Final Four Coaches Spotlight

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In reviving the posts and interest in Basketball Coaches' Club, I feel like the best way to re-energize the site is by taking time to look at some of the plays that got us to where we are: the Final Four. Bo Ryan, Billy Donovan, John Calipari, and Kevin Ollie all have different styles and have found success in many different ways.

This play is from Kentucky coach John Calipari and it has been used several times this postseason, often several possessions in a row. It is based on the ability to get a strong drive into the paint, from multiple players. It begins in a Horns set, by setting a ballscreen for attacking point guard Andrew Harrison. He comes hard off the screen looking to attack the rim, with the 5 man looking for a lob or duck in off of the roll. Julius Randle, the 4 man pops to the top of the key, to receive a pass from Harrison. He now looks to create by following Harrison's drive, by using his strong hand, size, speed, and strength to get to the rack.

Coaches if you have FastDraw, feel free to contact me on twitter (@jacobcollins34) so I can get your e-mail to FastTrade you these plays! Enjoy!

Empowering Leadership Fits New Kentucky Coach Calipari

Empowering Leadership Fits New Kentucky Coach Calipari

Kentucky Dribble Drive Offense eBook - $12

Just loved how Memphis coach John Calipari turned over practice to forward Robert Dozier in a move designed to force the quiet senior to take more of a leadership role with the team.

As this article describes, "Calipari left the gym, leaving Dozier on his own to coach."

"He thinks I'm too quiet," Dozier says. "He wanted me to be vocal, get on guys and be more of a leader. I was mad at first, because I didn't want to do it. But I had fun with it. The guys enjoyed it. It wasn't a long practice." The usually subdued Dozier said he tried to get as animated as Calipari, a dynamic, demonstrative speechmaker never at a loss for words. "I had to tone it down," Dozier says, laughing. "There were a lot of people in there."

If you're wondering why, at a Memphis practice, "there were a lot of people in there," it's because Coach Cal opens nearly all of the Tigers' practices to the public.

Retired folks stop in with their grandchildren; a postman comes by after finishing his route. For many elite programs, open practices were long abandoned in an Internet age when word can spread fast to rivals about a team's offensive and defensive schemes or a frustrated coach can show up on YouTube for pitching a fit. Calipari shrugs off those possibilities but notes he keeps some practices closed during the NCAA tournament.

Says Coach Cal: "I don't have anything to hide. You've got people, their lives seem to be this basketball program. They come to practice four or five times a week. They're able to get on the phone and talk to friends about what we're working on."

After his team lost the national championship game last season, Coach Cal was criticized for not having his players properly prepared.

"Either you use an experience to help build you and make you better and stronger, or the experience breaks you," he says. "That experience ... it did nothing except good stuff for us. None of it was bad."

Download the Memphis Offense eBook $12

eBook on Kentucky Dribble Drive Motion Offense - Formerly Memphis Dribble Drive by John Calipari

Kentucky Dribble Drive Motion Offense by John Calipari

$12

Coaches, this an e-book that contains a wealth of information on Coach Walberg's system of dribble drive offense. Over 150 pages on one eBook that contains all the breakdown drills for this offense. This is the same offense that John Calipari used at Memphis this season to reach the National Championship game.

It includes all of the notes, diagrams, build up drills, breakdown notes, and full court press philosophy to help implement this system. It also includes a section on set plays to use in this offense. A great package to understand this new style of offense.

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The "dribble-drive motion offense" is the latest, popular "hot" offense seen at the college, pro, and high school levels. The original innovator was Vance Walberg of Fresno City College and Pepperdine, and he called it his "AASAA" offense... meaning "attack, attack, skip, attack, attack". John Calipari, with his highly successful Memphis Tigers, has popularized it, modified it, and renamed it the "dribble-drive motion offense".

Guard dribble-penetration is the key, and dribble-penetration is one of the most difficult things for a defense to stop... plus it exposes the defenders to picking up fouls. This eBook contains a wealth of information on this offense.

This is the same offense that Calipari is bringing with him to Kentucky after being highly successful with it at Memphis. The offense focuses on individual improvement and is becoming one of the most popular offenses in use today. I hope you enjoy this eBook and it helps you implement this offense. for only $12.

Legendary Gary Williams Never Stops Teaching Basketball

Gary Williams is known in coaches circle as a brilliant strategist and motivator. Even though the role of the head coach in college basketball has evolved more from simply a disciplinarian/strategist to public realtions strategist/recruiter. Now more than ever the head coach is expected to be more than an X and O guy because he must be able to do all the other things that come with the job. Recent failures in this department include Billy Gillispie at Kentucky who is a terrific basketball coach, but in over his head with the total obligation required from UK's coach. John Calipari from Memphis is almost the total opposite in that he uses every opportunity on camera to recruit and sell his program. Earlier this season, Williams was in trouble with his athletic department and later was supported by them, but he is at his best with his back to the wall and who can argue that he hasnt done a magnificent job with his team? "Coach Williams worked so hard this year for us," forward Dave Neal said. "He knew that we could be a good team, and he did everything in his will to make this team as good as it could be. I think he really brought the best out of every one of his players," the lone senior and the one Williams credits for keeping the players together. "Everyone gave him everything. We were playing hard for him."

With less than 60 seconds to play and Duke inbounding the ball near Maryland's bench. Williams stood just a few feet away from where the play would begin, his eyes and attention focused on Landon Milbourne, who was guarding the inbound passer.

"Move! Move! Move, Landon! Move!" Williams screamed, his face turning redder than his necktie.The Terps' chances of winning were slipping away, but Williams was still teaching. He wasn't ready to stop. He knew he had more coaching to do. He has always known, in fact.

And now everyone else knows that, too.

Memphis Practice Drills on YouTube & Article on Transition Defense

These are 3 videos of some basketball practice footage of the Memphis Tigers. John Calipari has been using the dribble drive motion offense and some of the drills are shown below:

• Fast Break Drill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iIO_nSOUug
• Shooting Drill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54k4iEt7x34
• Practice Drill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-5KntTctI
• Article on Transition Defense http://www.articlesbase.com/basketball-articles/basketball-transition-defense-are-you-tom-izzo-or-coach-bennett-391616.html