Become a Better Coach

I have been fortunate enough to be a part of many different programs at many different levels.  I believe that a lot of people make assumptions on different levels based off of rumors and guesses rather than complete knowledge of the subject.  I was lucky growing up with my father.  He was a high school basketball coach and then a college basketball coach and now back to high school.  I got to see a lot of different things at his meetings, practices, and games.

If you really want to get into coaching here are some tips to help.  Learn everything you can about your program.  That could be everything from parent meetings to how you reserve buses for road games.  Most people don't realize that coaches have to deal with all of that stuff on top of coaching the kids. As a head coach of a program, if more than 50% of your job is actually coaching your kids then you have GREAT support staff and assistants.

Become a sponge.  Talk to as many people you can about everything basketball.  Go to as many clinics and college practices you can.  Also, watch basketball on tv.  Just don't watch it either, analyze the game you are watching.  Don't be a ball watcher.

Write things down.  Have a notebook that you keep all your notes in.  I didn't do this until seven years and it's a great resource for me when I need something.  Looking back on words of wisdom, different sets, and different drills that I've picked up over the years.

The last thing I'll talk about is CONNECT, CONNECT, CONNECT.  Meet as many people as you can and try to stay in contact with them as well.  The more people you know the better it is for you down the road.  It isn't a bad idea to work for someone that you don't know very well in order to expand your own coaching tree.  Connecting with different people might not help you immediately but it will probably help you get a job sometime down the road.

Connect, connect, connect - the bigger your tree is, the better you are.

St. Thomas to D1....

Over the past six years all I have heard is that St. Thomas (MN) is looking and should make a move to Division I.  It would balance out the MIAC a little more because their enrollment is at least double of any other school in the conference.  And I will tell you why it doesn't make any sense for them to move from Division III.

They are dominant in the Midwest for D3 in almost all sports.  In the past seven years both their men's and women's programs have won the MIAC All-Sports Competition.  The men's program has doubled any other program in the MIAC in wins.  While the women have more than four times as many wins as any other school.

They perennial have made the NCAA Tournament in football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, to go along with dominance in baseball and softball.  Their track and field teams are also really good.  Their men's indoor track and field team has won every conference championship the MIAC has offered.

Even with this type of dominance is makes zero sense for them to make the move to D1.  Why?  They have a GREAT niche here in the Twin Cities with scholarship level athletes.  They usually compete with the local D2 schools for their student athletes and that usually means success at the D3 level.  I was even told by a D2 head coach that as soon as St. Thomas got involved with a kid they were recruiting that they would back off.  That tells you a lot.

Being a Catholic school is also a big draw for many.  They basically have their own development programs with local Catholic high schools Cretin-Durham Hall, Hill-Murray, Academy of Holy Angels, St. Thomas Academy, Benilde-St. Margaret and DeLaSalle.  Their athletic rosters are littered with kids from those schools. They even will grab the occasional student athlete from Catholic schools in Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Now, I don't this as fact but the fish is this big now is that St. Thomas really helps their student athletes when it comes to financial aid packages.  With a large enrollment like they have and a large endowment they are able to help most students a lot with the financial aid process.  Thus, making it within the rules to help their recruits.  I do know one person that was an athlete there that didn't have any loans after college with not a lot of help from his parents.  While in high school he was enrolled in a Catholic high school and that probably helped some as well.  They may give significant scholarships to students who went to Catholic schools while in high school.

On one side of things "when you are the best player on your block, find another block," but in this situation it doesn't make a ton of sense.  They don't really fit into the D2 demographic and moving to D1 doesn't make a ton of sense for them financially.  Would they get more donations? Yes and no.  A lot of alums really like what they are doing now and why change that.  Their teams would take some major lumps during the transition from D3 to D1.

Another thing to keep in mind that not many think about is how will all the scholarships be financed?  Will they need to cut sports? What D1 conference fits what they are looking for?  What facility upgrades need to happen?  If so, where do they go?  What level do they play at in football, FCS or FBS?  Will they have to make coaching changes?  How much more do they have to pay their coaches?  How many more people do they need to hire within the athletic department to make it work?

There are just too many questions to deal with.  I'm sure other schools in the MIAC would love they they were gone but staying at D3 makes the most sense for now and the future.

Playing Zone

Every year Syracuse does well, a bunch of coaches decide that they are going to play 2-3 zone exclusively for their high school or college program.  In theory, it's a great idea.  How many teams play nothing but zone for a whole game? How many teams work on nothing but playing against a zone all week in practice?  I would say very few and a few teams do because they want to be prepared but their whole practice isn't based on the zone.

Here are some things that I really like about playing zone.

It changes the pace of the game.  The offensive team is forced to slow down and actually look for a decent shot instead of immediately forcing the ball down the defenses throat.  Here in Minnesota, Shakopee HS plays nothing but 2-3 zone and it has forced other teams to slow down and be very deliberate, just the way Shakopee wants to play.  Win for the zone team.

