You buy it once and you always get the updates.

You can grab that here.

Or, you can get a deeper dive access into everything Hoops Companion-related for an absolute steal by upgrading to a paid subscriber on Substack.

Do that and you get the playbook and MUCH MORE.

Subscribe now

Over the next few days, I’m going to be sending out 4 posts covering different aspects of season preparation for you to think about as the season quickly approaches.

These will be shorter posts with more questions than answers…but will still hopefully be valuable to your thinking, planning, and processing.

Here’s the schedule:

• Thursday, September 3 - Last Season + Program Vision

• Friday, September 4 - Offense and Defense

• Saturday, September 5 - Culture and Logistics

• Sunday, September 6 - Little Things and Portfolio Building

• Monday, September 7 - Release of the HC Coaches Roadmap Workbook (sign up here to get on the waiting list)

  • 3 OF THESE WILL BE GIVEN AWAY FOR FREE!

Let’s talk about OFFENSE and DEFENSE

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know about SCORE and STOP - two frameworks I’ve used in the past to help coaches get a hold on what they are doing on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

We’ll be using those to guide today’s post and questions to help you prep for the season.

OFFENSE - SCORE

I recommend you do this for 4 areas of your offense - Transition, Half-Court vs. Man, Half-Court vs. Zone, and Inbounds (BLOB/SLOB).

You might add special situations and ATOs (after timeouts) if you want, but I don’t think you need to for this.

Another suggestion: get a piece of paper, divide it into fours, give each section a letter, and list out everything in your offense in regards to the information below.

SCORE stands for:

Structure (where are we going, what’s our spacing, what are we running?)

• Are we playing 5 out? Princeton? Pass and cut? Dribble drive? Conceputal offense (what concepts)?

• Who is going where within that?

Creation (how are we going to create the best shots for our players based on our roster and within our offense?)

• How are we creating the shots we want? If we say we want layups and 3s, HOW are we going about doing that within our offenses?

• What actions are we running to get there?

Ownership and Roles (how are we going to go about building and communicatinng roles and getting our players to take ownership of those roles?)

• Who fits in what role best?

• Who is allowed to do that? Who is not allowed to do what?

• How are we communicating those roles clearly?

• How are we working to get our players to buy into those roles?

Evaluation (how do we evaluate what a good possession is?)

• What qualifies as a great possession or shot within our offense - even if it doesn’t result in points?

• How are we scoring and ranking possessions and shots? 1-10? 1-3? Red, yellow, green? Gold, silver, bronze? etc?

DEFENSE - STOP

We’re going to do the same thing for DEFENSE by using the STOP Framework.

I’d use this for anything you play defensively.

Some of you probably play entirely man or entirely zone. Some of you mix things up. You (and your players) need to be clear on whatever it is you are running defensively. Do this for each of those areas.

Structure (what we are running defensively)

• Which defenses are we planning on using this season? When/why are we using them?

• What do we have if something isn’t working?

Teaching (what and how we teach what we’re doing defensively)

• What are our rules? How do we defend popular actions (ball screens, handoffs, screens, transition, etc)?

• Where do we push the ball? How do we defend the post?

• What drills are we using to teach these things?

Objectives

• What does success look like on defensive possessions?

• What are we trying to make happen?

• What are we trying to avoid happening?

Principles

• What are our rules defensively? Our non-negotiables?

• What will get you taken out of the game for not following/doing?

Those are the basics of SCORE and STOP.

Again, I’d recommend checking out previous posts on these topics.

And I’d recommend getting ont he list for the Coaches Roadmap even more.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at CULTURE and LOGISTICS in your program.

See you then!

NOTE: On Monday, September 7 (Labor Day), I’m going to release a Coaches Roadmap.

This is a workbook I’ve been developing over the last few months that will allow you to sit down with your coaching staff (or solo) to get crystal clear on EVERY aspect of your program…and eventually create a portfolio or document that can guide decision making and your season / program.

To get on the list to receive a significant discount when it releases, click this link!

(BONUS NOTE: 3 of the folks who sign up will be randomly selected for a FREE copy!)

You can grab that here.

Over the next few days, I’m going to be sending out 4 posts covering different aspects of season preparation for you to think about as the season quickly approaches.

These will be shorter posts with more questions than answers…but will still hopefully be valuable to your thinking, planning, and processing.

Here’s the schedule:

• Thursday, September 3 - Last Season + Program Vision

• Friday, September 4 - Offense and Defense

• Saturday, September 5 - Culture and Logistics

• Sunday, September 6 - Little Things and Portfolio Building

• Monday, September 7 - Release of the HC Coaches Roadmap Workbook (sign up here to get on the waiting list)

  • 3 OF THESE WILL BE GIVEN AWAY FOR FREE!

