Merry Christmas!

I wish you, your families, and your teams all a very blessed Christmas!

Player Efficiency Ratings

Our returners have lately come to feel like they are entitled to start and/or play major roles without truly working for and earning those roles. I was trying to think of a relatively simple yet effective way of delivering a message to the returners that they needed to produce to earn their minutes. We've tried talking, watching film, running, and a number of things, but nothing worked. The message either was not being received, or they were simply just lazy. I heard a coach once say to a player, "You're either ignorant or defiant. Neither is any good."

I wanted to quantify things. Make it very black and white for them with no gray area. I remember we had a grading system at Eastern Washington that awarded points (both positive and negative) for certain stats that were weighted for what we felt was important. We would add up the points and instead of posting a box score in the locker room, we'd post a single number for each player. The problem with that: A) we'd have to watch the film afterward, B) players didn't get their score until the next day, C) some of the stats were arbitrary and subjective, and D) I can't find that particular grading system. (I'll post it once I dig it up)

So I started calling around to friends and colleagues. What I found was an efficiency grading system that has been used by Oregon Institute of Technology Head Coach, Danny Miles. Coach Miles has a number of accolades next to his name and is a brilliant basketball mind. His efficiency rating is easy to do and can provide instant feedback, even at halftime. This efficiency rating follows:

(Points + Rebounds + [2 x Assists] + [2 x Steals] + [2 x Blocks] + [3 x Charges Drawn])
Divided by
([2 x FG missed] + FT missed + [2 x Turnovers] + [2 x Fouls])

The rating scale is:
Excellent = 1.75 and above
Very Good = 1.5 - 1.74
Good = 1.25 - 1.49
Fair = 1.0 - 1.24
Poor = Less than 1

You can also use this without the charges drawn. That rating scale is:
Excellent = 1.6 and above
Very Good = 1.35 - 1.79
Good = 1.1 - 1.34
Fair = 0.85 - 1.09
Poor = Less than 0.84

The thing I really like about this system, is that it is very objective and takes minutes played out of the equation. It emphasizes to players that they have to be productive, no matter how many minutes they play. I tweeted last night, "Basketball isn't like AT&T. There is no such thing as roll over minutes. Use 'em or lose 'em."

Basketball Court Diagrams

I know that I am always looking for court diagrams to scratch on. You are probably the same way. I figured I would save you the trouble of having to constantly look for them. You can print these off and use freely! Enjoy!

Practice Plan Court Diagrams

Full Court Diagram

Scouting Report Court Diagrams

Truly Inspiring!!!

I remember reading this article by Rick Reilly back in October of 2003. It is still one of my very favorite stories of all time. Ben Comen is my favorite athlete; ever. The competitive spirit Ben has is unparalleled by anyone. I ran copies of this story and put one in every one of our players' lockers. I told my players that they should be thankful for their gifts and use them to the best of their abilities. If they would commit and play even half as hard as Ben competes, their would be no one to stop them!

Here is The Life of Reilly from Sports Illustrated, October 20, 2003:

Worth the Wait

Why do they come? Why do they hang around to watch the slowest high school cross-country runner in America? Why do they want to see a kid finish the 3.1 miles in 51 minutes when the winner did it in 16?

Why do they cry? Why do they nearly break their wrists applauding a junior who falls flat on his face almost every race? Why do they hug a teenager who could be beaten by any other kid running backward?

Why do they do it? Why do all of his teammates go back out on the course and run the last 10 minutes of every race with him? Why do other teams do it too? And the girls' teams? Why run all the way back out there to pace a kid running like a tortoise with bunions?

Why?

Because Ben Comen never quits.

See, Ben has a heart just slightly larger than the Chicago Hyatt. He also has cerebral palsy. The disease doesn't mess with his intellect -- he gets A's and B's -- but it seizes his muscles and contorts his body and gives him the balance of a Times Square drunk. Yet there he is, competing for the Hanna High cross-country team in Anderson, S.C., dragging that wracked body over rocks and fallen branches and ditches. And people ask, Why?

