Rick Pitino Louisville Basketball Notes

Rick Pitino
University of Louisville

– Teach the game by putting in the “whole”, then working on the “parts”
– In the off-season, have 3 – 4 players come in at a time to work on the “parts”
– Work to perfection on offense and defense

PHD:

P – Passionate
H – Hungry
D – Driven

4 Keys to Greatness:

1. Passion for what you do
2. Goal-oriented
3. Great work-ethic
4. Looking for feedback

Screening

Offensively:
– “Dislodge” your defender 1st. Move him off the line you will take by using an L-cut. No straight line cuts! Run at the screener and hit him on the way through.

Defensively:
– Do not let the screen take place
– Drill against all screening actions: downscreen, backscreen, UCLA cut, etc…
– Practice defending screens with no pressure on the ball and no help from the screener’s defender. If you can stop that, you are doing good
– Use the arm nearest your man to force him high and wide. Use your other arm to help fight through the screener (hit low, below the waist)
– On the backscreen to the wing, hit low and ride the man high toward the middle. If you cannot force him over the top, “swivel”, make contact with the opposite forearm and beat him low.
– Great offensive players attack the middle of the floor. Inferior players attack the sidelines. Do not let the offense go to the middle.
– Force the ball to the corner and “chest up”. Don’t give the baseline.

Benefits of Defense Pressure

% of “Challenged” Shots Made:

NBA = < 35%
NCAA = < 20%

Miscellaneous

– Have 50/50 walk-throughs prior to the game (50% of the time defending their offense, 50% of the time on how they will defend yours)

– Being told that your team works hard is not a compliment. Working hard is to be expected.

– If you don’t have any fear of consequence, you can’t be a great coach. The same is true for the players.

– Think about pressing less on the road. Louisville presses about 90% of the time at home as opposed to about 60% of the time on the road.

– Don’t change. Stick to your principles. Kids haven’t changed. Parents and coaches have changed. Don’t change because parents have changed.

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

Rick Pitino Louisville Basketball Notes