Chris Mack: Drills to Build the Pack Line Defense

with Chris Mack,
Xavier University Head Coach;
2016 USBWA Henry Iba National Coach of the Year award winner;
2011 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year; 2x Atlantic 10 Conference Champs (2010, ’11);
2009-10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year,
tied the school record for the most wins ever by an Xavier rookie head coach (26).In this on-court clinic presentation, Chris Mack shares everyday drills that are the backbone of his aggressive pack line defensive system.

Coach Mack teaches the defensive basics using individual and team drills that will:

• Create extreme ball pressure
• Keep the ball out of the middle of the court
• Force the offense to take contested jump shots “away from the box”
• Develop excellent help defense and improve communication on defense

These drills emphasize “discouraging the shot, but playing the drive” through positioning, closing out with high hands, building walls, closing gaps and jumping to the ball.

After building the basics, Mack breaks down post defense from initial positioning on the floor to positioning after the offensive catch in the post. You will see his wall up technique for post defense that will create “the toughest 3-foot shot to make.”

Bringing all of the basic defensive concepts and rules together, Mack demonstrates his 3-out, 1-in (unguarded post) drill, his 3-on-3 identity drill and 3-out 1-in identity drill (4-on-4 with a post) to train the players in a game-like tempo.

Coach Mack’s Xavier teams are known for their aggressive man defensive play and this DVD gives you insight into how you can implement these defensive principles and drills.