PGC: 6 INTANGIBLES THAT MAKE YOU INVALUABLE

One of the great acronyms from Point Guard College is SCHAPE:

SPIRIT...good teams practice with enthusiasm and zest...a quiet gym is a losing gym...Enthusiasm = Excellence...demand energy.

"Championships are won with high levels of energy, spirit, and enthusiasm."

COMMUNICATION...talk on the floor, call names, give them re-minders often.

HUSTLE...is on all the time—not a sometime thing…"sheepdog mentality...persistent, enthused, work, everyday.

ATTITUDE...body language is important.

PRECISION...exactness...attention to detail...accuracy...sharpness of approach.

ENHANCEMENT...Contribute to environment—don’t contaminate it...make I better doing something extra...expect to do more than your expected of...do extra...come earlier, stay later, compliment someone, smile, push a broom, pick up trash…...and don’t expect praise for doing extra.

(These notes were actually taken by one of my former point guards, Latasha Dorsey)

NICK SABAN ON QUARTERBACKS AND POINT GUARDS

I got the following from my friend Joey Burton. He came across an articled on Nick Saban with some of his comments regarding the quarterback competition at Alabama. Certainly all of our football coaches will enjoy but as Joey pointed out, basketball coaches could make the same thoughts in regard to point guard play.

Saban commented, "It's going to come dow to, in my opinion, three things."

They are:

#1 "...the guy that can basically have the best judgement, decision-making, relative to doing what we need them to do."

#2 "...the guy that is most accurate in throwing the ball to the right place at the right time to give guys the opportunity to make plays."

#3 "...their leadership to affect other people."

IDENTIFYING KEY QUALITIES OF A QUARTERBACK

The following comes from "Finding The Winning Edge" by Bill Walsh.  It's obviously directed towards the football position of quarterback but I've passed it out to our point guards down the years as well.  Any sport with player that is a central figure, play caller, or leader would benefit from this as a passout. 

Functional intelligence. The ability of a player to organize and isolate different categories of tasks that he must perform in a particular situation is commonly referred to as functional intelligence. This ability is the key to being able to instantly process information on in highly stressful situations.

Ability to learn. A quarterback must have the ability to develop and adhere to the proper mechanics for playing quarterback. For some athletes, the learning process will be intuitive—almost natural-requiring minimal effort on their part. For other individuals, the steps to understand and to ingrain these abilities will require more time and hands-on instruction.

Willingness to improve. An inherent willingness to improve and learn is vital to the developmental progression of a quarterback. With regard to the learning process, a quarterback must have a reasonable level of compatibility with the coaching staff and his teammates.

Good work ethic. Not only should a quarterback understand the proper mechanics for his position, he must also spend an appropriate amount of time working on them. The most effective approach in this regard is frequent repetitive practice.

Emotional stability. A quarterback must have the ability to handle the stress and pressures that occur during the game. He must be able to control his emotions to a point where he can think clearly, evaluate his options, and act rationally, regardless of the situation.

Leadership abilities. A quarterback should lead by example. In this regard, his performance during the game is crucial. While different quarterbacks will have different leadership styles, ranging from somewhat casual, not particularly demonstrative to vocal and very demanding, all successful quarterbacks exhibit the proper mind set, the necessary poise, and the absolute focus required for the position while on the field-characteristics which are often subsequently emulated by their teammates.

 

WHAT IS YOUR POINT GUARD DEVELOPMENT PLAN

I've yet to be a part of a good team that didn't have outstanding point guard play.  What the point guard means to the team in some ways can vary by his/her strengths and weaknesses as well as the philosophy of the head coach and the system of play that is utilized.  But in each case, a big part of outstanding point guard play will come about because the point guard buys into what the head wants and needs.  We've heard it before but an excellent point guard is an extension of the head coach.

This of course takes a commitment from the point guard but also the head coach in terms of teaching and developing.  I really enjoyed an article by Genaro Armas of the Associated Press which details some of the growth and development of the point guard position at Marquette. 

