Hi Coaches! My name is Melissa and I am a Varsity Girl's Basketball Coach in Northern California. Coach DeForest was kind enough to extend me an invite to contribute to the blog and I am honored to do so. As a fellow hoops junkie, I hope I have something to add!
One of the things I struggle to find time for in practice is Sideline Out of Bounds (SLOB) plays. At our level, we rarely struggle to get the ball in-bounds from the sideline against pressure, but I am looking to get more scoring opportunities out of those in-bounds. This is an easy to execute set that has a first option of getting your best shooter a quick three, or run through gets your best player (in my case my small forward), a look at a 3 pointer or a clear-out on the right side.
Click on the link to check it out!
http://www.mediafire.com/?2w9opekb6v0nxmh
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sideline Out of Bounds Play Provides Multiple Options
NBA Top 100 Camp - Separating Good from Great
Having had the opportunity to be around the most talented players in the country, I noticed there is a key factor that separates the good from the great.
That is the ability to compete.
Mediocre players rarely compete. Good players compete when they want to. Great players compete all of the time… every drill, every workout, every day. Their competitive fire never stops burning.
And competing doesn’t always have to be against another player. Great players compete against themselves. Great players compete against the clock. Great players compete against the drill. They are never satisfied with what they have already accomplished and are constantly competing to improve. They aim to raise the bar every single workout. No matter how much success they have had, they are always looking to go to another level.
Kevin Durant doesn’t pick and choose when to compete, he competes all of the time. KD just won the NBA scoring title, was an All-Star, and led the Thunder to the playoffs. Yet he competed as hard as any high school or college player at his Skills Academy (in both drills and scrimmages). KD played with the hunger and urgency of someone who still needed to prove himself, even though he obviously doesn’t.
I can tell within 5 minutes whether or not a player is a true competitor. I can tell in their preparation. All I have to do is watch what they do the 15 minutes before the workout begins.
Are they waiting for the workout or are they preparing for it? There is a difference.
Players who are waiting to work out are usually lounging around in their flip flops and headphones or just casually shooting. They are literally killing time until the workout begins. That’s when they plan to “turn it on.”
Players who are preparing to work out, are dressed and ready and going through some type of standard routine, such as a structured warm-up or doing some form shooting. They aren’t joking or grab assing around. They are focused on getting mentally prepared. They are all business.
Despite the stress of “The Decision,” and the fact he was technically an unsigned free agent at the time, LeBron James laced them up and played with both the high school and college players at his Skills Academy. Even though these were just nightly pick-up games, LeBron went through his standard pre-game preparation, which included being thoroughly stretched by his trainer and running through some basic shooting drills to get a sweat. The only thing he didn’t do was throw chalk in the air!
LeBron James is a competitor. LeBron James knows how to prepare.
Each night, there were two games going on simultaneously on adjacent courts. The games played on LeBron’s court were always twice as intense and competitive as the other court. Why? One reason was because LeBron’s competitiveness and intensity was contagious. The other reason was because the other players wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of playing against the NBA’s reigning MVP. They were more competitive because something was on the line and they felt they had something to prove.
The key to being a great player is learning to play that hard and intense all of the time. Why not compete like you are playing against LeBron in every game you play? Why not compete in every drill as if a college coach or NBA scout was watching?
If you can figure out how to do that, you will be well on your way. When you learn to treat an off-season workout with the same importance as a championship game, then and only then, have you learned how to truly compete and maximize your potential. I have seen plenty of very talented players fall short because they didn’t make competing a habit.
Don’t think you can just “turn it on” when the season starts. You need to start competing now… every drill, every workout, every day.
Are you waiting for the season to start… or are you preparing for it?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The road ends here ...
As a hoopjunkie, when you think about great rebounding teams, you think Wake Forest, Michigan State, Kansas, UConn, Georgia Tech … But when two of these teams meet in the Championship, you expect World War II in the paint, every time a shot is taken. Coach, if you remember the Georgia Tech V. UConn game on April 5th 2004, you got what you expected: UConn won the war 50 to 43.
If your name is Jim Calhoun, you were very proud of your squad on that night. Actually, as a rebounding coach, you were proud of Emeka Okafor (2004 NBA 2nd overall draft pick), grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds and scoring 24 points for the Huskies. With Josh Boone (2006 NBA 23rd overall draft pick) dunking every possible put-back on the offensive end, Charlie Villanueva (2005 NBA 7th overall draft pick) cleaning the painted area and 13 rebounds off the bench, not surprising UConn benefited of extra possessions on the offensive end. Even though Connecticut is a top-rated shot-blocking program, that wasn’t a factor on that night. As much as the Huskies had a gifted front-court, as much the back-court was deadly: Taliek Brown, a clever senior guard, was setting up his teammate Ben Gordon (2004 NBA 3rd overall draft pick), mostly on half-court sets. In fact, the Huskies used a lot of their box series and flex actions to break the Yellow Jackets’ defense down.
