A high-flying team that scores a lot of points is fun to watch, but it is proven time and time again ....DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS! As in the recent NBA championships...we are going to explore the main aspect of a strong team "Man-to-Man" defense. This is referred to as "Ball-You-Man". The "Ball-You-Man" concept will keep each player focused on the two most important defensive strategies: 1. Only the person with the ball can score, and 2. You are primarily responsible for stopping the person that you are guarding from scoring, but it is your job to help your teammate to stop the other team from scoring.
with Tubby Smith,
University of Minnesota Head Coach,
Coached the '98 NCAA Champions (UK)
Tubby Smith's four tenets of defense are: don't give up lay-ups, no second shots, contest all shots and force the opponent to make plays. His on ball defensive philosophy is keyed by good pressure and pushing the ball to the sideline. All penetrating passes are overplayed in addition to constant ball pressure. In this presentation, Coach Smith breaks down each defensive position in terms of positioning and responsibility. Trapping areas in this system are in the paint on penetration by the defender and the closest help defender. Ball penetration causes defensive rotation, which is highlighted by Smith as the ball is moved around. On a pass-by-pass basis, Smith analyzes the defense's goals, strengths and vulnerable areas. Being aggressive on defending in-bounds passes is another focus of this defensive system. Full court pressure includes ball pressure, back tapping and aggressive trap situations. Smith discusses the white press - good after a dead ball or made shot - and the black deny press. He also includes drills that teach many of the individual and team concepts needed to build this defense, including the 4-on-4 half court, which is a staple in his practice.
with Kevin Sutton,
Montverde Academy Men's Basketball Head Coach,
NIKE Skill Academy Instructor
This is a comprehensive look at Coach Sutton's defensive game plan. The parts that make up this game plan are defensive philosophy, principles, terminology and drills. One key concept that Sutton concentrates on is that five defenders guard the ball, developing a "we" team attitude. Players are taught to play the ball and see the man. By using the arms and being physical, players are taught to play big. On the floor, Sutton puts his team through their dynamic stretching routine and tennis ball exercises. The goal of tennis ball drills is to increase eye-hand coordination and concentration. The group step drill, "W" slides, "W" slides with two defenders and five different "Z" drills provide a foundation of defensive drills. Disadvantage drills are another segment of his intense drills. These drills give a man advantage to the offense, forcing the defense to cover an extra player at all times. In 4-on-4 drills, the only way to score is from your defense. These drills teach competitiveness, maximum effort and reinforce defensive principles. The drills are actually 4-on-4-on 4 involving 12 players in this continuous drill. All elements of Sutton's "Defend to Win" attitude are seen in this set of drills. You will find no gray areas in this defensive system - it is clear, concise and set up for defensive success!
with Geno Auriemma,
5X NCAA Championships, 5X National "Coach of the Year"
Good defense is based on knowing what the opponent does well and taking it away. In order to accomplish this, Coach Auriemma demonstrates his four cornerstones of half court defense. These four areas of emphasis are defending the baseline drive, guarding and trapping the post, closing out on the shooter and defending the pick and roll. Ball pressure on the point guard and wing denial are two keys in the half court. The three-point line is a guide for defenders to push the offense beyond the line. Doubling the post on the pass is required against good offensive players. Auriemma teaches his defenders to react to the pass and trap the post aggressively. A basic 2-on-2 drill is demonstrated to show the importance proper close outs on the ball. Several different looks are demonstrated regarding the pick and roll. It is important to design a defensive plan based on the ability of your players and your opponent. Auriemma's overriding idea is to make good players take tough shots!
with Lewis Howard, Five-Star Basketball Coach/Instructor; Largo HS (MD) Head Boys Basketball Coach
The high scoring offense at Largo High School is based on defensive pressure and forcing turnovers. Coach Howard opens with the half court shell drill. Elements included are jumping to the ball, help side, strong side, rotation and trapping the corner. Another drill that helps build team defense is the head on the ball drill. As the dribbler works up the floor, the defender stays in front of the ball, making the dribbler change directions. The drill ends with one-on-one play from half court. One of his signature trapping defenses is 25, which is a full court strategy when you let your man catch the ball in front and uses trapping. A straight man-to-man defensive system in the half court, 22, adds trapping in the half court. The two-on-one trap drill is a key drill for this system of play. Other drills address recovery, loose balls, taking the charge, and deflections.
