Troy Culley: Horns Blue Quick Hitters

Coach Culley provides some quick hitters out of the horns set.  These quick hitting actions give all of your players high scoring opportunities.

Troy Culley: Horns Blue Quick Hitters

Troy Culley: Conditioning Drills

If you are looking for some conditioning drills that can be used in-season or off-season, you should check out Coach Troy Culley's conditioning drills.  They are basketball specific conditioning drills so you will see carryover to a lot of your other drills that you are already incorporating,

Troy Culley: Conditioning Drills

Troy Culley: 2 Line Pick and Roll Drill

Coach Troy Culley shares a great drill for teaching pick and roll offense.  This drill allows players to get a feel for the different elements involved in pick and roll basketball and allows them to get lots of repetitions.

Troy Culley: 2 Line Pick and Roll Drill

Troy Culley: Cut Throat Defense Drill

Coach Troy Culley shares a great defensive drill called Cut Throat Defense Drill.  I think you will like these great diagrams.

Troy Culley: Cut Throat Defense Drill

Hold The Rope

Hold The Rope

Every year teams win the NCAA Basketball National Championship at various levels. Every year teams win the Gulf South Conference Championship. All these teams have one thing in common. No matter how tough the training, school, or life in general, they did one thing together – they held the rope.

What is holding the rope? Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliff with twenty thousand feet below you. The only thing between you and a fall to your death is a rope with the person(s) of your choice on the other end. Who would you trust to hold the rope so you could climb to safety? Who do you know that would overcome the fear of being pulled over themselves? Who do know that would let the rope scar their hands and not let go? How many people could you count on who would withstand burning pain and watch blood drip from their hands for you?

The next time you are with the team, look around and ask yourself, “Who could I trust to hold the rope?” “Who could I count on to endure and overcome the pain for me?” When you can look at every member on this basketball team and say to yourself, “They all would hold the rope,” then we are destined to play for a State Championship. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough……wins. When the last minute of a game arrives and the score is close and fatigue and pain have set in, tell your teammates, “I’ll hold the rope for you, I’ll overcome the pain,” then ask them to hold the rope for you.

Every year there are winners and losers in every sport. Every year the winners overcome the fear of failure and the threat of physical pain and hold the rope while the losers plunge to their death. If you prepare well by listening, learning, and providing effort when your coaches and teammates ask for it and most importantly – hold the rope – our team will be successful. In order for a team to win and win consistently, each member must choose to commit totally to each other and the team’s goals. When you’re asked to run, DO IT. When you’re asked to lift weights with intensity, DO IT. When you’re asked to eat properly and rest, DO IT. When you’re asked to compete, DO IT and DO IT with total COMMITMENT. Never let go of that commitment and intensity towards a Championship. Always overcome and always……HOLD THE ROPE!

Brendan Suhr: What the Best Coaches Have

1.Energy, High level of enthusiasm, Great passion.

2. Incredibly determined and mentally tough (be able to handle adversity) You got to go after it, you can't get discouraged (Charlie- Brendan Suhr’s dog, always goes full speed to the door when the door-bell rings- never can stop, always runs into the door- never gets discouraged) You want more shots (Vinny Johnson in NBA playoffs was 1-9, says he is just getting hot)

3. You have to be an optimist every single day.

4. You must develop your skills in what you do (Mastery). Must be an expert in some field of the game (Establish something) - (10,000 hours to develop mastery) (Must be able to say “I can recruit and my style of play wins” or something that you can do)

5. You have to love ALL of your players (Love tough- they have to know you love them first)
Coaching, leadership, parenting-- same skill set Coaching is about helping people when their down.

Miami Heat Indiana Pacers Game 1 Winner

Coach Troy Culley breaks down the final play on last nights Miami last second win.  He has also included a video clip that shows the play as well.  Thanks Coach Culley for all of your great contributions.

Miami Heat Indiana Pacers Game 1 Winner 

Video Breakdown of Miami Last Second Play

Miami Heat Power Set

Coach Troy Culley shows us another set ran by the Miami Heat.  This set is designed to get the ball into the post as a primary look, while having a 3 point look as a secondary option.