From a Georgia Tech stand point, Coach Hewitt can’t be upset with his team performance; actually, he can be disappointed about the referees’ performance, missing lots of calls! With all due respect to Georgia Tech’s program, I do not think Hewitt’s teams are top-executing teams. However, I was shocked by the way the Yellow Jackets completed their half-court sets, and seemed like they understood the Princeton concepts. Is it because a guy named Jarett Jack (2005 NBA 22nd overall draft pick) played the point? Maybe. Anyways, it was amazing to watch Georgia Tech going up against the big and tall Huskies. We can’t ignore the fact that both teams grabbed 18 offensive rebounds. Even Though Calhoun is known for his full-court pressure, GTech’s back-court was too much for that type of game. Only problem for them is that UConn’s back-court was just as quick and talented. Was it fun to watch Georgia Tech putting full-court pressure on Ben Gordon (maybe the last time of his entire life he got pressured full !) ? Yes, I said it earlier; the only thing is that the Huskies were one of the most comfortable fast-paced teams in the country that year. Indeed, Hewitt’ squad got scored trying to pressure UConn, even if they got rewarded with some steals late in the ball game. UConn committed 16 turnovers in the game.
A great comeback was made by GTech in the second half, outscoring the Huskies with a 24-11 run with minutes remaining to the game. Final score was 82-73, giving Connecticut men’s basketball program its second Title, and in the same year, women’s basketball program its fifth Title. Notice that this only happened once in history that both teams win the same year.
GTech V Fl.State crunch-time play [1] : http://www.box.net/shared/dhhc82tdmi
Clemson V GTech crunch-time play : http://www.box.net/shared/0tebccrjhu
UConn V Syracuse crunch-time play : http://www.box.net/shared/fpxul97152
Coach Jeffrey Morrow
Friday, July 9, 2010
2005 NCAA Championship
How amazing it is, each year, watching two college teams/coaches going head-to-head for the most prestigious title (in my thoughts) in sports. What is also exciting is watching coaches exchanging on-the-edge set plays, mixing defenses, creating mismatches with screens, etc…
And it is exactly what the Tar Heels and the Fighting Illinis did.
Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini is a bit different though. As much as the Tar Heels seemed lost against a set half-court defense, as much Illinois were executing sharp plays offensively. Illinois had everything to make up for the lack of size: a roadrunner-fast Dee Brown, a pure shooter in Luther Head and one of the best floor-general in the game today, Deron Williams. But don’t be fooled by this rock-solid backcourt, Illinois bigs were excellent too, setting screens and rebounding offensively. One sad thing for the Fighting Illinis was their 4-man foul trouble, James Augustine. That shooting-big had problems guarding the enormous Sean May inside, getting everything he wanted on fast-break post-ups. Indeed, UNC’s center scored 26 points, all in the paint (or at the line) and added 10 rebounds to his stats sheet. If you guys want to teach your players how to set solid screens, you got to make them watch that game. Near of illegal-screening, Illinois got every shot they possibly wanted on the perimeter. Adjusting to Roy Williams 1-3-1 zone and 2-3 match-up, Illinois got the job done shooting 30% from the outside and 39% from the field. Besides that, the only important statistic was rebounding: Illinois winning the battle 39 to 34, including 17 offensive rebounds compared to the 8 ones UNC got.
Committing only one but deadly turnover in the second half, the Fighting Illinis won the second half 43 to 35, but lost the game 75-70.
Coach, we got what you need: over 30 plays from Coach Williams (UNC) and Coach Weber (Illinois), two of the best in the business! Learn how The Fighting Illini made their tenacious come-back with baseline screening sets, how UNC got all those baskets running the floor, and more! We will show you Williams’ key statistics and give you some of his personal thoughts. But wait, don’t think this report is just about the Tar Heels, because we got every single Illinois’ championship sets! The University of North Carolina is known for its hard-nosed defense, and their coach’s philosophy to destroy opponents offense… And Illinois still scored off their sets !
