BUZZ WILLIAMS TABC CLINIC NOTES (Part III)

How do you move up the path?

1. Create a vision

2. Give ownership of that vision way everyday

3. Keep them connected to the vision (hardest thing)

    They have to believe that the vision is what’s best for them.

4. They will have ownership

    If I couldn’t see what works would I be able to hear it at your practice?

What is your language specific to your program?

We are over the top with our terminology being consistent

Coach Williams ask recruits to explain their practice/game to get an idea of their basketball IQ

Only BCS coach without an agent

Has 10 staff members that report directly to him.

Coach Williams is big into researching “I need to score right now plays.”

Reads newspapers of every team on their schedule and certain college football programs where I know the coach.

“Don’t be the coach that says ‘It’s hard to coach this generation of players.’”

Adaption to how you teach...like of maturation not to adapt.

“Teams in the post season that succeed are engaged.”

Must measure to have consequences.

Don’t burn your emotional tank on things that aren’t measured.

Not into destination with relation to our path.

“How do you keep your team engaged?”

Chart: Stop-Scores

When ball is penetrated to baseline something should happen.

   Drift

   Fill (Crack)

   One More (Pro)

   Seal/Space (I Cut)

Coaching is figuring out your why.

Not enough truth tellers.

IT'S WHAT YOU DO BEFORE YOU CATCH THE BALL

As a coach, there are so many things that you deem important -- things you want your players to know and understand -- things that are high on the priority list in terms of what you want to teach players.

Certainly there are numerous things that players need to learn and improve on.  Some they are willing participants in the education and development process.  Work with a player on improving his or her shot and chances are you will have a focused pupil.  The same can be said in dribbling and ball handling.  All players, regardless of position, want to be able to put the ball on the floor.  And while this at times least to the overuse of the dribble, players certainly will list and work if you want to help them improve this area of their game.

But it is important for them to understand that the large majority of the game, on the offensive end, they will be playing WITHOUT the ball.  Their ability to properly execute the fundamentals of footwork while learning to move without the basketball is far more important than many of them understand.

And nobody has phrased it better for them to understand it than Coach John Wooden:

"What you do before you get the ball, 

determines what you can do after you get it."

That is a very profound statement yet not enough coaches spend the time to develop this area and of course very few players give thought to it.

Are you teaching the proper footwork for moving without the basketball?  The most foundational cut in basketball is the v-cut...do your players master it?  The v-cut allows them to get open on the perimeter or to set up the defender for a back cut.  The v-cut allows them be better screeners or to utilize screens better.  The v-cut allows a post player to move better in the post.  Are you working to improve your v-cuts daily?

The ability to read the defender makes a difference in if, when and where you catch the basketball.

We mentioned screening.  I'm not sure there is a better way to get open than by being an excellent screener.  The key is being "excellent."  Are you teaching a correct screening stance couple with the proper screening angle?  Are they sprinting to screen?  And, the biggest key, are the screening with the screener is the 2nd cutter mentality?

Do you show video of your team or other teams and have your players focus on what's going on away from the ball?

Because the best offensive players in the game truly understand Coach Wooden:

"What you do before you get the ball, 

determines what you can do after you get it."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COACH NEWELL

It's Coach Pete Newell's birthday so in honor of this tremendous teacher, here are some of our posts from Coach:

Pete Newell: The Leadership Example

Motion Isn't For Everyone: Believe and Know What Your Teach

Taking The Other Team Out of Their Offense While You Still Have the Ball

Pete Newell: An Inside Look

Pete Newell on the Pros and Cons of a Changing Defensive System

Coach Newell: I Wanted to Make Them Figure it Out

Wise Words from Coach Newell

What You Do You've Got to Know

A great list of articles on Coach Newell that ran in papers across the country when he passed.

THOUGHTS ON HALF-COURT OFFENSE

As we approach the beginning of another school year, many of us are taking looks at what we do and how we do it in terms of our basketball philosophy.  Four years ago, I posted a three-part series titled "Thoughts on Half Court Offense."  It received many compliments at the time and thought it might be worth repeating. Simply click on the link to go back and read that particular one.