Here’s a step-by-step process you can follow to start prepping:

Step 1 - Reflect on Last Season —> What went well, what didn’t go well, what do you think is the root cause?

• Players

• Coaching Staff

• Offense

• Defense

• Logistics/Operations

• Culture

• Feeder Program

• Community Involvement

Step 2 - Questions to Consider

• What was your most BASKETBALL-RELATED consistent issue last season?

  • Why was that your issue? Ask why until you find a root cause that you can actually address.

• What was your most CULTURE-RELATED consistent issue last season?

  • Why was that your issue? Ask why until you find a root cause that you can actually address.

• What was your most PROGRAM-RUNNING/LOGISTICS-RELATED consistent issue last season?

  • Why was that your issue? Ask why until you find a root cause that you can actually address.’

Step 3 - Current Reality —> What do you want to keep, modify, and remove?

• Players

• Coaching Staff

• Offense

• Defense

• Logistics/Operations

• Culture

• Feeder Program

• Community Involvement

Step 4 - Control the Controllables

• What must we accept?

• What can we actually influence/chance/impact?

• What are your 3 most important priorities going forward this season?

Step 5 - Where are we going?

• What do I want people to say about my program?

• Where do I want my program to be in the next 3-5 years?

This is a good starting point for thinking about last season and where you want to take your program next season.

NOTE: On Monday, September 7 (Labor Day), I’m going to release a Coaches Roadmap.

This is a workbook I’ve been developing over the last few months that will allow you to sit down with your coaching staff (or solo) to get crystal clear on EVERY aspect of your program…and eventually create a portfolio or document that can guide decision making and your season / program.

To get on the list to receive a significant discount when it releases, click this link!

(BONUS NOTE: 3 of the folks who sign up will be randomly selected for a FREE copy!)

1. The Answer to Almost Every Question (PickandPop)

   

2. Mercury Step Up (GameWrecker)

   

3. 50 Piece Shooting (Tony Miller)

   

Read more

For the next three days, I’m selling the Hoops Companion Master Playbook + Drill Library for $15 instead of the typical $20.

This is a 600+ page PDF that is searchable, organized by play/drill type, and easy to use. You can keep it online or you can print it out.

And you get updates for LIFE whenever I make changes to the document (every 1-2 months or so).

We’re closing in on 600 of these being purchased over the year - that many coaches can’t be wrong!

Get yours here - $15 until Wednesday evening.

There’s certainly value in having a lot of options and being able to pull from a database when you want a specific type of action.

And, truthfully, it’s just fun to collect plays and drills.

But, if you don’t have some kind of system…it can start to be overwhelming.

Personally, I enjoy using the Marie Kondo method of organizing my playbook and drill book:

If the drill doesn’t spark joy in my coaching heart, I let it go.

If it does, I keep it.

Organizing Your Playbook Database

Whether or not you have a FastDraw (or some other play database) account, there are two main ways to organize your plays:

1. When does the play happen?

   • Half Court Actions

     • The things you run against a set defense…whether zone or man

   • Transition Actions/Early Offense

     • Secondary break actions, actions that flow into your offense, base transition philosophies

   • Full Court Actions/Press Breaks

     • What do you run against full court pressure (man and zone)?

   • End of Game/Late Clock Situations/Delay Game

     • What do you run in a BLOB or SLOB situation? Down 3? When you need a deep ball play? End of quarter to wind down the shot clock?

2. What is the main type of action? What TYPE of play is it?

   1. You could organize by formations.

      • 5 Out? 4 Out? Horns? Dribble Drive? Continuity Ball Screen? Princeton? Flex? Etc?

   2. You could organize by specific actions.

      • Backdoor plays, ball screen sets, lob plays, post isolation and penetration isolation plays, zone sets, etc.

   3. You could organize inbound plays

      1. BLOBs, SLOBs, vs zone, vs man

   4. Or however else you want!

Once you have an idea of those two categories and you’ve gotten rid of the crap you don’t like - you’re ready to start prepping for your official playbook for the season…

It’s time to choose what you’re going to run this year.

Organizing Your Playbook For The Season

Your playbook is what you are actually planning on running next season. These are the plays that made the final cut.

Drop the rest, leave it in your database to take a look at later, and focus on running what you choose as well as you possibly can.

