Noah Katz, Asst Men’s Basketball Coach, North Carolina – Pembroke
This video is a segment from one of the 120 Videos in Glazier Drive Basketball.
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The full video that this clip came from is available on Glazier Drive: Transition Offense & Early Scoring Opportunities
OVERVIEW
This transcript is a coach walking through five transition drills used in practice, explaining how each one is run and why. Note: due to a lost footage account, the clips shown are from the women’s team, though the coach explains some differences in how the men’s team runs them.
DRILL 1: CIRCLE TRANSITION
A twist on the classic drill. Instead of 5 bodies circling the coach, this version puts all 10 players in the paint (5 vs. 5) around the coach. The coach throws the ball off the backboard, and it’s a live rebounding battle — guards sprint to 15 feet and half court while bigs crash the glass. Whoever secures the rebound immediately pushes in transition (no alternating “red ball, blue ball” turns). The emphasis is tying transition offense directly to rebounding, since that’s the program’s core advantage.
DRILL 2: BLITZ BREAK
The first drill of every practice. Five players start with a foot in the paint off a made basket. Each player must get a layup in sequence: guard pitch-ahead same side, guard pitch-ahead opposite side, guard push-and-finish, rim runner, then trail man. The catch: there’s a 30-second clock, and the ball can never touch the floor — meaning the trail player has to sprint to secure every rebound before it hits the ground. If the ball hits the floor or time runs out, the drill repeats until it’s done clean.
DRILL 3: BUILDUP DRILL (“HOGS”)
A variation on the standard 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 buildup drill. Instead of starting at the free-throw line, it begins full court with two guards going 1-on-1 in transition, then builds to 2-on-1, 3-on-2, 4-on-3, and finishes with a full 5-on-5 possession. Defenders can’t leave the baseline until the ball is secured (violations cost a point). The philosophy: “take pride in beating the guy across from you.”
DRILL 4: TAG THE LINE / FULL-COURT CUTTHROAT
Framed here as a transition defense drill rather than offense, though offensive transition principles are still coached throughout. One player tags half court and sprints back on defense while the team plays at a numbers disadvantage, following the program’s “defensive commandments.” Scoring on the defense sends them off the court; stopping the play earns them a chance to score. Even though the focus is defense, players are still expected to execute transition offense principles (rim runner, filling corners/slot, playing until whistle).
BONUS ACCOUNTABILITY TOOL: THE TURNOVER BOARD
Not a drill, but a practice habit: 12 numbers are posted on the bleachers. Every live turnover in practice removes a number; hitting zero means conditioning. Aggressive-but-missed passes (good decision, bad execution) are not counted against players — the goal is to protect risk-taking on the right reads.
DRILL 5: HEAT TRANSITION
No footage available (drawn up via Fast Draw instead), from the coach’s time at FAU. Setup: 4 offensive players in the paint tap the ball off the backboard for 5–6 seconds while 3 defenders wait at the top of the key and 2 more under the basket. On the whistle, the ball is outlet to a guard at the wing and the offense breaks into transition spots (rim runner, wings, trailer) while defenders sprint back — but two defenders are held for a 2-second delay before joining, creating an early 5-on-3 advantage that evolves into 5-on-5.
