- The Reality of Tradeoffs in Coachingby RadiusAthleticsOne of the most important ideas from Greg McKeown’s Essentialism is the “reality of tradeoffs.” It’s a concept that is simple to understand but often overlooked in the coaching profession. Tradeoffs are not something we choose to have—they are a fact of life. When we say yes to one thing, we are inherently saying no …
- Eliminating Tactical Clutter: Why Simplicity Wins in Coachingby RadiusAthleticsIn today’s coaching landscape, it’s easy to feel pressure to do more. More plays. More defenses. More drills. More technology. The belief is simple: if we just add one more set or install a new press, we’ll get over the hump. But the reality is, most teams don’t suffer from a lack of tactics. They …
Continue reading “Eliminating Tactical Clutter: Why Simplicity Wins in Coaching”
- Defining Your Coaching Philosophy: Less But Betterby RadiusAthleticsPart Two of our series on Essentialism in basketball coaching. Most successful basketball coaches operate with a clear, well-defined philosophy. Without one, it’s easy to get lost in trends, constantly shifting tactics and strategies without a consistent foundation. Defining your philosophy is the key to sustainable success. It gives your program direction, helps players understand …
Continue reading “Defining Your Coaching Philosophy: Less But Better”
- The Essentialist Mindset in Coachingby RadiusAthleticsThe power of doing less, but better. Coaching basketball in today’s world comes with an overwhelming number of choices. There are hundreds of offensive systems, countless defensive schemes, and endless training methods. Every season brings new trends, new analytics, and new voices telling you what you must add to succeed. The result? Many coaches constantly …
- Breakdown: MTSU Hi-Lo Offenseby RadiusAthleticsCoaches: NOTE: Resources from our August 2024 WebClinic have been added to this post. I recently broke down some film of the Middle Tennessee State University Women’s Basketball team. Specifically, their Hi-Lo, Roll & Replace action. Here’s a video featuring “Boom-Boom” passes! I also diagrammed the offense and created a “mini” playbook. I took a …
- Under The Microscope: Minnesota Lynxby RadiusAthleticsOur June 2024 WebClinic featured an examination of the Minnesota Lynx, one of the most efficient offenses in the WNBA. We covered various five-out entries and a little bit of “double drag” action! Check out the clinic below: Here’s the teaching tape we examined in the clinic:
- Pitch Series Playbookby RadiusAthleticsWe took Fred Hoiberg’s Pitch Series and spiced it up! By mixing in FLIP and SWING entries in addition to the trademark “pitchback” entry, we’ve made this a more complete offensive package. Download the playbook below!
- Under The Microscope: BYU 5-Outby RadiusAthleticsOur April 2024 WebClinic featured an examination of BYU’s 5-Out Offense. We covered cuts, zooms and staggers. Below is the recording of the clinic. Below is the teaching tape we reviewed: There’s also some surprise bonus footage toward the end of this clinic! Check it out!