Miami Heat Power Set

David Saur: New BLOG Contributor

I am pleased to announce that there will be a new BLOG contributor.  Coach David Saur has a great mind for the game and has a wealth of knowledge to share with all of us.  Thanks Coach Saur for your future contributions.  

Bio - David Saur just completed his first year as an assistant coach for the IUP women's basketball program (Pa). Saur helped lead the Crimson Hawks to a 23-9 record and a berth into the 2013 NCAA D2 National Tournament. The Crimson Hawks also reach as high as #12 in the national rankings. Saur served as both the recruiting and skill development coordinator this past season.

Coach Saur came to the Crimson Hawks from Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West rival California (Pa.), where he was an assistant/recruiting and skill development coordinator with the women’s basketball program last season.

While at Cal, Saur secured commitments from highly rated players in Maryland and Pennsylvania while also acquiring a pledge from a Division I transfer. Under Saur’s tutelage the Vulcans saw two players earn first team All-PSAC West honors for their outstanding performance during the 2011-2012 season.

Prior to his time in the PSAC, Saur served on the coaching staffs of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Thiel, a NCAA Division III program in Greenville, Pa. While with the Tomcats, he was involved in all aspects of both programs, including on-court coaching, game preparation, preseason workouts, scouting, recruiting and daily operations. During Saur's time with the Tomcats, the men's program had their best season in school history in 2010-2011. The season saw the Tomcats set the school record for wins and earned the conference’s player and coach of the year awards.

Saur a native of Baltimore, MD has also earned a reputation as being a high level player development coach. Coach Saur has worked with numerous high level players and coaches including a four-year stint with current Washington Wizards assistant coach Joe Connelly. He’s worked with several current and former NBA players, including Rudy Gay (Toronto Raptors), Donte Greene (Memphis Grizzles), Sam Young (Indiana Pacers), and DaJuan Summers (Los Angeles Clippers).

Saur graduated from Laurinburg Prep in Laurinburg, N.C., in 2007. While at Laurinburg, he averaged nearly 15 points per game and helped lead the Tigers to a top-15 finish in the USA Today prep school rankings.

Saur earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Thiel in 2011 and his master’s in sport management from Cal in 2012.

New Mexico Wide Set

I got this set from a New Mexico game a while back.  I found it to be an interesting dribble hand-off action that results in a post entry.

New Mexico Wide Set

Coaching Quote #82: Character

“ I've always felt that you win with good people. To me character is just as important as ability. Character has to do with how people are put together. It’s the correlation between what they believe and how they act.”

--- Don Shula

2008 Tasman Coaches Clinic

Today's clinic notes were taken at the 2008 Tasman Coaches Clinic.  The featured presenter was Damian Cotter, Head Coach - New South Wales Institute of Sport Basketball Program.  One of the things that really stood out to me was his breakdown of skill development.


3 Phases of skill development
1. Learn the skill
2. Learn to apply the skill
3. Apply the skill

• The most neglected phase in developing skill is phase 2
• Coaches fear this stage – lack of control?
• Players need to learn by doing
• Players must be held accountable during this phase

Hope you enjoy these coaching clinic notes.

2008 Tasman Coaches Clinic

Contact and Catch Drill

Today's drill is a good drills to teach players how to play through contact, make a quality catch and then score.  Good drill to add to your off-season and in-season drill book.

Contact and Catch Drill

Troy Culley: Miami Heat Horns Playbook

Coach Troy Culley has put together a great playbook on Miami Heat Horns Sets.  I think you will really like the plays that Coach Culley has put together for us.

Troy Culley: Miami Heat Horns Playbook

Billy Donovan: Elbow Cross Set

Here is a great half court set that has a number of screening actions to get your star player a high percentage shot.  I like screen the screen actions because it makes it more difficult for defenders to hedge or jam cutters coming off of the screen.

Billy Donovan: Elbow Cross Set

Colleen Mullen: Penetrate and Kick Drills

Today's coaching notes are from Colleen Mullen on drive and kick drills.  These notes have quality coaching ideas along with great diagrams.  Hope they help your team's off-season development.

Colleen Mullen: Penetrate and Kick Drills

Coaching Quote #81: Winning

"Winning isn't like a light bulb. You can't just switch it on when you need it."

