As coaches, we have the privilege of seeing a lot of bad basketball and the opportunity to remake it. Because it is a mental game, we need full engagement from each player. "What did you see; what were you thinking?"
In How Good Do You Want to Be, Nick Saban mentions mountaineer Lou Kasischke, quoting "the higher up you go up on a mountain, the more dangerous it gets." In 1996, Kasische, after six weeks of climbing, got within 400 feet of the summit of Everest, and turned back because of the conditions. Four of the six climbers who continued DIED. Awareness is central to success in sports and in life.
The other night during the first defensive possession of the game, the opposing coach called 'Louisville' and his team tried to run a high ball screen from a spread set. First, our point recognized this and went over the top, mostly because the other team didn't execute. When they did, it usually followed illegal screens (moving screens or set directly behind). Second, awareness per se is insufficient without team communication. Third, the team should immediately recognize "Louisville" henceforth meaning high ball screen. Moreover, total concentration implies both awareness and alertness (reaction), executing the coverage and the protection.
Too often, we see players "playing" but not fully engaged. The multiple efforts required defensively demand understanding offensive intent and the immediacy of response. Far too often, neither the offense nor defense has clarity of intent or the focused intensity needed to make the next play.
The best players constantly help their teammates solve this possession. Whether we call it focus, concentration, "locked in", "dialed in", "blocking out distractions", or Saban's "eliminate the clutter."