Here are the categories I use when making a plan for the upcoming season:

1. Concepts

   • This is our foundational offense. If we run Princeton, that’s what I put here. If we are heavily a dribble-drive team, those are the concepts we play by.

   • For me, this is the “play after the play”. What ACTUAL basketball concepts are you teaching your kids about things like baseline drive rotations, one-more passes, drive-kick-swing, what happens on a post touch, etc.

   • You might not have a bunch of plays here, but it wouldn’t hurt to draw your concepts out either.

2. Half Court Sets vs. Man

   • These are the plays we will be running against a set man-to-man defense.

   • This is based on a lot of things (personnel, experience, your philosophy, etc.)

   • I like to have 1-2 of the following:

     • specific ball screen sets tailored to my best players and their strengths

     • a few isolation plays to let my best players go to work

     • some screening type plays to make the defense guard us/let them make a mistake

     • anything else that really fits my best offensive players and their skillsets

3. Half Court Sets vs. Zone

   • I do the same thing as I did with my man sets…but for zone.

   • What plays allow me to put my best players (shooters, playmakers, post players) in a position to punish a zone?

   • I’ll usually have 2-3 sets I like here.

4. Zone Offense

   • I like having a concept or continuity-based option against zone defense. I’ll put that here…but it’ll probably just be one thing.

5. Press Break

   • I’ll keep this simple. One zone press break and one man press break.

   • If you play a few teams that run something funky in the fullcourt, you may need to add more here.

6. Pocket Plays

   • These are 4-5 plays that I just didn’t feel great about ditching.

   • These could be very simple plays I could draw out of a timeout…or plays that fit our team and I think we might use later in the season.

   • Keep these in your back pocket, in the front of your mind, etc. for when you want to do something different during the season.

7. Late Game Situations

   • How extensive you get here is your personal choice…but I wouldn’t overdo my time with these. I’d also try to choose a few plays that can overlap.

   • End of Quarter/Game - half court sets, full court sets, BLOBs, SLOBs

   • A “need 2” play and a “need 3” play

8. Man BLOBs

   • I try to keep these all out of the same formation but with tons of reads to add as the season goes on. You might prefer having a few different sets.

   • I’ve found, on the high school level, going beyond 3-4 is pretty much a waste of time.

9. Zone BLOBs

   • Have 2-3 zone inbounds sets to attack weak points of the zone

10. SLOBs

    • Whether you are just trying to get the ball in or go right into some kind of action, have 1-2 SLOBs ready.

All of this might be a little difficult to visualize - but fear not!

I’ve created a document to help you figure all this out:

Feel free to use this spreadsheet to organize your own playbook (and I’ve included a sample to help guide your thinking)

It’s going to be very tempting to keep everything.

You know, because you juuuuussssssst might use it later.

BUT…I want you to think about the fact that you might not get your entire team until the football team ends their state playoff run, there might be 15 snow days that take away practice dates, and you might have only one hour to practice with two baskets twice a week because of rec league volleyball coming in later.

You know, all those things the guys at Duke and UCLA and Kentucky don’t have to worry about but high school coaches/small college coaches/AAU coaches who only practice once a week do.

So, keep it simple. Choose the absolute very best out of your options. And absolutely dominate that.

Once your team has that down like a dream, then start to add a few things.

When all else fails, ask this question:

WHAT DO I ABSOLUTE NEED TO MAKE SURE I HAVE INSTALLED BY THE TIME WE PLAY OUR FIRST GAME?

Start there. Master that. Expand out.

If you’re not signed up for HC Extra, make sure you do that today - you’ll get 7 additional links, access to the HC Master Playbook, the Skool community that has every HC resource, and more - for just $5/month.

Subscribe now

1. Illinois Rebounding Rules (Randy Lambert)

   

2. Set Plays Aren’t Awful (Ken George Basketball)

   

3. The ceiling is your job (Chris Parker)

   

Read more

Coaches, a lot of you have been requesting more information on the frameworks - and we’re about to do a blitz on each of these over the next 2 weeks in August leading into September.

The goal is to help you have some tools to organize and get centered on what you want your season to look like - from offense to defense to logistics/program running to culture building.

Today, I’m going to offer a quick briefing on all four of the frameworks.

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be diving into all 4, walking coaches through how to use them, and providing some videos to help guide the process.

NOTE: This is a great time to upgrade to HC Extra. For $5/month or $50/year, you can get ALL the good stuff Hoops Companion offers - the full HC Extra weekend newsletter, access to the HC Master Playbook, all courses and products for your use, and much, much more.

Check it out and give it a try.