--- Eric Musselman

The Five Postulates of Basketball

By Al Rhodes

1) The team that shoots the most free throws and gets the most rebounds will usually win.
2) Players must be running full speed in two steps when converting from offense back to defense.
3) Keep the ball out of the strike zone.
4) To beat a zone defense, you need to exhibit patience, make good passes, employ pass fakes, penetrate into the middle of the defense by pass or dribble, and get good shots for your best shooters.
5) Good offense is played from the inside out. In others words attack inside and then kick it back out.
6) When attacking a press, attack the basket. Do not get the ball across the time line and then pause. Take the ball to the baseline and reverse the court!
7) If you are going to have a championship team, each player must give up his personal agenda for the good of the team. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
8) Every great team is DISCIPLINED!
9) If your players are “dogs” in the classroom, they will be dogs on the floor.
10) “Whatever it takes” — give second effort! Everyone makes the first effort, but the champions make the second, third and fourth efforts, whatever it takes to win the game!
11) The Mikan Drill is a great drill for all players — post and perimeter.
12) When you talk about playing hard, make sure your players know what you mean. For example; a player is not playing hard if he quits sprinting back on defense or does not run hard on the fast break…if a player plays scared…if a player does not screen…if a player forgets a play…if a player whines, complains or makes excuses…if a player does not dive for the loose ball, take the charge or rebound…if a player fouls as his opponent drives around him…or if a player does not help on defense.
13) A great defensive philosophy is: A. Do not give up the layup, B. Do not foul, C. Contest every shot, D. Give only one contested shot and get the rebound.
14) Players must talk and communicate on the court. A silent, quiet team cannot play good defense.
15) Make each practice tougher than the game!
16) Players must use the pass fake and shot fake.
17) When a decision between a player and the team must be made, it will always be the team!
18) You win with shot makers not shot takers.
19) Practice is not punishment, nor is repetition.
20) Always work on the fundamentals of the game.

Spain Offensive Sets

Today's sets are a breakdown of the sets used by the men's basketball team from Spain.  The first resource has some ball screen actions out of the Horns set.  The second resource is an in-depth playbook of Spain's offense which includes some Horns actions, quick hitters and some baseline hitters.

Spain Basketball Sets

Spain Basketball Playbook

Howard Garfinkel: Clinic To End All Clinics 5

Coach Jim Ponchak compiled these notes from the Howard Garfinkel Clinic To End All Clinics 5.  The notes  contain coaching tidbits and a number of diagrams.  I particularly liked the section on John Beilein practice drills.  Lots of good information.

 Howard Garfinkel: Clinic To End All Clinics 5

Chair Lay-up Drill

Today's drill is a chair lay-up drill.  It involves different aspects to shooting lay-ups including ripping the ball off of the chair, various finishing moves, and conditioning.  Hope this helps your players in their off-season development.

Chair Lay-up Drill

High Repetition Shooting Drills

If you are looking for shooting drills that get your players a high volume of shots, you should check out these shooting drills.  Each of these drills is competitive, requires conditioning, and game-like.  These drills can be used in the off-season or during the season.  I particularly like the Colony Shooting drill.

High Repetition Shooting Drills

Tod Kowalcyk: Ball Screen Offense

If you are looking for a good ball screen offense, you should check out Tod Kowalcyk's ball screen offense. This offense incorporates good spacing and attacking driving actions off of ball screens.  Even if you don't use ball screens as your primary offense, you can use some of these sets and actions as quick hitting entries into your base offense.

Tod Kowalcyk: Ball Screen Offense

Bobby Knight: Fort Walton 2009 Clinic Notes

Today's clinic notes are from a 2009 clinic at Fort Walton featuring Bobby Knight. Whether it is a philosophical point or a practice drill, Coach Knight always has something that coaches can use in their programs.  As I read through these notes, the thing that stood out to me was how simplistic Coach Knight made the game.  Something that I will definitely keep in mind.

Bobby Knight: Fort Walton 2009 Clinic Notes

Coaching Quote #80: Getting Open

"Walk right into your defenders chest then make your change of direction – change of speed"

--- Billy Donovan

2010 Sergio Scariolo International Coach Nike Clinic

Here is a nice presentation presented by Sergio Scariolo at the International Coach Nike Clinic in 2010.  It discusses some changes to FIBA rules in 2010 and how to adjust to these rule changes.  A good resource if you play under FIBA rules.

