Before we run a single interval, we test. You cannot chase a standard you never measured.

The running

This is a running-first block, so we lead with it every week.

• Mile time trial. Go find a track or a measured stretch and run your honest mile. Log it. This is your baseline for the next six weeks, and the sub-6 standard is what we are chasing. Do not sandbag it — a soft number this week only lies to you in August.

• Reintroduce top-end speed. 10 x 100m at near-max effort, walk back to the start between each. We are not building endurance here. We are waking up the fast-twitch gears the spring base work left dormant.

The court

Thirty minutes of full-speed finishing — both hands, off one foot and off two, through contact. Every rep at the pace you intend to play in the fall. Slow reps build slow players.

Strength

Light and explosive to open the block. Med-ball throws, box jumps, band work. Fast, not heavy. We are teaching the body to move quickly again, not grinding it down.

The week

• Mon — Mile time trial. Log it.

• Tue — Strength (explosive) + shootaround

• Wed — On-court finishing series, 30 min at game pace

• Thu — Off or easy movement (bike, swim)

• Fri — 10 x 100m near-max, walk-back recovery

• Weekend — one full off day, one easy day

The standard

Write your mile time somewhere you will see it every day. That number is the whole point of this block — it is the difference between a player who is “in shape” and one who is in basketball shape. We chase it for six weeks.

Reset repaired you. Transformation starts now. Get the number on the board.

We see it every summer. A kid on the outdoor court, alone, putting up shot after shot. Crossover, step-back, catch and shoot, repeat. Three hundred makes before lunch. The parents see the work ethic and the player feels the improvement, and everyone walks away believing the fall is going to be different.

Then the season starts, a defender closes out hard, the game speeds up — and the shot that fell all summer is nowhere to be found.

We are not saying that work was wasted. We are saying it trained the wrong thing. And the fix is not more reps. It is a different kind of rep. In skill-acquisition research it goes by a name: the constraints-led approach. We think it is the single most important idea a summer basketball player can understand.

What a skill actually is

Here is the mistake buried in that outdoor-court session. We treat shooting as a movement — a mechanical action you groove through repetition. But a basketball skill is not just a movement. It is a movement plus a read plus a decision, executed under pressure and time. The uncontested catch-and-shoot on an empty court rehearses the movement and nothing else.

The game never asks you to perform the movement in isolation. It asks: can you shoot this shot, with this defender closing, off this pass, in this half-second, while your legs are tired and the score matters? None of those variables exist on the empty court. So none of them get trained.

You do get better at something. You get better at shooting uncontested, at your own pace, from spots you chose, with no consequence for a miss. The problem is that the game never offers those conditions, so the improvement has nowhere to go.

The game is the teacher

The research term for the fix is representative learning design — a practice environment should represent the demands of the real thing. Karl Newell’s model breaks the game’s demands into constraints: the task (the rules, the goal, the time), the environment (the defender, the space, the pressure), and the performer (fatigue, skill, decision-making). Skill emerges from the interaction of all three. Remove the constraints and you are not making practice easier — you are making it a different activity that happens to look like basketball.

This is why blocked, unopposed, self-paced practice transfers so poorly, and why messy, opposed, game-speed practice transfers so well. You learn what you rehearse. Rehearse an empty court and you get good at empty courts.

Put the constraints back in

The good news: you do not need a full gym or nine other players. You need to reintroduce the constraints the outdoor court stripped out. Here is how, in order of how much they matter.

• Add a defender — any defender. Even a passive one with hands up changes everything. Now the shot has a clock on it, a contest, a read. No partner? A chair, a cone, a trash can at the closeout spot forces you to get the ball up and out on time instead of dropping into a comfortable rhythm.

• Add game speed. Every rep at the pace you intend to play. Catch and shoot in under half a second. Come off the dribble at full speed, not the lazy summer tempo. Slow reps build slow players — we say it every week for a reason.

• Add a decision. Do not just shoot. Read something first. Partner’s hand up means drive, hand down means shoot. A cone on the left means finish right. The game is a series of reads, so rehearse the read, not just the finish.

• Add a consequence. Keep score. Make it a game to 5 makes with a penalty for a miss — run a sprint, start over, lose the point. Consequence is what pressure actually is, and pressure is what you are trying to prepare for.

• Add fatigue. Shoot after the sprint, not before it. This is the whole point of the summer conditioning block — the game asks you to shoot on tired legs, so that is when the reps should count.

• Only take shots you will actually take. No half-court heaves, no reps from spots you would never shoot from in a game. Every rep should be a shot the fall will actually demand.

The summer test

Here is the honest test for any summer session, and it is one word: transfer. Not “did I get shots up,” but “will this show up in a game?” If the answer is no — if there was no defender, no clock, no decision, no consequence — then it was movement practice, not basketball practice. It felt productive. It will not translate.

This is the thread running through everything we have written this offseason. The Transformation block is built on game speed and intensity for exactly this reason. Reps are not the currency of improvement. Representative reps are — the ones that carry a defender, a decision, and a consequence into every shot.

So to the players grinding on the outdoor court this summer: keep the work ethic. It is real and it matters. But put the constraints back in. Add the defender, add the clock, add the read, add the stakes. That is the difference between a player who shot three hundred times in July and a player who arrives in September actually better.

The empty court will lie to you. The game never does.

Subscribe for more on how we build practice that transfers — where the academic side of skill acquisition meets the real work on the floor.

mid-July to late August — arrive transformed in the fall

We are past the Reset. If you followed the spring program, the base is in — head-up handle, low hips, clean footwork, and legs that have run enough miles to hold a pace. Reset was about repairing what the season wore down. Transformation is about what we do with that repaired body now, and we do not have forever. From here to the first week of fall practice is roughly six weeks. This is the window where the work gets fast.

Most players slow down in July. School is out, the structure of the spring program fades, and the summer heat becomes a reason to coast. We see it every year. And every year the players who coast arrive in September a step behind the ones who accelerated. The offseason does not reward the athlete who did the most work in April. It rewards the one who was still pushing hard in August. So let’s push.