Here are some links for free crunch-time plays, involving the Tar Heels and the Fighting Illini :
Tar Heels quick-hitter : http://www.box.net/shared/scpmsdf2if
2005 Championship game play : http://www.box.net/shared/erg33cpc78
UNC VS Purdue play : http://www.box.net/shared/5nohdq367a
Coach Morrow
http://www.bestbasketballnotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.scoutinghoops.com/
http://www.hoopjunkiesonline.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Top 5 Lessons the Military Can Teach Coaches
The military can teach many lessons from what to do during a chemical attack to how to clear a room. Those are military jobs and skills. What are some of the leadership lessons that a basketball coach can use to better improve their coaching or their love of the process? These are a few that I have learned along the way and have learned to adapt to my perspective on coaching.
1. Be a Follower First then a Leader - One of the great lessons taught by the military is the fact that you must first learn how to be a great follower before you can expect to become a great leader. The idea that leaders are born and not made does not apply in the military. In other words, you do not simply walk in and announce you are the next coming of Patton. Instead you are taught about chain of command and your place in it.
When you first enter the military, your place is the splinter of wood on the bottom of the ladder - a fact you will be reminded of daily as you scrub toilets, do pushups until you cannot move, and other fun human games unknown to Milton Bradley. Remember, great leaders are born through the fire of daily discipline and correct character choices.
Your time will come be the follower that you will expect your followers to be.
2. Suck Scum - Be the guy that is willing to do the things that others will not do.
When you are coaching basketball this means working your tail off in the July recruiting period, getting up early to work out your players, and all the little things involved in preparation. In the military you have no choice. You accept the job given to you and work hard to accomplish it in the most efficient way possible. Period. There is no room for emotions - only execution.
When you coach basketball, so many times, people expect good things to happen because they work hard. Hard work does not guarantee success - it is only the ticket to the party. Suck scum and work hard because you do not deserve success without paying this price.
3. Stay Fit to Lead Effectively - Leaders in the military are in physical shape. You know this because you cannot stay in the military without meeting a standard of physical fitness. Also, you cannot rise in rank without paying your dues which takes time. That being said, you know that those leaders in the military are disciplined and expect you to perform at a level that they have already surpassed.
In basketball coaching, I believe that your ability to coach most effectively is diminshed when you cannot demonstrate these physical skills. At the same time, if you know that you cannot physically demonstrate certain movements or skills, it is wise to have someone on staff that can. Stay fit, sweat with your players, and reach new heights of coaching effectiveness.
4. Expect More - Please coaches remember that no matter how much you demand from your players that they are always capable of more. The Navy SEALS teach that the average person can do 10 times more than they think possible. They demonstrate this through a week long trial by fire where the longest they are even allowed to sleep is 4 hours - most are awake in 72 hour shifts.
Translate this to the basketball court and push your players physcially to their limits. Most high school kids do not even know their limits because they have never been pushed to that level. For these players, their first introduction to this is in college. Please do not let your player go to college without any idea about the price they must pay physically. Remember, fatigue makes cowards of us all and physical toughness is a prerequisite for mental toughness.
You cannot be mentally tough without forging your body the way through the fire of your will.
5. Disciplined Emotions - If you look at the most successful coaches in basketball like Tom Izzo, Coach K, Brad Stevens, Roy Williams, and others, you will notice that they have total control over their emotions on the sidelines. Even though they may rant and rave during the game at officials and players, these are calculated manouvers designed with a purpose. They are translating emotions to give these tactics power and command, but like the great actors, deep inside they are calm and collected. This is much like the military where the leaders have been forged through the fires of combat and pressure situations. They must have control over their emotions to make decisions where life and death hang in the balance.
While everyone is still human, I believe the great leaders - in the military and on the basketball court - have command of their emotions and are able to act upon them when needed for the most effect.
http://www.bestbasketballnotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.scoutinghoops.com/
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Coach K: The Best Never Rest
Nearly three months after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, the 63-year-old Krzyzewski insisted he's feeling plenty refreshed as he prepares for the U.S. national team's training camp next month in Las Vegas.
"I'm on to the next thing, and the next thing is getting better as a basketball coach," Krzyzewski said Monday during his annual midsummer news conference. "You've got to get better each year, so the opportunity to coach the United States gives me an opportunity to get better. I'll coach this summer more than anybody in the United States.
"As long as I take my breaks and stay fresh, I think that's a good thing," he added. "You would want the guy defending you (in a courtroom) to get better in law. You would want the guy or woman treating you in health to keep up to date, and I think as long as you're in any profession, you should get better, because it's constantly changing."
"I'm a basketball coach all the time. That's what I do. I don't play golf. I chase my dog, or he chases me, and I whack down some trees and bushes and play with my grandkids and drink a little bit of wine," a smiling Krzyzewski said.
"I like to socialize, but I'm a basketball coach every day of my life."