- Under The Microscope: Marquetteby RadiusAthleticsWe took a look at the Marquette Golden Eagles and some of their offensive concepts. Below are the resources. WebClinic Teaching Tape Marquette YouTube Playlist
- “That System Won’t Work”by RadiusAthleticsIt happened again. The University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team made another early exit from the NCAA Tournament by falling to Colorado State 67-42. UVA’s performance was dreadful and left many wondering why they even got in the tournament in the first place. The Cavaliers and their head coach Tony Bennett face some well-deserved criticism …
- RPO: The Roll Pop Optionby RadiusAthleticsIf you are football fan, chances are you’ve heard the term “RPO” during broadcasts. In that sport it is an acronym for the “Run/Pass Option” concept where the quarterback is reading the defense and based on that read the play could be a run or a pass. In basketball, and in the ball screen in …
- Under The Microscope: Marshall Thundering Herdby RadiusAthleticsThe Marshall Thundering Herd, coached by Dan D’Antoni, are the latest team we’ve put under the microscope. D’Antoni is the brother of famed NBA coach Mike D’Antoni. As such, they run a lot of the same concepts including drag ball screens and 21 Series. We break it all down here: Below is the raw footage …
Continue reading “Under The Microscope: Marshall Thundering Herd”
- The Perils Of “Feature Creep”by RadiusAthleticsIn the Summer of 2015 I was encouraged by some coaching friends to start sharing some of the basketball coaching ideas I used as a high school basketball coach. They encouraged me to use Twitter. I was not active on Twitter at the time so I was starting from the ground floor. I suppose the …
- Under the Microscope: Alabama-Huntsvilleby RadiusAthleticsThe University of Alabama-Huntsville is a Division II basketball powerhouse powered by a Princeton Offense attack. Head Coach John Shulman and his staff were kind enough to join us and share insights into their offensive system. WebClinic Replay: Below is the raw footage of the possessions we analyzed: Be sure to checkout our UAH OFFENSE …
- Uptempo Princeton Offenseby RadiusAthleticsThis WebClinic details an uptempo version of the Princeton Offense where “the ball calls the play.” If you are interested in playing fast within the Princeton framework, this is the clinic for you. In the above clinic, we talk pros and cons of Princeton, the “shapes” and phases of the offense and look at video …
- Inside The 2-3 Zoneby RadiusAthleticsHere are some resources from a recent online clinic I delivered on the 2-3 Zone. In this clinic we detail the positions, slides and traps that make the 2-3 Zone effective. We also analyze some film from the Syracuse Orange. Here are the clinic notes:
- Playing Through The Fiveby RadiusAthleticsAs more teams transition to Five-Out offenses, it is imperative to have skilled bigs. When you do, it’s time to weaponize them by playing through them as the triggerman in offensive actions. In this piece we’ll provide examples of three such actions. Dribble-At A simple dribble-at with your “5” as the triggerman is easy …
- Point Series: “Spin” Optionsby RadiusAthleticsOne of the beauties of the Princeton Offense is that there’s always a counter. It is said that “Princeton” has no beginning and no end. Point Spin is an example of this zen-like quality. Point Series At its core, the Princeton Offense is a series of two and three-player actions stemming from various shapes and …
- Princeton Offense: Point Series Shooting Drillsby RadiusAthleticsBelow is a mini-playbook of breakdown drills designed to get shots within the actions of the Point Series of the Princeton Offense. Included are breakdown drills for Point Over, Point Away and Point Spin. The objective of the drills is to get volumes of shots specific to the offense. A coach could advance the drills …
Continue reading “Princeton Offense: Point Series Shooting Drills”
- Coaching Styles: Internal and External Focusedby RadiusAthleticsCoaches are humans and they come preloaded with differing viewpoints on how to do the job. Demeanors are different. Personalities vary. Coaches have different opinions on what should be prioritized. That’s ok! There is room for many coaching styles. One of the differences in coaching styles is whether a coach is more internally focused or …
Continue reading “Coaching Styles: Internal and External Focused”
- Pressure Man-to-Man Defense Masterclassby RadiusAthleticsIn this clinic we cover the basics of a pressure man-to-man defensive system. We start with the defense at a philosophical level then get into the nitty gritty of the defense and its teaching points. Below is the video recording of this clinic. Enjoy! If you have any questions or just want to talk defense, …
