressing team and you "need to work on it". What kind of work are you really getting against that type of inferior competition?

OBJECTIVE:pressing bad competition causes players to take gambles that may not work against better teams, and those are the teams that you are supposed to be preparing to beat. Continuing to press may develop bad habits that hurt you down the road. Avoid those bad habits by calling off the press or changing to a different type of pressure.

3) Don't get steals and shoot uncontested layups. Do that in layup lines. Pull it out and work on some sort of offensive set or continuity


OBJECTIVE: this will help you run out the last possession of a game when you have a one point lead. Or better yet when it's tied with 35 seconds to go and you want to take the last shot. And then demand only inside shots. THAT will help you get better.

4) Play a tight zone or a pack m2m

OBJECTIVE: play as if you need to stop some big post player or a team that can't shoot outside, on at least a crucial possession.

5) Don't deny passes and get steals in the half court. Force THEM to take time off of the clock.

OBJECTIVE:play as if you were playing a team much quicker than you that might be able to beat you on some backdoor plays. Against those teams the deeper you get in the shot clock-the bigger advantage the defense has.

6) Block out and rebound - then WALK IT UP!

OBJECTIVE:play as if you were protecting an 8 pt lead in the final minute. At that point in a game you don't want to play a fast pace and create more possessions and opportunities for the opponent to come back.

If a team did that for an entire half using 35 seconds and even assuming that the losing team didn't 'play along' and shot in their first 10 seconds, the team would have to shoot 100% just to score 40 pts in the 2nd half. A more normal 50% and they score 20 pts. Maybe the other team scores a few and you only win by 40.

I loved winning by 15-20. Safe enough lead not to blow it in the last couple of minutes and big enough to get all subs in the game. Does not demoralize the opponent and lets you work on the parts of the game that you need to improve to beat the good teams. Under 10 pts - anything can happen. Who cares what you do against the bad teams, you'll beat them anyway!

Practice what you need not just to win the game - but to beat the best.

The Twelve Weeks of Basketball

In keeping with the Spirit of Christmas I thought I`d leave you with a little song, sung to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

*******The Twelve Weeks of Basketball*******™

On the first day of practice my team promised me: a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the next week of the season my team promised me: 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring.

In the third week of the season my team promised me 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the fourth week of the season my team promised me: 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the fifth week of the season my team promised me: 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the sixth week of the season my team promised me: 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the seventh week of the season my team promised me: 7 Guards a dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the eighth week of the season my team promised me: 8 Forwards Leaping, 7 Guards a dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the ninth week of the season my team promised me: 9 Solid Passers, 8 Forwards Leaping, 7 Guards a dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the tenth week of the season my team promised me: 10 Guys Competing, 9 Solid Passers, 8 Forwards Leaping, 7 Guards a dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the eleventh week of the season my team promised me: 11 Tough Rebounders, 10 Guys Competing, 9 Solid Passers, 8 Forwards Leaping, 7 Guards a dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 quarters played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring

In the twelth week of the season my team promised me: 12 Strong Defenders, 11 Tough Rebounders, 10 Guys Competing, 9 Solid Passers, 8 Forwards Leaping, 7 Guards a Dribbling, 6 Deadly Shooters, 5 GREAT PLAYERS, 4 Quarters Played , 3 Point Plays, 2 Made Free Throws, and a Big, Golden Championship Ring!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

LATE GAME FOUL MODE

If the other team has a poor free throw shooter think about fouling to force them to shoot from the line in hopes that they miss. Even if they make both, you are in the same boat as if they had scored, but you have at least saved the time of the whole possession. This stage should not be entered too soon, but at some point you will recognize that the opponent is taking too much time during their possessions to allow you enough time to come back.

I don't like yelling like a wild man foul! foul! or "red! red!" - because then the ref may call one even when it's not there. When we are in "foul mode" we don't really want to foul - we want to gain possession of the ball. Take it from them , go through them, go over their back - whatever it takes. But make SURE that there is either a steal or a foul! I've had referees even ask "if we want a quick one?" and I tell them - "if you see one call it, but we're not TRYING to foul"

We use hand signals for everything. Calls with 1 hand are offense, 2 hands are defense (Two fists, Two open hands, one of each, etc). Our call when we are in "Blitz Mode" is Two Hands Clasped Together. Yes we are "praying" that we get a steal or they call a foul!