Subscribe now

Here’s the quick rundown of all 4 frameworks - dive in where you feel necessary:

1. SCORE Framework (OFFENSE)

   1. S tructure —> what you’re running offensively

   2. C reation —> how you create shots within that structure/what you’re running

   3. O wnership —> helping players embrace what’s asked of them

   4. R oles —> who should take which shots/when/from where

   5. E valuation —> how you define/grade a good shot or possession

2. STOP Framework (DEFENSE)

   1. S tructure —> what you’re playing defensively

   2. T eaching —> how you install, practice, and communicate your defense

   3. O bjectives —> what a successful defensive possession looks like

   4. P rinciples —> the rules and non-negotiables within your defense

3. DNA Framework (CULTURE)

   1. D aily standards —> behaviors and habits expected daily

   2. N ext best action —> how you respond to mistakes and adversity

   3. A ccountability —> how your standards are enforced/withheld

4. BASE Framework (LOGISTICS/PROGRAM)

   1. B uild the player (skill development) —> how you develop your players

   2. A dminister the program —> daily operations, communication, routines

   3. S taff the program —> choosing the right people and putting them in the right places

   4. E xpand the program —> promote, strengthen, and build your feeder program to grow your program over time

Those are the 4 frameworks that Hoops Companion uses to organize your coaching.

Click the links, check them out, and stay tuned for more videos and posts over the next 2 weeks!

We are tipping off school here in Virginia next week (wild that summer is gone).

Enjoy this week’s set of links:

1. 14 Defensive Wrinkles to Try (Hoops Companion)

   

2. Seattle Storm BLOB (GameWrecker

   

3. Love this format from Oregon WBB (Pasha Bains)

   

   What’s below the paywall?

   Thoughts on practice what happens most, 3v3 ideas, skills for attacking gaps, ideas on what to chart, a zoom play from Sloenia, and “next play mentality” for coaches.

   Join HC Extra to get the full list (and more) each week!

Read more

As we wrap up a month focused on defense, here are 14 wrinkles, small things, or…(potpourri?) that you might consider with your team this upcoming season.

You probably can’t use all of these, but maybe you can steal a few (or at least think about it) this upcoming season.

Let’s take a look (and feel free to reply with any small things you do with your teams!):

1. Come out of timeouts, quarter changes, and even free throws with a different defense. Opposing coaches will often call timeouts or start quarters with their teams talking about how to attack your defense - switch it up on them.

2. When your team is shooting free throws, have a sub ready for the free throw shooter. This allows you to get your pressure set up, make appropriate quick substitutions, and to control the pace a little more.

3. If a team is holding for the last shot, have a plan for taking some extra chances. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen teams turn it over when trying to hold the ball for a last possession…your team can take some risks here defensively (especially if you have fouls to give).

   This is the type of coaching content that we build and go through each week/month in HC Extra.

   Members also receive the HC Master Playbook/Drill Book, forms and templates, weekly resources, extra materials, access to all HC products for no additional price, and more!

   Check it out.

   Subscribe now

4. Run zone on inbounds and then switch to man once the ball is inbounded. Or, just stay in your zone defense.

5. Try to get a 5-second count on every sideline inbounds by using the inbound defender as a rover. You can instruct the defender (butt to the ball) to step in front of the point guard, first cutter, or whatever fits the scout.

6. Consider morphing from zone to man or man to zone in the same possession. This is easier than it sounds with a little bit of practice.

7. Instead of worrying about how to exactly guard every action your opponent is running, study their entries and blow those up instead. See how they react and adjust from there (or enjoy a steal/forced turnover).

8. Use your entire defensive scout and base it on stopping the 2 best players. Never allow the best 2 players defeat you…make it the 3rd, 4th, and 5th best players

9. Look for ways to press for free. Rather this is a soft zone or even soft full man/trapping…try and steal a possession per game just by pressing for free. This is also a good way to use clock.

10. Trap the first dribble or pass out of a timeout/quarter change. Similar to blowing up the initial entry, jump the first dribble or pass across halfcourt.

11. Have a “color call” for when you want your team to foul or take chances. For example, you might say “gold” when you want to foul (calling out FOUL FOUL FOUL forces officials to blow the whistle…it’s just human nature). You might get a steal. Or maybe yell “black” when you want to foul on purpose but also try and get steals.

12. Teach your team both how to foul…and how not to foul. How to foul = fouling when defending an obvious layup and not giving up an And-1. How not to foul = show hands, use chest, etc.

