This week TJ and Sam jump into the topic of player development and the 4 steps you need to take to ensure your players are improving for next season.

Show Notes:

• Nick Saban quote
• Getting talent v. developing talent
• When development is your only option
• Getting to action
• What if you focused on development over systems & strategies
• Evaluating the quality of your player development
• Various facets of player development
• Having a shared vision & creating a plan
• Focusing on strengths or weaknesses
• Good coaches are problem solvers
• Developing the mental aspect
• Making it tangible and measurable

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This week TJ and Sam are joined by Head Coach Andre Cook from St. Edward’s University. With over 400 collegiate wins and 20 years of coaching experience Coach Cook shares how he coaches the offensive side of the ball - specifically looking at their pace, shot selection, player development and more.

Show Notes:
• Setting his offensive foundation & keeping the ball moving
• Implementing sets & constant pressure on the defense
• Defining shot selection for your team
• Developing pace in practice
• What are the hardest actions to guard & paint pressure
• What translates from player development
• How his coaching has evolved and finding the path
• Know thy self
• Adapting to zone defenses
• Offensive rebound philosophy
• Marrying the offense to the defense
• Find what's best for you

More about Coach Andre Cook:

Andre Cook has helmed St. Edward’s men’s basketball since the 2009-2010 season, becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach during the 2022-23.

The Hilltoppers have posted 11 consecutive winning seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances under Cook, including a program-record 30 wins in 2018-19, snagging the Heartland Conference Regular Season Title, Heartland Conference Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional Final while climbing as high as No. 2 in the national rankings. 

In 2019, Cook was named the Clarance Gaines Award winner by CollegeInsider.com to the Division II National Coach of the Year and NABC District Coach of the Year. During his tenure, Cook has coached 31 players to 44 all-conference selections, one LSC Freshman of the Year, and guided six players to all-region honors.

Cook came to St. Edward’s from Hudson Valley Community College, where he compiled an overall record of 119-40 (.748) in five seasons. In his last two seasons there, his Vikings combined for a 62-5 overall record and a 32-0 mark in conference play. Cook was named Region III Coach of the Year and BCANY Junior College Coach of the Year in 2007-08. In 2008–2009, the Vikings advanced to the NJCAA Division III national tournament semi-final.

Credit & More info: https://gohilltoppers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/andre-cook/14

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This week TJ and Sam tackle the topic of how to best approach summer basketball with your club or high school team because when it comes to spending your time and money wisely as a coach, parent, and player, you want to be confident you're getting it right. In this episode the topics range from having the right goals, understanding referees, setting expectations with parents, and ultimately how to think outside the box to ensure everyone wins.

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This week Coach Graham Maxwell joins TJ and Sam to go through 4 Quarters discussing tips for coaches when it comes to having a better passing teams, working with Parents, designing your practices, and what we’re seeing in the NBA Playoffs.

Show Notes:
Passing
• Grow their understanding
• Take coaches out
• 4 T's
Parents
• Expectations on communications
• Letting go
• The parents perspective
• Doing better
Practice
• Less is more
• The arc of a practice
• Let the drills be the teacher
NBA Playoffs
• How role players show up
• Defense, Role ID, & Coaching
• Adjustments & Style of play

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In light of Gregg Popovich’s decision to step down as head coach of the Spurs, this week TJ and Sam discuss the impact he’s had on the game and specifically 5 learnings from his leadership you can apply to your own coaching.

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This week TJ and Sam are joined by PGC Basketball Owner and President, Mano Watsa, along with Better Basketball founder Rick Torbett, first to discuss how relationships are foundational to everything we do as coaches, and how to build them and grow your network. They’re also excited to share an important announcement with everyone about PGC Coaching and Better Basketball once again coming together to deliver resources and build community with coaches.

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This week we’re excited to be joined by Coach Jamon Copeland, head men’s basketball coach at Ave Maria University. This past season he led his team to a conference tournament championship and a win in the NAIA national tournament. With 15 years of head coaching experience, in this episode Jamon shares the ins and outs of how he implemented an aggressive style and fast paced system.

Show Notes:
• Having an identity as a coach
• Switching Styles, 'touch the wall' drill, and marrying offense & defense
• Winning possession battle: turnovers and rebounding
• Full court defensive pressure concepts & decision making
• Starting Aggressive then pulling back
• Ability to make adjustments
• Dictating the pace and fast paced principles
• Half-court principles
• Selling your system to your players
• How it looks in practice and manipulating load
• Different defensive looks and teaching points
• Personnel implications
• Advantages of playing fast
• Match your coaching style with your personality

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This week Sam and TJ dive into how important it is for coaches to be great teachers and we can level up in this area.

Show Notes:
• What is master teaching
• Finding teachable moments
• Being intentional about what you're focusing on
• Opportunities to coach the mental side of the game
• Priming the environment and priming the mind
• Using constraints in drills to emphasize what you're teaching
• Coaching habits
• Paying attention during practice
• Two common teaching errors
• Having a common language
• Early season practice musts and tapering off
• Having a team identity
• Humility as a teacher
• Increasing efficiency and improving over time
• Progressing and layering in teaching
• Challenge yourself and apply

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This week we’re joined by Coach Raul Placeres from Maryville College. He's led his program to 5 straight regular season championships and won 3 out of the last 5 tournament championships. As the quickest coach in program history to 100 wins, we're honored to have him share with listeners what he's learned throughout his coaching journey, especially now as a head coach, and how he's defined his own success.

Show Notes:
• Following a hall of fame coach
• Transitioning from assistant to head coach
• Making the decision - fatigue, pressure, and time
• Listening to and talking with your players
• Working through the mental side of the game
• Listening to your players
• Coach Raul's practice setup
• Focused on the most important boxscore
• How do you know you're getting it right
• Leadership examples
• Culture examples and player to player mentorship
• Player development
• Empowering your players
• Growth mindset
• Knowing your team

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Whether it’s parents, recruiting, or analytics the game is changing, and this week TJ and Sam discuss how it’s affecting coaching at all levels.

Show Notes:
• More changes more rapid then before 
• Coaches staying and going 
• Players skill level 
• Parents investing in athletic careers
• AAU basketball a waste? 
• Recruiting today 
• Freedom and transfer dilemma 
• Emotional investment in coaching 
• Officials - Who wants that job... 
• Women’s hoops 
• Analytics

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