10 Top Core Exercises

1. Plank
Begin by resting on your forearms face down with your palms flat on the floor. Pushing off the floor, rise up onto your toes and rest on your elbows. Keep your back flat and in a straight line from head to heels.

2. Side Bridge
Lie on one forearm positioned under your shoulder with your feet stacked together. Contract your glutes and abs to push your hip off the floor, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder and keeping your head in line with your spine.

3. Planks with Arm Lift
Begin in Push-Up position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your left arm up and slightly to the left and hold for 1 or 2 seconds, then return to start position. Repeat with right arm.

4. Leg Lowers
Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling. Keeping your heels together, place your hands behind your head. Lower your legs to six inches above the floor. Press your lower back into the floor as you curl your upper torso up off the floor.

5. Wall Crunches
Lie with the small of your back resting on a physioball and facing a wall. Place your feet hip-width apart on the wall with your knees bent 90 degrees and cross your hands over your chest. Perform regular ab crunches.

6. Bridge
Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor under your knees. Raise your hips up and create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Squeeze your core, keeping your abs pulled in.

7. Superman Planks
Lying facedown, extend your arms over your head with your thumbs pointed up. Lift your right and left legs simultaneously, as high as you can.

8. Oblique Crunch
Lying on your back, bend your knees and swing your legs to the left until your knees rest near the floor. Place your fingertips on the sides of your head just behind your ears. Crunch up. Lower back down and repeat for specified reps. Reposition your legs to the right and repeat set.

9. Lying Wind Screen Wipers
Lying on your back with your arms out to the sides, lift your legs straight up in the air until your hips are at 90 degrees. Keeping your legs straight and maintaining the hip angle, rotate your legs to one side. Go as far as you can while keeping your upper back and shoulders on the floor. Stop. Pull your legs back to start position and perform to other side.

10. Side Lying Hip Abduction
Lying on your side, keep both knees bent and flex your hips to a 30-degree angle. Keeping your heels touching and your pelvis still, open your knees. Close and repeat on other side.


When training core muscles, it's important to maintain good form. Take the time to learn proper form for each exercise, including body position, pace of movement, and controlling your breath. Good form and body control will lead to faster gains in core strength and will help prevent unwanted injury.

Point Per Pass

I use this drill to improve  3 on 3 games in youth clinics as well as in season as a practice drill out of 4 on 4 and 5 on 5.

The drill has several objectives:

1. Keep 3 on 3 games at lower levels from being a dribbler and 2 watchers.
2. It emphasizes the give and go.
3. Requires players to get open to receive a pass
4. De-emphasize dribbling
5. Encourages team play on offense
6. Makes the defense play harder to stop the points for passes and guard the basket cutter.
7. It can be used to practice a delay game offense and defending against a delay game if you don’t set a limit for the number of passes.

Rules:

1. Regular scoring for two and three point baskets.
2. Every completed pass followed by a basket cut is worth one point for the offense.    It is important that only a pass followed by a basket cut counts as a point to promote cutting in our motion offense.  Pass and stand is not a point.  If we use it with our high school teams, then a pass and screen is also worth a point.
3. (Optional) You can set a limit of no more than 7 points from passes if there is lack of attempting to get a shot.

I teach passing to the outside hand away from the defense, meeting the pass, and other areas I want and that are appropriate for the age of the player that I am working with while running the drill.

''When I first came into the league I always asked myself, 'Do I want to be good or do I want to be great?' Paul Pierce said. ''Every time I stepped out and worked on my game, that's what I asked myself. I always got here early and worked on my craft as hard as I could because I wanted to be one of the great players.''

1 on 1 Drills

Manager 1 on 1:
2 Managers/coaches (or chairs) stand 35 feet out from the baseline with one about 7 feet away from the sideline and the other 8 feet inside of that.
On coaches “Go”. the defensive player sprints to run around the chair/manager closest to the middle of the court while the offensive player runs dribbling the ball around the outside chair (closest to the sideline).
Once around the chair, the offensive player attacks the rim and the two play 1 on 1.

Inside the Three 1 on 1:
Two players begin underneath the hoop. The defensive player begins with the ball and he dribbles to any spot inside the three point arc to place the ball down. Once the ball is placed down, the offense runs to pick it up and the two play 1 on 1 live.
You can control where you want this drill to happen if you make the defense put the ball only in the paint.

Turn and Run 1 on 1:
Drill starts like a zigzag ball handling defensive slide drill but the defense allows the offensive player to beat him off the dribble up the sideline. The defensive player works on his speed and recovery to get back in front and square up the offense. Once the defensive player gets in front of the offense, the ball handler throws the ball to a manager/coach at the top of the key. The defensive player jumps to the ball in Help side and  when the offensive player catches it again, the two play 1 on 1 live.

Baseball:
This is a 1 on 1 drill that uses two teams playing 1 on 1 vs members of the opposing team counting the score like a baseball game. Start from the top of the key with a member of team 1 guarding a member of team 2 – if the defense gets a stop. then that’s 1 Out. If the offense scores than they get 1 run and there are no outs. On the first foul, you re-check the ball.  On the second, the offense gets a point. When three outs are up. You switch offense defense. When each team has gone for 3 outs, then you have just played one inning. You can do this drill from any spot on the court and can facilitate post players by allowing coaches to feed them w the post instead of playing 1 on 1 from the perimeter.

"I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true - hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't  do it." - Ray Bradbury

Ten Simple Habits Players Can Develop to Become Better Teammates

 by Coach Peterman

Coach Sen contributes an excellent article on how to develop teamwork:

Coaches develop teams based on two primary concepts, hard work and teamwork. And the results follow either individual improvement or the ability to help teammates. Our job is to help players individually and collectively change. It’s a never-ending challenge.

Personal habits:

1.     Pressure the ball. The principal responsibilities of defense are to prevent scoring opportunities and regain possession. Attack the offense. Accept nothing less at all times.
2.     When you force the dribbler to pick up the dribble, make a call (e.g. “pinch”) and attack the pivot foot to prevent the dribbler from improving their passing angle.
3.     Never allow free ‘front cuts’ to the ball.
4.     If a defender presents a ‘lead foot’, attack the basket to that side.
5.     Never criticize a teammate. If a player has concerns about another player, have her bring it to the coach who can assess the problem and address it  quickly and privately.

Team habits:

1.     When you enter a new gym, have the players evaluate boundaries, lighting, boundary symmetry, clock position, et cetera. Invariably, we see players violate boundaries or lose possessions needlessly.
2.     Communicate. Except for when the coaches are talking, the players on the floor should communicate both verbally and non-verbally.
3.     Regularly remind players at practice and pre-game about the importance of dictating tempo and establishing toughness.
4.     Maximize “compete level” as an expectation. Make as many drills as possible competitive and confirm scrimmage wins “Celtics style” with made free throws.
5.     Cultivate team spirit through community activity. Clean up a park, hold clinics for younger players, serve at a food distribution facility. Help players see their collective mission.

Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @rsen01 on Twitter
Ron Sen is an assistant coach in a middle school girls basketball program and a primary and specialty care physician. 



 

When you teach or correct one player, present the point in a manner that teaches all the players. Instead of presenting the mistake, present the solution. Instead of, 'Dont cut there!' try, 'Cut this way. It creates more space.'- Don Kelbick

Rebounding Tips & Techniques

By Joe Haefner


Rebounding is very important. If you rebound well, this allows you to get more possessions throughout the game. The team with the most possessions has a better chance of winning.

When blocking out or boxing out:

Yell "shot" to make your teammates aware that a shot has been taken. Locate your man. You can't block out without locating the person you are going to block out. If you leave an offensive player unattended, he can easily slip in to grab the rebound and score an easy bucket. Note: Steps 1 & 2 should be done simultaneously. Get your hips low, make a wide base (preferably wider than your opponents), and make contact. Stick out your forearm to make contact with the opposing player.

