COMPETING is a skill It can be trained. It can be developed. As coaches, sure sometimes we inherit kids who have “it” already & some don’t If you are a coach, hopefully you have the mindset you can teach your players how to play defense, how to improve footwork on shooting, or use a ball screen Teach Competing by celebrating it & coaching it, and be specific in your language. Avoid general coach speak that leaves players in the dark

Tough conversations with your players are tough What’s tougher is if you choose not to have the tough or courageous conversation It will make the future tougher Choose which tough moment(s) you pick wisely

Reminder Stay focused on your focus Haters will hate - just a sign that people are noticing. Let the purpose & the mission stay at front of mind…time spent on folks talking negatively are outside your control Focus on the things you have the ability to influence

Excited to talk Hoops tonight with over 1,500 coaches @RickTorbett and I will be talking offense

Coachable vs Respectful A lot of kids have been taught how to be respectful. How to “play the part” Yessir, yes mam. Even look in the eyes. Maybe hear ya but don’t listen Coachable is listening to instruction & then applying I’d rather you be coachable than respectful Doing both is ideal but if picking one, be coachable - let’s do what we are trying to do

Firm & Flexible Strong & Humble Caring & Accountable Good Leaders learn how to do both They learn how to meet those they lead where they are while instilling their principles & standards

Goal: Offense 1- work on driving & beating on-ball defender 2- finishing at rim 3- catch & shoot 3s 4- moving off penetration 5- reading help defense Defense 1- guarding in space 2- gap defenders learning how to help and recover, stunt and stay home 3- communicate Only 2 shots allowed 1- rim finishes 2- catch shoot 3s Can only catch outside 3pt line There are some other progressions but that’s the main game

OFFENSE If I only had 5 drills or games to play in practice to build out my offense, here the are 1v1 games (4 games) (No dribble finishes at smile, 1v1 DHO, 1v1 toss & play-3 dribble max, 5pts no dribble, 1v1 burn cut finishes 3v3 kickout Rules: 2 shots only rim finish & 3pt catch shoot 4v4 (scoring incentives for cuts (Laker, 45, corner, pass/cut) 4v4 with emphasis on our primary action(s), principle(s) 5v5 full court shot selection game 9pts = WOLU (+2 make) 7pts = IRA (+3 make) What am I missing?

DEFENSE If I only had 5 drills or games to play in practice to build out my defense, here they are What am I missing? 1) 1v1 games (1v1 toss & play) or 1v1 spin ball. With some off constraints & def scoring system 2) 3v3 KILL drill - 3 stops in row Violations & progressions Ex: game 1 = must talk, must be in bubble in less than 2 seconds on catch 3) 3v3 or 4v4 help the helper w/ off advantage to start 4) 5v5 trans drill with 5v4 advantage to start 5) 5v5 full court games with off and def scoring incentives to create habits we want for our defense

Players Want to win more or impact winning more? Play hard & compete on DEFENSE Especially HS players desiring to play in college Too many players just play & wait until their team gets the ball back Too many players filling up stat sheets but not winners or putting up stats & losing games

Dj is one of the better shooters in GA He puts in the work. He moves well off the ball coming off screens and getting out in transition He has also improved his all around game of putting it on the floor and taking pride in his defense I’m excited to see him have a big Senior year for @pickensbball Keep growing. Keep working @Djmitchell0

Grateful for our @PGC_Coaching community We had an amazing weekend of impact and connection S/O to @CoachTJRosene on opening his home to all the coaches

Great day to 2b Alive! U only get 1 chance to do Sept.19, 2026. Might as well go LIVE it, enjoy it & make a positive impact on ppl around you

Yessir Bo Thanks for having him Billy & SEBA Bo plays with high motor, shoots the ball at high level snd checks all the intangible boxes that help a coach and program build strong culture Some guys are high maintenance Some guys are low maintenance And then you have your no maintenance—that’s BO

The MULTIPLIER EFFECT If we take the actions, behaviors of 1 individual & multiply it by the rest of the # of members of a team or organization, would that be a positive or negative? Thats an important question that leaders and really all team members should be asking Example: Player A shows up early, gives great effort, encourages teammates, has a great attitude - let's say there are 12 players on this team. If we multiply that by 12, what type of team would we have? Example #2: Player B shows up just on time, sometimes late, sometimes a good attitude, sometimes a bad teammate, sometimes competes but not great effort all the time (lots of Gray areas) - Multiply that out - what type of team would we have? This requires consistent evaluation. Needs consistent truthful conversations.

SPACING Offense More spacing = more oxygen for players to stress the defense Defense Close space, less room for offense to operate = shrink the floor Key is to design systems & teach players the importance of spacing on both sides of the ball

Excited to have @jnewton0729 leadership here with BCB Augusta Great opportunity for hoopers in the area!

BEST PLAYER In this era (really last 15 yrs) of transfers, grass is greener, NIL, opposing coaches recruiting your players…. Too many coaches shy away from coaching their best player or holding them accountable Play it out Best player shows up in “grey area” a lot Coach lets him/her slide - no accountability. Player doesn’t get better. More damaging, teammates see it. Other players lose respect for the coach You no longer have the trust of locker room & you no longer have a culture Play it out other way. You do coach that player. They get in their feelings. They transfer. Sucks to lose a “talented player” but let’s be honest. You never will win with that player or even if you do win, you’ll feel crappy as a coach because you know deep down, they don’t represent what you are about.

Character development & athletic development go hand in hand If a player is not growing as a person, it will often be difficult for them to grow to their athletic potential and definitely their leadership ability