Rock Chalk Jayhawk 2012-2013

Anyone who has followed me over the past several years knows that I'm a big Bill Self fan, and therefore a Kansas Jayhawks fan. With the Jayhawks coming off such a fantastic run last season, I'm very looking forward to watching them this season, enjoy this pump up trailer, and of course rock chalk jayhawk!!!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend our Superconference during our Pro-D day and the keynote speaker was Mike Jones, the head coach of the famed DeMatha High School. He spoke on a number of topics, including his favorite practice drills, his man-to-man teaching progression, and the DeMatha version of the flex offense.

It starts out just like every other flex offense, like the Gonzaga, Boston College, or Maryland. They are 4 around 1, and the post sets a flex screen for the guard who flex cuts towards the ball,





 This is where the DeMatha flex differs from others, instead of a downscreen, they set upscreens. O2 looks for O4 off the UCLA cut. O5 sets a flare screen for O1 who flares out to the other side.







If O4 is not open, then he goes and sets another upscreen for O5 who cuts to the low block and looks for a post-up.







Then the continuity goes again to the other side.



In addition to the main flex continuity they have, they have also added the following variations:

- they like the upscreens because once those guys go up to set those screens, the wing player always has the option to take his man off the dribble and get into the lane because everything is opened up with those 2 players setting upscreens.

- The top player can dribble/replace with the wing player if the wing is overplayed on the initial pass from top to wing

- The top play can always go backdoor if being overplayed on the reversal from wing to top

- After the ball is reversed from wing to top, if the wing player is being overplayed, the flex cutter can set a backscreen for the wing player and the top player can hit him going to the basket.

Finally, if you want to see a little video of it, here is some from Youtube, but you can't see the whole continuity, you'll have to buy it here to see it all,




Like most of you all, I'm really looking forward to the college basketball season. Here is a nice video from the folks at Duke Blue Planet for their upcoming 2012-2013 season. As always, they always produce the best quality videos,


Are you ready?? The NBA season is getting ready to go, no lockout/strike this year. A nice (but short) segment on NBA Coaches at practice. My favorite sound bites are from Frank Vogel, enjoy...


Another great video produced by Duke Blue Planet, the official Duke Athletics department. Great message as well, true champions are created in the off-season... what are you doing when nobody is watching??


Midnight Madness 2012

October 1st means that the college basketball season is near. A lot of Div1 teams getting ready for the tradition known as midnight madness. A couple of videos to get you pumped up, first one is from Oregon:


Here is a cool timelapse of defending champion University of Kentucky, setting up to sell tickets to Big Blue Madness. Think about that, this is just for tickets to the event, and not the actual event, and people are camping out. Wow...