Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast

We are fortunate to have Alex Sarama join us for this episode.  Sarama is head coach of the Portland Fire and a frequent guest to this podcast.

In this episode, Sarama discuss his first season as a WNBA head coach and how he applied CLA concepts at the professional level.

The discussion explores practice design, conceptual offense, Shapes, Pistol action, and creating an environment where players can adapt to defensive coverages rather than simply execute plays.

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“We never want to be on offense in a shape we haven’t practiced. ... It allows you to have such clarity offensively and defensively when you view the game through this lens."

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We are fortunate to have Peter Lonergan join the show. Lonergan is the General Manager of Performance Pathways for Basketball Australia.

In this episode, Lonergan shares how coaches can develop a clear coaching philosophy and translate those beliefs into how they teach and play. He challenges coaches to simplify their messaging, avoid becoming overly rigid, and balance player freedom with enough structure to provide clarity.

Lonergan also shares thoughts on practice design, small-sided games, teaching the “why,” and why coaches can often solve tactical problems by returning to fundamental skills and principles.

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Lonergan: “Make sure that you're servicing the players, (and) you're not servicing your practice plan.”

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We are fortunate to have both Liam Jefferson and George Vaz as guests for this episode.

The former London Lions coaches explore how coaches can prepare their players to attack different defensive coverages using progressive, game-like techniques.

The conversation focuses on pick-and-roll coverage solutions starting from 1v1 all the way through 5v5. The coaches also share practical tips on sequencing the defense, film sessions, dynamic drill starts, and the importance of building trust with players.

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Vaz: “Go in with a really open mind... watch what's happening to really manipulate to create the affordances you want.”

Jefferson: “They need to see it and feel it and understand it ... and make a few mistakes before you can even start to talk about coverage solutions.”

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We are fortunate to have Eagle (Idaho) High School basketball coach Nate Hartman back for this episode.

The discussion centers on how Hartman is building a modern, pace-driven version of the Princeton Offense in his new coaching job. The hybrid system still leans on core spacing and cutting principles, but also incorporates modern concepts and actions to put pressure on the defense early in a possession.

Hartman On simplifying decision-making: "I'm really trying to give our guys three quick reads ... to get a score out of the first 12 seconds of the shot clock."

Some key ideas in this episode include …

• Debunking the idea that the Princeton Offense is slow
• Teaching limited transition reads for quick decisions
• Building the offense around personnel
• Layering installation for deeper understanding
• Methods for delivering media to players
• Identifying Gold, Silver, Bronze shot spectrum
• Cutting concepts
• Practice breakdown
• Dealing with mistakes: “Right idea, smarter execution”

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Caden Hoffman joins the podcast to break down the evolution of conceptual and layered offense, with a focus on creating advantages, manipulating defensive decisions and using the entire floor.

The former Division 1 assistant coach also shares practical ideas for building possessions, teaching players to make decisions,and helping coaches simplify layered offense at any level.

“When the play breaks down ... they’re just going to resort back to whatever you’ve trained in practice.”

5 coaching concepts covered in this episode:

• Building offense around player strengths
• Layering simple actions to create advantages
• Using triggers to read defensive coverages
• Court geography and moving the low man
• Teaching players to make the next read

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We welcome back Drew Dunlop to the podcast. Drew is a skill development coach and co-founder of The Pro Lane in Wisconsin. In this episode, Drew shares how a coaching clinic in Southern California sparked the idea for his new book, Slices of the Game, and the conversation digs into the practical side of ecological design.

In this episode, coaches will learn:

• The REPS framework — how to evaluate any drill by asking whether it's Representative of real game conditions, invites Emergent problem solving, demands Perceptual awareness, and allows Self-organization
• How to reframe "what drill should I run?" into "what problem do I want my players to solve today?"
• What decision density means and how to layer more decision-making opportunities into drills you're already using
• The difference between a drill that looks game-like and one that actually feels like the game — and the specific elements that close that gap
• How to use coverage solutions from your own league to design more relevant practice scenarios
• How to rep emotion and pressure in development settings without crowd noise gimmicks
• The most common mistake coaches make when first applying CLA principles — and how to avoid it
• Why the design chain from film breakdown to floor work matters for transfer to games

The episode closes with a look at Drew's new role with Slapping Glass and their Practice Lab — a video library of quick, actionable ideas coaches can plug directly into their systems.

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Subscribe to the 🔗 ⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter for some great resources, including some video breakdowns from Coach Wesley Brooks.

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We are fortunate to have Wesley Brooks on this episode.

Brooks is entering his third year as the head coach at Utah State University. Prior to that, Brooks worked as an assistant coach that included stops at North Texas, Utah, Michigan, and Ohio State. He was also a grad assistant for John Beilein at West Virginia.

"If you have good spacing, you can manipulate any defense."

Discussion topics in this episode

• Why the low man is often the most important defender on the floor.
• Using spacing to eliminate tags and create offensive advantages.
• Coach Brooks' framework of Single, Double, Triple, Quad, and Zero spacing concepts.
• Reverse-engineering offense: teaching players how to play after the play instead of relying on set plays.
• The importance of floor geography, interior spots, and clear offensive language.
• How Utah State teaches players to attack help through concepts rather than memorization.
• Using 0.5 basketball.
• Integrating concepts through shooting drills and small-sided games.
• Offensive triggers from interior touches, including X-cuts, post splits, Laker cuts, and Punch actions.
• Practice design, film study, and the six performance metrics Brooks tracks every day.

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We are fortunate to have Frank Woodford on this episode.

Woodford is the head men’s basketball coach at Benedictine University Mesa and was the recipient of the 2026 Don Meyer Coach of the Year award. In his sixth season as head coach, the Redhawks finished 28-7 and advanced to the Final 4 of the NAIA National Championship Tournament.

Discussion topics in this episode

• Approach to analytics
• Gaining and maintain the advantage
• Ensuring smooth transition during action in a possession
• Running two different offenses
• Prioritizing field goals over turnovers
• Shooting and defending 3-point shots
• The importance of roles
• Defensive rebounding
• Defending the paint
• Trusting players to perform

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We are fortunate to have Alex Pribble on this episode. 

Pribble just finished his third year as head coach at the University of Idaho. This season, he led the Vandals to a 21-15 record, a Big Sky Tournament Championship, and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 36 years.

Discussion topics in this episode

• The progression of building a program
• Improving defensive rebounding
• “Build it, don’t buy it” approach
• Offensive strategy and adaptation
• Shot selection and Transition Offense
• Building mental & physical toughness

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We are fortunate to have James Anderson back for this episode. 

Anderson is the head boys basketball coach at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene. He also just became a state championship coach after his Timberwolves defeated Owyhee of Meridian in the 6A state championship game earlier this month.

Topics this episode include:

• Culture building & community impact
• Rebounding from a tough loss
• Playing with a team of seniors
• Scheduling strategy
• Conceptual defense
• Scouting preparation
• Conceptual offense
• Lessons from a championship season