- Five-Out Hybrid Princeton Offense Playbookby RadiusAthletics“Everything is a remix” – Kirby Ferguson The above statement is true in basketball as well. REMIX is exactly what we did in this playbook. We remixed the shapes of common early offense actions in Five-Out with classic Princeton Offense shapes and actions to create something “new” – a hybrid Princeton Offense attack! In this playbook common Five-Out …
Continue reading “Five-Out Hybrid Princeton Offense Playbook”
- Under the Microscope: Furman Paladinsby RadiusAthleticsThe Furman Paladins execute a Five-Out hybrid Princeton style offense under the direction of Coach Bob Richey. In this WebClinic we put Furman under the microscope, review clips and highlight the actions, concepts and teaching points that make it all go. WebClinic Replay: Below is the raw footage of the possessions we analyzed: In the …
- Dribble Penetration Reactionsby RadiusAthleticsIn this clinic we take a deep dive into driving, spacing and moving around dribble penetration. We get the help of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in the video. St. Joe’s at the time was led by RAMP alum Coach Rob Sanicola. The clinic is my analysis of some possessions in their offense. Here’s the …
- The Dribble Pushby RadiusAthleticsThere are many ways to initiate Five-Out offense. In today’s examination, we will be digging into one of those ways — the Dribble Push. As the offense advances into the front court, the ball-handler pushes the player in front of the them through to the other side (Fig. 1). This could be done by dribbling at …
- Stanford Cardinal Video Playbookby RadiusAthleticsOne of the best “Princeton Offense teams” in recent years was the Stanford Cardinal women’s team. This offense powered their run to a national championship in 2021. What follows are five videos breaking down Tara VanDerveer’s version of the Princeton Offense known as “Jersey” in their program. In this series I used the language Stanford …
- Help Side Tricks of the Tradeby RadiusAthleticsThe role of help side defense often goes unnoticed. It’s easy to see the tenacious on-ball defender and the lockdown defender one pass away, but in many ways it is the help defense that separates a good defensive unit from a bad one. In this piece we’ll review help defense and offer three tricks of the trade …
- Offensive Spacing Principlesby RadiusAthleticsIn this clinic we discuss spacing. Yes, that is a broad topic! But we try to simplify the idea of spacing and, most importantly, give you tools to help players understand spacing. This clinic covers: How sports, including basketball, are about the manipulation of space The difference between spacing and positioning Transition spacing The spacing …
- The Post Splitby RadiusAthleticsThe Post Split, a signature feature of the Princeton Offense, is one of the Miami Heat’s favorite concepts. What goes into it and how do we spot it? More and more we are hearing that post play is dead. It is true that NBA teams use fewer post ups and attempt fewer shots from post …
- 3v3 For Five-Outby RadiusAthleticsHere are three 3v3 breakdown drills to pair with our 5-Out Early Offense package. In 5-Out you often have three-player actions with two “spacers” spreading the floor out of the action. This points to 3-on-3 as an obvious way to work on your openings and combos. 3v3 Push This is not an exhaustive list of …
- Playbook: Five-Out Early Offense Packageby RadiusAthleticsThis project is all about early offense from five-out transition. In it I introduce the concept of “openings” and “combinations” as well as second, or reversal, side options. It’s all about “letting the ball call the play” and getting to your first action within the first four to six seconds of possession. Bonus Content: Clinic …
- Five Tips For Playing Like The Prosby RadiusAthleticsI am often asked whether specific X’s and O’s from the NBA are applicable to lower levels of play. The rules and the skill level are different from other levels of play and that surely impacts the applicability. If you hang around the sport long enough you’ll notice that things trickle down. College coaches study …
- Playbook: 21 Series + Flow Gameby RadiusAthletics21 Series is a popular NBA early offense package first made famous by Mike D’Antoni. It is now a league-wide staple. In this playbook, I remix some of the 21 Series entries with “flow game” – a Euro Ball Screen inspired offense.
- Playbook: Princeton Offense – Vol. 2by RadiusAthleticsThis playbook contains a breakdown of Chin, Chin Specials, Point Specials and Shuffle. For a full overview of the Princeton Offense (with our own custom adaptations) see Princeton Offense – Vol. 1.
- Playbook: Princeton Offense – Vol. 1by RadiusAthleticsThis project is a new twist on a classic – The Princeton Offense. What’s new about it? Modern actions like ZOOMS open up the floor and this playbook shows you how to make the offense “uptempo” by connecting it to your transition offense.