Why we go high intensity now

Reset built the aerobic base. Transformation converts that base into game speed. Here is why the second half of the offseason has to be the harder half;

• Basketball is not a mile. It is repeated all-out efforts with short, incomplete rest. Once the aerobic base is in, the only way to prepare for that is to train it — hard intervals, live reads, finishing under fatigue.

• Intensity is what separates a player who is “in shape” from one who is in basketball shape. The 3-mile easy run got you fit. It did not get you ready to defend three possessions in a row in the fourth quarter.

• Skills built at game speed hold up at game speed. Skills built slow fall apart the moment a defender arrives. In August, every rep should be run at the pace you intend to play at in the fall.

• This is the roster-depth window. Reset and Transformation was always about moving from a reliance on the top 3 players to a reliance on the top 8. The acceleration block is where your 6th, 7th, and 8th players decide whether they are ready to be trusted.

The benchmark still holds

Before we get into the block — the sub-6 mile has not gone anywhere. If you have not tested it since spring, week one is your retest. We want that number logged before the intervals start, because by late August we expect it to have dropped. The mile is not the goal. It is the standard we hang everything else on. Log it, then chase it.

The six-week acceleration block

Three hard days, two skill days, and real recovery. The mistake players make with “high intensity” is thinking it means going max every single day. It does not. Intensity only works if it is followed by enough recovery to go hard again. We accelerate on the hard days precisely so we can. Adjust the running paces to your own sub-6 progress — the structure matters more than the exact seconds.

Week 1 (mid-July): Retest and Reintroduce

• Mon — Mile time trial. Log it. This is your baseline for the block.

• Wed — On-court: full-speed finishing series, both hands, off two feet and off one, 30 minutes at game pace.

• Fri — 10 x 100m sprints @ near-max (walk-back recovery). Reintroduce top-end speed.

• Recovery — one full off day, one easy movement day (bike, swim, or shootaround).

Week 2: Build the Anaerobic Engine

• Mon — Lines/suicides: 6 sets, each under target time, 90 sec rest. This is basketball conditioning.

• Wed — On-court live reads: 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 to a score, full effort, short rest between games.

• Fri — 8 x 200m @ faster than mile pace (60 sec rest).

• Strength — power focus: light and explosive. Med-ball throws, box jumps, band work. Fast, not heavy.

Week 3: Speed Under Fatigue

• Mon — Shuttle ladder (17s / baseline touches): 5 rounds, tight rest.

• Wed — Finishing and shooting after conditioning — run a hard shuttle, then shoot. Make the reps count while tired.

• Fri — 6 x 400m @ 1:30 (75 sec rest). Threshold work.

• Recovery — protect the off day this week. Week 3 is where the tired legs show up.

Week 4: Peak Intensity

• Mon — Transition 3-on-2, 2-on-1 continuous, 20 minutes, full speed.

• Wed — Sprint pyramid: 100-200-400-200-100 at max sustainable pace.

• Fri — Competitive small-sided games to a score. Winner stays. Compete.

• Strength — hold the power work, drop the volume slightly. Sharp, not sore.

Week 5: Sharpen

• Mon — Mile retest. We expect movement from Week 1.

• Wed — Game-speed skill work: your two or three go-to actions, run clean and fast, no wasted reps.

• Fri — 4 x 200m @ near race pace (full recovery). Speed, not volume.

Week 6 (late August): Arrive Ready

• Mon — Short, sharp: 6 x 100m at speed, then shoot.

• Wed — Live play, controlled — get the timing back, stay loose.

• Fri — Easy movement and rest. You do not build fitness this week. You show up to fall practice with it.

Set the goal now, not in September

The players who transform are the ones who wrote the number down. Pick your target mile time. Pick the two skills you are going to own by fall — face-up game, better handle under pressure, finishing with your off hand, whatever your spring reflection told you. Write them somewhere you will see them, and check them against the block every Friday. If we are not on pace by the first week of August, we still have time to adjust. That is the whole point of doing this now instead of waiting.

Reset repaired you. Transformation is where you become the player the team needs in the top 8. Six weeks. Let’s accelerate.

Subscribe for the fall follow-up, where we check in on who arrived transformed — and what the August numbers told us.

Tier Assignments Based on Results:

• Elite Tier (Tier 1): École Mathieu-Martin, Moncton High, Fredericton High (top AAA)

• Strong Tier (Tier 2): Leo Hayes, Rothesay, Carleton North, Miramichi Valley, Woodstock

• Good Tier (Tier 3): Other competitive AAA/AA teams

• Average Tier (Tier 4): Most A division teams, weaker AA teams

TOP PERFORMERS vs ELITE COMPETITION

1. FREDERICTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (A Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 95/100

Key Results vs Higher Divisions:

• Beat Bernice MacNaughton (AAA) 61-45 (Tier 2/3 opponent) - +16 margin

• Beat Bernice MacNaughton (AAA) again 52-33 - +19 margin

• Beat Bernice MacNaughton (AAA) third time 45-33 - +12 margin

• Beat Harrison Trimble (AAA) 64-61 (Tier 2 opponent) - +3 margin

• Lost to Leo Hayes (AAA Tier 1) 53-46 - only -7 margin

• Beat Salisbury (AA) 74-38, 59-47, 53-52 - dominant series

• Beat Harbour View (AAA) 69-37 - +32 margin

Analysis: This is the most impressive resume. They’re 6-1 against AAA teams with multiple wins over quality AAA opponents. The only loss was competitive against a Tier 1 team. Using KenPom’s efficiency principles, this shows genuine quality regardless of classification.

2. CARLETON NORTH (AA Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 92/100

Key Results vs Higher Divisions & Elite Competition:

• Beat Rothesay (AAA Tier 2) 76-33 - +43 margin

• Beat Moncton High (AAA Tier 1) 70-64 - +6 margin ← HUGE WIN

• Lost to Moncton High (AAA Tier 1) 64-53 - only -11 margin

• Beat École Mathieu-Martin (AAA Tier 1) 77-53 - +24 margin ← MASSIVE WIN

• Beat Sussex Regional (AA) 90-28 - dominant

• Beat Miramichi Valley (AA) 58-39 - +19 margin

• Lost to Leo Hayes (AAA) 62-69 - competitive -7 margin

Analysis: Beat TWO Tier 1 elite AAA teams (Moncton & École Mathieu-Martin). This is championship-caliber performance. They’re proving they belong in AAA competition.