"Because I feel like I've been put here to set an example," says Ben, 16. "Anybody can find something they can do -- and do it well. I like to show people that you can either stop trying or you can pick yourself up and keep going. It's just more fun to keep going."

It must be, because faced with what Ben faces, most of us would quit.

Imagine what it feels like for Ben to watch his perfectly healthy twin, Alex, or his younger brother, Chris, run like rabbits for Hanna High, while Ben runs like a man whacking through an Amazon thicket. Imagine never beating anybody to the finish line. Imagine dragging along that stubborn left side, pulling that unbending tire iron of a leg around to the front and pogo-sticking off it to get back to his right.

Worse, he lifts his feet so little that he trips on anything -- a Twinkie-sized rock, a licorice-thick branch, the cracks between linoleum tiles. But he won't let anybody help him up. "It messes up my flow," he says. He's not embarrassed, just mad.

Worst, he falls hard. His brain can't send signals fast enough for his arms to cushion his fall, so he often smacks his head or his face or his shoulder. Sometimes his mom, Joan, can't watch.

"I've been coaching cross-country for 31 years," says Hanna's Chuck Parker, "and I've never met anyone with the drive that Ben has. I don't think there's an inch of that kid I haven't had to bandage up." But never before Ben finishes the race. Like Rocky Marciano, Ben finishes bloody and bruised, but never beaten. Oh, he always loses -- Ben barely finishes ahead of the sunset, forget other runners. But he hasn't quit once. Through rain, wind or welt, he always crosses the finish line.

Lord, it's some sight when he gets there: Ben clunking his way home, shepherded by all those kids, while the cheerleaders screech and parents try to holler encouragement, only to find nothing coming out of their voice boxes.

The other day Ben was coming in with his huge army, Ben's Friends, his face stoplight red and tortured, that laborious gait eating up the earth inch by inch, when he fell not 10 yards from the line. There was a gasp from the parents and a second of silence from the kids. But then Ben went through the 15-second process of getting his bloody knees under him, his balance back and his forward motion going again -- and he finished. From the roar you'd have thought he just won Boston.

"Words can't describe that moment," says his mom. "I saw grown men just stand there and cry." Ben can get to you that way. This is a kid who builds wheelchair ramps for Easter Seals, spends nights helping at an assisted-living home, mans a drill for Habitat for Humanity, devotes hours to holding the hand of a disabled neighbor, Miss Jessie, and plans to run a marathon and become a doctor. Boy, the youth of today, huh?

Oh, one aside: Hanna High is also the home of a mentally challenged man known as Radio, who has been the football team's assistant for more than 30 years. Radio gained national attention in a 1996 Sports Illustrated story by Gary Smith and is the hero of a major movie that opens nationwide on Oct. 24.

Feel like you could use a little dose of humanity? Get yourself to Hanna. And while you're there, go out and join Ben's Friends. You'll be amazed what a little jog can do for your heart.

Finish Strong!

I have been focusing on work, my team, and placed a tremendous emphasis on my thesis the last couple of weeks (the big reason I have not posted anything lately). Late nights on the computer writing and researching have become the norm. Our first game was on Sunday which was my scout, so needless to say I have been watching a lot of film too. Sleep has become almost a non-entity. I see my wife for a few brief moments. Working in the admissions office has become a chore. I have questioned whether its all worth it.

I am not the only one going through this thought process. Some of my players, and more than likely some of your players, are going through it too. School, family, basketball, their social life, etc... create conflicts to which those players are going to ask themselves, "Is it worth it?"

We're all human that way. I don't care who you are, you have asked yourself this question at some point in your life.

I was sent an email from the mother of one of the players on our women's team that answered the question for me with an absolute resounding "YES!" The following video on Nick Vujicic was attached:



After watching even this short clip, I knew it was all worth it. I may be knocked down with less-than-enough hours in the day. I may be tired. I may feel frustrated. BUT, I will always get back up in order to reach my goals. Like my mom often tells me, "It is only temporary insanity."