Do a reverse (back) pivot into the player if needed. Push the opposing player away from the basket using your butt and legs. Have your arms straight out to your sides which will make it harder to get around you. You can also feel where the player is going. Shuffle feet to stay in front of the player.

After you secure a rebound, you should:

1. "Chin the ball" which means to put the ball underneath your chin with your elbows out. This makes it harder for the defense to steal the ball from you after you secure the rebound.
   
   
2. Pivot away from the basket to the sideline to throw an outlet pass to a streaking player or a guard located near the sidelines.

If you want to see and hear more of these rebounding tips from Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, check out this video:

PLAY PRESENT

If you want to be the best player (or coach) you can be, you have to learn how to PLAY PRESENT. You have to learn how to focus on the 2 things you have complete control over (your attitude and your effort). You have to learn now to focus on the process, not the outcome. And you have to learn how to focus on the next play. The ability to 'play present' is the definition of mental toughness.

This poem was posted by Alan Stein on his Stronger Team Blog.

Here is what he had to say about getting the importance of one possession across to your players. One of the key concepts of ‘Playing Present’ is the ability to focus on the next play,  the play right in front of you. On defense that means that this stop is the only stop that matters. This stop is the most important stop of the entire game. The same is true on offense. This possession is crucial. We need to get a great shot on this possession. Players and teams who master ‘Playing Present’ will maximize their basketball ability.

This poem below sums up the ‘Playing Present’ concept perfectly:
One Possession poem:

It was only one possession,
Why does my coach scream?
My poor ‘D’ allowed a basket,
But what does one hoop mean?
As the pass comes my direction,
I fumble it into the stands,
My coach’s voice rings loud and clear,
“Always use both hands!”

C’mon coach, its one possession,
Our team will be OK,
It’s just the first two minutes,
I mean damn, we’ve got all day!
In the beginning of the 2nd quarter,
Their center is strong and stout,
He scores an easy two, quite simply due,
From my failure to block out.

It was only one possession,
I didn’t commit a crime,
My team is ahead and I’m playing well,
And there’s still plenty of time!

As the halftime buzzer sounds,
I watch the ball bank in,
I know I will hear it from my coach,
Asking why I don’t defend.
But it was only one possession,
Coach – don’t have a heart attack,
We’re only down one and we’re having fun,
I know we’ll get it back!

The 2nd half is much the same,
So it is really no big deal,
That my lazy and careless pass,
Results in an easy steal.
I quickly sink a jumper,
I’m greeted by high fives and slaps,
But the next time down, I give up a lay-up,
While suffering a mental lapse.
   
It’s only one possession,
C’mon coach just chill out!
It’s crazy to see you so mad,
As you consistently scream and shout:
“Victory favors the team,
Making the fewest mistakes.
Singles possessions are the key,
And will cut down their fast breaks.”

I step to the line for a one and one,
The game is in my hands.
I can’t believe I missed it short,
And hear cheers from their fans.

After the game I pouted,
Knowing what I could have done,
Realizing the value of each possession,
Damn, we lost by one.

Play hard. Play smart. Play Together every possession. - Alan Stein

Rebounding Drills

These Rebounding Drills came from the Arizona Men’s February Basketball Newsletter.  

 

War Drill (8 minute drill)

(1 basketball. 6. 8 or 10 players. Full Court)

    Defense is in the paint and matches up. On the shot by the coach. their goal is to go meet the offense outside of the paint and keep them out of it.

    The offensive players are set up behind the three point line and except for the point guard, (who gets back on defense), are going hard to the rim.  The defender on the point guard should look to help on boxing someone else out.

    This is a highly competitive drill with a winner and loser. If the offense gets the rebound they get a point and can try to score a 2 or 3 pointer.  If they score we set the drill back up. If the defense gets the rebound or forces a turnover, there is no point scored but they push the basketball down court (transition offense) and try to score on the other end. On a score or turnover by them, play stops and we set the drill back up.

    The ball will only go from one end to the other end one time and then the drill would be reset. If we don’t reset the drill it becomes a transition drill and not a contact drill.

There are no points on a made shot by the coach but it is still played like a rebound.

Thoughts on Rebounding: 

• On a 3 point shot, it takes a long time for the ball to get there
• Get out and hit your man, find the ball, and get it
• The greatest rebounders are guys who can range rebound
• They don't just get the rebounds that are coming right to them

Get to the Basket Drill

(1 basketball, 3 or more players)

    Place two defenders side by side facing the offense (if you have football pads, use them).  On the shot, the offense has to bust through to the basket.  This teaches them to never surrender going to the basket and being aggressive.

    Only drill this from the wings.  If we have an offensive player at the top, we would normally want him to get back on defense.

Without the pads, the defense gives a little pressure, just enough to make them push through.

Some Coaching Bullets to Consider

Del Harris and friends, 2012 (revised from 2009)
 

Before you start:

    Be sure you have a mission statement that is current with your current thinking and then stay committed to that statement.  Be sure your staff and players understand your mission.


    Make sure your philosophy of coaching, of defense, of offense and of dealing with players and other constituents is clear-cut and understood by yourself and staff and that it matches your mission.

    Leave a paper trail.  Keep copies of important communications with all relevant parties.  Notes, dates and times of any significant meeting with players, media, etc can be of value.

    Be sure you have a plan for the first day, week and rough copy for first month of your practices.

    Be sure any staff is up to date on current trends in conditioning, nutrition, etc.  These change.

    Be sure to read current books and old standards on leadership, management skills, time management, significant biographies of important people and successful coaches in any sport.  You must continue to grow mentally and spiritually.

    Revise your drill book (You have one, don’t you?) to add any new concepts you have picked up and to discard needless ones.

    The best drills are the ones you make up that teach specifically the exercise you are trying to teach/correct.
   
    Your drill book should be divided into categories such as: warmup, shooting, fundamentals of offense/defense, fast break buildups for offense and transition defense, half court offense, post offense/defense, trap drills, defense shell drills, situation drills for 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3, game ending situations drills, etc.

    Be sure to be clear on all basic defense issues such as you initial and backup coverages relative to pick and roll defense, low post defense, and methods of rotation to cover breakdowns.

    Make sure your coaches and players understand the concepts of switching on defense such as which teammates will be able to switch with each other on their own as needed or desired unless the game plan or a timeout changes it. Have switching partners which normally means that equal size players will switch with one another as needed.

    Know that the concept of switching to keep your bigger players inside and your smaller ones outside is often very productive, i.e. “Bigs in, Littles out”.  Thus you would not switch a big man out off of a downpick or pindown for a small player except in a critical emergency situation.


Your team will reflect what you emphasize.  Take your pick, but only about 4 or 5 will be the limit as to what they will attach themselves to, so choose wisely.
    1. Defense
    2. Rebounding
    3. Unselfish play---team unity---team attitude
    4. Running game
    5. Half court game
    6. Pressing team---running team
    7. Physical team
    8. 3-pt team
    9. Zone team
    10. Ball and player movement team, etc.
 

Game Time:

    Be sure you have a helpful game card with you at all times such as quarterbacks have on their sleeve or arm.
   
    A good game card will not only have all your play calls, but will have categories that will get you a post up as needed and that tell you what plays you have that will get each position (1 through 5) a shot when you want one of those players to have the ball.

    On the back of the card of on a special situations card you can have in your pocket or an assistant will keep be sure to have plays already diagrammed that are for special late game situations such as: when you need a 3 pointer, or a quick 2, or you have differing amounts of time on the clock to get a shot.

    Be smart on what you chart and have accountable chart keepers.  A possession chart can tell you the pace and momentum of the game because it will tell you how many possessions you have had at every time interval and once you know your best pace, you can tell if you are dictating or if the opponent is. 

    Momentum is revealed by a possession chart in that it shows how many times you and your opponent have scored or failed to score in the most recent possessions.

    Other charted items may be the fast break game on both sides of the ball, the low post game (scores allowed/how traps have worked, etc), the pick and roll game (percentage of scores/stops), deflections, penetrations allowed, uncontested shots allowed, and whatever else you deem to be of real value.