Playing zone also makes the offense stagnant.  With the dribble drive (or offenses similar) becoming more and more popular among coaches, the defense wants to give the offense a change of pace.  The constant movement isn't there anymore.  There are generally two to three guys standing still and that's exactly what the zone is supposed to do.

The last thing a zone does is force certain players to make decisions and shots from areas they generally aren't comfortable at.  This is a huge positive for the defense because not all coaches want their bigs to be the focal part of their offense.

I really like zones and a bunch of different zones but a lot of it depends on personnel.  I think that too many coaches will get out of their zone because the offense scored on the first or second possession.  Just because a team scores doesn't necessarily mean that they have the zone figured out.  Stick with it for a little longer and if they continue to get great shots then it's time to get out of it, but not after one or two possessions.  Imagine if coaches got out of their man to man when scored on for two straight possessions.

National Team Selection

Here's my rundown of the US National Team.  This is what my team would look like without knowing anything as far as practice goes.  Remember that it's extremely tough to completely evaluate a team without seeing practice.  My analysis is completely based on what I've seen from each player for the respective college and NBA careers and how I see them fit into the international game.

IN

Derrick Rose - Even with his previous injury, he is a game changer and has shown that in previous international competitions.  Not sure he can play in all of the games and that's what makes other potential roster spots interesting.

Stephen Curry - Can play either guard position and is a lights out shooter.  Understands the international game and is a zone buster.  No brainer.

James Harden - Is apparently the best player in the NBA, or at least according to him. Has he watched film of his defense? He is another guy that can stretch the floor and will get to the line a ton.

Anthony Davis - Too much length, too much athleticism, too good.  He has gotten so much better and it looks like he is stretching his range out to 3 now.  He will play the 5 but he is moving closer to playing the 4 as well.

DeMarcus Cousins - He is obviously immature but he is a MONSTER.  He looks video game sized in the game vs. Dominican Republic.  He can handle international bigs and will be a major threat on the offensive end.

Klay Thompson - Knock down shooter and has capability to knock down mid-range shots as well.  Very good defender, can cover either guard position.

Kyle Korver - Knock down shooter and everyone knows it.  He will space the floor and give the US guards room to get in the paint.  Zone buster.

Kyrie Irving - He is extremely talented and a Coach K favorite.  He has to be an energy guy off the bench and will play big minutes if Rose can't.

Chandler Parsons - Natural 3 but in international play is a stretch 4.  He played internationally before the NBA lockout and has a good understanding of the international game.  He would be Rudy Gay's backup and I don't see him playing a ton of minutes.

Rudy Gay - They brought him back for a reason.  He, much like Parsons is a 3 but internationally is a 4.  He has a lot of international experience and is a lock for the team.

Andre Drummond - Another monster.  He is a huge presence inside and is a threat in transition, which the US thrives.  He can't play crunch time minutes because his foul shooting is so poor but is a good 3rd big and could play against Spain.

Demar Derozan - He has really surprised me during the first two exhibition games.  He is my last roster spot only because I think Rose plays significant minutes.  He is a NBA "2" and could play that or the 3 in international play.  He can space the floor and has the length to defend the wings.

OUT

Kenneth Faried - Love the way he plays and he looks like a lock to make the team at this point but I don't think he fits at all.  He can't make anything outside of 10 feet and can't defend the international four.

Damien Lillard - Really like his game and I personally feel he is better than Irving but Lillard didn't play at Duke.  If Rose can't go then Lillard is on the squad and I could see him playing significant minutes but I don't see it now.  Roster spot was down to him and Derozan.

Mason Plumlee - Another Dukie who had a great rookie year.  I like him for the future but he isn't ready yet.  I don't believe he has any experience internationally either.  He could have a spot over Drummond because Coach K is more comfortable with him.

Gordon Hayward - Basically the same player as Parsons but doesn't have as much international experience.  Already have Gay as well.  Just isn't enough room for him.  Another good player for the future.

Here is the roster I think Coach K goes with:
Rose
Curry
Harden
Faried
Davis
Irving
Thompson
Gay
Korver
Parsons
Cousins
Plumlee

Be Great

Every day you should make an effort to be great.  This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be the best every day but be great for you.  There are times when your best still isn't good enough for everyone else but it shouldn't matter as long as you were great for you.

I'll take the comparison to sports.  There are times when coaches realize quickly that their teams are overmatched but they compete to their best of their abilities during a game.  You can't fault the effort but the other team is simply better.  Your team was great that day even though the team didn't win the game.  I know every one wants more but sometimes that isn't realistic.

There are times when a team seems overmatched athletically and talent wise yet, figures out a way.  A great example is when Villanova beat Georgetown in the 1985 National Championship Game.  Villanova was great that day and essentially forced a dominant Georgetown team.  Another example is Princeton upsetting defending National Champion UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  And we can't forget about Boise State beating heavily favored Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

There are also other times when your team is great yet the team falls just short.  Perfect examples of this are:

UCLA over Missouri.  Missouri played great that day but UCLA had an answer and here it is.



Florida's Mike Miller makes a tough buzzer beater to take down Butler.  This was our first true introduction to Butler



There are also times when a team is great for a half and then can't hang on during the second half.  A good example of that is West Virginia during their Elite 8 game vs. Louisville when it seemed like they couldn't miss in the first half. The below video is the whole game.  You don't have to watch the whole thing but it's interesting to see WVU be great in the first half and then Louisville be great in the second.



Whatever you do, be great for you.  Things tend to work out for people that try to be great every day.

Good vs. Great Shots

I am a huge preacher of getting GREAT shots every single possession.  I know it isn't always feasible but with the high school rules in Minnesota (no shot clock) why would ever not take a great shot. I am certainly not saying that players will make every single great shot but the percentages increase drastically when you go from good to great.

What is a great shot?

A great shot is a lay-up or a dunk.  It is also most inside-out 3's.  There are also great shots for certain individuals. The reason I say this is because certain guys have a knack for making certain shots that are difficult for most.

The main shot I am talking about in this situation is a pull-up jumper.  Now, according to the new analytic thinking, anything mid-range is considered a bad shot.  I disagree.  If one of your players has really worked on that shot, that shot can become a great weapon.  Again, it's not a shot for everyone.  If a player can make that shot 50%-60% of the time, it still is a great shot.  Only if a few things occur.  Those things are getting a few reversals on the offensive end to force the defense to shift.  The more times the defense is forced to closeout, then the chances of them increase of not being able to get a good contest on the shot.  And that's what you want, an uncontested look.

Last season, we tracked our shooting percentage for when we got a paint touch and when we didn't.  The stats are crazy.  We shot right around 63% with a paint touch and in the mid-30% when we didn't.  All that stat says that good things tend to happen when someone gets a touch in the paint.  That's why inside-out shots become great shots.

Take a Basketball Break

Throughout the course of the year, if a kid completely concentrates on basketball, he/she is bound to develop some type of injury.  There just isn't enough time for the their bodies to rest.  I believe there needs to be a change because they NEED a break.

Over the course of a year a good high school player will compete in roughly 25-30 high school games and 40-50 AAU games.  If you add in 40-50 high school practices (I think that's right, might be a little high) to go along with 20+ AAU practices.  I can't forget about potential summer or fall league with their high school team which gives them roughly 20 more games.  Think about all those numbers again.  Over the course of a year they are playing in roughly 100 games to go along with 60+ practices.  On top of that, many of their own skill trainers that they work with during the spring, summer, and fall.  That'a a ton of basketball for developing bodies.

My biggest concern is burnout.  I've seen several players that just get sick of playing when they get to college or during college because they are "forced" to play so much.  It just isn't fun anymore.

Another huge concern is overuse injuries.  You look at a lot of middle school or high school players and they are completely concentrating on basketball (or another sport) at a very young age.  That just isn't good for their bodies, especially when they are still growing physically.  That is also the reason why you are seeing more and more stress reactions/fractures, back injuries, and knee issues in younger athletes.  Their bodies can't take the same consistent pounding of one sport over and over.

They need other sports in order for their body to adjust and do different movements.  Even if the sports are similar there are slightly different movements that will help with development.  And college coaches also like to see athletes play multiple sports in high school. Why? They know that when the athletes actually concentrate on one sport they will develop even more once they get to college.

Even if you concentrate on one sport as a high school athlete you need to take several breaks throughout the year in order for your body to recover.  As my wonderful wife would say, take a "zero week" because your body needs a break.  It just isn't healthy going non-stop from November to July.

You can look at college basketball for a perfect example of concentrating too much on basketball.  That perfect example is Kevin Ware, formerly of Louisville, and his broken leg.  He landed on his foot like any player would throughout the course of a game, but his leg snapped.  He had a stress fracture in his lower leg that was ignored for months.  Legs don't break like that on a play like that if he didn't.

As far as I know, Ware was a prep basketball star that didn't play another sport in high school.  He was constantly on the go for his high school team and then AAU team.  He then went immediately to college and is consistently pounding on his legs for a few more years.  He didn't take much of a break or one at all.

If you look at the top high school players in the country and they go non-stop from November (or whenever their HS season starts) until the end of August.  There's the high school season, AAU from April to July, then the All-Star circuit in August, which players in Minnesota just got involved with.  Potentially, there is open gyms multiple times in a week during the fall and we go right back into the high school season.

Kids need a break and us, as coaches, need to enforce that.  And a break shouldn't consist of just a weekend.  They should take at least a week off multiple times a year in order to rest their bodies.