3. PETITCODIAC REGIONAL (A Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 88/100

Key Results vs Higher Divisions:

• Beat Bernice MacNaughton (AAA) 59-25 - +34 margin

• Beat Sussex Regional (AA) 79-50 - +29 margin

• Beat Tantramar (AA) 70-51 - +19 margin

• Beat Kennebecasis Valley (AAA) 87-61 - +26 margin

• Lost to Fredericton Christian (A) 39-73 twice - struggles vs elite A

Analysis: Dominates AA and mid-tier AAA teams. Massive margins suggest they’re significantly underclassified.

4. MIRAMICHI VALLEY (AA Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 85/100

Key Results vs Higher/Equal Elite Competition:

• Lost to Riverview (AAA) 60-71 - competitive -11 margin

• Lost to Fredericton High (AAA Tier 1) 38-63 - -25 margin

• Beat Tantramar (AA) 79-37 - +42 margin

• Lost to Carleton North (AA) 39-58 - -19 margin

• Lost to Woodstock (AA) 39-74 - exposed vs top AA

Analysis: Competitive against some AAA but exposed by elite teams. Good but not great.

5. WOODSTOCK (AA Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 87/100

Key Results vs Higher Divisions:

• Beat Kennebecasis Valley (AAA) 75-50 - +25 margin

• Beat Fredericton High (AAA Tier 1) 84-64 and 76-65 - TWO WINS over elite AAA

• Beat Salisbury (AA) 69-35 - dominant

• Beat Miramichi Valley (AA) 74-39 - +35 margin

Analysis: Two wins over Tier 1 Fredericton High is exceptional. This AA team can compete with anyone.

6. BATHURST (AA Division)

Quality-Adjusted SOS Rating: 82/100

Key Results:

• Beat Oromocto (AAA) 47-38 - +9 margin

• Beat Sugarloaf (A) multiple times - dominant vs A

• Lost to most elite AAA teams

Analysis: Can beat weaker AAA teams but doesn’t have signature wins vs elite competition.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE INDEX

Weighted by opponent quality (higher score = tougher schedule against GOOD teams)

Rank

Team

Division

SOS Score

Best Win Quality

Avg Margin vs Tier 1/2

1

Fredericton Christian

A

95

Beat AAA (multiple)

+10.5 vs AAA

2

Carleton North

AA

92

Beat École M-M, Moncton

+9.5 vs Tier 1 AAA

3

Petitcodiac Regional

A

88

Beat KV (AAA) +26

+26.3 vs AAA

4

Woodstock

AA

87

Beat FHS (AAA) twice

+21.5 vs Tier 1

5

Miramichi Valley

AA

85

Competitive vs AAA

-11.0 vs AAA

6

Bathurst

AA

82

Beat Oromocto (AAA)

+9.0 vs AAA

KEY INSIGHTS Using KenPom Principles:

KenPom’s system weights game significance more heavily when teams of similar ratings compete, and when disparate ratings produce closer-than-expected results.

CHAMPIONSHIP-TIER TEAMS (Would compete for AAA title):

1. Carleton North - Beat the #1 and #2 AAA teams

2. Fredericton Christian Academy - Consistently beats AAA competition

3. Woodstock - Two wins over elite Fredericton High

THE UNDERRATED STORY: Fredericton Christian Academy and Carleton North have résumés that suggest they should be ranked in the top 3 overall regardless of division. Their wins aren’t against weak AAA teams—they’re beating THE BEST AAA teams.

Quality > Quantity: It’s not about playing lots of higher-division teams. It’s about beating good higher-division teams. Carleton North’s wins over École Mathieu-Martin and Moncton High are worth more than 10 wins over weak AAA schools.

This analysis shows these aren’t just “good for their division”—they’re legitimately elite teams that could win the AAA championship.

As of late there appears to be an increase in academic studies related to technology and its impact on athletic performance. This is not technological training aids but rather a focus on cell phone use.

Multiple studies from 2024 and 2025 confirm that as little as 30 minutes of social media or video game use before competition induces measurable mental fatigue.

• Athletes using social media (like Instagram or TikTok) for 30 minutes before training showed significantly lower “attack efficiency” and passing accuracy.

• Research in Canadian Cycling Magazine (2025) noted that pre-activity screen time decreased explosive power (countermovement jump height) across several sports.

• Even if physical markers (like heart rate) remain the same, mental fatigue increases the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Athletes feel they are working harder for the same output, leading to earlier exhaustion.

The negative impact of smartphones is most pronounced in “open-skill” sports that require rapid decision-making (e.g., soccer, basketball, boxing).

• Slower Reactions: Pre-game scrolling impairs the Stroop effect (selective attention) and response times. More about stroop at the end of this article

• Technical Errors: A 2025 longitudinal study found that habitual smartphone use exceeding 4 hours per day was linked to increased mind-wandering and concentration lapses during training sessions.

• Closed-Skill Resilience: Interestingly, some research suggests that pure “closed-skill” tasks, like a 100m sprint, may be less affected by pre-game phone use compared to complex team sports.

The timing of use is critical. 2025 research on Blue Light Exposure (BLE) has refined our understanding:

• The 9:00 PM Threshold: Exposure to blue light after 9:00 PM significantly shortens total sleep duration and reduces accuracy and motor learning the next day.

• Glycogen & Recovery: Inadequate sleep (often caused by “revenge bedtime procrastination” on phones) is now directly linked to impaired muscle glycogen storage, which is the primary fuel for high-intensity exercise

While stroop task (identifying the color of a word rather than the word itself) is a laboratory tool, researchers use it both to measure an athlete's baseline cognitive control and to induce "Mental Fatigue" (MF) to see how a tired brain affects court performance.

Current studies (Hemmat et al., 2025) use a prolonged 30-minute Stroop task to intentionally exhaust the prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain responsible for “executive functions” like decision-making and inhibition.

• Impact on Power: Mentally fatigued players showed a significant decrease in Vertical Jump Height. This suggests that cognitive exhaustion reduces the “neural drive” required for explosive movements, even if the muscles aren’t physically tired.