As you go along:

    “Prove you are valuable and success will happen for you.  Forget about the entitlements.”

    Be careful of the player who insists he is all about winning, but doesn’t work like a winner.  He is usually happy when things are going his way, whether the team is or not.
   
    The team that will accept we over me (we/me) as a group has a chance to achieve all they are capable of.

    There is no “I” in team but there is “ME”  but it tears up TEAM to get it.  META spells disaster for the team; it says that the “ME Trumps All” the rest of the team.

    Doc Rivers says to try to keep the “chemistry guy” on your team.  Doc moves the lockers around occasionally to keep the right people together or separated as needs be.

    Del Harris says to speak to players often, but more on the conversational level than any other.  Get to know them and then prove that you care about them. he notes that the Caring-Trust-Loyalty Dynamic is of utmost importance to a successful organization. First show you do care consistently. Caring leads to trust. Trust breeds loyalty and loyalty leads to unity.

    Jerry Sloan coaches with the idea that he wants to be a friend of his player/s 20 years down the road.  Now you know he is not a softie, but he cares and his players know it.  They trust him and are loyal to him and they just find a way to win every year.  That is true coaching.

Think communication:

Del Harris notes that there are five levels of communication with players—use each one less than the one before it as you go down the levels.

    1. Conversational level—you have the give and take whereby you get to know the player and he learns you as well.  You demonstrate you care. Use this the most.

    2. Encouragement level—voice is animated and enthusiastic. Use it as much as you can, but it has to be a result of real achievement, not just blowing smoke. But the worst person to be with is the one you simply cannot please.  Be real.

    3. Instructional level—voice is slightly animated as you attempt to pass on teaching points that may help your player get better, or that may help him understand the team concept.  Use often, but mostly in practice or in certain 1-1 situations.

    4. Correctional level—voice increases somewhat in urgency, but this is not to be confused with screaming.  Naturally, this is used on important issues in practices and games to help eliminate errors.  Use it as needed, but if it overwhelms the encouragement level, the team will tune you out sooner than later.

    5. “Go Nuts” level—yes, there is a place for letting them know that they have crossed the line in terms of lack of effort or execution or attitude, etc.  They must know you really care about certain issues. But, of course you must maintain control here, as it should be a purposeful act.  Overdo this level and you will lose your team by Christmas unless you are winning every game.

Who is your closer?

    You need a “closer” in every business, someone who can seal the deal often. Know who yours are.  This is not an equal opportunity situation.  Be able to run your stuff to get the ball to the “closer” in need situations.
   
    Do not underestimate the value of a player who can inbound the ball in pressure situations. Lack of this ability will beat you in the close games.  The chances are you will have no more than two of these, if you actually have anyone.  Develop one.

    Every team wants to win the championship.  Talk about it on the first day, and then forget the talk until you are playing for it.  Your goals must become closer at hand and the main one is to get better every day/game.  That is the path to
championships, not talk. And I don’t want to hear that my teams did not win an NBA title.  My college teams won 19 championships, we won 3 national titles in Puerto Rico against NBA or D-1 level coaches and won 2 international gold medals.  My Lakers team that was the youngest team in the playoffs my final two years (when Kobe was 18 and 19 years old) won 56 and 61 games with Shaq missing 53 of those games due to injury.  They ran off 3 in a row two years later.
   
    Most of your players will be role players.  Most will think they are key players. As coach you must laud the roles you assign; make them be understood and appreciated. Without the dedicated role players you cannot succeed.

    Have simple goals for your role players.  Just 1 or 2 stats per quarter can add up to being the difference—a steal, a rebound, a free throw, a deflection, an assist, etc.  Just a little goes a long way.  Honor your role players as well as the stars.

    Check it out—NBA teams seldom have more than 2-3 players who are more than role players—ones who produce consistently across the stat sheet and make others better.  The 85+ percent are role players.

    Coaches who talk too much in practice can kill the team’s ability/need to communicate among themselves. Coaches who chatter too much give the appearance of working hard but actually stifle the players in developing their own skills of communication. This is true especially of assistants.  Hooting and hollering on every pass and cut is not necessarily a sign you are working.

    Simplify your teaching and communication.  This will reduce confusion.  An athlete that is not decisive and confident in what he is to do will be hesitant and a hesitant athlete will fail.

    NBA asst. coach Brendan Suhr notes that you must coach each player differently.  It’s about their strengths and needs, not yours.  Read books: Strength Finders and Strength Finder 2.0. 

    Identify your leaders and lieutenants.  You must connect early with them and get them to understand and promulgate your mission and goals for the team.

    The best teams are the ones where the coach and the team leaders are united (requires some ego reduction on part of coach) and these players work the hardest and articulate the team message to others.

    It is hard for a general to win without support from within the ranks.  Encourage and develop leaders and relationships with them.
   
    Fill up your players “emotional Bank Accounts”.  Make 4 deposits to one withdrawal.

    Encourage your players to take responsibility.  The best ones have often been allowed too much freedom from this at lower levels (i. e., AAU ball)  “My Bad” is not sufficient.
   
    You can help, but players must know that they are in charge of their own attitudes, work ethic, enthusiasm, and mental/physical approaches.

    Many times I have been asked how a coach gets an NBA player to listen.  The answer is that you must be willing and able to help them get better.  If you can do that, they will listen because they do want to improve.  Once you quit helping them, you can lose them.  Keep improving and learning yourself, therefore.

    When Hank Haney quits helping Tiger Woods to win, Tiger will get another coach. (This was written in 2009—Hank is gone.)

    Learn to read body language to be able better to deal with a player that day.

    Watch your own body language in practice and especially during games.  Do not slump over at the bench or go goofy when things go wrong or a player makes a mistake. Have enthusiastic or positive approach when appropriate, but stay subdued in the down times.  You can go crazy on the team, but that is different than the defeatist, slumped over approach or the throwing your hands up in the air to the crowd as if to say—I am ok, but what is wrong with that player? Stay in control of your body language no matter what you are feeling inside.  (Solid advice—hard to do)

    Why do coaches react so strongly to a player’s mistakes in many cases?  Trust this.  It is because the coach wants to divorce himself from that mistake and thus that player at that time.  It is his way of telling the fans that it is not his fault.  The same coach will give a body language reaction fist pump that says, “That is what I coached him to do” when the player scores. 

    One of your main goals with each player is to coach him to become the best  teammate he can be.  When we interviewed a player pre-draft, we always asked him about his relationship to his coaches and to his teammates.  When we talked to his coach we wanted to know what kind of teammate he was. 

    When I coached college, I coined a term called “Teammanship” and in that concept we tried to inculcate things that would honor team membership and encourage team building.  (On one occasion for each of my two top scorers I had to put them to the brink of elimination in order to get them to know I was serious.  Thankfully, both stayed but one came in the day before he was to enroll at another college to tell me he wanted to come back and be a good team member.  He led the team in scoring and we went 25-3, 6th in nation).

    When my first of two college teams that were inducted into their own Hall of Fame en masse, all 13 players came from as far as Europe to be there. The one who came from England was the one I mentioned in the previous point.  I had started with that team nearly 35 years previously to their induction, but they were still a team.

    Other books of value—The Outliers, The Talent Code (maybe the best relative to teaching/coaching technique I have ever read), Training Camp by Jon Gordon, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun (great quick read), Red and Me by Bill Russell, Talent is not Enough by John Maxwell (any of his leadership books such as the Servant Leader, etc.), the magazine entitled SUCCESS, and many more.

    My own book, On Point—4 steps to better life teams is obviously one I believe in for great team building that leads to lasting relationships—worth more than trophies.  See www.OnPointLifeTeam.com for review.

    Allow enough shooting time.  Still the most singly important factor in the game.  Bad plays look good when ball goes in and vice versa.

    Encourage your shooters to get in their 300 or so reps every day.  Nowitzki and Nash and then Jason Terry got in 500 every day---every day—and they are the best for obvious reasons.