My question to you as a coach is what are you doing to cultivate the development of your point guards?  Are you meeting with them on an individual basis?  Are you having video sessions to talk about what's going on at practice and games?  Do you show them video of other point guards (pro and college) so they can see what it is that you want? Do they fully and completely understand your expectations?  Do you have open conversations -- meaning that you are taking the time to listen to him/her -- so that you understand them better (not just on the court but off)?  Do you have your point guard's back?

Here are some excerpts from that article (you can read it all here):

Want to be the point guard at No. 17 Marquette? Get used to the pressure.

The Golden Eagles open the season Friday night against Southern with Wilson presumably inheriting the point guard job held more than capably last season by Junior Cadougan.

"You've got to be one of the hardest working guys on the team every day," Wilson said. "You've got to be ready every day, mentally and physically. It's a hard thing to explain."

Last month at the team's media day, on the day preseason practice started, coach Buzz Williams talked at length of building trust with Wilson. It's a natural inclination given the point guard position is often considered the coach's eyes and ears on the floor.

Especially with four freshmen joining a team picked by Big East coaches to win the reconfigured conference.

"You've got to make sure that people are where they're supposed to be," Wilson said. "I know I may know it, but I know the other kids may not know it. I'm speaking up for them."

"He's trying really hard, wanting to do right. He's starting to ask quarterback-like questions, like 'When this happens, what am I supposed to do,'" Williams said.

"I think it takes a lot of pressure off all the guards," Derrick Wilson said about the presence in the frontcourt.

Williams said the only starter that he's settled on for Friday night is Otule. Otherwise the other spots are up in the air — though really Derrick Wilson seems like the only true option at the point.

Just like in practice.

"Change the team, change the lineup, mix and match: Derrick's team wins," Williams said.

PEYTON MANNING -- SHARING THE BALL AS A MOTIVATIONAL TOOL

A big thanks to my friend Joey Burton for passing this article on to me this morning.  It speaks of Peyton Manning who, like a great point guard knows how to spread the wealth and keep everyone involved.  The article comes from Lindsay Jones of USA Today Sports. You can read the entire article here -- below are some excerpts:

It wasn't by accident that Peyton Manning threw passes to five different Denver Broncos teammates in the opening drive of the Broncos' game Monday against Oakland.

Manning said Wednesday that spreading out his passes to his receivers, tight ends and running backs isn't just about trying to fool an opposing defense. It's also a motivational trick to keep each of his teammates engaged.

"I know it helps all the offensive players. When everybody on the offense on any given play thinks the ball might be coming to them, you just run better routes," Manning said. "On certain plays, if you're only throwing to the same guy every single time, there's four guys that might not be running full speed routes."

"Our distribution has been pretty good so far, in terms of spreading the ball around, so that's why we have guys getting open, because all five guys think they might get the ball on this play," Manning said. "That can put pressure on a defense, I would think."

Decker was the last of Manning's top targets to get hot, and that came Monday when he had eight catches, 133 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

"Any given play, it doesn't matter which read you may be on that play, [Manning] might come to you," Decker said. "You run every route to win, and you expect the ball in the play."

JOHN BEILEIN: 11 THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING THE GAME

One more set of notes from John Beilein thanks to Allen Osborne:

1. CLOSEOUTS

High and Hard
Talk 3 x’s (mine, mine, mine)
Practice every day!

2. QUICKMAN

4 on 3 stuff, 2 on 1, 5 on 4 (all w defense at a disadvantage)

3. BALL SCREENS / DEFENSE

Have more than 1 option

4. SWITCHING

5. PRESSURE DEFENSE

Sometimes it can create offense
You need the personnel

6. BE ABLE TO GUARD THE BALL SCREEN IN TRANSITION

7. DRIBBLE VS PASSING GAME

Do shell defense drill with the dribble.

