Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Clinic Notes

Indiana Basketball Coaches Association
Spring 2008 IBCA Clinic

Brad Stevens, Butler University  Topic: Utilizing the Undersized Player | Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Clinic Notes

– Has an affinity / love for Indiana High School Basketball.
o More than 50% of Butler’s scholarship players, 8 of 14 total players, and entire staff played high school basketball in Indiana.
– There are many ways to be successful w/ smaller players.
– Butler is typically undersized at the “2” and the “5” positions.
– Reasons why Butler was successful this past year.
1. Entire team bought in to all details of the program (academics, strength & conditioning, workouts, etc).
2. Had players with great play-making ability (off the bounce).
3. Able to use his player’s great defensive versatility.
4. Didn’t have the biggest guys, but every player was tough & physical.
5. Has had 2 or more All-Conference players on each successful team that he’s been a part of at Butler (good players are good players, regardless of size).

– 4 Misperceptions of Butler Basketball | Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Clinic Notes
1. Butler doesn’t recruit size
a. Butler recruits players
2. Butler doesn’t utilize the post
a. Butler thinks outside the box of traditional posting ideas (post up perimeters, etc).
3. Size will dominate our league
a. Last 10 years, nobody that is 6’8” or taller has made All-Horizon League.
4. Undersized = Undermanned
– Find out who your best players are, and get them on the floor.
– In October, production is more important than potential
– Bigs that are used to playing in a traditional setting have a tough time guarding non-traditional (smaller) post players (pick-n-pop, 33, etc)  Must be able to shoot
– There aren’t a lot of great back to basket players: The college game is extremely physical  if you can shove the post out 10’ to 12’, you’re in great shape.
– Butler square’s the ball up, doesn’t force to a side.
– All positions must be able to guard the post
– Front the post on the block when ball is on wing  if post moves you up, at some point you have to adjust, roll below to take away lob, and on the catch, hold ground.
– When ball is on top – on the line, up the line.
– Use your feet – don’t wrestle
– Disadvantages of playing small
a. Ability to contest shots – not just post shots. Playing small = need helpside defenders more active helping in the lane, so more susceptible to kick outs for open 3’s. Must play the %’s on bad shooters
b. Defensive Rebounding – Guards have to rebound. Some players only job may be to keep their man off of the glass.
c. Can get in foul trouble quickly
d. Finishing plays on offense
– Advantages of playing small
a. Traditional bigs struggle to guard undersized players
b. Increased # of ball-handlers & decision-makers
c. Increased defensive versatility
d. More disruptive defensively

Rick Majerus, University of St. Louis – Development Program for Summertime | Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Clinic Notes

1. Deny every pass & get back-doored every time = Overplay, ear in chest, on & up the line
2. On catch, put your nose on the chest, force dribble, and level him off.
3. Stance = On ball, Denial, Help.
4. Front the Post = At all times when ball is outside of the funnel
5. Foul Shots – All great shooters know their exact FT%; all bad ones preface with “about”
6. Close out to everybody as though they are a great shooter = no jump shots
a. Get a nose in their chest & force baseline without opening the game

General Ideas (Majerus) | Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Clinic Notes
– Spacing  Watch Jerry Sloan’s teams.
– Jordan played the game, not the score. He just wanted to win.
– Duncan never takes a possession off and he always jumps 2nd.
– Show your team films of the pros – they do it a lot better than you can demonstrate it.
– Stockton had 5 discernible speeds
– Stockton always maintained Stance & Vision
– Anybody can be a great defender (travel on air time of the ball)
– They put down the NBA line for spacing and run the break with wings out of bounds. “Too high, too wide” = good.
– “Stand-up” the flash cut
– Malone & Duncan run the floor every time
– To learn how to seal, watch tapes of Malone.
– Show tapes of Jordan playing defense & making hustle plays
– Cross wings on the secondary break  get wing to catch near baseline to feed the post = best feeding angle in basketball
– On baseline drive, doesn’t want help coming from post – have it come from weakside
– Reggie Miller shooting drill (5 spots X 2)  3 balls, 1 shooter, 2 screeners on blocks
a. Flare, Pin, Fade, Straight, Double on baseline
– Reggie Miller = Let the ball find you (Change of Pace, Change of Direction)
– Most difficult part of defense is guarding a great dribbler. #2 is guarding a great post.
– To judge a player’s hands
a. Soft on catch
b. Strong after catch
c. Touch
– Great shooters miss long off the back of the rim
– Magic Johnson = 62% FT in college, 66% first year in NBA, 87% for his career
a. How’d he do it? “I followed the papers to see how Bird shot the night before”
– “If you want to have a lot of success in life, you have to have a lot of failure”
– Stockton 3 Speed Drill – “Importance of change of speed for a guard”
a. Straight line drives = Eyes up on rim. Try drill with 2 balls.
– Make sure your players have a specific summer program. Make them accountable in the summer so you can gauge their progress in the fall.
– Deron Williams has a great back dribble. Used for:
a. Get out of trap
b. Separation on shot
c. Angle to feed post

Click on the pdf link to download the basketball coaching clinic notes:

Brad Stevens | Rick Majerus Notes