13. Jump the jump ball. Let the other team win the jump ball and immediately blitz it.

14. Do what you can to make sure the point guard/primary ball handler doesn’t bring the ball up the floor. Over the course of the game, this wears teams down and messes with their flow.

Next month, we’ll be diving in CULTURE DNA and LOGISTICS/ORGANIZATION - perfect timing for the preseason while you’re getting ready for another year of coaching hoops.

See you then!

Don’t forget to upgrade to HC Extra as you get ready for the upcoming basketball season. We’ll be sending out a bunch of resources for paid subscribers to get you going in the right direction shortly.

Or, just check out the HC Master Playbook for all the diagrams you could ever need!

On to the top 10:

1. Ball Screen Teaching Points (Bryan Donaldson)

   

2. Rebounding Analytics/Scheme (Chris Steed)

   

3. Sun Bust Out Ball Screen (Najee Simons)

Read more

These are NOT plays, diagrams, or video clips…just a few things I tweeted out into the void that seemed to resonate with coaches.

Enjoy!

1. Scouting Made Simple

   

2. Transition Offense

   

3. Dribble 100s

   

4. HS Hoops Observations

   

5. Choose 3 Drills

   

6. Optimize your offense

   

7. Things we don’t practice enough (but should)

   

8. A simple off-season assignment

   

9. Practice plan thoughts

   

10. 50 Pass Game

    

11. 3

• Guest post from Hilly Hoops - give his Substack a look!

• Pistol DDM Roll was the most popular HC post on Twitter this week - this is a set with Pistol and Ball Screen action that flows into drive and kick

What’s happening this week at HC?

• We’ll have several social media posts coming with a focus on offensive identity

• On Wednesday, we’ll go over how to use the STOP Framework to install a defense for your team

What’s Coach Shields been up to?

1. finishing up a massive update to the HC Master Playbook - trying to organize this thing, clean a few things up, and send you a nice fresh version (if you’ve bought it or are an HC Extra subscriber)

2. just got back from both a beach trip…and a solo trip to Southwest VA that was a great getaway before the school year starts up

Finally, here are 10 of the best things I saw this week:

1. 9 Keys to Career Advancement (Chris Parker) - not including the entire screenshot here since it’s lengthy and detailed…but well worth checking it out or at least sending it to a coach looking to advance

2. Takeaways from Live Period Hoops (Jess Mannetti)

   

3. Golden State Flare Action (GameWrecker)

   

Read more

I’d highly recommend giving his Substack a subscription. It’s one of my favorite hoops newsletters around is CRIMINALLY undersubbed.

You can check that here.

You can also find him on X/Twitter, YouTube, or reach out via email to hillyhoops@gmail.com.

If you are anything like me, you aspire to be elite at in-game adjustments.

It’s a high-level skill for coaches to have.

And we all want it.

We all want to be able to provide solutions to our team when things are not going our way.

We all want to out-coach our opposing coaches.

However, we often go about adjustments the wrong way.

When we think of adjustments, we usually think of just strategic adjustments.

Switching to a zone defense.

Running a set play to attack a certain coverage or matchup.

Adjusting the pace by slowing it down or speeding it up.

If we only make these adjustments, however, we can never reach our full potential with in-game adjustments.

In this article, we will walk through a three step process to help you start your journey to becoming an elite in-game adjustment coach.

Scenario

Before we get into that process, let’s take a look at a situation we have all faced.

Going into a regular season game and our plan is to be in our primary ball screen coverage.

That could be something different for every coach.

Let’s say that means we are hard switching.

By the end of the first quarter, it is clear that the other team is creating big advantages any time they run a ball-screen.

Our hard switching coverage is being beat.

What is our first adjustment?

Our first instinct as coaches is that we must get out of this coverage.

It seems like the smart thing to do.

However, we may not need to change the coverage at all.

Let’s take a look at what we can do instead.

1. Execute Better

Before we automatically move to making an adjustment, we need to assess if we are lacking execution.

For example, in the ball screen scenario above, our players may not be communicating well enough.

Our defender on the screener may be late jumping out.

Our on-ball defender may not be forcing and pressuring the ball-handler into the screen.

Our off-ball defenders may be late in rotation.

Our defense may not be playing with high energy.

So instead of switching out of the coverage, we should first look for how we can execute better.

2. Change Personnel

If we are unable to execute better, then we should then look to change our personnel.

When the players on the floor cannot do the job well enough, it’s time for other players to get a chance at executing.

In the same ball-screen scenario, maybe we need to switch out your five man who is getting beat off the dribble on the switch.

Maybe we need to get some more length on the floor to get in the passing lanes.