    These players came into the NBA as poor shooters—Jordan, Dr. J., and Clyde Drexler and they became Hall of Famers and good shooters.  Most players become much better shooters in the NBA due to reps. Check any player’s career stats.

    If a player comes into the league as a rebounder or a steals guy, he will rebound and steal in the league.  The only stat that players consistently get better at is shooting and it is because they get more reps as a pro.

    Defense is the difference in championship games normally.  But while defense may win a championship for you, you will never get a chance to find out, if you cannot score.

    The thing that makes for a bad team in the NBA (remember that every one of these players was the best on his HS and college team in most cases) is the inability to score.

    Avoid trying to keep your team at half court too much thinking that you can stop them and do more teaching.   The game is played full court.

    Too much time at half court will stifle a teams fast break game as the initial reaction to go to the other end is the difference in a successful break most often.

    A team that spends too much time at half court teaching will not be as good a transition defensive team as it needs to be in most cases.

    So, do more scrimmage-like situations but control the scrimmages and fulfill what you want as a teacher and what the team needs for transition offense and defense.

    Best scrimmage teaching drills are starting with a specific situation at half court and then letting there be that possession and two more.  This three-possession game is called O-D-O for Offense-Defense-Offense.  On the second and third possession the teams can do whatever comes up, as that is the way the game is played.

    Limiting the scrimmage to three possessions allows you to teach the pluses and minuses of the three possessions better because everyone can remember that short of a series.

    Drill also some 5-possession games and do the same way.  You start with a controlled half court and then the players play out four more possessions, ending up on the end they started.  The game is generally played in spurts of no more than 5 possessions before a whistle is blown and this allows game feel and coach control.

    Be inventive with these controlled sessions.  Have each possession be only with 10 seconds; or have them run a particular set when they don’t have a fast break; or have them go vs. man/man some and zone on other sets; and start the initial possession from out of bounds needing a 3 or needing a quick 2 or running the clock etc.

    You can score these by giving a point for a score and a point for a stop.  With 3 possessions (or 5) there will always be a winner since there are an uneven number of points available.  The winner of each one can start the next set if you want.  Or you can keep track of the number of sets each team wins to determine a winner.  Award the winners.

    You never waste time when you do the defensive shell drills.

    Remember that you must emphasize defense, but offense is more involved because it involves ball skills and exact timing.  Thus, offense takes more time.

    I always doubt coaches who say they spend far more time on defense than offense.  Why would you do that when offense requires much more teaching and time? And why ignore offense when teaching defense---the guys on both sides of the ball are on your team when you are teaching defense, unless you spend the whole time running slides against air.  Air is not the enemy—good to remember in all defenses, especially when in a zoning situation on the weak side or when the team is in a regular zone defense.

    Hopefully, anyone should realize that you could teach both offense and defense at the same time. So teach both at the same time. If you cannot, have an assistant focus on what you are not focused on and let him talk.

    Even in the most dedicated of offensive drills, if a player does well or poorly on defense, you cannot overlook that.  More time on offense, more emphasis on defense.

    Your team will reflect what you emphasize. (worth repeating)

    You are an offensive or defensive coach relative to what upsets you.  If you say you are a defense coach but never sub for poor defense by your better players, you are not a defense coach. (If he is really good, you don’t have to leave him out for long—you made a point).

    If you are an execution coach but don’t get upset at the lack of execution, then you really are not what you say you are.

Summary Note

    Over the years your teams will be identified by about 3-5 things that they do well—not 10-15 things.  Those are the things you teach well and that are important to you.

    With the great coaches you always know what their teams will do well.  So decide how you want to be typified and stick with that as long as you are successful.  Make subtle changes as you go, but stick with your winning core.


Del Harris, GM Texas Legends, NBADL
dharris@texlegends.com
www.OnPointLifeTeams.com 

 Del Harris is a legendary basketball coach, who has been associated with seven NBA teams over a thirty-seven year period. He served as head coach of the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was NBA Coach of the Year in 1995.  He became the 19th NBA coach to earn 500 wins while with the Lakers. He has a varied background, having coached with five different countries’ national teams; is an ordained minister and a member of SAG. He is currently General Manager for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League, the Mavericks’ affiliate. 

Lebron James After Practice Core Work Out

 Lebron James leads team USA in a workout to build their core before the games in 2010.

4 Ball Handling Tips From the Video:

1. Hold position, be strong
Too often, many players let a little contact throw them off their game. The first drill in the video is meant to get players to handle the ball and maintain their ground through contact.
2. Crossover outside your knee
In the video, Coach Eastman says to cross outside your knee to keep it more game-like. It’s crucial to do this, because it keeps the ball away from the defender after you cross over.
3. Use eyes to sell fakes
Eyes up to shot fake – Before you shoot the ball, you usually look at the rim. By looking at the rim, this helps sell your shot fake because the defensive player thinks you are about to shoot. When I played, I rarely pump faked. I aggressively set my feet, focused on the rim, and put the ball in shooting position. By putting the ball in my shooting position and aggressively setting my feet, I could often drive by defenders, because they would often close out too hard or jump because it looked like I was going to shoot. If they did not close out hard, I pulled up for the jump shot.
Eyes down to shoot – If you put your eyes down, the defensive player thinks you are going to drive and that may cause the defender to give you some cushion which opens up the jump shot.
4. Get out of your comfort zone
In order to get better, it’s crucial to challenge yourself and make mistakes. To me, this is one of the biggest problems with youth and high school players. Too many players are worried about how they look when they practice. That was one of my biggest problems in high school as well. I didn’t like to make mistakes, so I never pushed myself outside of my comfort zone.
If you practice only things that are comfortable, then you will never improve very much.

Rebounding Drills

One on One Rebounding

Setup:
Make two lines... the shooting line on the wing, and the defense, box-out line at the free-throw line.

Drill:
Give the ball to the wing player. Have the first player in the defensive line move over to defend the wing player. 

Have the wing take a good shot (defense should let him/her shoot the shot). Then as soon as the shot is released, the defender turns and boxes the shooter out and gets the rebound (even if the shot is made). 

The shooter tries to get the rebound (but no second shots are allowed as this is mainly a box-out drill).

The rebounder makes a good pass back out to the next player in the shooting line.

Two on Two Rebounding

This rebounding drill stresses the basics of boxing out, being aggressive, and making the outlet pass, and "finishing" on the offensive glass.

Setup: See the diagram... two rows, one on each side of the free throw lane. The first player in each line becomes a defender and moves down by the blocks and will box-out the next player in line. The next player in each line are offensive players. Have a player at each wing for the outlet pass. The coach, or manager, shoots the ball from the free-throw line. The Drill: The coach shoots. The defenders box-out, rebound, make the outlet pass and the next group takes over. The two defenders rotate to the outlet positions, and the outlet players go to the back of the offensive lines.

Offensive players should be aggressive, try to get the offensive rebound, and power it back up to the hoop. Play until either the defense rebounds and outlet passes, or the offense rebounds and scores (limit offensive possessions to 6 seconds to keep the drill moving). Then rotate to the next group. Offensive players now are defenders.

Make sure all players hustle, are aggressive and are using good rebounding technique with proper boxing out, attacking the ball, and making a good outlet pass. 

Offensive players should be aggressive and power the ball back up to the hoop, scoring quickly (within 6 seconds).

One Man Option:

You can also run this drill with just one line, one defender and one outlet receiver.

Individual Skills Defense Drills

Spend time on individual skills each day... these drills are quick and don't take a lot of your practice time, but are important for developing the skill set necessary to play good defense.

Stance Drill

In diagram A, we get all players lined up four or five across (depending on your number of players) in rows. In the stance drill, we have players maintain the correct defensive stance for one minute. We want the hands and arms up and out, and feet shoulder width apart, weight on the balls of the feet (not flat-footed), knees bent and butt out. Surprisingly, it is not easy for players to hold this position for 60 seconds, as arm and leg fatigue creep in. You must do this drill regularly to strengthen these muscles so that your defenders don't lose their defensive stance late in a possession. A zone defense looks "lazy" when players are tired, not sprinting, and hands are down. While players are holding this stance position, you can use this minute to talk to them about anything you want.

Slides Drill

In diagram B, after doing the stance drill for one minute, we do slides from side to side, again maintaining a good defensive stance with arms out and up, weight on the balls of the feet, and using good footwork, without crossing our feet. Start with players chattering their feet in place. As the coach yells (or points) the instructions, "right" or "left", players slide accordingly and chattering again once they stop sliding. Make sure that when players slide, they do not lower their hands... hands should remain up and active. Do this for another minute.

Triangle "Anticipation - Deflection" Drill

In diagram C, break the team down into 4-player groups. The player in the middle gets in the defensive stance (described above) and will try to anticipate and deflect the pass. After receiving the pass, the passer should hold the ball for a couple counts to allow the defender to get set, and can pass to either receiver. Do this drill so that each player gets 30-45 seconds of defending. This drill teaches defenders to read the passer and improves reaction time and quickness.

Ball Pressure Drill

In diagram D, each player has a partner. The defender is an arm's length from the offensive player, and he/she pressures the ball-handler with active hands, but without reaching in and fouling. No dribbling is permitted, and the offensive player must use his/her pivoting skills to protect the ball. Do this for 30 seconds and have players switch offense <==> defense.

Contain the Dribbler Drill

In diagram E, each player again has a partner. The defender is an arm's length from the offensive player, and he/she pressures the ball-handler with active hands, but without reaching in and fouling. Dribbling is now permitted, when the coach yells "go", the offensive player dribbles either left or right for a few steps, as the defender moves his/her feet quickly to contain the dribbler. Have the offensive player dribble to the right and to the left several times, and then switch offense <==> defense.

1-on-1 Full-Court Zig-Zag Drill

In diagram A below, each player has a partner of similar quickness and size. We use both sides of the floor and each two-some is confined to their side of the court. The offensive player tries to dribble the length of the court (staying on just half of the court), and attacks to score. The defensive player tries to cut and turn the offensive player as many times as he/she can coming up the court, and then defends 1-on-1 at the basket. The defender must get low and move his/her feet quickly. Hands should be active, but the defender must not reach in and foul (there is even a variation wherein the defensive player must keep his hands behind his back at all times). If the defender gets beaten, he/she must turn and sprint to recover.

1-on-1 Full-Court Zig-Zag and Close-Out Drill

In diagrams B and C above, again each player has a partner of similar quickness and size. We use both sides of the floor and each two-some is confined to their side of the court. The offensive player tries to dribble beyond half-court and then passes to a coach standing out-of-bounds along the sideline. The defensive player tries to cut and turn the offensive player as many times as he/she can coming up the court. Once the pass is made to the coach on the sideline, the offensive player turns and sprints back to the half-court line and then back and receives the pass back from the coach (diagram C above), while the defensive player sprints to the endline and then back to close-out on the ball. Both players then finish by playing 1-on-1.

Rotation and Close-Out Drills

The following drills help develop the necessary "habits" in rotating within the help defense, and closing out on the offense.

On-Off Drill

In diagram F, as the ball is skip-passed to the left wing, X3 must first close-out with high hands, and then retreat back inside once X1 gets over to the ball. This is called going "on and off" for the forward defender (X3). Defenders should sprint quickly as the ball is in the air, as soon as it leaves the passer's hands. Close-out with high hands in a good defensive stance.

Skip-Pass to Corner Drill

In diagram G, as the ball is skip-passed to the left corner, X3 must close-out with high hands and defend the ball. This is his/her man and X3 does not go "on and off" in the corner, but stays with the ball. X1 drops inside to prevent a pass to the lane or elbow. Defenders should sprint quickly as the ball is in the air, as soon as it leaves the passer's hands. X3 closes-out with high hands in a good defensive stance.

Forward's Wing and Corner Rotations Drill

Now we will drill how the outside low defender (forward) X4 defends the pass to the wing and to the corner. In diagram F2, as the ball is passed to the wing O2, X4 goes "on" (closes-out with high hands), and then retreats back inside ("off"). As the pass goes to the corner (diagram F3), X4 closes-out with high hands and stays with the ball in the corner. As the ball is passed back out to the wing O2 (diagram F4), X4 simply drops back inside, as normally X1 would already be on the ball O2 and there is no need to go "on and off" here.

Forward's On-Off Rotations Drill

The next several diagrams H - K show how our two outside low defenders (forwards X3 and X4) rotate as the ball moves around on the perimeter. In diagram H, as the ball is passed from the point to the right wing, X4 goes "on and off" initially closing-out with high hands, and then retreating back inside. X3 moves inside the paint. As the ball is passed back to the point (diagram I), X3 moves back out to his/her usual neutral position.


As the ball is passed from the point to the left wing (diagram J), X3 goes "on and off" initially closing-out with high hands, and then retreating back inside. X4 moves inside the paint. Diagram K shows a wing-to-wing skip-pass, with X4 going "on and off" and X3 dropping inside.

Spend a few minutes with the three offensive players passing the ball around on top while X3 and X4 rotate accordingly and quickly as the ball is in the air. In you have an assistant, use both ends of the court and make sure all of your inside defenders get enough repetitions.

Basic pointers for all defenses
1. No lay-ups. Try to keep the ball outside. Double-team the ball in the paint.

2. Be vocal, talk to each other.

3. Move quickly, adjust your position relative to the movement of the ball. Move quickly on the flight of the ball, as soon as it leaves the passer's hands.

4. Get your hands up and out, to shrink the passing lanes.
5. Close-out on the shooter with high hands, to pressure the shot and the pass. We are less concerned with dribble-penetration since the zone creates too much congestion inside for the dribble-drive.
6. Stay in your defensive stance. This is especially important for weakside defenders. The weakside low defender should keep his "butt to the baseline" so that he can see the floor, and see any cutters or screeners coming his way, etc.
7. No fouls... play good defense without fouling.
8. No second shots... be aggressive rebounders.

9. When the offense dribble penetrates, quickly close the gap.

10. Get to know your opponent and adjust. Over-protect against the best shooters, or the "hot" shooter, and sag off the guy who never shoots.

11. Trap the corners.

12. Especially if you are ahead, don't gamble or get too zealous about trapping the wing and point guard positions. Keep pressure on the ball, but also protect the paint and force the outside, low-percentage shot.

"Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there." - Virginia Burden

Your Worth to the Team

Some good questions for basketball coaches to ask their players
  

    To check you value to our basketball team, ask yourself these questions:

    Am I mature enough to work at things seriously?

    Do I observe the rules of basketball?

    Do I expect and respect authority?

    Do I conform to all training rules?

    Am I willing to sacrifice for the team? And for myself?

    Do I work hard in prepractice to improve my fundamentals?

    Do I recognize correction from the coaches as an effort to help me to improve rather than as a criticism of my performance?

    Do I help and encourage my teammates when they are striving to improve?

    Do I stand up for the team or a teammate when I hear criticism?

    Do I tell a teammate to stop complaining?

    Do I report any dissension among players to the coaches?

    Am I dedicated to the point where I’m willing to make any sacrifice which will improve our team, improve myself, or improve the image of our team?

    Do I recognize the fact that while on or off the basketball floor my actions and performances are a reflection on my family and on the team?

    Do I take pride in my actions, dress, and speech on and off the basketball floor?

    Do I have a spirit of cooperation with other team members and the coaches?

    Do I have a burning desire to win?

    Do I continually work to improve—never being satisfied with my present development?

    Do I have the self-discipline and mental toughness to fight back when the chips are down?

    Am I all business before and during the game?

    Am I a hard loser? That is do I profit from my mistakes by thinking and talking over the cause of defeat and make sure the same cause never defeats me again? (There is a great difference between a hard loser and a poor loser)

    Do I recognize the privilege and honor of making the team?

    Am I eager to learn more?

    Do I spread enthusiasm to others through my enthusiasm and eagerness?

    Do I set an example for younger players which will make them eager to become the same kind of player and person as I am?

    Am I respectful to the officials, my coaches, my teammates, the opposing  team members and opposing coaches?

"Basketball is a thinking game.  But, as a coach one of your major responsibilities is to take as many situations as possible out of the thought process and turn them into quick reactions requiring no thought at all."  --   Dick Divinzio

Multipurpose Ball Handling, Passing, Cutting, and Finishing Drill

Check out the video by Jeff Haefner at Breakthrough Basketball below of this great multi-purpose drill that will improve your ball handling, passing, cutting, and finishing.



You can see the diagrams here http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/drills/multi-purpose-ball-handling.html

Defensive Concepts

Lawrence Frank (Head Coach Detroit Pistons) 

“Your every day habits will determine your execution.”


To play on a good defensive team you must:
a. be a good individual defender.
b. be a good team defender.
c. be both a & b.
** If neither, you won’t play! **


Defensive non-negotiables:
1. Sprinting back on defense.
2. Protecting our paint.
3. Closing out hard and contesting the shot.
4. Playing aggressively without unnecessary fouls.
5. All five players blocking out and rebounding.
** No Layups
** No Freethrows
** No corner 3′s


If the ball gets into the paint, what are the consequences for the offense?
1. Charge
2. Steal
3. Deflection
4. Blocked shot
5. Hard “NBA” foul
** Never mention anything about scoring!


Transition Defense:
1 back = Dunk (or Layup)
2 back = Layup
3 back = Jumper
4 back = Got a chance
5 back = GAME ON!
- Win the first 3 steps!
- Stop the ball above the 3-point line
- Get the ball out of the middle 1/3
- Think “help”
- Open shots beat you in transition, but mismatches rarely will.
“Accept who they are. You job is to make them better than they were.”

Orlando "Tubby" Smith  Head Coach University of Minnesota

1. Wherever the ball is, be on the ball.

2. Contest every shot.

 3. Apply Constant Pressure.

 4. Quickly retreat to the ball line.

 5. Overplay/Deny penetrating passes.

 6. Allow non-penetration passes.

 7. Always see ball and man.

 8. Play up the court as close to the ball as possible.

 9. Attempt to intercept all lobs and bounce passes. Go for a steal with hand closest to the defender.

10. Say Ball and always pressure the ball. Pressuring the ball means to be one arms length away. Communicate with the correct terminology.

 11. Drives must always be stopped

 12. Defending the ball off a pass: when in the passing lane go for a steal with hand closest to the receiver—it leads to less grabbing. Passes away are defended  with one foot in the paint, sprint to the ball, sprint to the help. On pass from top—wing, get butt to baseline.

Brad Stevens Head Coach Butler  University

1. Commitment

• Your players must be completely committed to the system
• In 11 years, never had a player in the program that worked his tail off on the defensive end that wasn’t a great teammate/student
• People that do their job on every play make you feel proud to be a part of the program
• Starts with establishing the correct mindset
• Referenced Doc Rivers from last year’s clinic: Believe or Leave
• If your players believe, you can establish a Defensive DNA
• Felt that when he had young teams, having a great defensive team gave him the best chance to win
• Challenge your team statistically
  Example: Earlier this season, Butler was giving up 45% from the floor, but they found out that if they had gotten three more stops per game, they would be giving up 39%. Defensive FG% dropped 2 percentage points for every stop.
• Your team is never too far away from being great, and never too far away from being bad
• Uses the 10 day break during the season to be tremendously beneficial .
• Really admires how davidson plays-They are unpredictable, yet they have a system that they believe in.
• Your system must be built to defend everything, no matter what is being run against it. (i.e. something you didn’t cover in scouting)
• At the same time, have a degree of unpredictability.

2. Positioning

• First Step to proper positioning is your transition defense.
• Your transition drills have to simulate what happens in the game
• Goals for transition defense
  Stay in front of the basketball
  Protect the basket
  Pick up the basketball
  Find good shooters
• Defending the ball
  First important question where are you on the floor?
  If you have an athletic advantage, you can pressure more
  If you are at an athletic disadvantage, you can pressure more
  If you are at an athletic disadvantage, you have to trick the offensive player in different ways to keep him off balance
  Butler plays a lot of 1 on 1–both bigs and guards.  Everyone must be able to guard 2 dribbles on the perimeter (Bigs will often switch onto a guard late in the shot clock)
• Closeouts
• Three steps then break down (chop your feet) with your arms up; closeout to his dominant hand
• Closeouts are dependent upon personnel
• If you’re closing out to a great shooter, close out to his shooting hand and give him less room to get his shot off.
• If you’re closing out to a great driver, you don’t want to break down as much.  ”A great drive beats a great closeout every time.”

3. Prioritizing

• Are you prioritizing what’s important?  The goal is to stop the other team from scoring
• Scouting is a large part of the equation
• Their system must be adjustable and flexible in terms of guarding different teams/players
• Coach Stevens gave an example of how he used their trip to Italy to work on some different things, and “it took (Butler) three months to get back to our identity.”
• Even though you (as a coach) are thinking about jumping to the ball/your identity all summer doesn’t mean your players are.
• Learned that you need to start back over every year
• Tony Dungy example from his new book: Concept of “regenerative leadership”  Older players spreading the culture to the younger players, and the younger players continue the cycle when they become older players

4. Awareness

• Awareness can allow a marginal athlete to become a very good defender—more so than a great athlete with marginal awareness
• The 4 levels of competency:
• Unconsciously incompetent-You don’t know what you don’t know
• Consciously incompetent-You know that you have no clue
• Consciously competent-You know what’s going on
• Unconsciously competent-You begin to see things before they happen.  You can rely on your habits because of how many times you’ve done it before
• Coach will allow players to have “mature freedom” to make reads when they are in this stage of competency.
• When you’re in the first two categories (unconsciously/consciously incompetent), you should be a great follower/listener.
• 60% of awareness comes from what you have built through practice/drills/habits
• 40% of awareness comes from who you are guarding or what the other team is running
• Uses lots of 4 on 4 work in practice

5. Execution/Technique

• Technique is easy to work on in individuals
• Coach Stevens spent some time at the Indianapolis Colts off season
  Was struck by the consistency in their approach
  Quarterbacks spent 5 minutes per day working on their hand offs with no defense. (Attention to detail)
  Described Peyton Manning as “Elite in his preparation”
• Butler ¡s big on drilling and technique
• Be deliberate in your practice and approach
• The strength and conditioning coach will drill the players in the off season around techniques that the players will be executing all season (i.e. hedging a ball screen) ”Deliberate conditioning”

6. Completion

• The importance of “finishing plays”
• Guys that really care and understand the concept of blocking out
• Butler teaches blocking out based on the individual personnel of their players
• Less mobile player’s responsibility is to keep the offensive player from getting the ball
• A more mobile player (with a nose for the ball) may just hit his man then pursue the ball.

 

Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown  Head Coach Southern Methodist University

 

“I never remember losing a game because of constant back doors or lobs by the opponent. That’s why I want to make offensive players ‘drivers” by pressuring the ball. And, off the ball, I want to take away passes by denying. ”


“You can’t pressure the ball on the perimeter and then allow It to be easily passed to the post. Front the post when you pressure the ball. ”


“In the NBA you can’t allow the offense to run their plays. They will kill you. You must disrupt.”


“As a college coach I spent 30 minutes per practice on guarding the dribble."


“On defense I love to deny one pass away. Don’t let the offense change sides with the ball."


“Why would the defense double team in a late clock situation? You will give up a shot unnecessarily.”


“Work on *shell defense* everyday. Don’t get caught up in the offense’s alignment, mix it up.”