with Kelvin Sampson,
Indiana University Head Coach,
'01-'02 National Coach of the Year
The beginning of solid defensive transition starts with great communication. Coach Sampson uses even/odd situations to teach the defense to react and defend in disadvantage situations like 3-on-2, 4-on-3, and 5-on-4. Through the use of drills, Sampson does a detailed job of presenting his brand of stopping the opponent from scoring easy baskets in transition. Moving to special situations, Sampson believes scoring from the sideline is a crucial part of the game. He presents a number of plays to accomplish this important skill. The first play starts from a triple stack is best used when your team is down 2 points. Post read is the next play and puts pressure on the low post defender. This is a great low clock sideline out-of-bounds play. Others include the push play on the baseline, four across from the sideline and a baseline box play. He ends with three potent set plays. One Down, is a play that gets the ball to the post in a special situation, and Post Shake is a post isolation play. Show and Go is a creative set play that utilizes the slip screen to the basket.
with Mark Fox,
University of Nevada Head Coach;
3X WAC Coach of the Year; 3X WAC Champions
Coach Fox's mantra is "if you don't defend, you don't play." Holding players accountable for defensive play starts with a commitment to that end of the floor. Coaches need to determine the most effective way to protect the basket. Fox teaches players to take charges to protect the goal. Another key is playing the pass as well as defending the dribble. The one-on-one drill emphasizes tracing the ball with hands. This drill can be done full court or stationary. Defending on the wing takes a square stance while defending the pass and the dribble. The shell drill puts several components of defense together into one drill. This versatile shell drill allows the coach to cover multiple situations that occur in a game. A defender must be able to guard every spot on the floor. Fox teaches his philosophy on teaching the down screen, back screen, on ball screen, curl cut, denying cutters, help side position, one-on-one from the wing, help and recover, getting through screens and the cross screen.
with Jim Larranaga,
George Mason University Head Coach;
2006 NCAA Final Four
Coach Larranaga outlines the components of George Mason basketball and why this foundation is so important to the bigger picture. A staple of his winning program is the eight C's; character, competitiveness, competence, consistency, cohesiveness, commitment, communication and confidence. When teaching the game to his players, Larranaga uses a four step process; demonstration, imitation, correction and repetition. Additional teaching categories include guarding an open player, defensive transition and defensive philosophy. Larranaga shows and explains many drills that are part of his daily practices. The second part of Larranaga's instruction focuses on defense. The main George Mason defense is man-to-man, with the scramble as a secondary defense. A combination of the two is a series of zones that he calls the Camouflage, which is used strategically as a surprise defense that forces the offense to react to the defense. Once the opponent gets used to a man-to-man and the scramble, the Camouflage defense puts them on their heels immediately. Included are three core drills for this defense. In a bonus section, the Camouflage and its teaching points are shown with players in a full court setting. Each pass, trap, deflection and player responsibility is analyzed. Two sets of strategies are used; one in the backcourt and one in the frontcourt.
with Pat Summitt,
University of Tennessee Head Women's Basketball Coach;
2008 NCAA Champions - 8-time NCAA Championship Coach, over 950 career wins
Coach Summitt offers a unique look at pre-game preparation during a practice session with the Lady Vols. This presentation begins with offensive breakdown drills early in the practice. A variety of shots will be taken during several shooting drills. Defending the dribble drive is crucial for good man-to-man defense. Summitt feels this is the most difficult thing in team defense. This segment of practice includes many different drills. These drills include the close out, one-on-one defense, 2-on-2 defense, 3-on-3 defense, defensive rotation, turn defense and keeping out of middle. To emphasize the importance of defense, Summitt always makes a goal for the defenders in practice drills. Three consecutive box outs and defensive stops are the goal for the defensive half court drill. Shelling offensive sets come next in the practice plan. This will give coaches the opportunity to teach sets as they play. Added to this drill is defensive transition after a shot is taken 5-0. The next step is to play 5-on-5 with defensive transition. Putting things together, the next segment is scrimmaging against the zone defense. The workout ends with a shooting drill mixed with conditioning. Game footage shows Summitt's team executing the defensive game plan.