Coach K is one of the best coaches of all time and one of the best active coaches in the game today. What has made him so special has been his ability to adapt and adopt as the game has changed. He has experimented with the Dribble Drive Motion as well as European Ball Screen concepts that he picked up from D'Antoni. The point is that he is constantly evolving as a basketball coach....and he just won his 4th NCAA championship. If he is working this hard to improve, what are the rest of us doing?
Monday, May 3, 2010
April Newsletter - Free Download & Kobe Bryant
There are few things more important to Kobe Bryant before a game than his portable DVD player. It goes wherever he goes before tipoff. On the padded table in the trainer's room. On the floor for a pregame stretching routine. Perched in front of his locker. The Lakers' 10-time All-Star stares at his 10-inch screen, watching basketball clips of the players he'll be guarding. It is part of his longtime commitment to studying video, one of the foundations of a career still going strong.
The Lakers have had dozens of great players over the years, but according to the team's director of video services Chris Bodaken, "Hands down, he's the biggest video fiend we've ever had. I didn't know if it was possible to be more competitive than Magic was, but I think he might be. It carries over into his preparation, and this is part of that."
The Lakers' video staff goes "through an opponent's last few games and find key plays from the players Bryant will guard, presenting him with eight to 12 minutes of edited footage."
The goal is for Bryant to pick up tendencies of rival players. Have they added any new moves? Have they been aggressively driving to the basket or have they been satisfied to drift from the hoop and settle for outside jump shots?
Kobe's objective is "to find ways to take away comfort zones from opponents."
Says Patrick O'Keefe, another member of the Lakers' video staff:
"It's like a straight-A student who still goes to all the extra study sessions."
Don Meyer Clinic Notes - Download Now
Double Pump Clinic Notes - 31 Pages - Download Now
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Hubie Brown and The X's and O's You Forgot to Ask
These are notes from a recent clinic featuring Hubie Brown.
-At clinics, take only what you can teach; be sure to stay within your personality and personnel. You MUST believe in what you teach
-Great coaches aren’t afraid to be innovators
-PLAYERS make the system, not the coach. You NEED players—During the Chicago Bulls’ run during the ‘90’s, eight newly-hired coaches installed the triangle offense in their new job, none, zero, lasted more than 2 years. What happens when you don’t have the players?
-How do you ram home your emphasis?
-You don’t lose your job just because of your win-loss record. Often times it is players complaining about style of play
-What kills a player’s potential? 1. Low pain threshold 2. Low IQ (basketball) for what we’re running 3. Selfishness 4. Can the person do the intangibles (charges, loose balls, pass aheads, rotations 5. Drugs and Alcohol
-Accountability is greatly missing in today’s game
-Shooting makes up for a multitude of sins. I have a shooter on each unit no matter how bad of a defender he is. We can hide a bad defender, we just need him to make the necessary rotations.
-Key halftime stats: offensive rebounds (& points off), fast break % (& points off) and deflections (Why do I love deflections so much? Because it shows that we’re working and it tells me we’re bothering them from making the pass to the spot they want)
-Reward your guys: tell them how much you appreciate them
-Give your players a chance to talk
-Never end a drill without a basket. It does 3 things: 1. improves their confidence 2. conditioning, forces them to chase the ball down 3. enforces good habits, conditions them into making scoring a reflexive action
-A coach must pay extreme attention to the last 6 minues of a game. Ask yourself:
1. Did we get high percentage shots for our shooters?
2. Did we get to the free throw line?
3. Turnovers
-The day after a loss, a coach must break those key plays in the last 6 minutes to explain to his players why we won/ why we lost
-Zone attack: 1. What kinds of shots are you getting? 2. Can you score in the paint? 3. Can you get to the line? 4. Can we get to the glass for offensive rebounding?
-Anytime a team is running a sideline break, we’re going to take it away. On a make/miss, defender jams the rebounder. Drill: 2 players on each block, closest to baseline will be on offense. Coach scores the basket, offensive forward grabs the ball out of the net and steps out of bounds to inbounds the ball to guard streaking to near sideline (volleyball line). Defensive forward angles himself to cut off pass to sideline, defensive guard must force the guard to come back towards the inbounder for the outlet. On the catch, defensive player must turn ball-handler twice before halfcourt (forward sprints to half out of drill).
-I need more shots—how do I get them? Offensive rebounds, force TOs, and block shots.
-Hubie’s 3 toughest offensive actions to guard: 1. Staggered screen for a shooter 2. Dribble handoff 3. Backscreen
-Do you shoot enough in practice? How many shots do your kids get up in a practice?