• Impact on Skill: The V-CUT dribbling performance (a high-agility task) declined significantly. However, stationary two-point shooting remained largely unaffected, suggesting that simple, well-practiced motor tasks are more resilient to mental fatigue than complex, multi-directional ones.

A 2025 study in Frontiers in Neuroscience compared the Stroop effect to “head fakes” in basketball.

• Conflict Processing: Just as the Stroop task creates a conflict between a word’s color and its meaning, a head-fake creates a conflict between an opponent’s body movement and the actual ball trajectory.

• Expert Advantage: Elite players exhibit shorter reaction times in these “conflict” scenarios. However, the research found no significant difference between elite and amateur players on the standard Stroop task itself, indicating that basketball expertise is domain-specific—it makes you better at reading the game, but not necessarily better at general lab tests.

Meta-analyses from 2024 and 2025 (Li et al.) have pinpointed exactly where mental fatigue—as measured or induced by Stroop tasks—hits the scoreboard:

• Free-Throw Accuracy: Mental fatigue significantly reduces free-throw percentages. Because free throws are “self-paced” and require intense focus, the lack of cognitive resources leads to lapses in concentration.

• Three-Point Accuracy: Recent data shows that 3-point shooting is more sensitive to mental fatigue than 2-point shooting, likely because the higher precision requirement of long-distance shots is more susceptible to “noisy” neural signals from a tired brain.

1. Slide the feet: In this defensive technique, the defender maintains a low, athletic stance and slides their feet laterally to keep up with the offensive player. The defender moves by pushing off the back foot and sliding the lead foot in the desired direction, ensuring that their feet do not cross. This technique helps maintain balance, quickness, and agility while staying between the offensive player and the basket.

2. Scissor running: Scissor running, also known as "drop step" or "crossover step," is a defensive technique used when the offensive player has gained a step on the defender, and the defender needs to quickly recover their position. The defender starts by pivoting on their front foot while swinging their back foot around and in front of the front foot (in a scissor-like motion). This allows the defender to change directions and accelerate quickly to catch up to the offensive player.

Both techniques are effective when used correctly and can be utilized based on the game situation and the defender's positioning relative to the offensive player. Good defenders will master both techniques and switch between them as needed to maintain a strong defensive presence on the court.

Is there an age when ‘scissor running’ should be taught?

The appropriate age to start teaching the scissor run as a defensive technique depends on the child's physical development, coordination, and overall basketball skill level. Generally, the scissor run can be introduced to young players around the age of 10-12 years old, when they have developed basic basketball skills and have a good understanding of the game.

At younger ages, it's important to focus on teaching fundamental skills, such as dribbling, shooting, passing, and basic defensive positioning. As players become more comfortable with these skills and develop better agility and coordination, introducing more advanced techniques like the scissor run becomes appropriate.

There are also other options:

Drop and recover: This technique is used when the offensive player has made a move to get past the defender. The defender quickly drops their back foot and pivots on their front foot to change directions and recover their defensive position. This is similar to the scissor run but involves a more straightforward drop-step motion.

Hedge and recover: This technique is often used in pick-and-roll situations, where the defender momentarily helps their teammate guard the ball handler before quickly recovering to their original defensive assignment. The defender steps out to "hedge" against the ball handler, impeding their progress, and then quickly returns to their assignment once their teammate has fought through the screen.

However, it's important to remember that every child develops at their own pace. Some players may be ready to learn the scissor run earlier, while others may need more time to develop basic skills before advancing to more complex techniques. Coaches and parents should closely monitor the progress and development of young athletes and adapt their teaching methods to best suit the individual needs of each player.

• It communicates high expectations

• It separates serious players from those who need to level up

• It builds camaraderie around shared effort and accountability

• Track improvement over time

• Compete with yourself and each other

• Set off-season or preseason goals

How to get to a 6 minute mile in 6 weeks…and do we ever love the ladder drills. If you are already in decent shape you could consider putting in more ladder drills earlier. Ladder drill is 3-5 different running distances with corresponding times. Try reducing the times every second day with the same distance.

Week 1: Find Your Base

• Mon: 6 x 400m @ 1:40 pace (90 sec rest)

• Wed: 1.5 miles @ moderate effort (7:30–8:00 pace)

• Fri: 3-mile easy run

Week 2: Build Volume

• Mon: 4 x 600m @ 1:50/600m (2-min rest)

• Wed: 1.5 miles @ 7:15 pace

• Fri: 3.5-mile run, steady pace

Week 3: Increase Speed

• Mon: 8 x 400m @ 1:35 (75 sec rest)

• Wed: 1 mile time trial (see where you're at!)

• Fri: 4-mile easy run

Week 4: Sharpen Threshold

• Mon: Ladder (400m-800m-400m x 2) @ 1:30/3:00/1:30

• Wed: 2 miles @ 7:00 pace

• Fri: 4.5-mile steady run

Week 5: Race Prep

• Mon: 6 x 400m @ 1:28-1:30 (60 sec rest)

• Wed: 1.25 miles @ goal pace (7:30 total)

• Fri: 3 miles easy

Week 6: Taper + Time Trial

• Mon: 4 x 200m @ faster than race pace (40 sec per 200m)

• Wed: Easy 2 miles

• Fri or Sat: Test Day – Run your mile goal!

We don’t expect to Houston to run away with the score but we do expect Houston to be the quicker team - let’s see how this plays out on Saturday. For insight the fastest time on Houston is 5:07 for a 6 minute mile and the slowest time is 5:45. The slowest time is from a 6’9 player weighing in at 260 lbs. That is impressive.

🧠 Nuances of Coaching the 1-3-1 Zone

1. Personnel is Everything

• Length and activity are crucial — especially in the wings and on top.

• You need a fast, long “top” defender who can disrupt the point of attack.

• The baseline “mop-up” defender (usually a wing or undersized big) has to cover corner-to-corner — must be tough, smart, and unselfish.

2. Constant Movement & Traps

• The zone thrives on trap opportunities in the corners and near half court.

• Rotations are quick and layered — it’s less about holding position and more about baiting passes and jumping lanes.

• Defenders must fly around with discipline — high risk, high reward.

3. Vulnerability Zones

• Corners and short corner are major pressure points.