That is something I shared with my team and this video. No matter what, you've got to get up. "Look at the physical gifts you've been given. Look at how God has given you the ability to do something you love at a high level. Now take a look at Nick Vujicic who hasn't been blessed with your attributes and abilities. If his attitude and determination were combined with your abilities, would anyone be able to stop you?"

Must Haves for Full Court Man-to-Man Pressure Defense

A large portion of the success of our system depends upon our full-court man-to-man pressure. The way we play our defense is reliant on these following principles. Some of these may not apply to the way you implement your press, but these are areas in which I feel are of great importance to ours.

1. Transition quickly - We cannot allow opponents to get in their comfort zone by taking a "break" after a made basket or an opponent's defensive rebound. Must be able to switch gears in an instant!

2. Force the 1st pass low - Whether it is an inbound pass after a made basket or an outlet pass, the first pass must not be an attacking pass toward the opponent's basket. The lower they catch, the more work they have to do to score.

3. Tremendous on ball pressure - Vision must be taken away. If they see the floor, they'll pick you apart. Must make the ball handler so uncomfortable that they turn away eliminating court vision.

4. Force it to a side - This allows us to utilize our help defense. Use the sideline as an added defender.

5. Deny 1st pass up the side - This is an attacking pass plus it is the "easiest" to see for a ball handler. We can get deflections and steals from this.

6. Deny the 1st attacking pass middle - Up middle is extremely dangerous and leads to a numbers advantage for the offense. It is the soft spot of most presses, we want to make it the hardest spot!

7. Sprint to rotations - If the reversal pass is made (I consider this a non-attacking pass away from the opponent's basket), players must sprint!

8. Sprint ahead of the ball - On ball defenders that get beat off the dribble cannot be content to run hip-to-hip with the ball handler.

9. Excellent communication - In previous posts, I talked about how to teach communication. This week I put a tremendous amount of responsibility on the deepest player to communicate; especially in rotations.

10. REBOUND - If the offense happens to break our press and take a quick contested shot, nothing breaks down morale more than an offensive rebound.

These are only a small list of things that are critical to our success on the defensive side of the ball. The idea is that advancing passes are attacking passes and therefore it stands to reason that we want to discourage them from occurring. Retreating passes will force the offense to cover more ground and burn more time off the shot clock giving them less time to run their half-court offense.

John Beilein on ESPN.com

Great article on ESPN today on John Beilein. The article describes how detailed, thorough, and almost OCD about watching film (or the currently more appropriate: digital video captures). Most coaches, especially at the college level, already use video as a powerful instructional tool. Players have the opportunity to see what it is that we see.

I am jealous of Beilein's table. When I worked for Ray Giacoletti at Eastern Washington, he had a desktop with a court painted on it that his dad made for him. I thought at that time, it would be great to use that as a teaching tool with the team. It has always been in the back of my mind to have a scale version of my court for teaching purposes when I get a head coaching job. Guess my "innovation" is no longer so innovative any more. Doesn't mean I won't still do it! I think it is a fantastic supplement and has the potential to reach a diverse group of learning styles.

Here's a picture of Beilein's "coffee table":

Susan Fletcher on Stress Management

Coaching isn't easy. We all know that. The fact of the matter is we are dealing with young men and women that are still trying to figure themselves out. Basketball Hall of Famer, Ralph Miller put it best by saying the definition of an 18 to 22 year old is inconsistency, and if you are expecting consistency from inconsistency you're screwed. But we do expect consistency! And we should.

The fact is that most every coach gets stressed out over their team, their season, practice, games, players, etc... The list goes on and on. Most times, we as coaches create this stress on our own. So how can we defend ourselves from this?

The following are some tips from Susan Fletcher, psychologist and stress management expert, on how we can protect ourselves from ourselves:

Don't read into things so much. "Sometimes a look is just a look and a dirty coffee cup is just a dirty coffee cup. It's not a passive-aggressive way to say you are not appreciated," Fletcher says. Don't make things bigger than they need to be - with people or work. Some people make a project bigger than it needs to be in an effort to increase their own value, but they are increasing their own stress as a result.

Learn how to transfer trust. "I really like Stephen M.R. Covey's stuff from his book Speed of Trust. He says people have to be able to trust before they feel it. Just like with your kids when you give them a little rope. And with someone who works for you, you have to let them fail because failure is feedback," Fletcher says. "Don't just say, 'It's easier to do myself.'"

Recognize when you are being inefficient. "People who are stressed get stuck answering e-mails for two hours at the expense of higher value items that need to be taken care of," Fletcher says. "Don't get lost in inefficient behavior. Ask yourself, 'What's my ultimate outcome I want here and what do I need to get there?'"

Find an accountability partner to help you meet goals. "Choose a friend or family member - probably not someone who lives with you because you don't want to muddy the waters. It has to be someone you will listen to but who will hold you accountable."

Say no sometimes. "You have to say no to things you might enjoy, but you are not in line with where you are professionally or personally at the moment," Fletcher says. Then you can spend your time on what matters to you most.


The last tip I'll leave you with is from an article a few years back written by NABC executive director, Jim Haney. In the article (which I have since lost, do not remember the title, but was in the NABC newsletter) Haney suggests leaving work at work. I am notorious for bringing a bad practice or game home with me, just ask my wife. What Haney outlines is a plan to pick a landmark; a stop sign, intersection, gas station, whatever you choose; on your way home where you make a conscious effort to LEAVE everything behind. As you get better at it, move the landmark closer to the gym and eventually make that landmark the door that you exit the gym.

Communication

How many times do you hear coaches exclaim, "You've got to talk!" or even simply, "Communicate!"? It happens frequently; probably more times than not. Talking, especially on defense, is often demanded but seldom ever taught. We preach, but don't teach.

After spending the last week with a good amount of new players to our program, I am realizing that players just don't know HOW to talk or communicate.

Communication is critical to success. It brings unity and a sense of purpose to the team. Proper communication means assuring all of the players on the floor that they are on the same page. Communication can increase intensity and energy while becoming an intimidating factor for the opponent. Players may talk or communicate, but as we are all different, we also communicate in different ways and even interpret messages in as many different ways.

To this end, I have taken it upon myself to teach our team, new and returning players, exactly HOW to talk to each other on the floor. This will eliminate sending mixed messages, interpreting messages incorrectly, and keep us all on the same page specifically on defense.

- Name First - Any time a player is directing talk at a specific player, the name must come first. I have seen too often where a screen is communicated, but the action came first. By the time a player's name was spoken, it was too late and he got caught on the screen.

- Be Specific - While a player communicates "Screen coming!", it does not communicate where the screen is coming from. In our defensive system it is imperative to know where that screen is originating to determine how we are going to play it. Have players tell their teammates where they are on the floor in help situations. Define it for them.

- SSS - Short, sweet, and simple. This may sound like I'm contradicting myself from the above statement, but I have had players get hung up in wordy, detailed talk. They are so concerned with painting a picture that they lose focus themselves.

- 3 is the Key - Repeating what is communicated 3 times gives better odds that the message will be received.

- Daily Emphasis - As Don Meyer says, "It is not so much what we teach, it is what we emphasize." Incorporate communication into every drill from warm-ups to conditioning.

Defending a ball screen, for example, will sound like this to the on-ball defender: "Kenny, Screen right! Kenny, screen right! Kenny, screen right!" Being an on ball screen, Kenny would respond with: "Brad, jump it! Brad, jump it! Brad, jump it!"

One thing I will always take with me from my time working for Kevin Eastman is "Talk loud. Talk early. Talk often." Once players have a common system that everyone understands, talking becomes a powerful weapon!

I encourage you to explore a simple communication style that works for your team.

Character Coaching - Part 3

Speaking of Coach Wooden, first off let me say happy 99th birthday, Coach! Second, two of my favorite things combined on this historic day marking the greatest coach of all time's 99th year, an article about Coach Wooden and the writing of Rick Reilly.

Reilly writes a very quick tribute to Coach today. It is amazing the impact Coach has made on the world! As I stated in the previous post, if people would model themselves after Coach Wooden, this world would be a beautiful place.

Happy birthday once again, Coach, and thank you for showing us the way!

ESPN Rick Reilly Article