1. What is our essence, our purpose, our WHY?
I expect players to commit to family first, to academic achievement, and to extracurricular activities third. Time sorts out where basketball belongs among the latter. The basketball court represents a different classroom, where a learning culture, teamwork, and extreme ownership apply. The more these values translate to your life the better.
2. Play tough.
Toughness simply means playing the game the right way, with purpose, fully engaged, and helping your teammates.
3. "We play fast."
We couldn't play fast at the beginning of the season, lacking the "know how." Playing fast leverages our athleticism and makes the game more fun to play and to watch. It gives more control to players.
Coach Geno Auriemma explains why people don't execute the game.
4. "Get more and better shots than your opponent." - Pete Newell
That means passing and cutting, executing fundamental basketball actions.
- Drive to score.
- Cut and pass, give and go, "movement kills defenses."
- Make layups and free throws.
- Exploit hard to defend situations, the pick-and-roll and ball reversal (forces closeouts)
- Be here now. Win this possession.
5. No easy baskets. Understand what easy baskets are...don't give them.
- Get back on defense (no transition baskets).
- Deny the paint with the "scoring areas" - blocks and elbows.
- Pressure the ball.
- Challenge shots without fouling.
- Rebound. No putbacks.
Lagniappe:
(From CoachingToolbox.net)
SLOB Away Backdoor (could have 1 basket cut off the staggered screen)