2010 Sergio Scariolo International Coach Nike Clinic

Hoops-Library: Tactical Analysis of the 2011 Euroleague Champions: Panathinaikos

Coach Troy Culley shares a web resource with us that has a very detailed breakdown of Euroleague / Greek Powerhouse Panathinaikos.  Here, you find offensive and defensive diagrams and video footage the Euroleage Champions: Panathinaikos.

 

Hoops-Library: Tactical Analysis of the 2011 Euroleague Champions:  Panathinaikos 

Andy Wood: Open Post Offense

If you are looking for some entries and sets that lead into the open post offense, you should check out this resource which features open post sets and entries.  There are lots of different actions presented here that will get you into a base open post offense.

Hope they help

Andy Wood: Open Post Offense

West Virginia: Open Post Flex Entry

Here is a simple entry that I saw West Virginia run to get into their open post offense.  This would be a good counter to run for those of you who like to run a Floppy action, which starts in a similar formation.

West Virginia: Open Post Flex Entry

Coaching Quote #79: Practice

"You should never face something in a game that your players haven't experienced."

--- Brad Stevens

Coaching Quote #77: Coaching

"Coaching is about kids, people and relationships......not X's and O's"

--- Buzz Williams

Troy Culley: 4 Low Quick Hitter

It is always good to have a quick hitting play to end the quarter / shot clock with.  Coach Troy Culley shows us a 4 Low Quick Hitter that incorporates shooters in the corners and a high ball screen to give your point guard separation from his defender or force a big on small switch.

Troy Culley: 4 Low Quick Hitter

Julie Folks: Defensive Rebounding

If you are looking for some good defensive rebounding techniques and drills, you should check out this resource from Julie Folks. Coach Folks stresses these rebounding fundamentals in all of her drills.

1. Call Shot (communicate!!)

2. Meet face to face with contact

* Send a message

* Low center of gravity

3. Punch through & catch

4. Box out

5. Go get the ball

Julie Folks: Defensive Rebounding

Nike Clinic: Maine West High School 2009

Today's clinic notes are taken from the 2009 Nike Clinic at Maine West High School.  This clinic featured the following coaches.

Buzz Williams

Phil Martelli

Mark Few

Gary Waters

Pat Sullivan

Tom Pecora

Nike Clinic: Maine West High School 2009

New Mexico: 4 Loop

Here is a nice high low action ran by New Mexico that you can run to get your post player quality touch.  It has a nice lob option, ball screen look and ultimately finishes with a high low look.

New Mexico: 4 Loop Set

Mark Few: X Floppy

I saw Gonzaga run this set a number of times this season.  It starts in a box formation and ends up with a wing ball screen and a floppy read for the point guard.  Again, this is a good scoring look for a point guard who can shoot off of screening actions.

Mark Few: X Floppy

Bob Huggins: 5 Pop Set

Here is a set that I saw West Virginia run.  It is a good action to run if you have a point guard who is good at shooting off screens or if you have a 2 guard who has a good post up game.

Bob Huggins: 5 Pop Set

Fundamentals for Creating a Great Life

Abraham Lincoln’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Creating a Great Life

1. See the positive in people - “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.”
2. Be honest - “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
3. Unite - “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
4. Create a friend where there isn't one - “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”
5. Believe in and go after your own success - "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one"thing.”
6. Persist - “Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible.”
7. Take responsibility for your own life - “You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”
8. Sharpen you ax - “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.”
9. Happiness is optional - “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be."
10. Live your life fully - “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Coaching Quote #76: Chances

"We all get new chances to the end of our lives, but not second chances in the same set of
circumstances; and the great difference between one person and another is how he takes hold and
uses his first chance, and how he takes his fall if it is scored against him."