• Middle of the zone (especially at the high post) is a kill spot if not covered early.

• Skilled teams will try to reverse the ball quickly and make the bottom defender over-rotate.

4. Rebounding is a Challenge

• Not matched up = more difficult box-outs.

• Emphasis on crashing from the weak side and gang rebounding.

5. Disguising the Defense

• Can shift into a 1-3-1 look from a 2-3 or press, or even morph into a matchup zone.

• Great coaches use it to disrupt rhythm — not always as a full-time defense.

🧠 Key Coaching Points

• Emphasize vision, communication, and rotation timing.

• Drill “short corner recognition,” “high post collapse and recover,” and sideline traps.

• Use terms like:

  • "Fan and recover"

  • "Tag the corner"

  • "Trap and peel"

  • "Split the top" (offensively — know how to counter too!)

🏀 Best NCAA Coaches Known for the 1-3-1 Zone

🔰 John Beilein (Michigan, West Virginia)

• One of the most well-known 1-3-1 tacticians.

• Used it as a changeup defense to disrupt rhythm and bait turnovers.

• Michigan’s run to the 2013 NCAA title game included major 1-3-1 usage.

🧠 Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)

• While Boeheim is famous for the 2-3 zone, his assistants and legacy influenced many programs to dabble with 1-3-1 variations.

• Some of his 2-3 morphs into a high 1-3-1 press/trap look.

🔒 Bob Huggins (West Virginia)

• While not a pure 1-3-1 guy, he integrated chaotic trapping zones that resembled 1-3-1 principles.

• Huggs emphasized deflections, chaos, and hybrid looks — perfect for a flowing 1-3-1.

🔧 Don Meyer (NAIA legend)

• Used 1-3-1 in a matchup-style system — very precise with teaching points.

• His teaching tree and clinic talks are legendary in zone philosophy.

🔼 Honorable Mentions:

• Jerry Wainwright – known for innovative zone traps including 1-3-1 variants.

• Rick Majerus (Saint Louis, Utah) – used modified zones with 1-3-1 looks and rotations.

📽️ Recommended Film Clips to Study

🔷 John Beilein (Michigan 2013 Tourney Run)

• Key games: vs. VCU, vs. Kansas (Sweet 16)

• Highlights: textbook corner traps, high hands, active baseline coverage

🔷 West Virginia Under Bob Huggins (2008–2010)

• Uses hybrid traps that mimic a 1-3-1 but shift fluidly into man-zone

🔷 High School/AAU 1-3-1

• Often more raw, but great for seeing breakdowns and teaching moments

• Search for “1-3-1 high school breakdowns” on YouTube or Hudle

🧠 Purpose of Offseason Running:

• Build aerobic base

• Improve recovery and stamina

• Enhance sprint capacity (intervals)

• Support agility and quickness training

📅 Weekly Running Guidelines (Guard-Specific Version)

❌ How to Avoid Shin Splints

Shin splints = inflammation of muscles/tissues around your tibia, common with hard surfaces, poor shoes, or overtraining.

✅ Prevention Tips:

1. Progress gradually – Don’t suddenly spike your mileage or court time.

2. Rotate surfaces – Alternate between hardwood, turf, grass, and rubber track.

3. Warm-up properly – Dynamic stretches and light movement before running.

4. Strengthen lower legs – Do calf raises, toe walks, tibialis raises 3x/week.

5. Use proper shoes – Basketball shoes for court, running shoes for longer runs.

6. Ice after hard runs – Especially if you feel tightness in your shins.

7. Foam roll calves & quads – Keeps tension off the tibia.

🏋️‍♂️ Lower Leg Prehab (2–3x per week)

• Tibialis Raises (against wall) – 3x15

• Single-leg Calf Raises (slow) – 3x12/leg

• Toe Towel Curls – 3x20 sec

• Jump Rope (light) – 3x30 sec (progress to single leg)

⚠️ If You Feel Shin Pain:

• Cut running in half or switch to biking/swimming for a week

• Ice 2x/day for 10–15 minutes

• Add compression sleeves for light support

✅ Goals:

• Quicker first step (blow-by speed)

• Tight lateral footwork (on-ball defense, slides)

• Elite change of direction (shifty handles, separation)

• Endurance for full-court pressure & fast breaks

🔁 Weekly Layout (Guard Focus)

Day 1: Acceleration + Lower Body Power
Day 2: Lateral Quickness + Core + Handle/Footwork
Day 3: Recovery or Light Skill Day
Day 4: Reaction + COD + Plyos
Day 5: Game-Like Guard Skills + Full-Court Conditioning

🔥 Daily Warm-Up (10–15 min)

• A-skips, butt kicks, open-hip lunges

• Jump rope: 2 sets of 1 min (1-foot hops, scissors)

• Mini-band: lateral walks + glute bridges (2x10 each)

• Fast-feet ladder (basic in-n-out, icky shuffle, single leg hops)

🧨 DAY 1 – First Step Explosion + Power

1. Wall Drill into Sprint (3-position) – 3x each
2. 10-20-30m Sprints – 3 rounds
3. Sled Push / Resistance Band Sprint – 4x10m
4. Trap Bar Deadlift or Bulgarian Split Squat – 4x6
5. Box Jumps (quick reaction) – 3x5
6. Lateral Bound + Sprint (explode from lateral to linear) – 3x5/side

Finisher: 5x Full-court Push-Pull Dribble Sprints
(Start baseline, dribble out hard, pullback, burst again — to full court)

🌀 DAY 2 – Lateral Agility + Core + Handle

1. Lateral Cone Shuffle (hip low) – 4x15 sec
2. Defensive Slide + Touch (cone or chair) – 5 rounds
3. Mirror Drill (partner or video reaction) – 3x20 sec
4. Towel Plank Slides (core & shoulder stability) – 3x10
5. Dead Bug w/ Stability Ball – 3x10
6. Tight Cone Handle + Escape Pull-Up – 5 sets (2 dribbles + burst)

Handle Drill Focus:

• In-n-Out to Hesitation

• Split Stance + Jab Step into Speed Dribble

⚡️ DAY 4 – Reaction + Change of Direction (COD) + Plyos

1. Tennis Ball Drop into Sprint – 5/side
2. Reaction Cone Drill (coach point or verbal) – 4x
3. 5-10-5 Shuttle + Spin Move Finish – 4 sets
4. Single-Leg Lateral Bounds + Dribble – 3x10
5. Depth Jump to Crossover Sprint – 3x3
6. Push-Off Acceleration (1-2 step burst) – 5x5m

🔥 DAY 5 – Full-Court Guard Conditioning + Skill Combo

1. Baseline to Baseline Sprint w/ Dribble – 6x
2. Cone Weave + Pull-Up (both hands) – 3 sets
3. Pick & Roll Reaction (coach cues) – 4x
4. Chase + Recover Drill (D closeout, recover) – 5x
5. 17s Drill or 3min Gut Buster (full-court sprint drill)

Bonus Handle Work:

• Full-Court Speed Dribble into Controlled Stop

• Inside-out to Retreat Dribble into Pull-Up (3x)

🧘‍♂️ Cool Down (Always)

• Walking + breathing

• Stretch: hip flexors, groin, calves, hamstrings

• Foam roll: glutes, IT bands, quads

📈 Optional Weekly Add-Ons (Guard IQ & Edge)

• Film study (20 mins/day): Study elite guards’ footwork, change of pace

• Meditation/Focus drills: Improves court awareness and decision-making under pressure

🔁 Weekly Structure (3–5 Days/Week)

• Day 1: Speed & Agility + Lower Body Strength

• Day 2: Lateral Quickness + Core

• Day 3: Recovery or Light Skill Work

• Day 4: Reaction & Change of Direction + Plyometrics

• Day 5: Full Court Conditioning + Game-Like Drills

🧠 Warm-Up (10–15 min) – Every Day

1. Dynamic stretches – leg swings, high knees, A-skips

2. Mobility drills – hip openers, ankle rolls

3. Jump rope – 2 sets of 1 min (basic + single leg)

4. Mini-band activation – lateral steps, monster walks

🔥 Core Speed & Agility Drills

Day 1: Linear Speed + Lower Body Strength

• Acceleration Sprints – 5x10m, 5x20m

• Wall Drill (3-position) – 3 sets x 5 seconds hold + 5 fast switches

• Resisted Sled/Parachute Sprints – 4x15m

• Split Squats (Dumbbell or Barbell) – 3x8 each leg

• Trap Bar Deadlift or Kettlebell Swings – 4x6

• Box Jumps (low height, max speed) – 3x5

Day 2: Lateral Quickness + Core Stability

• Lateral Cone Hops – 3x20 sec

• Defensive Slides (Cone Drill) – 5 sets x 15m

• Zig-Zag Cone Drill – 3 sets, focus on body control

• Side Plank with Reach Under – 3x10 each side

• Dead Bug or Stability Ball Rollouts – 3x12

Day 4: Reaction + Change of Direction + Plyos

• Mirror Drill (Partner or Coach cues) – 5 rounds x 20 sec

• Tennis Ball Drop & Catch – 3x10 per side

• 5-10-5 Shuttle Drill – 3 sets

• T-Drill or X-Drill (with basketball) – 3x

• Depth Jumps to Sprint – 3x3

• Single Leg Bounds (linear + lateral) – 3x10m

Day 5: Full Court Conditioning + Game-Like Agility

• Baseline to baseline sprints (basketball in hand) – 6x

• 3-cone into pull-up jumper – 5 rounds each side

• Zigzag dribble into finish (off both hands) – 3 sets

• Pick & roll reaction (coach/random cue) – 4x

• Conditioning: 17s (sideline to sideline x17 in under 1 min) – 2x

🧊 Cool-Down (10 min)

• Light jog + walking

• Static stretches (hip flexors, calves, quads, hamstrings)

• Foam rolling

📅 Progressions (every 2–3 weeks):

• Increase resistance (weight or resistance bands)

• Add complexity (reaction cues, change direction mid-drill)

• Reduce rest times (build anaerobic capacity)

Here are some of the key findings we made;

Preparing for the season involves achieving optimal physical shape, which encompasses conditioning to handle repetitive jumps, sprints, and changes in direction. This conditioning typically spans a period of 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the athlete's starting fitness level and the intensity of the training regimen. It is increasingly difficult to shorten and condense this time span. There is some literature that points to multi sport type conditioning efforts as one means to accelerating basketball readiness. Where there are positive aspects to this there are always coinciding tradeoffs.

A critical aspect of preseason conditioning is progressively increasing the training workload. This gradual increase allows the body to adapt to the physical demands of basketball, reducing the risk of overuse injuries like patellar tendinopathy (jumpers knee) and Achilles tendinopathy (Achilles tendon). Research suggests that a balanced approach to workload accumulation, combining high-intensity efforts with recovery periods, is essential for maintaining player health. Proper season long planning is key to understanding where you are and where you want to be. We recommend season long plan before season starts with the understanding that you will want to make changes in the first week of training camp after you have a better understanding of the team strengths and weaknesses.

Wearable technology has enhanced the ability to monitor players’ workloads, particularly by tracking jump counts and heights. For basketball players, jump load is a crucial metric as it directly impacts the lower extremities. Using metrics like weighted jump height, which accounts for the impact of jump magnitude on tendons, helps assess the cumulative damage that repetitive loading might cause, guiding adjustments in training volume. We have developed and are in limited / private trials with an application that can be used in combination with Apple Watch. Trials thus far indicate there are limitations to what we can measure but on the immediate horizon are interesting developments related to multi camera angle analysis of athletic training that are showing interesting results. Our application development thus far have been directed towards WatchKit sdk and iHealth sdk.

The body’s tissues adapt to the stresses of basketball over a specific timeline. Studies indicate that tendon and muscle adaptations can take about 4 to 6 weeks of consistent training to start showing improvements. This adaptation process is vital for reducing the likelihood of injuries during intense sessions and games. However, sudden spikes in training intensity without adequate buildup can negate these benefits.

For most youth and amateur basketball players, a preseason period of 8 weeks is recommended. This time frame allows for a structured buildup of cardiovascular endurance, strength training, and specific skill work. The initial 4 weeks focus on building a general fitness base, while the latter 4 weeks integrate more basketball-specific drills, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and plyometrics.