with Kevin O'Neill,
former University of Arizona Interim Head Coach
Coach O'Neill's three cornerstones of man-to-man defense are; no easy baskets, no open threes and contested twos. O'Neill is a "run back" guy in terms of defensive transition, meaning three players sprint back on defense as soon as the shot is taken. Half court defense starts by forcing the ball to a side. At this point there is a strong side and a weak side. Weak side players are positioned in the middle of the floor for help. O'Neill believes that a team's defensive effectiveness is measured by their ability to scramble and pick up. To illustrate this, the 5-on-4 drill puts pressure on the defense by being at a one man disadvantage. This drill is done in the half court and full court, including the switch and change call. The 5-on-5 full court forces both teams to defend the basket and not give up easy shots. O'Neill teaches the keys to half court man-to-man defense, focusing on stance and trapping. Pick and roll defense includes the blitz, a hard double team on the ball handing guard. An important point is to give the offense just one way to go, especially on the ball screens. Show-High-Low is a technique for defending the on ball screen on top of the floor.
by Jim Larranaga,
George Mason University Head Coach; 2006 Final Four
Coach Jim Larranaga provides an excellent teaching sequel to his popular Scramble Defense Series. In this tape, Coach Larranaga briefly reviews both types of scramble defense (first pass trap and ball-handler trap) and then gives an excellent review on how to use this effective defense against various offenses. These offenses include 1-4 high, 1-4 low, 2-1-2 or 2-3 set with a high-post, 4-out/1-in, and a secondary fast break set. Against each of these offenses, Coach Larranaga shows how to defend each with both types of scramble defense and includes the positioning and responsibilities of each position and the critical rotations.
with Don Meyer, Northern State University (SD) Head Coach; second all-time winningest coach in NCAA history (891 wins); 2X NAIA National Coach of the Year, NAIA Hall of Fame
Develop a foundation for a solid philosophy in regard to the three-point shot. This DVD delivers five solid methods to obtain quality 3-point shots, defensive emphasis on guarding 3-pointers and a special section on stopping late game 3-pointers. Helpful drills are included.
with Don Meyer,
Northern State University (SD) Head Coach;
second all-time winningest coach in NCAA history (891 wins);
2X NAIA National Coach of the Year,
NAIA Hall of Fame
An easy to understand approach to strength training and conditioning. Brad Bates, Vanderbilt University Strength Coach, demonstrates a program using free weights, nautilus, universal and manual exercises.
with Don Meyer, Northern State University (SD) Head Coach; second all-time winningest coach in NCAA history (891 wins); 2X NAIA National Coach of the Year, NAIA Hall of Fame
Incorporate a defensive system that stresses the importance of the total team defense. The system is organized into nine defensive rules built on three keys: tremendous pressure on the ball, strong helpside support and quick inside help.
Coach Martin's approach to the game starts and ends on the defensive end of the floor, and his defensive style has drawn national attention. In this on-court demonstration clinic, Martin shares his 10-drill defensive progression starting with the basics of individual defense and building into the entire team concept. Martin utilizes the ball line concept in his defensive system, positioning his defense in the passing lanes. His system features aggressive on-ball play, pass denial and relentless help side defense. Every major component of defense is evident in all of his drills and forms the foundation of limiting good shots by the opponent. This defense will benefit your team by smothering the ball and making every pass, dribble and shot a difficult task. With Coach Martin's 10-drill system, you can build a championship defensive attitude and post more wins
with Vance Walberg,
University of Massachusetts Assistant Coach;
Creator of the Innovative Dribble Drive Attack Offense,
2005 California JC Undefeated State Champions
Vance Walberg has established himself as one of the game's most innovative coaches. In 30 years of coaching he has developed a creative style of basketball on both ends of the court. In this DVD, Walberg teaches you his full court defensive system, which he feels is a better innovation than his Dribble Drive Attack Offense. Ironically, this defense is responsible for the development of his popular Dribble Drive Attack Offense. Full court 2-2-1 pressure is the core of Walberg's defensive system of play. Walberg breaks down the court into quarters making it simple to understand and execute the defense. Walberg thoroughly explains and demonstrates each player's assignment and the secrets to making this defense successful. He also shows three zone options in the full court that are generated from this defense. This combination of pressure defense and the Dribble Drive Attack Offense is a proven recipe for winning basketball. After installing his entire system at Clovis West, his teams went 159-18. At Fresno City College his teams went 133-11. Take it from a winner, this system works.
