All I Want For Christmas... (Part 2)

In Part 1 of my blog entry “All I Want For Christmas…”, I shared some of my reflections on recruiting.  But now in Part 2, let me do a little hard sell about why I'm taking on the role of recruiter.

Team Hurricane Basketball Academy has a new Global Training & Educational Initiative that seeks to support talented international student-athletes from Bermuda and the world beyond in an intensive academic and basketball training program here on the paradise island of Bermuda. Although we're in Bermuda, we're a hop, skip, & jump away from the United States. (1 1/2 hours from such key cities as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.)

These student-athletes will have the opportunity to do academic and enrichment coursework through our Hurricane Preparatory Academy and/or Bermuda College, an accredited institution. 

The program is designed to provide a rigorous instructional program whereby students will have unique opportunities to infuse their academic learning with basketball training. This major initiative will provide international student-athletes with an opportunity to take part in a program that is dedicated to the advancement of its student-athletes to collegiate level through academic preparation, exposure, exclusive player development, and elite competition.

College coaches are highly selective in their student-athlete search. As a result, players who come through a strong post-graduate program have a recruiting edge by becoming a well-rounded prospect athletically, academically and socially. An additional year of athletic performance training, academic profile improvement, academic profile improvement, and physical maturation, will give Team Hurricane student-athletes the ability to transition more effectively at the collegiate level on the court, in the classroom and socially.

Through intensive on-court skills training, basketball specific athletic performance training, and top-level competition, our student-athletes gain skills and experience necessary to expand their college recruitment and create additional options for their collegiate careers.

We ultimately seek those with an adventurous spirit to take part in such a unique endeavor. Team Hurricane is looking for articulate and disciplined student-athletes of high integrity. 

To learn more about this program, please contact Coach Reed at:

hurricanehoops@outlook.com

Also, visit our website:
www.teamhurricanehoops.com

Please visit and "Like" our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/teamhurricanehoops/

And to share how one can support the Global Program please visit:

https://www.fundraise.com/douglas-reed/team-hurricane-basketball-global-training-education-initiative

So international players and coaches don't hesitate to drop me a line to learn more about studying and training in PARADISE1

A paradise island...

...gorgeous beaches...

...and magnificent sunsets!

"All I Want For Christmas..." (Part 1)

The holiday season is upon us. The season of giving and receiving. It's a time when I say, "All I want for Christmas...is to recruit some talented players with a jump shot."

As my Team Hurricane Basketball Academy seeks to make the leap into prep school basketball, the time has come for me to reflect on just what is it a basketball coach looks for in recruiting players for their program. I have my ideas which I'll share shortly. But since I plan to deal with high school players looking to do a gap year, I thought I'd look around and share what some college coaches had to say about recruiting and what they look for in players.

First, let's look at a general recruiting philosophy.

John Calipari, University of Kentucky:

“You have to know what (the recruit’s) dreams and aspirations are, and chase those with them. I’m trying to help them succeed, so we become one of the places where everyone wants to work.”

John Calipari has 5 Rules of Recruiting

Rule 1: You have to know the people you recruit.

“I ask them, what do you want out of your college experience, where do you want basketball to take you? And then, from there, I’m doing everything I can to help them succeed.”

Rule 2: Honesty is key.

Calipari never promises playing time or NBA stardom to his recruits, only opportunity.

“The last thing you want is someone who isn’t going to thrive in your system. The more they fail, those results begin to hurt your recruitment.”

Rule 3: If someone moves, don't forget about them.

“Are you taking care of people on the way out? Or is all just about what they can do for you? That’s all part of recruiting.”

Rule 4: Social media is your friend. 

Calipari has more than one million Twitter followers, more than 500,000 Facebook followers and frequently updates both accounts. Why? For him, it’s a way to get the real Calipari out, without the filter of the mainstream media. Going back to his point of being honest, the more he can show the world what the real John Calipari is like, the more likely he is to get recruits who are a good fit. “

"Social media, if you are not doing it, you are already losing,” he said. “If you are doing it, it’s more or less to be transparent.”

Rule 5: Follow the Golden Rule.

"Ultimately though, what it comes down to is treating people the right way. If you are honest, if you legitimately help people achieve their dreams and if keep a good relationship with them after they leave, you are going to have a successful organization."

John Calipari

Coach Mike Krzyzewski 0f Duke:

"As far as the kid we go after, we look at three things: Is he talented enough to help us win a championship? [That doesn't mean he has to be a pro right away.] Is he academically prepared to do a good job here? And third - and they all have the same importance - what kind of character does he have? Does he have great character?"

Mike Krzyzewski

Once you've established a philosophy about recruiting what specifically do coaches look for in players. 

Bill Self, University of Kansas: 

Athletic ability is the first thing to look at. How explosive, how quick twitch, fast might not be the right word, how explosive a first step, first jump, ability to slide, those things. The next thing to me is can they shoot? I didn't say score, but can they shoot? In a perfect world I would rather have a great athlete who is a great shooter rather than a great athlete who is a great scorer. It's easier to teach somebody how to score than it is to teach somebody how to shoot. The last thing is if they are tough."