Mike Rice Head Coach Rutgers University

Player Rankings

I challenge you not to get caught up in the Player Rankings.  Focus on development and daily improvement.  Focus on getting better every day.  Focus playing because you are passionate about the game and you want basketball to help you earn an education, make lifelong friends, and travel to new places. Focus on the purity of the game. If you do that, everything else will fall into place.
 
As the legendary Morgan Wootten used to say…
 
“Make sure you use basketball, don’t let it use you.”
 
Respect the game,
 
Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein
www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam
www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom

Building Team Unity by Dean Smith

My philosophy is team unity -- basketball is a team game. We can't succeed unless we do it as a team. Point out to the players that everyone must play defense. It is important to have goals for team unity. Points are not the only thing. You need each other. Team play is built in practice. One idea is to have an emphasis of the day and then give credit during a practice to those players that are accomplishing that emphasis. Players must be aware that if they let down at any time they are hurting the team. 

Building Team Unity:

* Do not let one teammate yell at another.

* No one is perfect. Have you ever seen a perfect game by a basketball player?

* A player needs encouragement when he makes a mistake. You must care about the last man as much as you care about your stars.

* Never substitute on a mistake. If a player is trying, what more can you ask?

* Respect every player on the team.

* A life lesson is tolerance for one another. We should go out of our way to respect and satisfy each and every person, even though Society evaluates success by the number of wins and losses.

* Build a respect and rapport between player and coach.

* Praise correct performance and effort.

* Players on the bench should always stand and applaud team plays and players coming to the sidelines following a substitution.

* Give emphasis to unselfishness among team members and to give credit to the players who do the little things.

* Acknowledge the passer. Point your finger to the player. (Give both a verbal and physical response.)

* Always have players on the floor let you know when they are tired (we do it by having them raised a fist). Starters usually come out of five to six times in a game.

* Get players to go as hard on defense as they do on offense.

* Stress constantly recognizing the need for each other.

* After a game, try to give recognition to the opposing coach.

* Why do we run sprints? For PRIDE. We think we are in better shape than the other players. Sprints help build team morale.

* Convince your players not to let their teammates down. The best way to build team unity is to teach players at the correct way to play the game is to play hard. Secondly, players must understand that every player is important.

* Emphasize to the seniors that this is their team; they will make the rules and the coaches will force them. Do not allow any phony rules -- they hurt team unity.

* A player wants to be disciplined; this helps to develop both team and self-discipline. Give a player a second chance when it is appropriate.

Coaching Hints:

* Get substitutes to realize that they are not in the game just to score.

* Correct without criticizing the performer.

* Never embarrass a player in a game or practice.

* Hold yourself accountable.

* Promote self-confidence in all your players.

* Positive thinking is essential. Teach your players to control their attitude.

Substitution System:

* Our "Blue Team" (players 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) entered the game as a unit -- always in the first half -- and play at least one or two minutes.

* The first team gets a rest and comes back harder.

* Most opponents prepare for your best players, not for your subs.  Opposing players often try to increase their averages and take bad shots against our "Blue Team."

* Have a designated player ready to go in for a particular player whenever that player gives the tired signal.

* Decide, whether you want to win or make parents happy.

* Good things happen to winning teams.

Player-Coach Relations:

The game of basketball requires a great deal of teamwork, and certainly more than five players must be ready to play when called upon. At the start of the season we convey the objective of team play and the importance of team unity. Players are not rated one to 12. They are rated by positions. They know where and when they are apt to play. We believe our first group will play better knowing there are substitutes ready to replace them. Each player is taught the role that will best help our team. Our goal is that all players will take great pride in their roles.

We also applied some sound military practices to our situation. For example, during World War II, the "buddy" system made one soldier dependent upon another. Few deserted. We find the same principle works for us. During our six-week period of running prior to the season, we ask our seniors to be models and set the example for the rest of the squad. We divide our team into three running groups according to how fast they can run. When practicing free throws, the whole team runs when free throws are missed. We do things in practice to help each other. When running sprints, we measure the last bread and insist on maximum effort. We also practice drawing the charge because it is team play.

Practice sessions become game situations for team unity. Prepare your young players for entry into the game. A young substitute is better for one minute than a tired star. If you see someone loafing and you do not take him out, he will never give the tired signal. Allow your seniors to come to you with problems, not names. Your success as a coach is the attendant upon your ability to instill teamwork and develop team unity.

“Toughness” by Jay Bilas

I have heard the word "toughness" thrown around a lot lately. Reporters on television, radio and in print have opined about a team or player's "toughness" or quoted a coach talking about his team having to be "tougher" to win.

Then, in almost coordinated fashion, I would watch games and see player upon player thumping his chest after a routine play, angrily taunting an opponent after a blocked shot, getting into a shouting match with an opposing player, or squaring up nose-to-nose as if a fight might ensue. I see players jawing at each other, trying to "intimidate" other players. What a waste of time. That is nothing more than fake toughness, and it has no real value.

I often wonder: Do people really understand what coaches and experienced players mean when they emphasize "toughness" in basketball? Or is it just some buzzword that is thrown around haphazardly without clear definition or understanding? I thought it was the latter, and I wrote a short blog item about it a couple of weeks ago.

The response I received was overwhelming. Dozens of college basketball coaches called to tell me that they had put the article up in the locker room, put it in each player's locker, or had gone over it in detail with their teams.

Memphis coach John Calipari called to say that he had his players post the definition of toughness over their beds because he believed that true "toughness" was the one thing that his team needed to develop to reach its potential. I received messages from high school coaches who wanted to relay the definition of toughness to their players and wanted to talk about it further.

Well, I got the message that I should expound upon what I consider toughness to be. It may not be what you think.

Toughness is something I had to learn the hard way, and something I had no real idea of until I played college basketball. When I played my first game in college, I thought that toughness was physical and based on how much punishment I could dish out and how much I could take. I thought I was tough.

I found out pretty quickly that I wasn't, but I toughened up over time, and I got a pretty good understanding of toughness through playing in the ACC, for USA Basketball, in NBA training camps, and as a professional basketball player in Europe. I left my playing career a heck of a lot tougher than I started it, and my only regret is that I didn't truly "get it" much earlier in my playing career.

When I faced a tough opponent, I wasn't worried that I would get hit -- I was concerned that I would get sealed on ball reversal by a tough post man, or that I would get boxed out on every play, or that my assignment would sprint the floor on every possession and get something easy on me. The toughest guys I had to guard were the ones who made it tough on me.

Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Some players may be born tough, but I believe that toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo always says, "Players play, but tough players win." He is right.

Here are some of the ways true toughness is exhibited in basketball:

Set a good screen: The toughest players to guard are the players who set good screens. When you set a good screen, you are improving the chances for a teammate to get open, and you are greatly improving your chances of getting open. A good screen can force the defense to make a mistake. A lazy or bad screen is a waste of everyone's time and energy. To be a tough player, you need to be a "screener/scorer," a player who screens hard and immediately looks for an opportunity on offense. On the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, Bob Knight made Michael Jordan set a screen before he could get a shot. If it is good enough for Jordan, arguably the toughest player ever, it is good enough for you.

Set up your cut: The toughest players make hard cuts, and set up their cuts. Basketball is about deception. Take your defender one way, and then plant the foot opposite of the direction you want to go and cut hard. A hard cut may get you a basket, but it may also get a teammate a basket. If you do not make a hard cut, you will not get anyone open. Setting up your cut, making the proper read of the defense, and making a hard cut require alertness, good conditioning and good concentration. Davidson's Stephen Curry is hardly a physical muscle-man, but he is a tough player because he is in constant motion, he changes speeds, he sets up his cuts, and he cuts hard. Curry is hard to guard, and he is a tough player.

Talk on defense: The toughest players talk on defense, and communicate with their teammates. It is almost impossible to talk on defense and not be in a stance, down and ready, with a vision of man and ball. If you talk, you let your teammates know you are there, and make them and yourself better defenders. It also lets your opponent know that you are fully engaged.