Recovery is as vital as active training in preseason preparation. Recovery sessions help manage muscle soreness and ensure that adaptations occur without overtraining. For instance, rest periods are particularly critical after high-jump training sessions to allow tendons to repair and strengthen. Research highlights that maintaining a balance of recovery time within the weekly training structure helps sustain performance gains while preventing fatigue.

While many of you are thinking it and not saying it - there is an uptick in studies of athletes and cell phone (screen time) as reducing the recovery aspects of rest. This will be the basis of our next article the dreaded screen time issue.

Here is a list of resources we consulted:

Drew, M. K., and Finch, C. F. (2016). The relationship between training load and injury, illness and soreness: a systematic and literature review. Sports Med. 46, 861–883. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0459-8

Gisslén K, Alfredson H. Neovascularization and pain in jumper's knee: a prospective clinical and sonographic study in elite junior volleyball players. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39(7):423–428.

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/153/2/e2023065129/196435/Overuse-Injuries-Overtraining-and-Burnout-in-Young

Here is what we have learned so far

1. we have entitled this summer ‘Reset Workouts’ - simple reason for this. We have witnessed a decline in the basics. Simple footwork is hard to teach, no player wants to think that they are not doing the fundamentals correctly, even worse no sophomore or senior wants to be taught footwork. As we take the summer to review footage of the season by season progress and compare it with everyone at the summer workouts - footwork stands out the most.

2. Fundamentals are more than footwork. We see inconsistency in basic layup methodology and shooting form. This is another candidate for a ‘reset’

3. We have been reading a lot and when I say a lot it has been a tremendously valuable experience. From the readings both scientific and biographical we add the following sub bullets to our knowledge;

   1. data and analytics can improve a team dramatically- here we are speaking of the use of analytics inn practice not just games

   2. last week’s philosophy of practice like you play is supplanted by todays philosophy play like you practice. For some the intricacies may slide right through but for us this is a monumental shift. This will take much more effort and the demands expectations on the athletes will be higher. We see little evidence that this is being applied.

   3. Another measure that is useful in life is if you have more screen time per day than practice time then you can not have high expectations for your practice and game play. More longitudinal studies will clarify this but the current technical data is suggesting clear patterns of distraction and inattention with a causality to screen time. (cell phone, gaming console, television, virtual reality headsets, etc)

   4. Small adjustments to individual practice time outside of scheduled time will have drastic impacts on athletes performance and health. Simple math of athletes individually spending 15 additional minutes in intense practice every day equates to SUBSTANTIAL improvements. 15 minutes!!!!. 15 minutes * 7 days = 105 minutes. with just 15 minutes of intense workout the athlete is getting almost an entire practice more than 98% of the players. For the 8 weeks of summer workouts you can see a complete turn around in a player.

   5. While we are enamoured with the idea of 15 minutes extra changing the profile of a player we also recognize that players have to own their improvements and invest much more than that.

4. We have enough data points at this juncture to develop group workout plans. We will be going players by skill and proficiency and delivering workout plans over the next 10 days.

Here are a few items that propagate and enable this.

1. lack of detailed analytics - athletes are not provided enough information related to how individual performances relate to the team dynamic. We often present one to one analytics with no real detailed explanation of the additional dynamics

2. travel team focus points - we strongly encourage travel team play. The key to strong travel team play is proper planning from the individual context. Players should document what their goals are and set milestones for travel team play. Examples are play more face to the hoop basketball, better ball handling in pressure situations. Many athletes just adopt previous seasons skills and don’t really improve

3. continued offseason development - players that focus on individual performance measures in the offseason typically have more successful in season results, can understand team concepts quickly and have higher athletic performance values

The focus of this years program is Reset and Transformation. Let’s breakdown each of these into bullet points that will comprise this offseason focus areas;

Reset

• focus on head up dribble, low body position, ball below the knees, capacity to pass quickly out of the dribble

• footwork- capacity to attack defence before putting the ball on the ground, ability to pivot away from defensive pressure without loosing the ball

• strength - full body workouts with lighter weight values and faster movements - stretch bands, dynamic movements, sprint jog - sprint jog. boxing, cycling, swimming

Transformation

• no preseason conditioning. transformation will provide an opportunity for all competition athletes to arrive transformed and in shape

• focus on moving the level of compete of all athletes to higher level, put simply, less reliance on top 3 players and more reliance on top 8 players

• faster attack values - attacking the basket with higher percentage shots

• faster changes in defensive concepts

In moving quickly into the offseason we see success through communication of expectations and goal settings. If we are not meeting our goals in May we have time to adjust before June/July. We often see June as a difficult time to focus do to academic pressures and gym availability. Proper out door goal setting for June is a key component of Reset and Transformation. We look forward to developing off season workouts for all our participants alongside proper goal setting. Here is to the offseason starting.

As we ease into the offseason we took a look back at the entirety of the statistical data that we obtained last year and 3 years past. We learned a lot from traditional analytics but we also uncovered a more important model - that of rank order. In order to build out our offseason programs this year we will use interpretations from the data model to narrow the training focus. Below are a few reasons for using rank order model as well as the code snippet.

1. Customization: This model allows for the customization of how player stats are weighted based on the quality of the opponent teams. By considering the ranking of the opponent teams, it provides a more nuanced view of player performance compared to simplistic averages.

2. Contextualization: By incorporating opponent team rankings, the model contextualizes player performance within the competitive environment. It acknowledges that a player's performance against a stronger opponent might be more significant than against a weaker one.

3. Relative Performance: Unlike absolute statistics, this model evaluates player performance relative to the strength of the opposition. This relative assessment provides a clearer understanding of a player's impact, as it considers the difficulty of the opposition faced.

4. Ranking Incorporation: By integrating opponent team rankings, the model reflects the varying degrees of challenge presented by different opponents. This accounts for the fact that performance against higher-ranked teams should carry more weight in evaluating a player's effectiveness.