8. POINT & BIGS HAVE TO BE IN THE BEST SHAPE

Shooters just stand in the corner and space
Point and Bigs are always running3 guys can’t have a bad practice
Coach, Point, and best player
Bring the energy and correct frame of mind

9. BE ABLE TO SCORE OVER STRONG ARMS/WALLED UP LAYUP

Big Ten defense with arms up and chest into the shooter on the way up and hands pointing back

10. SCORE AGAINST GREAT GAP DEFENSE

11. USE OF LOB PASSES ON BREAKS

Had to start practicing lobs because we couldn’t do it in games. It was always “my bad” in the summer

 

 

 

 

AGGIE NEWSLETTER PROFILES STEVE NASH WORKOUT

If you are like me are constantly looking for resources to help yourself grow as a coach as well as looking for avenues to improve your team.  Our men's basketball staff puts out an outstanding email newsletter and they've really took it up another notch lately.  Here is what you got in the last issue:

Fellow Coaches! 

As the "dog days" of summer continue, I hope you are making progress with your team as you develop your players! With the 4th of July, Summer School, and Recruiting we have been extremely busy over the past few weeks. More than ever, we value the summer as an important time with our current players. In keeping with our theme of PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, we are looking to see steady improvement in each of the following areas:

1.Skill Development    

2. Quickness and Agility  

3. Basketball IQ  

4. Performance Under Pressure  

5. Competitive Will    

6. Leadership

During our Workouts this summer, we are seeing our players gain confidence especially in the areas of Ball-handling and Finishing. This week I'd like to highlight a shooting drill that we warm up with each day for at least 3-5 minutes. We have taken parts of Steve Nash's 20 minute workout linked below and use it as a warmup to start our shooting progression. We also progress with shots off the spin out-catch, shot fake 1 dribble, and various jab steps which force our guys to use both pivot feet. 

 

You can tweak this workout to fit your players skill set. But the simplicity of continuously shooting from both sides, using both feet, and getting the conditioning effect of chasing their own rebound is very beneficial. I think we'd all agree that if our players could do this for 20 minutes we would see a major difference! 

I always love to hear your feedback on these or any other drills that have helped your players improve! Have a great July and good luck!

 

 

Good stuff!  If you haven't already signed up, send Mitch Cole of the Aggie staff an email and he will put you on the list.  Here is Mitch's email: mcole@athletics.tamu.edu

 

 

 

BASKETBALL THOUGHTS FROM COACH DON MEYER

The following came from Don Meyer during his three sessions at the LSU Lady Tiger 2004 Coaching Clinic.
 
4 THINGS YOU NEED TO BE GOOD OFFENSIVELY
#1  Inside Game (can get this through the following means: fast break, posting,           flashing, driving the basketball, and on the offensive glass).
#2 Outside Game (important to have in order to open up the inside game)
#3 Penetration Game
#4 Pull-Up Game (very few have a good pull-up game)

5 PHASES OF GREAT TEACHING
#1 Tell them what to do
#2 Show them how to do it
#3 Have them show you how to do it
#4 Correct them
#5 Repetition (Proper & Quick)

 

4 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT POINT GUARD
#1 See the entire court and do what needs to be done.
#2 Go from dribble to a pass or dribble to shot quickly.
#3 Passing = timing, accuracy, quickness, deception.
#4 Masters the pass fake, shot fake and change of pace.

 “The overriding principle in our program is ‘team attitude.”  We want to be the best team on our schedule.  We want to play in such a way that when we win, we lose.  We want people to say ‘they play hard.’  We want to win when the ball doesn’t bounce right.”

“It’s OK to be angry.  It’s not OK to be quick to anger.  Don’t go to sleep angry.”

 

4 AREAS OF TEAM BUILDING

#1 Shared Ownership…”our” team!

#2 Shared Suffering...you learn more at a funeral than a wedding.

#3 Individual Responsibility...we never use the word ’individual’ unless it’s followed by the word ’responsibility.’

#4 Collect Pride

 

COACH MEYER ON SHOT SELECTION

1st Bad Shot = Bad Shot

2nd Bad Shot = Bad Player

3rd Bad Shot = Bad Coach

 

KEY ZONE PRINCIPLES

#1 Run...take advantage of mistakes

#2 Rebound...it is more difficult to blockout from a zone defense

#3 Attack the Rear of the Zone

#4 Keep your ball handler between two shooters

#5 Stretch the zone...it opens up the middle

 

DO YOUR POINT GUARDS KNOW THE CLOCK?

