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,
If you've read this blog any in the past year or so, you'll know my feeling on the AAU/High School debate. Last week, former NBA and NCAA division I coach Don Casey who runs a great blog called The Temple of Zones, posted his thoughts on a variety of subjects regarding the state of the game. In response to a question about AAU basketball, he had this to say (Sorry, but the all-caps is direct from Casey's blog. I've bolded and italicized for emphasis):
How can we limit the AAU coaches and 'handlers?' THIS IS THE TOUGHEST QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE POSED. IT IS A MUST FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL COACHES TO RETURN TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF IMPORTANCE IN THE LIVES OF THEIR PLAYERS. THE ELEMENT OF ACADEMICS IS TOTALLY NEGLECTED BY THESE PEOPLE APART FROM WRITING WHATEVER GPA’S AND SAT SCORES THE KID TELLS THE COACH. Ahmen! WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS A CRIME. CERTIFICATION IS PROBABLY THE ONLY ANSWER. THEY MUST PASS A SERIES OF CLINICS/WORKSHOPS, ETC. TO QUALIFY TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN “AAU COACH”. SIMPLY PUT, THE MAJORITY OF THE AAU COACHES DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES OF DEALING WITH YOUTH TEAMS. MOST HAVE NOT HAD ANY FORMAL EXPOSURE TO SOCIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES APART FROM THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. THE ISSUES OF PRACTICE ORGANIZATION, REPETITIONS, TEACHING MODALITIES, GAME STRATEGY, CONDITIONING, AND THESE COMPONENTS ARE SELDOM UNDERSTOOD BY THESE COACHES. MANY ARE WELL INTENTIONED BUT DO NOT HAVE ANY HISTORY OF PUTTING IN THE TIME TO ACHIEVE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO TEACH/COACH. THE ISSUE OF “HANDLERS” IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PROBLEM. THEY ARE COMPLETELY MONEY ORIENTED AND DON’T CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE HUMAN ELEMENT ALTHOUGH IT IS THAT HUMAN ELEMENT, MOSTLY GREED, THAT HAS THEM INVOLVED IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEY DO NOT PAY DUES. THEY PAY KIDS, PARENTS, AAU COACHES, FRIENDS OF PLAYERS, ETC. TO GET CONTROL OF KIDS AND FURTHER THEIR OWN EARNING POTENTIAL. I KNOW OF NO LEGISLATION THAT CAN ELIMINATE THESE PEOPLE FROM THE SCENE. THE AMERICAN FREE-ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IS ALIVE AND WELL AND THE “RUNNERS” OR “HANDLERS” ARE A PART OF THE AAU LANDSCAPE AND HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL. ONLY MEETINGS/WORKSHOPS WITH PLAYERS CAN ALERT THEM TO THE PERILS INVOLVED WITH CONTACT WITH THESE PEOPLE. REMEMBER, THESE ARE YOUNG KIDS AND EASILY IMPRESSED BY THE “BLING” OF THESE HANDLERS. KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO GREY HAIRED GUYS TALKING ABOUT THE VULTURES OUT THERE SETTING THEM UP FOR 3, 4, 5, 6 YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
Further to that, on the topic of the spring/summer basketball season, Casey's view on NCAA influence:
What rules should the NCAA have on summer play? NONE. THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FEDERATION OF COACHES SHOULD PROVIDE THE RULES. THE NCAA HAS INFLUENCE ONLY DURING THE RECRUITING TIME (RULES, POLICY, ETC.) AND THEY NEED TO STAY OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BUSINESS AT THIS POINT. THE NCAA CAN CERTAINLY HUDDLE WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL HEAVEYWEIGHTS TO COME TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF A REASONABLE SET OF STANDARDS BUT IT MUST NECESSARILY COME FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS. FURTHER, BY SO DOING, IT WILL ENCOURAGE THE RE-ENTRY OF HIGH SCHOOL COACHES INTO THE LIVES AND FUTURES OF THEIR PLAYERS.
I don't think I could have said it better myself...