5. Improved Predictive Power: By balancing player stats over ranked order opponent teams, the model offers better predictive power. It provides insights into how players perform under different levels of competition, which can be invaluable for strategic planning and player development.

code snippet

import pandas as pd

import numpy as np

#DataFrame called 'player_stats'

#DataFrame called 'opponent_rankings'

def calculate_balanced_stats(player_stats, opponent_rankings):

# Assume 'player_stats' DataFrame has columns like 'points', 'rebounds', 'assists', etc.

# Assume 'opponent_rankings' DataFrame has columns like 'opponent_team', 'ranking', etc.

# Merge player stats with opponent rankings based on opponent team

merged_data = pd.merge(player_stats, opponent_rankings, left_on='opponent_team', right_on='opponent_team', how='inner')

# Calculate weighted stats based on opponent team ranking

merged_data['weighted_points'] = merged_data['points'] * (1 / merged_data['ranking'])

merged_data['weighted_rebounds'] = merged_data['rebounds'] * (1 / merged_data['ranking'])

# Add more weighted stats as needed

return merged_data

# Example usage:

balanced_stats = calculate_balanced_stats(player_stats, opponent_rankings

1. Significantly higher number of foot injuries. Not sure if this is related to style of play or practice but across the board there has been a perceived up tick in foot injuries. We have quietly wondered if it is related to the frequency of changing shoe types - there would need to be a longitudinal study of this to prove it out.

2. Women’s college basketball is thriving. As coaches and observers this is an exciting time. We watched a university game that had more viewers than the Celtics on the same night. Expect this trend to continue

3. NIL - name-image-likeness, has forever changed the recruiting landscape and is poised to dramatically shift the game. Based on the number of court cases and hearings we expect the NCAA to be in a transformative phase. What comes out on the other end will not be the same as we witnessed in the past

4. We are watching more basketball out of Japan and other Asian countries - no not pro leagues but high school basketball. Strongly suggest coaches pay attention to what is happening there.

5. NBA is on notice that Europe and Canada are producing extremely talented players. We expect this to continue as well. The impacts of NIL in Canada will shape how well we develop talent or lose talent early in their career

The inaugural product review comes to you from BetterGuards who have designed an innovative product to protect against one of the most common injuries in basketball the dreaded ‘ankle sprain’. You can read all about the product and the innovative thinking behind their product at Better Guards

Here is what we like about the ankle support

• thinner design than most ankle supports on the market

• encourages strengthening of the ankle ligaments during natural non stressed movements

• engages when ankle ligaments are in a stress inducing position

This matters because we are spending increasing amounts on basketball footwear and then ruining the shoe with bulky ankle braces. At the extreme end of the spectrum by using larger ankle braces in high end shoes we might be increasing the frequency of additional foot, leg or knee injuries due to anatomically incorrect placement of the foot.

Here are a few exercises we have have utilized entered around visioning

1. The Perfect Game Visualization (we are sensitive to the idea of the perfect game hypothesis as it means different things to different people, this exercise is suited for more developed players, for younger players a more appropriate visualization could be related to the perfect pass or well balanced and executed shot)

• Find a quiet space to sit or lie down.

• Close your eyes and take deep breaths, focusing on relaxation.

• Visualize yourself entering a basketball court, feeling confident and ready.

• Play out an entire game in your mind, seeing yourself executing perfect plays, making every shot, defending well, and communicating with teammates.

• Experience the emotions of success, the crowd's cheers, and the satisfaction of playing your best game.

• Conclude by savoring the feeling of this "perfect game" and carry that confidence into real-life practices and matches.

2. Overcoming Challenges Visualization (again age should be considered)

• Relax and close your eyes.

• Visualize a challenging game scenario, like being several points behind or facing a tough defender.

• Instead of feeling defeated, imagine tapping into a reservoir of inner strength, determination, and skill.

• See yourself methodically breaking down the challenge, making smart plays, and slowly gaining the upper hand.

• Feel the rush of turning the tide and the joy of overcoming adversity.

3. The Mind-Body Connection

• Choose a specific basketball skill, e.g., free throw shooting.

• Stand in position as if you're about to shoot a free throw.

• Close your eyes and visualize the process of making the shot: the ball's weight, the shooting motion, the ball's arc, and it swishing through the net.

• Without opening your eyes, physically perform the action.

• Repeat multiple times, reinforcing the connection between mental imagery and physical execution.

4. Teammate Synergy Visualization

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

• Visualize a game where you and your teammates are in perfect sync: passing seamlessly, assisting each other, and defending cooperatively.

• Feel the trust and mutual respect, envisioning scenarios where you anticipate each other's moves effortlessly.

• Conclude by focusing on the feeling of unity and camaraderie.

5. Post-Game Reflection and Visualization

• After a game, find a quiet place to sit.

• Reflect on the game's events, both positive outcomes and areas for improvement.

• For any mistakes or missed opportunities, visualize an alternative scenario where you performed the desired action successfully.

• Feel the positive emotions tied to this improved outcome and set an intention to integrate this visualization into your future games.

Wading through the commentary on shooting mechanics is nauseating at best. If left to your own research you would come up more confused than when you started. Some many controlled scientific studies that fall short of in game shooting analytics and the practice regimes that make them successful

“I saw a Steph Curry workout the other day on instagram and I am just going to repeat that workout” - please don’t!

We have collected several studies and watched several hours (we won’t say the number) of self prescribed shooting coaches - and - I have to say that the majority of the shooting coaches are impressive. I am still struck by the fact that they are fixing minutia in the shooting approach. Overall this is what we learned and what we prescribe to our shooters.

1. Footwork is still critical to effective shooting. There are a few variations on the traditional methods. Complexity comes from where the defence is positioned and this is where elite shooters can make the most progress in their already excellent shooting proficiency. For the younger athletes, learning how to place the left foot, turn into the right foot and square the shoulders should still be taught and worked on routinely.

2. Traditional concepts of elbow aligned to knee aligned to hoop are still very much in play. See above foot work on how to get all these body parts in play.

3. High release and follow through should be encouraged at a young age. We think this is an important aspect that is missing in the majority of younger associations’ teachings. There is a tendency to teach ‘reach for the basket’ without the focus on where the ball is released.

The most controversial aspect of teaching shooting is when is it too late to change an athletes shot. There is no rule of thumb but certainly any changes to shot mechanics should be in the offseason so that the athlete has a chance to adapt and hopefully get in some game condition shots backed by 100’s of game speed practice shots.