I really liked this concept of teaching your point guards know where their team is in terms of the shot clock.  During our fall workouts, assistant coach Amy Wright was responsible for working with our point guards.  She had a manager on the clock and had instructed her to set the shot clock at :30 and let it run down on a continuous basis.  She then instructed her point guards to start a count down out loud when the shot clock got to :10.  It didn't matter if they were in a shooting drill, a defensive drill, a ball handling drill or even if she was talking to the group.  When the shot clock hit :10, they were to be aware and to count it down.  If they did not count it down out loud, the manager was instructed to let the horn go off -- signifying that they had not paid attention to the clock.  At the end of practice, there was a running penalty for each missed count.  During the course of a 30 minute workout, there would be around 60 opportunities for them to visualize and then verbalize the time on the shot clock.  It was also a great deal to get the point guard to communicate.  Often it would be one of the point guards that first recognized the clock and her verbal count cued the others to join in.

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR "QUARTERBACK"

The following comes "Run to Daylight" by Vince Lombardi.  Coach Lombardi is talking about all the characteristics you'd like to find in a quarterback and you can actually translate it into point guard play on the basketball side:

Because of the enormous load he must carry in the way we play the game in this league, you spend more time with your quarterback and his back-up man than you do with any of the others.  Without a good quarterback, you just don't operate.

His I.Q. must be above average, because he must not only be able to absorb the coach's game plan each week but he must also have a thorough knowledge of what everyone does on every play, and he must know the opponent, the qualities and characteristics of each individual on the other team.

He should be strong physically and able to take punishment when those 270-pounders unload on him, and he should have enough height to see his receivers over those opposing linemen.

A quarterback must have great poise, too, and he must not be panicked by what the defense does or his own offense fails to do.  he must know the characteristic fakes and patterns of his ends and backs and anticipate the break before the receiver makes it.  Then there are those times when, by the nature of its rush, the defense overextends and leaves itself open to a run, so the quarterback who can also run has a great advantage.

If you find all this in one man you have found a special person, and each year you try.

COACH MEYER ON POINT GUARD PLAY

From Coach Don Meyer comes a list of characteristics that a good point guard would display (and work on).  This list comes from Coach Meyer's DVD "Offensive Guard Play: Beating Pressure and Finishing."

1. High Skill Level - Ability to string skills together - Dribble into shot or dribble into pass

2. Stamina - Physical & mental

3. Courage - Step up & rise to the occasion; don't be afraid to make the play

4. Intensity - Playing hard - Mental intensity - Focus

5. Communication - Coach on the floor - Posture of confidence and strength - how no weakness - Keep emotions under control

6. Awareness - Paying attention to details - Study & analyze the game - Ask why? How? - Immerse yourself in the game to know what is happening, what has happened so that you can predict what will happen. This is the 6th sense that top guards seem to have.

7. Timing - Know what teammates can do, where.

8. Deception - Be unpredictable - Every move you make should look the same until the last second. Use your eyes to disguise your intentions.

PGC: THINGS TO HELP INCREASE CONFIDENCE

The following are notes from one of my former players and current college coach Latasha Dorsey -- herself a fine point guard.  Point Guard College not only does a tremendous job of developing points guards but also developing coaches to teach point guards and these notes came from a session that Latasha attended.

Dena Evans (PGC CEO): “You are your #1 critic. But you should also be your #1 fan.”

Confidence omes from 2 things:

#1 Preparation — time & effort

#2 What you think about all day...you become what you think about.

Rick Carlisle is most confident person Dena knows...He always thinks about the 1 good thing he did.

Dr. Bob Rotelo: “Allow yourself the luxury of forgetting the unpleasant experience.”

Diana Taruasi: She was 1-15 in national championship game. “I replayed the game in my mind that night and I never thought about it again. Yeah, I was mad, but I forgot about it and move on to the next challenge.”