--- Thomas Hughs

Kevin Sutton: 2 Ball Shooting Workout

If you are looking for some new shooting drills to include in your off-season workouts, you should take a look at this resource from Kevin Sutton.  Not only does Coach Sutton provide workout drills, but also gives you his perspective on what it takes to be a good shooter.  A great resource

Kevin Sutton: 2 Ball Shooting Workout

Bruce Weber: 4 vs. 3 Scramble Drill

I am a huge fan of disadvantage drills, so I really took a liking to Bruce Weber's 4 vs. 3 scramble drill. This particular drill is a great change-up for teaching rebounding.

Bruce Weber: 4 vs. 3 Scramble Drill

2011 Covington Catholic Clinic

This resource offers a little something for everyone.  Lots of great philosophical items to coaching.  I particularly liked the section from Hep Cronin (Mick Cronin's father).  Anyone who has coached 40 years is going to have lots of experiences to share with others.

2011 Covington Catholic Clinic

Troy Culley: Panathinaikos-Maccabi Sets

Coach Culley shares some Panathinaikos-Maccabi Sets.  There are a variety of different scoring actions you can use to get your best players quality shots.

Troy Culley: Panathinaikos-Maccabi Sets

Bobby Hurley Sr.: Michigan

Coach Troy Culley shows a play that Bobby Hurley runs frequently with his team at St. Anthony.  This play starts from a baseline out of bounds situation and then flows into a set action.

Bobby Hurley Michigan

Mike Rudd Continuity Offense

There are tons of continuity offenses out there.  One that you might not be familiar with is Mike Rudd's continuity offense. His offense has elements of the flex in it, but differs in overall spacing because he utilities a high post presence.

Mike Rudd Continuity Offense

John Kresse: Late Game Winners

One of my favorite things about the game of basketball is late game strategies / philosophies.  I also think it is one of the most under coached elements of the game.  John Kresse provides a number of late game strategies that can be incorporated into your playbook or may at least spark some of your own ideas / conversations about late game play. 

John Kresse: Late Game Winners

UNC 2003 Practice Notes

Here is another set of practice notes taken from a practice at the University of North Carolina in 2003.  Even if the drills used in the practice don't fit your system, I think it is important to pay note the comments at the end of the notes.

• High level of organization
• All drills run to time, no drill goes over time
• Quick transition from drill to drill
•  Multiple repetition of fundamentals in short periods of time
• Assistant coaches provide a high level of “on the run” instruction, Coach Williams speaks to the players as a group regularly during practice
•  Emphasis on sprinting the floor on transition, not simply running

UNC 2003 Practice Notes

2010 Chicago Bulls Practice Notes

If you are curious to see what an NBA practice is like, you should check out these notes from a Chicago Bulls practice.  There is a lot of information on defensive and offensive approaches covered.  There is also one statement in there that caught my eye in regards to the Bulls putting in 40 sets in a weeks time.  It is amazing how those players are able to remember all of those sets / counters.

2010 Chicago Bulls Practice Notes

Oliver Purnell: How To Build Team Chemistry

1. Communication
2. Atmosphere
3. Discipline
4. A sense of ownership
5. Positive reinforcement (Praise what you want repeated)

Coaching Quote #75: Shooting

"Biggest thing in shooting is mentality of shooter"

--- Herb Magee

Jan Willem Jansen: Pick and Roll Offense and Defense

Coach Troy Culley offers another great basketball resource on pick and roll offense and defense.  This resource was put together by Jan Willem Jansen who works with the Netherlands Basketball Federation.  In this resource, you will find a detailed guide to implementing pick and roll basketball as a means to teach youth basketball.

Jan Willem Jansen: Pick and Roll Offense and Defense

Troy Culley: NAU Coaches Clinic 2012

Coach Troy Culley shares a great resource from the 2012 NAU Coaches Clinic.  Included in the notes is a section from Mike Dunlap on his 1-1-3 match-up zone defense.  If you are a zone defensive coach, I HIGHLY recommend you look into Coach Dunlap's materials.  Here are some of the benefits of playing a zone defense as noted by Coach Dunlap.

1. Stealing practice time from coaches.  Coaches spend far more time preparing for man defense than they do zone defense.
2. Keep bigs out of foul trouble
3. Keep bigs in rebounding position
4. Easier to protect the lane and rim
5. The only way a good zone gets beat is by the jump shot
6. Pick and roll is very hard against a zone

Troy Culley: NAU Coaches Clinic 2012