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Late in the season, most coaches try to fix too many things at once. In this episode, Mark and Tyler break down a simpler, higher-leverage approach: identify your best action, identify the coverage hurting you most, and decide — do you prevent it or punish it?

You'll also learn why coaches revert to the same tools under pressure, how to build offensive vocabulary that actually transfers to games, and how the Hedgehog vs. Fox framework can sharpen your late-season game planning.

Whether you're a high school, youth, or college coach, these are ideas you can take into practice this week.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Introduction & What It Means to Peak at the Right Time

2:44 – Fox vs. Hedgehog: How to Narrow Your Late-Season Focus

5:16 – Why Coaches and Players Revert Under Pressure

6:32 – The Three-Step Framework for Hunting Advantages

14:27 – In-Game Adjustments: Observe and Remind vs. Pre-Scripting

16:20 – How to Prevent a Coverage: Ram Screens and Angle Flips

19:28 – Isolation vs. Action: What to Run When You Have to Score

21:11 – Player Type Matters: What LeBron's Late-Game Struggles Teach Us

33:33 – The Fox Mindset: Why the Best Coaches Are Curious About Everything

41:20 – Wrap-Up: Pick One Thing and Go All In

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#BasketballCoaching #LateSeasonBasketball #OffensiveBasketball #BallScreens #CoachingTips #BasketballStrategy #HighSchoolBasketball #CollegeBasketball #SAVIBasketball #PracticeDesign

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Whoever has the highest standards in your program should be leading it. If that's not you, that's a problem—and your biggest opportunity for growth.

In this episode, Mark and Tyler break down why standards matter more than schemes at the end of the season, how to identify who's really holding the line on your team, and why you should focus on the middle 80% instead of the bottom 10%. Plus: the Water Test, a story that will change how you think about commitment.

This isn't about being tougher. It's about being clearer.

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📚 Dick DiVenzio's Books:

• Stuff Good Players Should Know https://a.co/d/0i7H7UNa
• Smart Moves https://a.co/d/0ec1lijq
• Runnin the Show https://a.co/d/08y9Y7Jz

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Intro: What's Your Highest Leverage Thing Right Now?

0:54 – Standards at the End of the Season

3:08 – Who Has the Highest Standards in Your Program?

5:30 – The 10/80/10 Rule: Where to Focus Your Energy

7:47 – Cut Bad Teammates, Not Bad Players

11:27 – The Pain of Not Changing Has to Be Greater

13:00 – The Water Test: Do You Want It as Much as You Want to Breathe?

17:25 – The Water Glass Effect: Stop Holding Dead Weight

18:01 – Spacing Is the Highest Leverage Move You Can Make

19:17 – Share This Episode, Grow the Game

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#BasketballCoaching #PracticePlanning #BasketballDrills #YouthBasketball #HighSchoolBasketball #CoachingTips #BasketballTraining

Stop overcomplicating your practices. In this episode, we break down a "Four Quarter" basketball practice plan designed to eliminate distractions and build game-ready toughness, pressure defense, and high-volume shooting.

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Most coaches try to fix too many things at once and leave the gym wondering if they actually got better. We discuss how to use "the process of elimination" to prioritize what your team needs right now, whether it’s disruptive full-court pressure or hitting a 200-shot daily goal.

In this video, you’ll learn:

• How to structure a 4-Quarter Practice Plan to maximize game-like transfer.
• The difference between Pre-Practice (building habits) and Prime (high-level teaching).
• Specific small-sided games like 3-on-4 Keep Away and Streak Shooting to build mental toughness.
• Why a "neat and tidy" practice plan is often less effective than one that addresses immediate team needs.

Chapters:

• 0:00 - The secret to a good practice plan
• 1:09 - Improving practice through the process of elimination
• 2:01 - Challenge: Practice WITHOUT offense, rebounding, or layups
• 3:42 - How to get every player 200 shots per practice
• 5:52 - Elements of the 4-Quarter Practice Plan
• 8:06 - Pre-Practice: Tune shooting and defensive stance vitamins
• 10:05 - Prime: Teaching the trap and recovery
• 13:00 - Priming toughness: The Tough One-on-One drill
• 14:32 - Quarter 1: 3-on-4 Keep Away game
• 15:39 - Quarter 2: 4-on-4 Passing out of a trap
• 16:50 - Quarter 3: 5-on-5 "And One" (Press & Press Break)
• 17:31 - Quarter 4: Streak Shooting and Crack Back/Skip Backs
• 19:57 - Final thoughts: Coach the team you have, not the one you saw at a clinic

Stay SAVI! Subscribe for more weekly coaching insights, practical tools, and drills that translate to wins. https://savi.beehiiv.com/

SAVI Shooting Tune Up Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTqP8AYSjLg&list=PLzZDMmtdN3QO2_JQLRHcXtUUu2dsBxdVl

Youth Shooting: https://youtu.be/8R219feDhGk?si=EE-sAe_KKHt0W1kw

#BasketballCoaching #PracticePlanning #BasketballDrills #YouthBasketball #HighSchoolBasketball #CoachingTips #BasketballTraining

Why do players struggle to execute in games what they can do in practice? The answer isn't more reps, it's understanding the difference between recognition, decision-making, and execution.