Here in Canada, we have an annual amateur national competition called the Canada Games where teams representing their province compete in a few dozen sports and it is held in August every other year. For 2009, the games are held in the province of Prince Edward Island (in the Atlantic region of Canada). Basketball is one of the marquee sports with both U17 mens and womens teams competing. Of course being from British Columbia, I've been watching and rooting for Team BC (2-0 for mens so far, 3-0 for womens so far). If you are so inclined, all the scores are here, and if you want to watch it on TV you can see the TSN broadcast schedule here. Team Ontario is usually the favorite for basketball in both mens and womens but Team Quebec is good too and of course I'm rooting for Team BC.
This post wouldn't be complete if I didn't plug the Basketball PEI Coaching Notes blog, a good resource for any basketball junkie.
There is quite the debate going on since left-wing writer David Zirin's article was posted on the left-leaning Huffington Post the other day talking about the San Francisco school district's decision to allow the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) to run Phys. Ed. (PE) as an alternative to PE classes. Basically, it means that the SFSD will give PE credit to JROTC cadets who choose JROTC instead of regular PE classes. Zirin makes the following argument:
The idea that the programs of the Pentagon could serve as some sort of replacement for real physical education is Orwellian...Proponents of the JROTC option want more militarism integrated into education. They want the Pentagon in the public square.In my personal opinion, I don't have any issue with allowing students the choice to gain PE credit in a JROTC-run program. And the notion that outcomes are any less satisfactory with a JROTC-run program as opposed to a public school run program are fundamentally based on opinion rather than fact. For me, as long as all instructors of the JROTC and public schools are certified teachers of the state or province in question, they really should be equivalent (and in fact the JROTC instructors are certified teachers as the commentors in the HuffPo article point out).
While I share Zirin's opinion that a full substitution of regular PE for JROTC-run cadet is not in the best interests of all kids -- especially if we want inclusive schools that respect the right of some families who object to any form of military-based education due to their religious beliefs -- I think Zirin's cynicism is excessive. Lets be real here, for every JROTC instructor that is a war-monger, ra-ra-ra, hoo-wa type looking to turn every 14-year-old into a GI Joe, I'll find you a public school PE teacher who represents the complete opposite of the picture of perfect health.
Additionally, I think there is a tendency for people who oppose the military to have a naive and overly simplistic view of people who are in the military and the kinds of instruction they receive. Most people who think like Zirin believe that all of those who serve the military were somehow brainwashed into joining the military and are therefore incapable of intellectual and critical thinking. I think Zirin underestimates both the quality and value of a military education. After all, West Point was just ranked as America's top college, higher than Princeton, Yale, and Harvard -- and best of all it is free to attend (well OK not completely free, there is the little issue of that contract you have to fulfill after you graduate).
The real tragedy here is that all around the U.S. and Canada, PE is no longer considered a core subject and is instead being relegated to optional status. If Americans want real health care reform, they ought to think long and hard about these recent changes to education policy. All of these issues are linked, you can't fundamentally change one without changing the other.
John Calipari Favors Putting Recruiting Back in High School Coaches Hands
Posted by bruchu Labels: *HSI hate to be one of those guys that said I told you so, but according to Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari, even he agrees that Summer AAU ball is getting out of hand. On his Twitter account today he stated: "My time would be better spent on campus with our guys. We would save a lot of money and put recruiting back in HS coaches hands." This is the full 3 tweet transcript:
July-06-09 6:24 AMIf you are a new reader to this blog, then you probably want to read this post, which sums up the argument between AAU and High School. If you are a regular reader, then you know where I stand on this issue...
UKCoachCalipari: Heading to Cincinnati. Time to start evaluating players. I enjoy watching ball BUT I don't believe we should recruit in the summer...
July-06-09 6:25 AM
UKCoachCalipari:...My time would be better spent on campus with our guys. We would save a lot of money and put recruiting back in HS coaches hands...
July-06-09 6:26 AM
UKCoachCalipari:...Plus I'd see my own kids all summer like a normal person. Four days at home reminds me of what I'm missing!
A couple of days in between games before the NBA playoffs, a great opportunity to show some emerging talent. For you hoop crazed fans out there like me, you probably caught the NIKE Hoop Summit on FOX this past Saturday. I like it better than the McDonald's All-American game which is more NBA All-star game than team competition.
The NIKE Hoop Summit pits the USA Jr National team against a squad of same aged (U19) international players. I think the competition is a little unfair against Team World, because of the additional communication barriers and lack of preparation time as compared to Team USA. But some of those factors are unavoidable.