Thoughts on Half Court Offense (Part 1)
In the first part of our series we talked about why it is important to execute in your half-court offense.

Thoughts on Half Court Offense (Part II)
In the second part of our series we talked about the key components that go in to the making of a good half-court offense.

Thoughts on Half Court Offense (Part III)
In the third and final part of our series, we want to talk about how to teach good half-court offense

BOB BOYD CLINIC NOTES (PART II)

Tough day yesterday learning of the passing of Coach Bob Boyd who I had the privilege of working with for a year at LSU.  Years before, Coach Dale Brown sent me to the West Coast to spend a couple of days with Coach John Wooden and then on to Coach Boyd's house where we spent a day out by his pool with me peppering him with questions and soaking in his knowledge.  When I came back I told Coach Brown we had to get Coach Boyd to Baton Rouge for our fall Coaching Clinic which we did.  Over the next few days, I will share some of my notes from Coach Boyd that I got from both his home and our fall clinic:

Coach must get comfortable with what he wants and then demand it.

Three phases of basketball are offense, defense, and conversion. If you want equal emphasis on game night you’d better stress it in practice.

Believes strongly that 1 & 2 must blockout and then go to the boards (not sit and watch). If their offensive men don’t go to the boards then you have a 5 on 3 board coverage advantage. Must think “possession” before you think “break.”

Important to remember on conversion offense that everyone converts down the middle and not wide. Wants his point to pitch the ball ahead as soon as possible. Also wants his wing to take the ball deep to the baseline if nothing materializes (UNC press offense). Does not want the point to bring the ball directly down the middle of the court because of traffic with post players.

Early offense vs. helpside defense. When ball is feed to low post, have trail down screen the help and 3 cut to the opposite elbow for a feed from the low post player.

Outlet must be deep – doesn’t want point to have to come back to the ball. Does not have point guard widen out for the outlet, wants him to find an open slot in the middle of the floor to take the pass.

Outlet Drill – Have an outlet and a point guard working against 2 defenders to get open.

Concentration + Conditioning = Conversion

Motion offense – does not like the term “restrictions,” likes the word “conditions.” Believes terminology is critical part of teaching.

 In all motion work, even with conditions, never take the lay-up away.

 Shot Quality (Selection)

            - Distance of shot (most important)

            - Defensive pressure on shooter

            - Priority (who is shooting)

            - Score & Time

Whether shot goes in or not has nothing to do with the quality of the shot. Priority of shot is difficult to teach because of egos. Players must understand priorities but their girlfriends and parents never will.

 Shot selection is so important that when he was with Knight at a clinic last week, Knight spoke about it for an entire hour.

“Draw & Kick” – from Majerus (largely underrated college coach). Draw & Kick important to motion – must be drilled.

Screener is the 2^nd cutter – teaching emphasis “get hands to the ball” after screening. Area hardly ever emphasized and rarely coached is getting the screener to read the cutter.

Emphasis of the day is good – but is team really aware of it? Must have drills to surround it. Stop practice and ask. Bring in scrimmage play (good example or bad example).

All teams experience some game slippage. Coaches must anticipate.

A “player’s coach” in the NBA is a “coach that lets the players do whatever the hell they wants.” Riley not a player’s coach.

It’s not just hard work – EXECUTION (do payers understand?)

Far too many players today have had tons of success without being coaches or pushed and this is a big problem in coaching today.

Never tells his team that the opponent has better players than we do. “They got the same kind of players we’ve got.”

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS AND THOUGHTS FROM THE BEST

The past three days I have posted a lot of tweet via my twitter account.  In case you missed them, here they are all compiled:

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: "It is not the system, but the execution of the system, that counts." -Tex Winter

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Run a play out of timeout that is a wrinkle of your normal offense and your players will be able to execute it.” –Doc Rivers

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Shot discipline and role identification go together.” Coach K

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Encourage team play -- achieve results through cooperation and unselfish effort on the part of every player.” –Dean Smith

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Spread defense allows you to get offensive rebounds.” -Brendan Suhr

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “If you had two things, and only two things, you could have a decent offense. They are good shot selection and spacing.” –Kevin O’Neil

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Design you offense so that your players get shots where they can make the most shots.” –Sonny Smith

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Maintain spacing: Is your team maintaining spacing on the 3rd side of the floor after 2 reversals.” –Rick Majerus

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “You have to win inside regardless of your post game.” –Jim Crews

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Cutting is the most important way a player can contribute to our offense.” –Bob Knight

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The habit of watching a teammate's opponent when making a pass should be developed." –Clair Bee

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The toughest thing to guard is a great shooter that screens.” -Roy Williams

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Don’t do drills in practice that don’t represent a portion of your system.” -Gary Williams

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The key to posting is do your work BEFORE you catch the ball.”
@CoachDonMeyer

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “My emphasis is not on running an offense...it is on teaching my team offense. We want players who can play offense, not run an offense.” -Coach K

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “You have to win inside regardless of your post game.” -Jim Crews

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Repetition is the key to success — doing what you have to do over and over and always doing it right.” -Pete Carrill

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Find good things to break down a defense.” -Pete Gaudet

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The best attitudes in the world won’t help win ball games if they’re not accompanied by a fundamental competence in the game.”
-Dr. Jack Ramsay

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: ”I am literally a fanatic of spacing.” –Tex Winter

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Shot selection – I’ll stop practice and ask how many of you liked that shot?” -Roy Williams

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Play the Man on Offense…Play the Ball on Defense” -Coach Knight

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: ““We don’t ask any kid to do something he is not capable of doing. Don’t put players in roles that they can’t be successful.” -Jim Crews

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “If you don’t have anything to complain about, you can always complain about screening.” -Jim Crews

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Bad shooters are always open” -Pete Carril

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “It is an axiom of basketball that the better a player screens, the better the chance of a good close shot for the screener." –Pete Newell

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The toughest thing to defense is movement and the toughest movement to defend is screening.” -Coach K

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: ““In all my years of coaching, I have never been successful using somebody else’s plays.” #Lombardi

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: "Offense is spacing...spacing is offense." –Chuck Daly

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “The best drills work on both offense and defense at the same time.” -Bob Knight

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: “Only take shots that have over a 50% chance of going in.” -Bob Knight

OFFENSIVE CONCEPTS: "Concentration leads to...Anticipation, which leads to...Recognition, which leads to...Execution, which leads to ...Completion." -Bob Knight

IMPORTANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCE

 

 “The best attitudes in the world won’t

help win ball games if they’re not

accompanied by a fundamental

competence in the game.”

 

-Dr. Jack Ramsay

HALF-COURT OFFENSE: PHILOSOPHY, COMPONENTS, DEVELOPMENT

Several years ago I ran a series of three blog posts on the philosophy, components. and development and thought it would be a good time to share all three as we starting installing our offensive schemes with our teams. We spoke of philosophy, development and strategy.  We got a lot of great feedback at that time so I thought we'd list all three parts below.

In the first part of our series we talked about why it is important to execute in your half-court offense. For teams to be consistently efficient offensively, they must be taught and coached to execute their half-court offense.  We could certainly debate the advantages and disadvantages of the various half-court offensive approaches from motion to continuity to quicker hitters and beyond but we will skip that instead just to stress the need to be good in the half-court. Click on the link below to read the entire post on our thoughts on half-court execution:

THOUGHTS ON HALF-COURT OFFENSE (PART I)

In the second part of our series we talked about the key components that go in to the making of a good half-court offense.  What are those components of good half-court offense and how can we give you some things to consider when your are putting together your offensive system of play?  Click the link below. 

THOUGHTS ON HALF-COURT OFFENSE (PART II)

In the third part of our series we asked what are some of the things that promote the best teaching of half-court offense. Though years of coaching and, more importantly, watching some of the best teach in their programs, I have noticed a few common denominators and share them in the link below:

THOUGHTS ON HALF-COURT OFFENSE (PART III)

AGGIE TEAM BUILDING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Another outstanding email newsletter from Coach Mitch Cole and the Aggie men's basketball staff.  I have so much respect for how hard these guys are working to build a program here.  If you haven't subscribed to their newsletter please do by emailing Coach Cole at: mcole@athletics.tamu.edu.

