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four-minute
March 30, 2021

Four-Minute Coaching Sessions

by Coach Dick Luther, assistant coach UW-Whitewater

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

by Doc Green, contributing writer

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

by David Hoch, contributing writer

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,...


Steve Prohm
December 2, 2019

Steve Prohm’s defensive stance & closeout drills

by Winning Hoops

* 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...


DeAndre Bembry
October 14, 2019

Phil Martelli’s warmup drills to prep players for practice

by Phil Martelli, contributing writer

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...


basketball denial defense
August 12, 2019

4 half-court denial drills to clamp down on offenses

by Andy Landers, contributing writer

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

by Creighton Burns, contributing writer

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

by Marc L. Comstock, Grass Lake High School, Michigan

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...


basketball defense block
February 18, 2019

The Front and the Pack

by Brian Kissinger, Ferris High School, Washington

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...


basketball trapping
February 6, 2019

‘Thunder & Lightning’ trapping press unleashes relentless pressure

by Tony Thompson, contributing writer

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...