Maybe we need to throw a faster lineup out there to disrupt the ball-handler more and provide more pressure.

Whatever the case, after attempting to fix our execution we should then change our personnel.

3. Make the Adjustment

Finally, if we are still struggling after altering our execution and swapping our personnel, then we should make a strategic adjustment.

In the ball-screen scenario, that would mean we adjust into our secondary ball screen coverage.

The reason we want to adjust execution and personnel first is because we want to stick to our strengths.

Our primary ball screen coverage is our primary for a reason.

That’s what we are best at.

The moment we adjust that, we are hoping our players can execute something that we do not practice nearly as much.

The Final Key to Becoming Elite

The final key to becoming elite is to be extremely prepared.

We often think that the best in-game adjusters do it all based on feel.

That could not be farther from the truth.

We will make our best adjustments in-game when we have already thought deeply about what could go wrong and how we will adjust if things do go wrong.

Here’s how that might look.

What could go wrong and adjustments:

• Beat Back in Transition

  • Execution - Sprint back harder, point and talk sooner, pressure the rebounder/outlet pass better.

  • Personnel - Quicker line-up, better offensive rebounders.

  • Strategic - Shorter rotations to keep guys fresh, be more aggressive on the offensive glass, send one guy to half-court immediately following a shot, pick-up full court make or miss.

While doing this exercise in preparation for each game, you can be even more specific and detailed with your personnel and strategic adjustments.

If you do this exercise with everything you think could go wrong, you will go into each game with a plan for whatever the game brings.

Remember, in-game adjustments are not based on feel.

Rather, the best in-game adjustments are the result of high-level preparation and sticking to the process.

Don’t forget to give coach a follow on Substack, Twitter/X, and YouTube!

If you enjoyed this, want to grow as a coach, and want free weekly hoops resources in your inbox, don’t forget to give Hoops Companion a subscribe/follow!

Here are a few plays I’ve liked lately - check them out and see if they fit your team, program, or situation.

As always, you can grab MORE of these…

• in the HC Master Playbook (650+ organized pages that get updated from time to time and sent to your inbox)

• or by signing up for HC Extra - the paid subscription option that gets you the playbook (and just about everything else I’ve ever made…for life)

Subscribe now

Here are the plays:

1. This is a disgusting SLOB that the Minnesota Lynx ran. Timing here is important, but you’re ultimately using the elevator screen as a decoy for 2 to get open on the backside of the rim. This would be a great late clock or wrinkle from the original elevator action.

   

2. Auburn used this Strong Action that flowed into Spain. This puts x5 in a lot of tough spots defensively.

   

3. The stagger away opens up space for 1 to get to the rim. If you can get 1 to really sell that they are looking for 2, they may be able to reject it and get to the rim. Make sure 3 is a decent shooter.

   

4. Instead of using the double drag, have 4 pop out and make 1 “skip” 5. 5 can then set the screen for 1 to get a little space coming off the handoff. Then it’s basic ball screen action…4 rolls and 5 pops. If 5 can shoot, you have tons of options.

   

5. Another elevator set. On this one, 4 flashes right after the elevator to be the high-low passer. Timing here is crucial. If you don’t have the immediate pass into 5, you should at least be able to throw it to them with a duck-in and minimal help.

   

6. Nova Southeastern runs this with a lot of success. All of the action basically opens up a lot of space in the corner for 4 to get to rim. (NOTE: I know 1 is not in the right spot).

I’ll be sending out a few guest posts over the next week or two - keep an eye out!

Since I’m a day off schedule, I’ll be offering this one as free to every subscriber.

We’ve got a guest post coming this week, a look at a defensive framework, and much more as we close out summer and start prepping for the fall!

Let’s get to it!

1. Summer Reading List for Coaches (Hoops Companion)

   

2. Navy - Horns Chin Flex (Chris Steed)

3. Check out Hilly Hoops - this is one of my favorite basketball newsletters out right now…and you know I’m picky

   

4. Tarleton State SLOB ( GameWrecker)

   

5. Performance Issues (Seth Kindig)

   

6. Guards gotta rebound (PickAndPop)

   

7. Great book recommendation (Josh Williams)

   

8. Value of ballscreens (Jason Fleegle)

   

9. Great thread on constraint-based learning/drills/etc (John Carrier)

10. Alabama Flat BLOB (Coaching U)

    

See you guys next week!

Just use code HC4TH in the Gumroad store to grab what you need (playbooks, forms and templates, coaching portfolio courses, etc.)

Here’s the link to the Gumroad store.