-To beat pressure: 1. If a player cuts out of an area, a player must be sprinting in to replace 2. Have the ability to reverse the ball 3. Do I have a backdoor/change of direction in our continuity?
-Make a zone press pay: attack, layups. If you don’t, they will stay trapping
-Against physical defensive play, don’t be afraid as an offensive player to use your hands when coming off a screen (against the screener, your teammate). Why? Because it slows the offensive player down and allows him to see how the defender is playing him.
-When your door is opened, will you be ready? Will you thank the person who helped to open that door?
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Secret Weapon of Drew Brees
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AdvoCare® has been a world-class nutrition company since 1993 specializing in health and wellness, weight management, vibrant energy and sports performance. We have a multitude of product endorsers that includes professional athletes, champion amateur athletes, and acclaimed entertainers.
In fact, ask 2010 NFL Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees about the effectiveness of our products.
Navigate through this site to learn more about our cutting-edge nutritional supplements as well as the opportunity to earn a full time income with a part time commitment by sharing AdvoCare products with others.
Go to www.whyadvocare.com for more information!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Basketball on a Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing
About the Book and DVD: Coaching Youth Basketball -- Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing
The book came first. (See: The Book That Made The DVD ) The DVD (See: DVD) was created to complement the book, giving readers the best of both worlds -- the text (with hundreds of diagrams and photos) and the visual companion showing Coach Ronn Wyckoff teaching everything he writes about during a live, 3-day coaching workshop.
While searching for a publisher for his book, he began marketing the DVD through his website, http://www.top-basketball-coaching.com/home . From the success of DVD sales, 27 other products have been created from chapters in the book to help coaches and players around the world learn how to teach and perform the basic fundamentals necessary for successful play.
http://www.top-basketball-coaching.com/CoachRonnsproducts
Here's the Press Release That Went Out In Advance of Releasing the Book Worldwide Via the Internet. Coaching Youth Basketball -- Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing
The author doesn't just fill pages with theory and drills. He has provided over 300 pages chock full of usable content that break down every aspect of the individual game and demonstrate with text, diagrams and photos how to teach or practice the basic fundamentals of the game.
24/7 Press Release/ - Dec. 8th, 2007 - Coach Ronn Wyckoff has just published the most innovative basketball book for youth coaches and players on the market. If the DVD sales from this book are any indicator, "Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level Of Coaching and Playing", is going to be a major player in the "how to coach basketball" and "how to play basketball" niches.
He begins by chronicling his own rise from beginning coach to how he became a teaching coach to players and other coaches around the world. Along the way, he discusses changing teaching paradigms to include Zen/Spiritual approaches to many of the problems facing youth sports today. He discusses how to be a supportive parent, making 'right' choices, and what it takes to become a teaching-coach, rather than one who just moves players around like chess pieces.
In the "how to..." section of his book, Coach Ronn walks a coach, player or parent through the beginning game, from explaining the floor markings, to how the game is played, to how to stand and move. The veteran author always keeps it simple, using the plateau method of teaching. He goes from the most basic introduction of skills, overlaying new usages of skills previously taught, until he has reached the more sophisticated position specific offensive and defensive skills necessary to playing the game well.
Teaching-coaches, and players at any level, will find here the appropriate words and directives, along with specific drills, to teach and enhance whatever skill is being covered.
Before the book was released, Coach Ronn produced and released a 4-hour teaching DVD version of all the aspects he teaches in the "how to..." section of his book. The DVD has had tremendous worldwide sales, making this combination of teaching tools unique among youth basketball coaching authors.
With his more than fifty-five years in basketball, first as a player, then as a coach, and later as an international consultant and national team coach in four countries, Coach Ronn brings a rich and varied expertise to his writing. He weaves anecdotes about his own life and coaching experiences in with suggestions on how to take one's game to a higher level-skill wise and spiritually. Everything the author brings forth in his book is straightforward and simple, all the time relating to how to find a higher purpose for our lives and bring it into working with youth.
Bio
Coach Ronn has spent more than fifty years in basketball, coaching youth basketball up through national teams, and as a player, lecturer, author, court-side commentator, and even refereeing. As an international consultant, his programs have reached hundreds of players and coaches around the world. He coached four national teams and has conducted national player camps. He averaged over 22 ppg, (before the advent of the 3-point line) in his fifteen year playing career. He played for three years in Sweden at the end of his playing career.
In his forty-plus years of coaching, Coach Ronn coached boys, girls, men and women, from the playgrounds to national teams, and his teams won over 70% of their games. The international club teams he coached won over 80%.
"Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching & Playing"Coaching Mentoring Teaching DVD & Book e-Books Articleswww.Top-Basketball-Coaching.com
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