Basketball education, fundamentals, opinion, video and more
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
UCONN - Iowa Teaching Clips
Video study helps us understand where games are won and lost. "Possessions and possession." Get more possessions and don't waste any possession. These UCONN - Iowa clips express that theme.
Iowa's game sophistication is a bit ahead of Duke's from the other day.
Rumors of the demise of the post game are overblown. Hard work getting position pays off.
Develop 'first step quickness'. Once women's basketball had far fewer players with athletic explosion who could attack from the wing. I have always sought to teach girls to score with one dribble from the arc.
GREAT concept (multiple actions) as Iowa has a high ball screen and a "diversion" happening together. UCONN helps on the roller and the screener (backscreen never happened) comes wide open as a result.
Coaches emphasize "eliminate bad plays." Caitlin Clark has long-range skill and Muhl commits a cardinal sin. "Never foul a three-point shot." Yes, it happens at every level and I'm sure Coach Auriemma let her know about it.
Turnabout is fair play. Freeze the initial frame. You can see the 'stagger' setting up for a Fudd jumper. Iowa rebounds and throws the outlet away.
Dr. Fergus Connolly emphasizes offense-conversion-defense-conversion. Here, Iowa commits a live-ball turnover and watch the Iowa conversion. UCONN has a 3 on 0 because players are ball watching. Remember, we're here to teach our players to CARE - concentrate-alert-react-execute.
Iowa BOB. It looks as though Iowa wanted to run a version of "America's play" for a corner three. Muhl is having none of that. Then, you'll see at least one of these turnovers every game, the wing-to-top pass. Griffin makes the Hawkeyes pay.
Get your best shooters the shots they want. It looks innocent enough with mediocre spacing. UCONN sends a cutter through, then the staggered screen emerges with Lopez-Senechal curling off the screen for two.
Billy Donovan talks about the '95', what you do without the ball. UCONN stacks and gets post entry. Iowa doubles and the open player makes the '45' cut for a layup. When bigs can pass, double teams serve 'the stock trader's breakfast' - egg on the face. Also, "the help can never get beaten."
Another great play by Clark as she rubs Muhl off the passer, cuts hard, finishes and gets an ill-advised foul.
Skill. There is no substitute. Edwards works from the high post, can't finish the drive, but elite footwork with a back pivot and front pivot creates space and hits the mid-range.
Five guys play defense. Note that UCONN elects to front the post. They don't get exposed as they give reasonable ball pressure AND backside help. Iowa moves the ball well but misses the short corner jumper.
Iowa plays classic modern basketball. Attack the paint and pitch for the three.
Lagniappe.
Do your players lack grit?
Show your team this 81 second video on grit from Pete Carroll.
Then, have a discussion about…
• What is grit? • Who do you know that is gritty? • What does grit look like for us?