Or just do the sensible thing and sign up for HC Extra to get access to EVERYTHING and a deeper-dive into all things Hoops Companion.

Subscribe now

I’m headed to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia for the 4th and my kids are finally old enough to where I (think) I’m going to be able to actually READ while I’m at the beach. We’ll see.

But as I was deciding what to write about this week…and since it’s the start of the second half of the year and pretty much the midway point of summer…I figured I’d send a list of books that I always recommend to coaches - and that I often re-read and re-highlight every year.

These aren’t ONLY coaching books - but they are focused on things like leadership, organization, culture, and the like. Some are more basketball-centric than others.

Here’s the list:

1. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

What it’s about: A direct challenge to stop trying to do everything and instead eliminate the nonessential so you can give your best energy to the few things that truly matter.

Who it’s for: Coaches/leaders who feel stretched thin by coaching their teams, leading them, family commitments, offseason workouts, social media, player communication, program responsibilities, and a constantly growing to-do list…where it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important and what you need to spend your most precious time on.

This is my number one most recommended book to…just about anyone.

2. A Season with Coach Dick Bennett by Eric Ferris

What it’s about: An inside look at Dick Bennett’s Wisconsin program during the 90s that shows how standards, defensive identity, preparation, teaching, and humility shape the everyday work of a team.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to study the real details of how a great program and coach operated behind the scenes.

This is just an enjoyable and interesting read.

3. The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

What it’s about: A practical look at how high-performing groups create and cultivate top notch cultures in all kinds of sectors.

Who it’s for: If you’re trying to rebrand your culture, you have a new job, or you’re looking to change the way you operate culturally in your program…and move from cute locker room slogans and Twitter posts to actual change.

This is a great one to steal ideas from folks who have had success in all kinds of different areas of life.

4. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

What it’s about: A reminder that meaningful results usually come from small, repeated daily choices instead of huge sprints and efforts.

Who it’s for: Similar to Essentialism, if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to spend your time and energy, this is a good read to help you get focused on the little things that actually move the needle.

This is one of my favorite personal growth books…small, daily, repeated wins COMPOUND massively.

5. The Best-Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO by Matt Kramer and Randy Montgomery

What it’s about: A high-school-specific blueprint for building and maintaining a program. The most detailed book on this specific process I’ve read.

Who it’s for: Any basketball coach.

This is my all-time favorite coaching book because it’s just so damn practical.

What books would you add to the list?

Happy 4th of July weekend - see you on the other side!

Happy July! As a reminder, today is the last day Hoops Companion will be running the lower price offer (or emailing you about it).

Right now, the cost is $5/month or $50/year (for life).

That bumps to $10/month and $100/year at midnight tonight.

Simply upgrade by clicking the subscribe button below (or email me if you have questions/get stuck)!

NOTE: If you’re already an HC Extra member, you’re covered at the $5/month rate going forward and don’t have to do anything.

Subscribe now

All paid members will have access to:

• The Hoops Companion Resource Vault - every single post in a searchable database, every drill and play shared, all products/courses/templates (past, present, and future), and more

• The HC Master Playbook with 650+ organized plays and drills (that’s updated monthly)

• Coaching templates, worksheets, courses, and resources to make running your program easier

• The full HC Extra every Saturday (10 of the best things I saw in the previous week…so you don’t have to comb through the internet)

• One optional monthly live Office Hours/Q&A where coaches can get together and just ask questions, bounce ideas off each other, and get better

• Optional access to a HC GroupMe chat

• Ongoing additions as I continue building Hoops Companion

ALSO: Your Athletic Department May Be Able to Cover It

Many athletic departments have money set aside for professional development, coaching resources, or program support.

If that applies to you, HC Extra can be an easy ask.

I have created a simple request template you can tailor and send to your athletic director or administrator.

Shoot me a DM to get this! (Or just ask them to cover it for you)

For $50 per year before July 1 (or $100 per year after), the membership gives a coach access to year-round professional development, program resources, templates, X’s and O’s material, and monthly coaching support.

It’s a no brainer for you, your staff, and your AD.

A Quick Preview of What You Get

Join HC Extra Before July 1

If you have found value in Hoops Companion so far and want more - or you just want to support what we’re doing here - this is the best time to join.

Subscribe or upgrade to join us below!

I appreciate every coach who has been part of this community and can’t wait to grow to the next 5,000 coaches!

Let’s keep building.

— Coach Shields

QUESTIONS?

Just reply to this email and I’ll get back to you!

The price bumps from $5/month ($50/year) to $10/month ($100/year) on July 1!