Bill Self

So, upon reflection, here are some keys that I'm looking for as I hit the recruiting trail:

Toughness
Tough players, who play to win. Nothing to do with the final score, but rather their approach to the game, every drill. They give their best effort always. They don't pout nor get discouraged easily.  They fight through the adversity the game will bring. Applies to their schoolwork as well. They don't give up on assignments or go through motions with their schoolwork.

Passion
Play with  enthusiasm. Enjoys the game. 

Winning Habits
Like players who warm up properly. Or are they out there chucking up 25 footers the moment they step on the court. Are they into the game when they're on the sidelines. Are they talking the game with teammates or talking about girls. Seek players who are disciplined in thought and in character. 

Good Academics - Speaks for itself.  I mean, it is the reason why they're in school...to get good grades and take an interest in learning.

Skill set
Like Bill Self, I want shooters more so than scorers. But I love those with passing and dribbling skills as well. Our program doesn't stifle those who pass and dribble with creative flair as long as it's within reason. :-)

Athleticism
Long, lean and quick/fast.

Basketball IQ
Players who can run and learn offenses and defenses. Don't seek out players who see basketball as a free-for all pick-up game.

Fit
Do they fit our system. I like to play fast. Not necessarily run and gun, but play at an uptempo pace with discipline. That's a unique skill set. To play fast but not wildly. Comes back to being disciplined. Our motion offense system is tailored for creative players,  creative thinkers. I want players who can figure things out on their own. Who can improvise within the basic rules of our system. It's a system that has roles for slashers and catch-and-shoot jump shooters. Players with good decision making skills in the open court.

So there you have it. A few thoughts on recruiting.  I recruit 24/7 so don't hesitate to let me know about talented players of good character and beautiful jump shots!

Coach Reed
hurricanehoops@outlook.com
www.teamhurricanehoops.com

Bruce Weber & the Principles of Zone Offense

Hey everyone...it's been a little while since I last posted.  I wanted to share some notes from a recent video purchase, Bruce Weber: Drills & Plays for Scoring Against Zone Defenses.

I've always found Bruce Weber, Head Coach of Kansas State University, to be an intriguing coach. Maybe it's because, if I'm honest, we share some offensive sensibilities. He's been quoted as saying about shot selection:

"Closer isn't always better. Open is better." ("K-State basketball under coach Bruce Weber has unique tempo, strategy", The Collegian, February 7, 2013)

And regarding his offensive philosophy:

Weber’s offense has been predicated on the ability of his players to make open jumpers. His fluid motion system is meant to create these opportunities. Players are constantly on the go, making instant reads on how to react. What it does not do is present a plethora of opportunities to get to the foul line. (The Collegian, February 7, 2013)

When he was at the University of Illinois, it was said...

“Weber's offense…requires players to create significant spacing in a half-court setting to spread out defenders and establishes roles for players either to screen or cut for the ball with astonishing quickness.

The players are in constant motion without a distinct directive, making it extremely tough for opponents to scout the Illini. Each time Illinois runs motion, its unpredictability leaves even Weber guessing what might happen next.

"I lose control; they have freedom," Weber said. "Some coaches can't deal with it and can't run motion." ("Poetry in Motion", Chicago Tribune, February 11, 2005)

  

Regarding his thoughts on zone offense as he shared in his new video:

“You want to teach them how to play. The more you teach them how to play, it makes it easier on you as a coach. If you have to draw a play and have them execute it every time down the court you’re going to fail as a coach.”

Against Zone

1.)   Push the basketball. Don’t let the zone set up. Worse thing you can do is see that they’re playing zone and start to walk it up. Get into a secondary break.

2.)   Take the basketball up to the defense. Have the confidence to make someone guard you.

3.)   Reverse the basketball. Move the ball and make the defense work.

4.)  Get the basketball inside every 3 or 4 possessions. Make the defense drop in and open up the outside.

5.)  Attack the gaps of the zone. Make two guys guard one. Attack closeouts so you can get into the gap. That gives you an advantage.

6.)   Use the skip pass to distract defenders.

7.)   Overload the zone to create advantages. Put more players on a side than they have defenders.

8.)  Use screening actions against the zone. Screens are difficult to defend. Use the same screening actions from your man offense, you’ll put the defense in a bind. Ball screens can lead to overloads and the defense scrambling. Cross screens to put defense and let someone flash, you’ll put the defense in a disadvantage.

 9.)   Space the court. You want to be where they’re not…like the short corner, mid-post.

10.) Use the misdirection. Take the ball one way to pull the zone and then go back the other direction, you get the defense to shirt.

11.) Rebound.

Here is a clip from Coach Weber's video: 

In the clip below, is one of Team Hurricane's favorite sets, VCU "Flood".

And here is another clip of some quality zone offense plays: