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Monday, January 9, 2023

Basketball: Crutchfield (Notes on the Defensive Process)

Coach Jim Crutchfield (West Liberty) notes:

Intensity fluctuates possession to possesion and even within possessions. 

May not necessarily be proportional to pressure.

Fluctuates at every level of play up to professionals. 

Crutchfield states the goal of his program is to sustain intensity across posessions

Not fully achievable BUT results in more success than if not done

He calls it The Process.

  • Vision 
  • Analysis
  • Reaction 
I've called that VDE - vision, decision, execution

Extent of coaching control alters/inhibits that process (how much control do you want to exert?). 

1) Seeing the game (note Newell's historical charge to coaches)
- Players aren't good at it
- Can't progress to analysis/reaction unless visualizing the game
- Players run down court 'seeing nothing'
- Too many are indifferent to even looking (head turned)

Play a lot of situational basketball (close and late situations)
  • During those situations asks players the score and time left
  • They OFTEN won't know
  • Look at the clock, the score, the situation
"If one guy presses, we all press." 

2) Analyzing the game
"If you don't see it, you're coming out of the game." 
"Teammates have to see, react, and know responsibilities"
"Do I double or not?" - It always depends...
  • Relative talent of players
  • Is the ballhandler 'vulnerable'?
  • How good are we at rotation?
3) Reacting
  • Everyone has to see and analyze to react together. 
Lagniappe. Repost (?) 


Craft to overcome athletic limitations.