- Playbook: Motion Strongby RadiusAthleticsThis project is a remix. First, I took the old San Antonio Spurs “Motion Strong” and made it Five-Out. Second, I remixed it with Princeton Offense, particularly Point Series. Download the project below.
- Five-Out Wing Optionsby RadiusAthleticsCount me among the many coaches who emphasizes passing the ball ahead in transition offense. When attempting to beat the defense down the floor, the ball travels faster via the pass than the dribble. When the transition offense segues to halfcourt offense, what do we do after the hit ahead to the wing if no fast …
- Coaching Superpowers: Cueingby RadiusAthleticsNote: This is the fourth and final post in a series on the “superpowers” coaches can add to level up in the coaching profession. Previous entries: Coaching Superpowers: Drill Creation Coaching Superpowers: Simplification Coaching Superpowers: Mental Strength In the video game world, an adept player earns “superpowers” which help them advance to higher levels in …
- Coaching Superpowers: Mental Strengthby RadiusAthleticsNote: This is the third post in a series on the “superpowers” coaches can add to level up in the coaching profession. Previous entries: Coaching Superpowers: Drill Creation Coaching Superpowers: Simplification In the video game world, an adept player earns “superpowers” which help them advance to higher levels in the game. Perhaps, through skillful play …
- Drive And Space Tipsby RadiusAthleticsHere’s one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite coaches: “When we drive the ball, that’s Offense to us.” – @VUCoachJWright #DriveAndSpaceTips — Radius Athletics (@RadiusAthletics) February 23, 2021 Watching Coach Jay Wright’s Villanova teams space the floor, drive it and score at the rim or beyond the three-point line is always an enjoyable …
- Coaching Superpowers: Simplificationby RadiusAthleticsNote: This is a the second post in a series on the “superpowers” coaches can add to level up in the coaching profession. First entry: Coaching Superpowers: Drill Creation In the video game world, an adept player earns “superpowers” which help them advance to higher levels in the game. Perhaps, through skillful play and experience, the …
- Coaching Superpowers: Drill Creationby RadiusAthleticsNote: This is a the first in a series on the “superpowers” coaches can add to level up in the coaching profession. In the video game world, an adept player earns “superpowers” that help them advance to higher levels in the game. Perhaps, through skillful play and experience, the character in the game earns x-ray …
- Video Playbook: Furman Five-Out Offenseby RadiusAthleticsOne team that grabbed my attention leading up to the 2023 NCAA Tournament was the Furman Paladins coached by Bob Richey. They employ a modern hybrid Princeton style with lots of Five-Out. I did a series of videos on their offense. In this post, I’ve organized their Five-Out possessions. Reverse The Paladins use a lot …
- Spacing, Action, Advantageby RadiusAthleticsIn an attempt to make clear to coaches a way in which they can evaluate the quality of their offensive possessions, we have devised this template. Spacing – Do we “show up” on the offensive end in our “spots” with wide and deep spacing? Action – If no easy scoring opportunity is present in transition …
- Defensive Teaching Progressionsby RadiusAthleticsOnce a coach decides upon the “what” they soon shift to the “how.” For example, once a coach decides to teach man-to-man defense they shift to how they are going to install it. In what order do we present the concepts? What drills or games do we use? What are our teaching points for the …
- The Spacing Challengeby RadiusAthleticsA group of coaches from the great state of Maine recently invited me to speak in an online clinic event. In this presentation, entitled Spacing Concepts and Coaching Challenges, I issued six “challenges” to the attendees. In each of the challenges I ask them to change a viewpoint, stop or start doing something or adopt new priorities …
- How To Make Losing Disappearby RadiusAthleticsEvery January I select a topic to focus my reading for the upcoming year. All of the non-fiction books I read in that year share a common theme. In years past I have selected topics such as History, Politics, Leadership, Travel and Behavioral Economics for example. The topic not only frames my non-fiction reading for …