Here are some of the areas they covered in this past issue:

Lately we've been covering the topic of Team Building and Program Development. Some of the common problems of developing a Championship mentality we identified previously were:

TRANSITION DEFENSE 

COMMUNICATION 
DISCIPLINE/ "NON-STAT SHEET" STATS
ROLE IDENTIFICATION 

DISCIPLINE

After touching on Transition Defense and Communication, this week we will focus on developing a culture of DISCIPLINE with an emphasis on getting our players to excel in categories that don't get a lot of "press". At our level, younger players or those who have gotten away with being more talented than their opponents usually struggle in these areas.  So how do we develop DISCIPLINE in the skills that are not always recognized, but that we all know are crucial to success? 

IDENTIFYING THE "NON-STAT SHEET" CATEGORIES 

It may be helpful to first identify the some of the most valuable, but under-appreciated skills that CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS seem to execute. We should then define each one and communicate their importance to our players. Consider the following non-stat sheet categories that won't get noticed in the box score:

OFFENSE:

1. SCREENING WITH INTENT- "Understand angles,  Be determined to get teammate open, Use legal technique, React to teammate's cut."

2. CUTTING WITH PURPOSE- "Cut to Score, Cut to get fouled or make the defense react, Cut to make another defender help. Cut with Violence!"

3. PASSING WITH PRECISION- "In drills, pass like you are being pressured, Use correct hand, Use appropriate type of pass, 5 on 0 Accountability."

4. KNOWLEDGE OF SYSTEM- "Understand terminology, Know at least 2 positions, Know the "Why" in your Offense, Can you help others learn?"

5. LEGIT ATTEMPTS AT OFF. REBOUNDS- "3-4-5 man should get 40% of our misses back, but at least "Touch" or get a hand on 50%".

DEFENSE:

1. HIGH/ ACTIVE HANDS- "Closeouts, Contesting Shots, Rebounding, Defending the Post, Block Vision of Passer"

2. DEFLECTIONS AND DISRUPTION- "Does someone hate to play against you? Make the offense uncomfortable.Win the deflection game" 

3. GETTING THROUGH SCREENS- "Have the toughness to NOT GET SCREENED. Have the IQ to anticipate the ACTION. Do your work early!"

4. BLOCK-OUTS- Coaches should make a big deal of this. Best blockout guys may not be leading rebounders. Give recognition each game.

5. 50/50 BALLS- Who is our best loose ball guy?. Coaches should be their BIGGEST cheerleader! Must be praised. Film clip to inspire team.

After identifying and communicating some of these to our team, what is the best way to hold players accountable to DO THEM!? Rewards, Incentives, Recognition and Punishments are ways most coaches get the message across. As with anything, its all about the "CONTEXT" we find ourselves in. 

 Talented and Experienced Teams

Some teams are talented and experienced and know these things are important,  but they can still win most games by talent alone. A team like this might need extra recognition in the locker room for players that excel in these areas. Everyone cheers for the scorer. But praising the "dirty work guys" might get even the most TALENTED players to see the value in these areas. If its an opponent we know we can beat, create goals that force our players to pay attention to these details. Despite winning the game, a more talented team should still try to achieve certain goals. (Deflections, Rebound Margin, Screening Accuracy, to name just a few)

Less Talented and Younger Teams

We as coaches know that a less talented team might struggle to score. We can't always control that. But what if our team's were masters at the "Non-Stat Sheet" Categories. We would at least give ourselves a chance to win games while establishing a strong culture for later in the season or the next. For a team like this, accountability might take the form of Rewards for the good, but also Punishment for failing to meet certain goals within the game. ("If we can't win the game, let's at least win the "game within the game" as they relate to the above categories.) Build on the positives, work to eliminate the negatives.

Two categories every team could strive to eliminate are: 1. "Careless" Turnovers  2. "Non" Blockouts. Sprints the next day either for individuals or the team can help eliminate these. Win or lose, if the players know that they will be held accountable if they continue to lose focus in these areas, positive strides can be made as the season progresses. 

What is your team's weakness? How do you drive home these important categories and get your guys to be disciplined in the "Non Stat Sheet" Skills of the game? What's your process?