11 Tips for Basketball Tryouts
The following article comes to you via the Hardwood Hustle 110% section. With basketball teams all over the country holding tryouts, we recently recorded an episode to help coaches & players both better maximize this time of the season and either make the team or conduct professional tryouts. You can listen to the episode here. […]
Managing the Officials
During one of my most recent Full-Timeouts during the Hardwood Hustle Podcast, I had an opportunity to speak on properly managing officials. As coaches, we all become frustrated with officials at some point of another. Let me tell you a secret, they aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Officials are responsible for controlling and managing the game. […]
Creating the Read and React Offense
I was asked recently to speak about the process I went through to create the Read & React. I’ve written on this before, but usually from a standpoint of the problems I was trying to solve. This time I talked about a different aspect of the process. Many coaches think that there are 2 versions: […]
Glue Guy
Glue is an adhesive, and according to Webster’s Dictionary, the physics definition of adhesive is “a force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.” That’s a tad too scientific for me. Let’s just say that glue holds stuff together! Who is the glue on your team? […]
Handling Referees – Part 2
NOTE: This is the second post of a 2-part series about high school basketball referees (READ PART 1 HERE). Scott Long, a veteran high school basketball referee from Nebraska, wrote it. Scott is one of the best in the business and I really appreciate his contribution and perspective. I highly recommend you follow him on […]
Attacking Pressure Defense with Read & React
The following is an excerpt from Dick Devenzio’s book, Stuff Good Players Need to Know. In this chapter, Dick talks about the strategy of the defense at the end of the game and what the offense should do to counter it. The defense is pressuring the perimeter players and trying to steal passes. But I find […]
Handling Referees – Part 1
Given I am the only strength & conditioning coach in the history of high school basketball to get a technical foul during a game, it is safe to say I put referees in line with IRS auditors on my scale of favorite people. Heck, I won’t even shop at Foot Locker because their salespeople wear […]
Creating 5-on-4 Situations
Most coaches agree that if you can create more 5-on-4 situations than your opponent, then you stand a better chance of winning. At the same time, wouldn’t it be nice to simplify your offensive goal for your team? Have you ever had players ask you, “Coach, why are we Passing, Cutting, Dribbling-A,t and Feeding the […]
Too Many Games
I am in my 14th year as a full-time, professional basketball-specific strength & conditioning coach. This is my calling for 2 reasons: I love the game of basketball I am passionate about positively influencing young people My mission is to share my philosophy of safe, purposeful and productive training with as many players and coaches […]
Can My Team Run the Read & React?
My short answer is: If your team can run ANY offense, then it can run the Read & React. Sometimes the question comes in the form of a statement: “I don’t know if my team can run the Read & React. If they can’t, then I’m going to teach them something else.” This question or […]