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Tyler sits down with Kyle Koszuta, a former Division I basketball player turned professional pickleball athlete, to break down what he's learned about skill development by going from never playing pickleball to pro in 15 months.

Kyle shares the three-step framework (recognize, decide, execute) that's transforming how he trains, and how it applies directly to basketball coaching. You'll learn why most players think their problem is execution when it's actually recognition, how to coach aggressive mistakes vs. bad mistakes, and why your press break fails even though you've practiced it 100 times.

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• Watch WNBA legend Debbie Black Breakdown How to be a Lockdown Defender: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CQE3Wb930c
• Kyle's YouTube Channel (That Pickleball Guy): https://youtube.com/@thatpickleballguy
• SLAM IT Hydration (Use Code: KYLE10): https://slamit.com/

CHAPTERS:

• 0:00 - Introduction: From Basketball to Pro Pickleball
• 2:34 - Getting on the Right Bus: Coach K's Story
• 7:10 - Why Kyle Left Basketball Coaching
• 11:02 - The Decision to Go Pro in Pickleball
• 18:14 - What Pickleball Taught Me About Coaching
• 23:27 - Coach Players Into Aggressive Mistakes
• 25:17 - The Timeout Trap: Adjustments Players Can't Execute
• 29:01 - The Three-Step Framework: Recognize, Decide, Execute
• 36:00 - "Don't Gamble" vs. "Make Better Decisions"
• 42:11 - Why Pressure Compounds Over Time
• 45:48 - Closing Thoughts

#basketballcoaching #coachingbasketball #basketballpractice #playerdevelopment #pickleballtraining #youthbasketball #highschoolbasketball

In this episode of The Hours, Tyler and Mark break down one of the most powerful yet underutilized coaching tools. The best coaches don't just demonstrate perfect execution—they show corrections in real-time, create contrast between wrong and right, and let their athletes see the learning process unfold. This builds buy-in, accelerates learning, and creates a culture where mistakes become opportunities.

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction & The Trap Young Coaches Fall Into

0:53 - Welcome to The Hours

2:14 - Show Improvement, Not Perfection

3:53 - Check for Understanding & Give Redos

4:54 - Staff Development Through Showing

9:32 - Show Don't Tell in Film Sessions

11:33 - Applying Show Don't Tell to Scouting

13:04 - Teaching Culture: The 1-2-3 Game

14:16 - Modeling vs. Telling

16:48 - The Scorebook Story

17:29 - Action Challenge: Plan Your Demos

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🎙️ This is The Hours - deep conversations on the things that actually matter in coaching.

Your filter into practice might be killing your gym before you even blow the whistle.

Most coaches walk in scanning for mistakes. That means your players feel like they're failing before they even start. In this episode, we break down the 6-to-1 encouragement ratio—why it matters, how to implement it, and what changes when you commit to looking for the good first.

This isn't about being soft. It's about being smart with how you coach.

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ABOUT THE HOURS:

The Hours is a podcast for basketball coaches at all levels. Each week, Mark Cascio and Tyler Coston sit down for real conversations about how to be a better coach, teacher, and leader.

If you're a youth coach just starting out or a pro coach looking to win at the margins, this is where we spend more time on what actually matters.

CONNECT WITH US:

Newsletter: https://savi.beehiiv.com/

Instagram: @SAVI_coaching

Membership: 7-day free trial available: https://www.skool.com/savi-coach/about

#basketballcoaching #coachingbasketball #basketballpractice #youthbasketball #coachingphilosophy

Coaches talk too much. Players learn too little. This episode fixes that.

In this episode of The Hours, Mark Cassio and Tyler Coston break down one of the most powerful (and misunderstood) teaching tools in coaching: The Plus One Principle.

If you’ve ever:

• Overloaded your players with feedback
• Watched practice look good but games fall apart
• Felt like you’re “teaching” but players aren’t improving

This conversation is for you.

The Plus One Principle is simple: 👉 Teach one thing 👉 Let players apply it 👉 Then — and only then — plus one

We unpack:

• Why most coaches try to build the entire house at once
• The three most common teaching mistakes coaches make
• How simplicity actually speeds up learning
• How to use Plus One in practice, player development, film, and shooting
• Why “intangibles” are not soft — they’re trainable skills

This isn’t about running better drills. It’s about becoming a better teacher of the game.

Our mission is clear: We’re here to push back against traditional, toxic coaching and help coaches create environments where players actually learn.

If you’re a youth coach, high school coach, college coach, or pro — this applies to you.

🔗 Want more support?

• Join our SAVI Basketball Membership (7-day free trial)
• Subscribe for weekly conversations that make you a better coach. Stay curious. Stay simple. Stay SAVI.

