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March 30, 2021
Four-Minute Coaching Sessions
As the season ends, coaches take stock and rebuild for what is next to come with the new season. This four-minute coaching gameplan and tips just might help players understand and grasp your program's concepts better. During practice or summer camps...
December 23, 2019
’22’ half-court press smothers ball handlers
The "22” is a highly effective 2-2-1 half-court press defense. It has turned some of my average defensive teams into ball-hawking defensive squads. There are many benefits to running the “22.” It disrupts the opposing team’s offensive fl...
December 9, 2019
An aggressive 1-3-1 zone for trap, half-court defenses
Initially, our 1-3-1 zone was intended to serve as a half-court trap in a multiple defense package. When the trap was broken, our players were instructed to fall back into another half-court defense, such as a 2-3 or 3-2 zone. We soon found, however,...
December 2, 2019
Steve Prohm’s defensive stance & closeout drills
* Editor's note: Steve Prohm shared these drills with Winning Hoops in 2012, when he was the head coach of the Murray State men’s basketball team. Iowa State men's basketball coach Steve Prohm believes in coaching defense first and foremast for his...
October 14, 2019
Phil Martelli’s warmup drills to prep players for practice
Our team starts every practice with a drill that serves as a great warmup routine. During warmup drills, time your players and give them a specific goal. Once your players meet the time and goal, have them move on to the next drill. [caption id="at...
August 12, 2019
4 half-court denial drills to clamp down on offenses
Denying the pass takes a tremendous amount of athleticism, focus and preparation on a defender’s part. Here are four half-court denial drills that prepare your players for game action. Cut the cutter This drill develops the proper techniques used i...
July 1, 2019
Point-zone defense picks apart offenses
The point-zone defense is a simple way to match up against an opponent while using zone responsibilities, which many times confuse the opponent. The defense offers the same advantages as a match-up zone, but it takes less time to teach. It's also eas...
May 16, 2019
10 creative methods for ‘selling’ defense to your players
It may sound like a cliché, but our program strongly believes that we win championships with defense. We also believe that the foundation of any quality program is based on defense. [caption id="attachment_11874" align="alignleft" width="319"] Pho...
February 18, 2019
The Front and the Pack
How to gain an edge defending the post player from the front [caption id="attachment_11710" align="alignleft" width="285"] Photo: Kevin Hoffman[/caption] The way you defend the post dictates how you play everywhere else. This is one of the core cove...
February 6, 2019
‘Thunder & Lightning’ trapping press unleashes relentless pressure
For a full-court press to be successful, you must continuously stress the importance of attitude and communication among players. We developed a full-court trap named “Thunder & Lightning” because thunder represents power, and lightning repre...
Some #TuesdayTips via The Aspen Institute Project Play on coaching priorities.