Anyways, Team USA basically went with a dribble drive motion offense in the half-court. Team World switched defenses between M2M and zone which confused Team USA a little but they stuck with the dribble drive throughout. Here are a few sequences from a tight first half,
I'll say that it wasn't strictly the dribble drive, more like a spread drive and kick (ala Duke this year) as Team USA did use the ball-screen occasionally. Although Team USA did not shoot the ball well and did rely on penetration, offensive rebounds to score. Another reason why it isn't technically a motion offense, is because with international rules of a 24 second shot clock, you essentially have 1 maybe 2 drive-kick series. So it's basically dribble drive early offense.
I took this screenshot just to show the simplicity of drive and kick. This is from the 2nd clip with Team World playing M2M, 
Team USA #6 uses a great stutter step to freeze the defender up top then attacks the elbow forcing the corner defender to step in to help. #6 kicks it out to #9 who is so wide open. #9, just drives into the open spot and shoots a floater and banks it.
Summary:
This game was almost tied at halftime, pretty amazing when you consider that Team USA has traditionally dominated Team World. In the 2nd half, Team USA began pressing and aggressively overplaying and Team World didn't adjust and thus the 20 point differential, 98-78. Another big factor was the 8-sec halfcourt rule, it allowed Team USA to really pressure in the backcourt and force some bad passes by Team World.
I like the dribble drive offense in the halfcourt for Team USA though, it was very suitable. They're more athletic and 1v1 on the perimeter, every Team USA player can penetrate.
For a relatively new video on perimeter play improvement, take a look at Jason Shay's DVD on 33 Perimeter drills. Coach Shay's is an assistant with the University of Tennessee men's team. Don't forget to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk about this and your favorite basketball topics.
Couple of milestones, my first post in 2008, my 200th post so far on this blog. Watching USC dominate and the whole PAC-10 representing well in bowl games today. Back to basketball, I watched some tape delay games from the Torrey Pines Invitational (now called Maxpreps) in California that just concluded on the weekend. The final game was between powerhouse Dominguez HS out of Compton, CA against Simi Valley HS out of Simi Valley, CA.
Dominguez is just an extremely athletic and power team. They have a lot of height, and they have a player that is probably one of the best players in the country, no wonder they are a top 20 team in the nation. Simi Valley, though not nearly as big and athletic, play the Walberg offense extremely well, probably as good as I've seen so far. They press all game, and they have great driving guards. Though they would lose the game on a last second offensive rebound putback, I thought Simi Valley played extremely well and could make a run at the CIF Socals in March. Here is a look at their dribble drive motion offense,
The dribble drive motion offense works because,
- of quick guards that can drive and attack. It is nearly unstoppable when you can breakdown defenders 1v1, eg. Derrick Rose at Memphis.
- of fouls, Pepperdine right now is 3rd in country in FTs attempted despite playing only 13 games this season.
- 3-point shooting. Once you can penetrate the lane and the defense collapses, there will be high quality open shots from the perimeter.
Fake Handoff:
I'm just going to diagram a couple of plays, but the first one I like is the fake handoff. Most dribble drive teams use the handoff alot and one of the best counters is the fake handoff.
You spread the floor, pass up top, your guard comes in and the forward fakes the handoff, then simply pivot and drive to the basket.
Reverse, Attack, Kick-out, Attack:
This is perhaps where this offense really excels. You spread the floor again. You reverse the ball from one side to the other side.
The wing penetrates and draws the defense in, O5 pops out to the corner. O3 kicks it back out to O5.
O5 has the choice, he can shoot the perimeter 3-pointer if open, or use the pick by O3 to drive middle and attack the basket which O5 does here.
Summary:
From what I've read, Simi Valley has been using this offense for at least 2 seasons now. They are aren't particularly big or athletic, but they have great guards that can penetrate and shoot. They press all game, and use pressure defense to force turnovers. Though, Dominguez did a great job breaking the press with their athleticism. The game came down to rebounding, Dominguez was simply too athletic and too big and was able to gain extra possessions.
A new release video that has a lot of good info on perimeter play such as driving and 1v1 moves, take a look at Sean Miller's new DVD on offensive player improvement. Coach Miller is the head coach of upstart Xavier. To discuss the Walberg offense or more of your favorite basketball topics, head over to the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk with other coaches from around the world.