Jump to the ball: When on defense, the tough defenders move as the ball moves. The toughest players move on the flight of the ball, not when it gets to its destination. And the toughest players jump to the ball and take away the ball side of the cut. Tough players don't let cutters cut across their face -- they make the cutter change his path.

Don't get screened: No coach can give a player the proper footwork to get through every screen. Tough players have a sense of urgency not to get screened and to get through screens so that the cutter cannot catch the ball where he wants to. A tough player makes the catch difficult.

Get your hands up: A pass discouraged is just as good as a pass denied. Tough players play with their hands up to take away vision, get deflections and to discourage a pass in order to allow a teammate to cover up. Cutters and post players will get open, if only for a count. If your hands are up, you can keep the passer from seeing a momentary opening.

Play the ball, see your man: Most defenders see the ball and hug their man, because they are afraid to get beat. A tough defender plays the ball and sees his man. There is a difference.

Get on the floor: In my first road game as a freshman, there was a loose ball that I thought I could pick up and take the other way for an easy one. While I was bending over at the waist, one of my opponents dived on the floor and got possession of the ball. My coach was livid. We lost possession of the ball because I wasn't tough enough to get on the floor for it. I tried like hell never to get out-toughed like that again. The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball.

Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way.

Post your man, not a spot: Most post players just blindly run to the low block and get into a shoving match for a spot on the floor. The toughest post players are posting their defensive man. A tough post player is always open, and working to get the ball to the proper angle to get a post feed. Tough post players seal on ball reversal and call for the ball, and they continue to post strong even if their teammates miss them.

Run the floor: Tough players sprint the floor, which drags the defense and opens up things for others. Tough players run hard and get "easy" baskets, even though there is nothing easy about them. Easy baskets are hard to get. Tough players don't take tough shots -- they work hard to make them easy.

Play so hard, your coach has to take you out: I was a really hard worker in high school and college. But I worked and trained exceptionally hard to make playing easier. I was wrong. I once read that Bob Knight had criticized a player of his by saying, "You just want to be comfortable out there!" Well, that was me, and when I read that, it clicked with me. I needed to work to increase my capacity for work, not to make it easier to play. I needed to work in order to be more productive in my time on the floor. Tough players play so hard that their coaches have to take them out to get rest so they can put them back in. The toughest players don't pace themselves.

Get to your teammate first: When your teammate lays his body on the line to dive on the floor or take a charge, the tough players get to him first to help him back up. If your teammate misses a free throw, tough players get to him right away. Tough players are also great teammates.

Take responsibility for your teammates: Tough players expect a lot from their teammates, but they also put them first. When the bus leaves at 9 a.m., tough players not only get themselves there, but they also make sure their teammates are up and get there, too. Tough players take responsibility for others in addition to themselves. They make sure their teammates eat first, and they give credit to their teammates before taking it themselves.

Take a charge: Tough players are in a stance, playing the ball, and alert in coming over from the weak side and taking a charge. Tough players understand the difference between being in the right spot and being in the right spot with the intention of stopping somebody. Some players will look puzzled and say, "But I was in the right spot." Tough players know that they have to get to the right spot with the sense of urgency to stop someone. The toughest players never shy away from taking a charge.  

Get in a stance: Tough players don't play straight up and down and put themselves in the position of having to get ready to get ready. Tough players are down in a stance on both ends of the floor, with feet staggered and ready to move. Tough players are the aggressor, and the aggressor is in a stance.

Finish plays: Tough players don't just get fouled, they get fouled and complete the play. They don't give up on a play or assume that a teammate will do it. A tough player plays through to the end of the play and works to finish every play.

Work on your pass: A tough player doesn't have his passes deflected. A tough player gets down, pivots, pass fakes, and works to get the proper angle to pass away from the defense and deliver the ball.

Throw yourself into your team's defense: A tough player fills his tank on the defensive end, not on offense. A tough player is not deterred by a missed shot. A tough player values his performance first by how well he defended.

Take and give criticism the right way: Tough players can take criticism without feeling the need to answer back or give excuses. They are open to getting better and expect to be challenged and hear tough things. You will never again in your life have the opportunity you have now at the college level: a coaching staff that is totally and completely dedicated to making you and your team better. Tough players listen and are not afraid to say what other teammates may not want to hear, but need to hear.

Show strength in your body language: Tough players project confidence and security with their body language. They do not hang their heads, do not react negatively to a mistake of a teammate, and do not whine and complain to officials. Tough players project strength, and do not cause their teammates to worry about them. Tough players do their jobs, and their body language communicates that to their teammates -- and to their opponents.

Catch and face: Teams that press and trap are banking on the receiver's falling apart and making a mistake. When pressed, tough players set up their cuts, cut hard to an open area and present themselves as a receiver to the passer. Tough players catch, face the defense, and make the right read and play, and they do it with poise. Tough players do not just catch and dribble; they catch and face.

Don't get split: If you trap, a tough player gets shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammate and does not allow the handler to split the trap and gain an advantage on the back side of the trap.

Be alert: Tough players are not "cool." Tough players are alert and active, and tough players communicate with teammates so that they are alert, too. Tough players echo commands until everyone is on the same page. They understand the best teams play five as one. Tough players are alert in transition and get back to protect the basket and the 3 point line. Tough players don't just run back to find their man, they run back to stop the ball and protect the basket.

Concentrate, and encourage your teammates to concentrate: Concentration is a skill, and tough players work hard to concentrate on every play. Tough players go as hard as they can for as long as they can. It's not your shot; it's our shot: Tough players don't take bad shots, and they certainly don't worry about getting "my" shots. Tough players work for good shots and understand that it is not "my" shot, it is "our" shot. Tough players celebrate when "we" score.

Box out and go to the glass every time: Tough players are disciplined enough to lay a body on someone. They make first contact and go after the ball. And tough players do it on every possession, not just when they feel like it. They understand defense is not complete until they secure the ball.

Take responsibility for your actions: Tough players make no excuses. They take responsibility for their actions. Take James Johnson for example. With 17 seconds to go in Wake's game against Duke on Wednesday, Jon Scheyer missed a 3-pointer that bounced right to Johnson. But instead of aggressively pursuing the ball with a sense of urgency, Johnson stood there and waited for the ball to come to him. It never did. Scheyer grabbed it, called a timeout and the Blue Devils hit a game-tying shot on a possession they never should've had. Going after the loose ball is toughness -- and Johnson didn't show it on that play. But what happened next? He refocused, slipped a screen for the winning basket, and after the game -- when he could've been basking only in the glow of victory -- manned up to the mistake that could've cost his team the win. "That was my responsibility -- I should have had that," Johnson said of the goof. No excuses. Shouldering the responsibility. That's toughness.

Look your coaches and teammates in the eye: Tough players never drop their heads. They always look coaches and teammates in the eye, because if they are talking, it is important to them and to you.

Move on to the next play: Tough players don't waste time celebrating a good play or lamenting a bad one. They understand that basketball is too fast a game to waste time and opportunities with celebratory gestures or angry reactions. Tough players move on to the next play. They know that the most important play in any game is the next one.

Be hard to play against, and easy to play with: Tough players make their teammates' jobs easier, and their opponents' jobs tougher.

Make every game important: Tough players don't categorize opponents and games. They know that if they are playing, it is important. Tough players understand that if they want to play in championship games, they must treat every game as a championship game.

Make getting better every day your goal: Tough players come to work every day to get better, and keep their horizons short. They meet victory and defeat the same way: They get up the next day and go to work to be better than they were the day before. Tough players hate losing but are not shaken or deterred by a loss. Tough players enjoy winning but are never satisfied. For tough players, a championship or a trophy is not a goal; it is a destination. The goal is to get better every day.

When I was playing, the players I respected most were not the best or most talented players. The players I respected most were the toughest players. I don't remember anything about the players who talked a good game or blocked a shot and acted like a fool. I remember the players who were tough to play against. Anybody can talk. Not anybody can be tough.