Here are 10 of the best things I saw this week in the hoops/coaching world!

1. “Top” 2 Guard Action (Matt Kramer)

   

2. Shot Selection (Reid Ouse)

   

3. Get Better Quickly (Tom Crean)

   

Read more

For the past few years, Hoops Companion has grown into a community of thousands of coaches who want to coach with more clarity, conviction, and purpose.

A few of you started with the free newsletter and have been here from the jump when we had 35 random coaches getting an email from me from some website called TinyLetter.

As Hoops Companion has grown, others have joined things like HC Extra for more resources, purchased products like the Master Playbook, and started using tools to help you keep building what you’re building.

I’ve been offering extra and more in-depth resources for coaches a few ways over the years - cohorts, HC Extra, mentorship calls, Zoom meetings, group chats, Skool, etc.

And I’ve realized there are just too many moving parts.

So…as any good coach or leader does…I decided it was time to pivot and simplify.

Beginning July 1, HC Extra (the paid subscription through Substack) is going to be the all-in-one resource base for those who want to go more into depth.

Subscribe now

That means paid members will have access to:

• The Hoops Companion Resource Vault - every single post in a searchable database, every drill and play shared, all products/courses/templates (past, present, and future), and more

• The HC Master Playbook with 650+ organized plays and drills (that’s updated monthly)

• Coaching templates, worksheets, courses, and resources to make running your program easier

• The full HC Extra every Saturday (10 of the best things I saw in the previous week…so you don’t have to comb through the internet)

• One optional monthly live Office Hours/Q&A where coaches can get together and just ask questions, bounce ideas off each other, and get better

• Optional access to a HC GroupMe chat

• Ongoing additions as I continue building Hoops Companion

The goal is simple:

I want HC Extra to become a place coaches go when they need better ideas, clearer systems, practical resources, or help thinking through the real problems in front of them.

Not another pile of files, random collected notepad pieces, and bookmarks from social media.

And not another group that demands your attention every day.

And I want it to be affordable - that’s why is costs less than one lunch out per month.

A trusted coaching resource built to help you spend less time sorting through noise and more time building your team and program.

The Founding Rate Ends July 1

Right now, HC Extra is still available for $5/month or $50/year.

Beginning July 1, the new price will be $10/month or $100/year

Anyone who joins before July 1 will lock in the current $5/month or $50/year founding rate for as long as their membership remains active.

NOTE: If you’re already an HC Extra member, you’re covered at the $5/month rate going forward and don’t have to do anything.

That is still less than the cost of one coaching book, one clinic registration, or one random resource you may or may not ever use. It’s definitely cheaper than Netflix.

But now it gives you access to an entire coaching vault, weekly curation, a boatload of resources, monthly office hours, and a community of coaches trying to build better programs.

NOTE: Your Athletic Department May Be Able to Cover It

Many athletic departments have money set aside for professional development, coaching resources, or program support.

If that applies to you, HC Extra can be an easy ask.

I have created a simple request template you can tailor and send to your athletic director or administrator.

Shoot me a DM to get this! (Or just ask them to cover it for you)

For $50 per year before July 1 (or $100 per year after), the membership gives a coach access to year-round professional development, program resources, templates, X’s and O’s material, and monthly coaching support.

It’s a no brainer for you, your staff, and your AD.

A Quick Preview of What You Get

Join HC Extra Before July 1

If you have found value in Hoops Companion so far and want more - or you just want to support what we’re doing here - this is the best time to join.

Subscribe or upgrade to join us below!

I appreciate every coach who has been part of this community and can’t wait to grow to the next 5,000 coaches!

Let’s keep building.

— Coach Shields

QUESTIONS?

Just reply to this email and I’ll get back to you!

Coach - in June, we’ve been focusing on transition offense.

As we wrap up the month, I wanted to send you a few member-favorite Hoops Companion resources for you to use when you’re thinking about transition offense:

• How to Install Your Transition Offense

• 10 Questions for Your Transition Offense

• Thoughts on Playing Faster

• Flowing From Transition into Your Base Offense

• Transition Trail Options

• Using Flare Screens in Transition

Enjoy the rest of your month and see you next week!

Enjoy Hoops Companion posts? You’ll also probably enjoy…

• HC Master Playbook/Drill Book → over 650 pages of plays and drills…updated each month and sent to your inbox

• Coaching Portfolio Course → a self-paced uide to creating your portfolio, philosophy, and interview materials

• HC Extra (price is $5/month or $50/year)…but that goes up on July 1!