NEWSLETTER #61 - 2008-09 LARRY BROWN - MAN DEFENSE THOUGHTS

1. When a team runs a 1-4 flat along the baseline at the end of a quarter, half, or game I like switching into a 1-2-2 zone.

2. Get your team in great shape with defensive drills. Put your defense in early as a coach. Let the defense be ahead of the offense. It takes five players playing together to be a great defensive team. They will develop pride in working hard together. This will carry over to offense. Develop chemistry with team defense.

3. If a coach puts his offense in before his defense, the defense plays the play.

4. As a defender, always know who's beside you and who's behind you.

5. When you switch on defense take something away, deny.

6. I never remember losing a game because of constant backdoors or lobs by the opponent. That's why I want to make offensive players "drivers" by pressuring the ball. And, off the ball, I want to take away passes by denying.

7. You can't pressure the ball on the perimeter and then allow it to be easily passed to the post. Front the post when you pressure the ball.

8. In the NBA you can't allow the offense to run their plays. They will kill you. You must disrupt.

9. As a college coach I spent 30 minutes per practice on guarding the dribble.

10. On defense I love to deny one pass away. Don't let the offense change sides with the ball.

11. Why would the defense double team in a late clock situation? You will give up a shot unnecessarily.

12. Work on "shell defense" everyday. Don't get caught up in the offense's alignment, mix it up.

13. 4 on 4 and 3 on 3 defensive drills put more stress on the defensive players, assignments.

14. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are great on ball defenders.

15. As a College coach, I wanted to become a great defensive team and an equally great rebounding team. I'll take my chances if we are stopping people defensively.

16. Teach full court shell before half court shell.

17. If you front the post, you also must have great ball pressure.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU LARRY BROWN - MAN DEFENSE THOUGHTS

18. In preparation for the Olympics, during the recent qualifying tournament in South America, the defensive emphasis on the ball was "no middle".

19. Jason Kidd said that he prefers to "down" the sideline ballscreen as a defender.

20. When you come to help, stop the man, not the ball. Run to his outside shoulder.

21. Little guys should always front the post all the way out with no boundaries.

22. As we scored more points on offense, so did our opponents.

23. When defending elbow ballscreens, no hedge is needed. (Diagram #23)

24. Versus a sideline ballscreen go over the screener and under the hedger. You must have a hard hedge to accomplish this. (Diagram #24)

Please contact Mario Mercurio for additional Information. 513-745-3149. [email protected]

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU MAN DEFENSE THOUGHTS DIAGRAM #23 - DEFENDING ELBOW

X5 5

X1 1

A

When defending the elbow ballscreen, X1 must wedge over the top of 5, the screener, or chase him and square him up. X5 has awareness, but isn't required to help. A hedge by X5 will result in an offensive advantage.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU MAN DEFENSE THOUGHTS DIAGRAM #24 - DEFENDING SIDELINE

X5 5 X2 X2 2 5

X5 2

A B

As 2 begins to use the 5 By X5 aggressively hedging, X2 ballscreen, X5 hedges hard to goes over the top of 5 and under prevent 2 from taking the ball X5. across the court.

5 X2 X5 2

C

By using this alley, X2 is able to square up the ball handler. X5 then rotates back to his man, 5.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU USC DEFENSIVE END STARTS FRESHMAN TO SOPHOMORE TRANSITION

Dan Woike USCFootball.com Staff Writer

When people talk about defensive end Everson Griffen as a football player, speed will eventually come up.

The explosive, strong and speedy Griffen made quick impressions on the USC coaching staff and Trojan fans during his freshman season on campus, earning a slew of postseason recognition.

Friday, Griffen and his teammates completed another full workout, and after, he stood and talked about the upcoming season. Despite the short breaths, Griffen's mouth moved as quickly as his feet, and his excitement about his sophomore season is bubbling over.

"I'm loving it right now," he said. "I'm just feeding off the energy."

With the team heading into the final weeks, Griffen said his teammates and he are trying to dig deep and finish strong.

"They're just trying to get us ready for the long season by getting us in Richardson Sophomore defensive end Everson shape now. Everyone's pushing through it. It helps us come together as Griffen has been putting in a lot of a team even more," Griffen said. "This is the final push before camp. hard work this summer. We have to get in shape. Well, we're already in shape, but we have to keep working hard and maintain. It's about pushing through."

And when the tank feels empty, like it did at the end of Friday's team run, Griffen leans on his fellow Trojans to keep going.

"There's so much more competition when everyone's out here. When you're working by yourself, you're not being competitive," he said. "That's what these workouts are all about — always being competitive, always beating the other guy, always making him work harder.

"That's what we do here, and that's why we're the best here."

To be his best this season, Griffen said, he has to be totally healthy. Griffen's been fighting off a pair of minor injuries this summer, but he doesn't either to be problem.

"I've been focused on getting my body back right, focusing on getting my ankle and my shoulder all right," Griffen said. "I want to make sure I'm 100 percent going into camp. I want to make sure there isn't anything where if I knick it, it turns into something.

"They were just little things. I just need to get them back into shape and get them stronger."

One thing Griffen's not too worried about, though, is his mind. With a year of experience, Griffen's been able to excel this summer.

"You know what to look out for. I won't say you not what the coaches are thinking, but you do get into a rhythm and into the habit of what to do," he said. "You learn as you go even more. As a sophomore, my mind's already mentally strong. That's what the freshmen have to focus on. If you get your mind right and stronger, everything will work out."

And having veterans like senior Kyle Moore around all over the defense doesn't do any harm, either.

"It's leadership. When I'm slacking, he tells me. It really is everybody — (Rey Maualuga), (Brian Cushing), (Clay Matthews), (Fili Moala)," Griffen said. "They'll get on everyone. I'm loving how hard we're working as a team.

"When Aug. 30 comes around, Virginia has a handful waiting for it."

And as the days peel away and the team heads towards its first game of the season, Griffen is ready to make his sophomore season a special one.

"I'm just ready for my time. Once the game rolls around and I get on the field, I do what I do," Griffen said. "I'm just here to help the team. I want the team to do well. If you work hard, then the team will work hard. When it's game time, it's going to show.

"Because if everyone is working hard together, there won't be any loose screws."