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January 21, 2019

Fan or funnel? Analyzing which man defense works best

by Matt Andrews, contributing writer

How many times have you heard coaches shout during a key defensive possession, “Don’t give up the baseline!” It's a phrase that rings in every player’s ears at one time or another? Still, other coaches beg and plead with their teams to prote...


January 7, 2019

Progressions to build your full-court man defense

by Ned Viands, contributing writer

The full-court, defensive slide zigzag drill is a program staple. It works on proper defensive ready positions, drop-step footwork, slides, and hand and body location. Here are some suggested progression to get even more out of the zigzag drill and ...


December 13, 2018

Coaching points for defensive post players

by John Kimble, contributing writer

Elevate the performance of your team by focusing on an individual’s T.I.P.S. This teaches man-to-man defensive post players the proper techniques, positioning, location and stances to successfully defend any type of offensive post action. With repe...


November 19, 2018

A half-court transition press that sends offenses ‘scrambling’

by Joseph Kubacki, contributing writer

The Scramble is primarily a 1-2-2 half-court transition press, but it can be used to create confusion in opposing offense virtually every time down the floor. It forces offenses to become reactive instead of proactive. It also pushes offenses to eith...


October 23, 2018

Planning for late-game situations

by John Kimble, contributing writer

Factors like timeouts, defensive matchups and personnel must be considered How many basketball games have you watched or been involved in where the outcome of a close game is determined by just a couple of plays? Both teams may be equal in talent ...


October 10, 2018

‘Jam press’ puts sustained pressure on the ball

by Joseph Kubacki, contributing writer

The key to a successful press defense is sustained pressure on the ball — keeping the “point of the spear” against the jugular of your opponent. But that pressure typically is only applied after a made basket or turnover. The “jam press” is...


September 17, 2018

7 defensive drills that produce results

If your team wants to protect the basket this season, you'll need some effective, efficient defensive drills that produce in-game results. Here is a listing of our most popular drills that can easily be installed in your practices. 1. 'Guard the Yard...


July 23, 2018

How coaches should defend their opponents

by Dr. David Hoch, contributing writer

Some teams have exclusively used man-to-man defense for several years. Other squads may employ a 2-3 zone year-in and year-out. Why? Have you ever analyzed why coaches use the defenses that they do? For example, most coaches early in their careers u...


basketball defense
June 6, 2018

18 characteristics of a good defensive team

by Kevin Sutton, contributing writer

Teams that know how to defense well and pressure opposing offenses have these 18 characteristics in common. 1. They recognize their opponent’s offensive actions/tendencies while they're in the flow of the game. 2. They play defense with their voi...


April 5, 2018

Creating a summer open-gym regimen that gets results

by Chad Cluver, contributing writer

Offseason open-gym workouts — in which specific skill areas are focused on — have proven critical in preparing our teams for the following season. There was a time when we wanted to play as many summer-time games as possible. A couple of years a...