Once you are in this "foul mode" and you are going to foul anyway, don’t wait for too much time to run off of the clock. If you score give your pressure defense a chance to steal a pass or two, and then foul. Once it gets really late in the game and every second matters, then foul immediately upon the inbounds pass. At this stage in the game when your team misses a shot go for every offensive rebound with the intent to get the rebound at all costs. If you foul, you were going to do that anyway and you’ll stop the clock immediately. You’ll be surprised at how many offensive rebounds the team gets and the official does not call the foul.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Much has been made of the trials and tribulations of the Oregon Ducks Football program this season. And they've certainly had both. I'm not going to lie- after the game one debacle against Boise St, I thought Head Coach Chip Kelly was waaaaay overmatched, as I'm sure many did. Heck, as he walked to the locker room at half-time with NO first downs - the thought probably slipped into his head at least for a second.

After the defeat, the aftermath was worse with the LeGarrette Blount implosion that has been seen far too many time - so I won't link it here. What Coach Kelly did afterwards to set the Ducks back in the correct direction is quite impressive. Rather than ranting and raving (although he may have done a little of that) Kelly told them the story of Alexander - right out of a children's book, and all of the awful things that happened to Alexander on a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Things worked out for Alexander... and the Oregon Ducks. You can get the book here

University of Portland's Hot Start is No Surprise

University of Portland has started the season with a couple great wins - but those that follow them shouldn't be surprised. Here's a great 7-Minute Culture Clinic with Coach Eric Reveno

They run some really good offensive sets, and some serious specials. Here's a nice one they run for a 3 pt shooter - which they have a few of.

Then out of the same set they can attack the post off a great ball reversal

If you like teams that "play the right way" - catch some games in the West Coast Conference

Keep it Simple ... or Simple to Learn

I think a lot of times coaches get paralyzed by the phrase “K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). This does not mean we have to give up on teaching the game. It shouldn't scare coaches from implementing additional strategies or tactics that they feel necessary. What we can do is ensure that we are as concise and consistent as possible with terminology, principles, and tactics. If you are able to do this you can still take a pretty complex package and make it palatable for your players.

“The Princeton Offense” is looked at as complex, but that memorable backdoor to beat UCLA, in vintage Pete Carril lingo, was called "center-forward…because the ball goes to the center and then to the forward. Complex - but taught simply. Albert Einstein explanation of the complicated conversion of mass to energy is expressed in a formula so simple as E=MC². He once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

We should keep that in mind when we coach. We don’t have to BE simple, but we CAN coach simply.

Kansas BLOB for a LOB

Nice Baseline Out of Bounds play run by Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks against the Memphis Tigers to get Cole Aldrich a dunk.



I see too many teams pass on this great scoring opportunity and simply run a play to get the ball in. Unless you are running some clock - take advantage and run a play to SCORE!

Ultimate Medicine Ball

One of my favorite conditioning activities in the off-season is a game I call Ultimate Medicine Ball (like Ultimate Frisbee). You play the game with a medicine ball (obviously), and play 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 with a 30 yard field, about the length of a basketball court. At each end of the field create a 15’ square end zone, about the size of the key.

The object of the game is to advance the ball up the field with a series of passes & score a point by passing the ball to a teammate inside the end zone. You may set screens or run offensive patterns to help get teammates open. You must only throw
two-handed passes – and encourage two-handed catches – they might even be necessary depending on the weight of the medicine ball. You may not run with the ball and you must maintain a pivot foot – just as in basketball.

Use this and skills such as pressuring the ball, denying passes, moving to get open, understanding spacing, passing catching, pivot feet, and advancing the ball up the floor are all skills that can be learned through this alternatbasketball principles. Plus it's fun and a great conditioner.

JUST ME

From the time I was little I knew I was great
`cause the people would tell me -"you`ll make it - just wait."
But they never did tell me how great I would be
if I ever played someone who was greater than me.

When I`m in my backyard -I`m king with the ball.
To swish all those baskets is no sweat at all.
But all of a sudden there`s a man in my face
who doesn`t seem to realize - I`m king of this place.

So the pressure gets to me - I rush with the ball.
My passes to teammates could fly through the wall.
My jumpers not falling - my dibbles not sure.
My hand is not steady - my eye is not pure.

The fault is my teammates - they don`t understand.
The fault is my coach`s - what a terrible plan.
The fault is the call by that blind referee
but the fault is not mine - I`m the greatest you see.

Then finally it hits me when I started to see
that the face in the mirror looks exactly like me.
It wasn`t my teammates who were dropping the ball
and it wasn`t my coach shooting bricks at the wall.

That face in the mirror that was always so great
had some room for improvement - instead of just hate.
So I stopped blaming others and I started to grow.
My play got much better and it started to show.

And all of my teammates didn`t seem quite so bad.
I learned to depend on the good friends I had.
Now I like myself better since I started to see -
I was lousy being great - I`m much better being me.

Tom Krause - Copyright 2000