Welcome to The Hours podcast by SAVI Basketball! In this episode, Tyler and Mark dive deep into the 10 Levels of Coaching, a framework designed to help you identify exactly where you are in your career and what you need to do to reach the next stage. Whether you are just starting out or leading a championship program, understanding these levels will help you decide where you can become the best coach possible.

If you’ve ever felt like you were just "reacting" to problems rather than building a program with intent, this episode is your roadmap to leveling up.

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Key Points & Timestamps

• [0:00] Intro & Backgrounds: Meet Tyler and Mark, the consultants behind Savvy Basketball.
• [1:13] The Assistant vs. Head Coach Debate: Why humbling yourself to be an assistant early in your career can lead to reaching higher peaks later.
• [7:10] Stage 0: The Grasping Coach: Characterized by lack of systems and reacting to problems as they break.
• [9:00] Stage 1: The Searching Coach: Knowing there is a better way and intentionally seeking out mentors and systems.
• [10:50] Stage 2: The Defining Coach: Identifying what truly matters and establishing a clear program identity.
• [12:00] Stage 3: The Stabilized Coach: Implementing systems that automate processes and make the program feel "easier" to run.
• [15:11] Stage 4: The Prioritized Coach: Learning the power of "No" and focusing on the 3 things that have the greatest impact.
• [17:24] Stage 5: The Systematized Coach: Creating through-lines where culture and X’s & O’s are perfectly aligned.
• [18:22] Stage 6: The Simple Coach: The ability to verbalize deep understanding in seconds rather than minutes.
• [21:12] Stage 7: The Adversity Coach: Intentionally producing challenges and training players to thrive in "messiness".
• [24:23] Stage 8: The Victory Coach: Systems are so dialed in they operate independently of the head coach.
• [27:00] Stage 9: The Identity (Transformational) Coach: Impact that outlives your presence and a purpose higher than winning.
• [28:47] Recap & The "Leap": Why the jump from Grasping to Searching is the hardest and most important step.

Action Items for Coaches

1. Self-Audit: Review the 10 stages and honestly identify which stage you are currently in. Remember, you can be at different levels for different areas of your program (e.g., Stage 5 in culture, but Stage 1 in X's & O's).
2. Practice the Power of "No": To move toward the "Simplify" stage, look at your current drills or plays. If they don't fall into your core principles, have the courage to remove them.
3. Train for Messiness: If your team freezes without complete instructions, start giving limited information and letting them "figure it out" to build adversity-tested "Jungle Tigers".
4. Seek a Mentor: If you are in the Searching stage, find a coach or a system (like Savvy Basketball) to help you define your path.

In this episode of The Hours, host Mark Cascio sits down with longtime friend and high school coach Travis Uzee (St. Amant High School, Louisiana) to discuss the evolution of his program. Coach Uzee shares his "coaching superpower"—accountability—and how it serves as the bridge to success on both ends of the floor.

The conversation dives deep into Uzee’s transition from traditional set plays to SAVI’s conceptual offense and the Lock Left defensive system. Discover how shifting focus from "developing plays" to "developing players" has dramatically increased his team’s skill level and shooting confidence. Whether you are a veteran coach or just starting your conceptual journey, this episode is packed with "in-the-trenches" advice on practice planning, defensive rotations, and building a culture of toughness.

🕒 Key Points & Timestamps

• [0:00] Introduction: Coaching superpowers and the value of in-game feel.
• [9:15] Shifting to Conceptual Offense: Why Coach Uzee moved away from the Flex and Brad Underwood systems.
• [12:30] Developing Players vs. Plays: How conceptual basketball has "dramatically" improved team skill and shooting.
• [16:45] Practice Planning Secrets: Using a "game sandwich" and leaving 15 minutes of space for what the team needs most.
• [22:10] The Lock Left Journey: Successes and struggles in Year 1 of the Lock Left defense.
• [25:30] Matching Up in Transition: Advice for coaches implementing Lock Left for the first time.
• [29:45] Going "Full Psycho": Using disruptive inbound defense to create easy turnovers.

📝 Action Items for Coaches

1. Leave Space in Practice Plans: Intentionally leave 15–20 minutes of unplanned space in your schedule. Use this time to address immediate needs (e.g., rebounding or shooting) or end early to leave players with "juice" for the next day.
2. Focus on Accountability: Use campus and program accountability as a direct bridge to on-court discipline.
3. Teach "Matching Up" First: When installing Lock Left, ensure your back-end defenders (Nail and Goalie) understand they must match up with specific threats before finding their zone spots.
4. Implement "Psycho" Inbounds: Increase defensive disruption by having the defender on the inbounder prioritize deflections and physical pressure to force turnovers.

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Welcome back to The Hours Podcast, presented by SAVI Basketball! In this special mailbag episode, Mark and Clare dive into the SAVI member community to answer burning questions about team transformations, defensive troubleshooting, and building program culture on the road.

Whether you're struggling to move from a 4-out to a 5-out offense, or you're wondering how to apply "Lock Left" principles to your existing defensive scheme, this episode is packed with "information plus transformation." Mark also shares personal insights from his current season, including how he defines victory beyond the scoreboard and how he manages travel standards for his team.