Michael Jordan: “Think about mistakes for 15 to 20 minutes and never think about it again.”

Abraham Lincoln: “If we magnify our pleasures the way we magnify our disappointments, we would be a lot more successful.”

Thinking Positive Thoughts = Performing Better on Tasks

Write down 10 good things you did well in game/practice

Think about what it is that you love about playing

Train mental thoughts/habits

You have 100% control of your thoughts — no one can take that away

Control you mind, don’t let your mind control you.

STEVE SMILEY: CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD POINT GUARD PLAY

Great stuff on point guard play from Sheridan College's Steve Smiley.  Steve played point guard for Coach Don Meyer so you can bet he got a great education on his position.  So good that he actually wrote a book titled "Playing for Coach Meyer" which is a great read.  I recommend the book for coaches and players alike:

Here are the key things that Coach Smiley thinks are crucial for PG play (in no particular order).

1. Vocal Leadership
If your PG isn’t vocal, they can’t command the team. It’s not enough to just “lead by example” on the court; the PG must be able to control the game and keep their team organized (calling out sets, etc)…

2. Lead by Example
We all expect our PG’s to be leaders, so they must lead by example on and off the floor. They have to have leadership qualities to be able to run a team. One good “on-the court” example would be their defensive stance and on-ball pressure as the ball moves up the floor. If they are a ball-hawk and showing extreme pressure to the ball, there is a good chance the rest of the team will also buy in to being in a stance.

3. Have a good relationship with the coach
We all say that the PG must be an extension of the coaching staff on the court, so there must be a solid relationship between the coach and PG so they can always feel comfortable communicating with each other.

4. Not a “Shoot-first” player
They don’t necessarily need to always be a pass-first PG, especially in high school where the PG might also be the best scorer, but they can not be a player that typically will bring the ball up the floor looking to go one-on-one and creating shots just for themselves. The offense will become stagnant and other players will shut down, because they know their chances of being involved offensively are low.

5. Have a high IQ for the game / feel for the game
They have to understand special situations, the flow of the game, the time & score, when to attack, when to pull it out, etc.

6. Have a high conditioning threshold
If the PG isn’t in shape and is expected to play big minutes and minutes at the end of the game, they will break down mentally once their body breaks down, so it is huge for them to be in great shape.

7. Make the easy pass, and not always the “assist” pass
Sometimes PG’s make foolish passes because they know the ball will be in their hand much of the time. Have them keep it simple. The reason Steve Nash can make the passes he can make is because he works on it every day and he is the best in the world. There aren’t a lot of Steve Nashes out there, so use the KISS principle – “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

8. Be able to knock down the open shot
I couldn’t shoot, and I played a lot of minutes, and it definitely hurt my team at times. The PG typically won’t get a ton of shots off of set plays or screens because he or she is setting up others, but the PG must be able to hit the open shot in transition, on post-feed kick-outs, etc.

9. Have “Gears”
I’m talking about a change of pace in their game. The toughest PG’s aren’t the ones who are extremely fast, but the ones that are always playing at different speeds. They have deception in their game.

10. Have a “Motor” 
Summarizes a lot of the points already made, but the PG has to play extremely hard, and be eager to do all of the dirty jobs. The PG must be willing to guard the full length of the court, push the ball in transition, be vocal, and play with a tremendous amount of energy.

POINT GUARD ESSENTIALS

Point guard skills that are essential from Coach Eric Musselman:

Court vision
Decision Making
Entry Passing
Penetration Ability

SHOOTING:
--Lay-ups in Traffic
--Medium Range Jump Shooting (Catch-shoot & off dribble)
--3 Point Shooting

.........

