Basketball Program Blueprint System of Play

By Brian Williams on May 2, 2013

Here are some questions to use for structuring your philosophy to determine how your team will play. I hope that it also inspires your coaching staff to come up with more questions that fit your goals and objectives.

What are our defensive and offensive philosophies?
What are the strengths of our players and how can we best utilize those strengths while hiding their weaknesses?
What is the optimal number of possessions per game for this group?
Can we defend for that number of possessions at that pace?
How is our ability compared to the best teams in our region of the state tournament? our conference? our area?
How do we need to play to advance as far as possible in the state tournament?
What is our depth like?
How does our depth affect our style of play?
What will our substitution pattern be?

Create a system your players believe in, that is consistent, and that you can evaluate to help your team’s performance improve.

Once you have determined your objectives and goals for the upcoming season, then you will determine your

specific offensive scheme (Click the link for some questions to help refine your system) and
defensive scheme.(Click the link for some questions to help refine your system)
The most important aspect of putting your team together is the way you plan and execute your basketball practice sessions.

Basketball Workouts Peer Pressure

By Brian Williams on April 30, 2013

I am always looking for skill improvement drills that are competitive and or put pressure on our players.

I like this partner shooting drill that puts peer pressure on the shooter to hit the shot for his/her teammate.

Make sure your speakers are on to see and hear the You Tube videos This is a YouTube video, so please make sure that you are on a server that allows YouTube access.

This drill is provided by BasketballHQ.com. To see more of their resources, click the link.

A really good shooting drill to use in out of season workouts or during practices. You can certainly add your own variety of shots. To add a level of competitiveness, you can time how long it takes to complete the drill and have the players compete to a certain standard or to break the personal or team best time.

Basketball Plays Hoosier Choice

By Brian Williams on April 29, 2013

This is a set to run against a man to man defense.

This play came from coach Creighton Burns’ Newsletter. It offers a couple of choices for your #3.

#1 will make the entry pass to #3 and run a corner cut to the ball side corner.

#2 will set his man and cut hard up to the point.

#3 will pass the ball to #2 at the point and cut through to the opposite block.

#2 will swing the ball over to #4, and then move down to set a double screen with #5.

#1 will cut hard to fill the point.

#4 will make the pass to #1 at the point. On this pass, #3 will use the double screen and either “curl” around the screen, or cut at a “45” off the double screen.

When #3 frees himself, #1 will get him the ball. If #3 curls and does not get a pass, #2 will pop out to the wing to create a passing lane for #1. #1 will then give the ball to #2 and #2 will look inside to #5.

In this diagram, #4 passes and screens down for #3. #3 accepts the down screen from #4 and cuts out to receive the ball.

#3 may have a shot, or a feed down low to #4. Note: #1 will pass and replace himself. When #2 sees the “crackdown” he will pop out and fill the wing.

#3 may have a shot, or a pass inside to #4.

#5 will move up the lane line toward the elbow to take the back side help away.

If the defense is fronting #4, #5 may step to the ball for a “hi-low” situation.

Maturity Is…

By Brian Williams on April 24, 2013

This is an article I like to include each year in our player’s notebooks. I also think that these qualities or any mental or intangible qualities you are looking to instill in your players must be a part of your improvement season or out of games season workouts or practices.

A certain amount of growth in maturity (or any other character trait that we value in our programs) will develop with returning players being a year older. But, my belief is that for those traits to reach the level I want them at for the entire season, I must work to develop them from April to October in addition to the daily work we do on them during the season.

I hope these ideas have some value to you and can use them to help your players to improve mentally.

Maturity Is…

1. The ability to do a job whether you are supervised or not; finish a job once it is started; carry money without spending it, and be able to bear an injustice without wanting to get even.
2. The ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction.
3. Patience. It is the willingness to postpone immediate gratification in favor of the long-term gain.
4. Perseverance, the ability to sweat out a project or a situation in spite of heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks.
5. The capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration, discomfort and defeat without being bitter, complaint or collapse.

1. Humility. It is being big enough to say, “I was wrong” and I am sorry.” And, when right, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, “I told you so!”
2. The ability to make a decision and stand by it. The immature spend their lives exploring endless possibilities; then they do nothing.
3. Dependability, integrity, and keeping one’s word. It coming through in a risis. The immature-have excuses for everything. The immature are masters of the alibi. They are confused and disorganized. They are the chronically tardy, the-no shows the gutless wonders who fold in the crises. Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business and good intentions that somehow never materialized.
4. The art of living in peace with that which we-cannot change, the courage to change that which can be changed and the wisdom to know the difference!

Something each of us possesses large-or small-pockets of immaturity: the totally mature individual does not exist. Nor does one grow up all at once. Like physical growth, emotional growth is achieved one day at a time.
Unselfishness, responding to the needs of others.
“Our coaching staff believes-through extensive experience-that competitive athletics contributes materially to maturity.”

Basketball Drills Closeout One on One

By Brian Williams on April 23, 2013

This drill was posted by Coach Randy Brown in FastModel’s library. The library has hundreds of plays and drills from coaches all over the world and from various levels of coaching. You can check it out here:

Fast Model Plays and Drills Library

Toughness and execution are the features of this three point close out drill. The goal is for the offensive player to get an open three point shot at the top of the key.

The defender’s mission is to take the shot away. If he is successful they play 1 on 1 until a foul, basket, or defensive stop occurs.

Drill starts in these positions. 1 has to start in jump circle in the back court. On “Go” X1 sprints to touch baseline and out to close out on ball.

Goal for 1 is to drive the ball just above top of key and shoot uncontested three point jump shot. X1 goal is to closeout and take away the three.

Rule: If shooter is open he has to shoot the three.

If X1 takes three point shot away from 1 they play 1 on 1 from top of key.

If X1 gets stop he becomes offensive player. If not 1 will again have the ball with X1 as defender.

This can be an individual drill, playing to a certain score or a team competition.

You can use this as an individual or team drill. It fosters toughness, shot selection and three point accuracy, decision making, closing out, defending and rebounding with two hands. It can add healthy peer pressure to your practices.

Randy Brown continues his passion for the game of basketball well beyond his 30+ year coaching career. An 18 year NCAA Division I head and assistant coach he knows the difficulties of coaching and assists coaches of all levels around the world to help improve our ability to teach the game of basketball the right way.

Here is a link to his site: CoachRb