PASSING:
--Perimeter passing
--Feeding the Post
--Passing after Penetration
Passing on Fast Break

DRIBBLING:
--Various Dribble Moves (Rt & Left Hand, types, techniques)
--How to Play Fast but not be in a Hurry

SCREENING: (All types of screens)

FASTBREAK:
--Receiving Outlet Pass
--Dribble Penetration on Break
--Downcourt Vision/Recognition
--Using the Long Rebound
--Handling Traps
--When to Rebound Offensively
--Time and Score Recognition
--Tempo Dictation

THOUGHTS ON POINT GUARD PLAY

The following are some notes that our Tae Tae LeBlanc (a Lady Tiger point guard) took at Don Meyer's Perimeter Camp in 2005. The experience for Tae Tae was excellent and made a huge difference in her approach and made her a bigger player:

2 Kinds of point guards
-Intuitive – see where the player should be and throws it there
-Sensing – throws the ball where the player is

Point Guard: seeing everything on the floor
-Full court look at the net
-Half court look at the rim, post, action
-When catching an outlet pass or attacking the post, see the biggest part of the floor – see as much as the floor as possible
-Know my dance move
-Go until somebody stops you
-On made basket get the outlet on the left side of the floor
-Drive the front hand – puts in jail with second step
-Crossover driver – puts in jail with first move

Coach has three jobs
-Give me what I need not what I want
-Get me to want what I need
-Let me play – figure it out for myself

Three things I do
-Drive to the basket
- Shoot off the dribble going to my right
-Hustle

3 Things I like to do better
-Use left hand
-Communicate on the floor
-Become a better shooter

POINT GUARD TIPS

Thanks to Coach Duane Silver for passing on this list from Sheridan Junior College Coach Steve Smiley. We have posted several things from Steve on our site. He is a former player of Coach Don Meyer at Northern State University where he wrote a great book, "Playing for Coach Meyer." This is a great list:

Here are the key things that I can think of that are crucial for PG play (in no particular order).

1. Vocal Leadership – If your PG isn’t vocal, they can’t command the team. It’s not enough to just “lead by example” on the court; the PG must be able to control the game and keep their team organized (calling out sets, etc)…

2. Lead by Example – We all expect our PG’s to be leaders, so they must lead by example on and off the floor. They have to have leadership qualities to be able to run a team. One good “on-the court” example would be their defensive stance and on-ball pressure as the ball moves up the floor. If they are a ball-hawk and showing extreme pressure to the ball, there is a good chance the rest of the team will also buy in to being in a stance.

3. Have a good relationship with the coach - We all say that the PG must be an extension of the coaching staff on the court, so there must be a solid relationship between the coach and PG so they can always feel comfortable communicating with each other.

4. Not a “Shoot-first” player - They don’t necessarily need to always be a pass-first PG, especially in high school where the PG might also be the best scorer, but they can not be a player that typically will bring the ball up the floor looking to go one-on-one and creating shots just for themselves. The offense will become stagnant and other players will shut down, because they know their chances of being involved offensively are low.

5. Have a high IQ for the game / feel for the game – They have to understand special situations, the flow of the game, the time & score, when to attack, when to pull it out, etc.

6. Have a high conditioning threshold – if the PG isn’t in shape and is expected to play big minutes and minutes at the end of the game, they will break down mentally once their body breaks down, so it is huge for them to be in great shape.

7. Make the easy pass, and not always the “assist” pass – Sometimes PG’s make foolish passes because they know the ball will be in their hand much of the time. Have them keep it simple. The reason Steve Nash can make the passes he can make is because he works on it every day and he is the best in the world. There aren’t a lot of Steve Nashes out there, so use the KISS principle – “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

8. Be able to knock down the open shot – I couldn’t shoot, and I played a lot of minutes, and it definitely hurt my team at times. The PG typically won’t get a ton of shots off of set plays or screens because he or she is setting up others, but the PG must be able to hit the open shot in transition, on post-feed kick-outs, etc.

9. Have “Gears” – I’m talking about a change of pace in their game. The toughest PG’s aren’t the ones who are extremely fast, but the ones that are always playing at different speeds. They have deception in their game.

10. Have a “Motor” – summarizes a lot of the points already made, but the PG has to play extremely hard, and be eager to do all of the dirty jobs. The PG must be willing to guard the full length of the court, push the ball in transition, be vocal, and play with a tremendous amount of energy.