with Jim Larranaga,
George Mason University Head Coach;
2006 NCAA Final Four

Coach Larranaga outlines the components of George Mason basketball and why this foundation is so important to the bigger picture. A staple of his winning program is the eight C's; character, competitiveness, competence, consistency, cohesiveness, commitment, communication and confidence. When teaching the game to his players, Larranaga uses a four step process; demonstration, imitation, correction and repetition. Additional teaching categories include guarding an open player, defensive transition and defensive philosophy. Larranaga shows and explains many drills that are part of his daily practices. The second part of Larranaga's instruction focuses on defense. The main George Mason defense is man-to-man, with the scramble as a secondary defense. A combination of the two is a series of zones that he calls the Camouflage, which is used strategically as a surprise defense that forces the offense to react to the defense. Once the opponent gets used to a man-to-man and the scramble, the Camouflage defense puts them on their heels immediately. Included are three core drills for this defense. In a bonus section, the Camouflage and its teaching points are shown with players in a full court setting. Each pass, trap, deflection and player responsibility is analyzed. Two sets of strategies are used; one in the backcourt and one in the frontcourt.

2 DVDs - 128 minutes. 2008.

Offense leads to defense in Coach Davis' system. By running specific lanes on the court, players wind up on the proper defensive side of the floor and are ready to defend quickly. This successful spread 3-2 match up sets up by converting from offense to defense quickly. Davis stresses that this zone is built on solid fundamental man-to-man principles. Ball pressure depends on the shooting ability of the opponent's perimeter players. Coverage areas are key to being successful in the 3-2 match up. Areas include wing ball coverage, ball pressure, weak side help, inside and outside rebounding areas, block responsibilities, corner trapping, post double down with 4 and 5 and corner coverage with mismatches. To build this defense, Davis demonstrates the use of active hands and communication and includes drill work to reinforce this principle. One offensive strategy is screening against the zone. Specific coverage and teaching points allow this defense to cover any on ball screening action. The 3-2 match up can defend set plays and baseline runner, dribble out, two-guard front and high post coverage.

53 minutes. 2008.

Keno Davis unveils the full court pressing system that has haunted offenses all over the country, and has been a staple for the Davis family for many decades. Defending the back of this pressing defense is paramount and is the first part of building this press, and Coach Davis presents a detailed description of each defender's responsibility in the press. Various coverages are presented based on ball position and strategies employed by the offense. Each of these situations are covered on the floor by Davis. Whether you are pressing full court, half court or man-to-man, defensive transition is the number one priority. The trapping teaching points and strategies are covered in detail. The 45 and 55 presses are specific defensive attacks and lead to turnovers and bad shots by the opponent. Drills for this pressing system show how the pieces fit into the entire system.

53 minutes. 2008.

Coach Fox's mantra is "if you don't defend, you don't play." Holding players accountable for defensive play starts with a commitment to that end of the floor. Coaches need to determine the most effective way to protect the basket. Fox teaches players to take charges to protect the goal. Another key is playing the pass as well as defending the dribble. The one-on-one drill emphasizes tracing the ball with hands. This drill can be done full court or stationary. Defending on the wing takes a square stance while defending the pass and the dribble. The shell drill puts several components of defense together into one drill. This versatile shell drill allows the coach to cover multiple situations that occur in a game. A defender must be able to guard every spot on the floor. Fox teaches his philosophy on teaching the down screen, back screen, on ball screen, curl cut, denying cutters, help side position, one-on-one from the wing, help and recover, getting through screens and the cross screen.

57 minutes. 2008.

Coach Altman's press promotes aggressiveness, helps control tempo, hides deficiencies and utilizes a deep bench. Using players in a clinic setting the Green and Blue Press takes shape starting with the 4-man on the ball backed by the 2-man and 3-man at the free throw line. The third line of defense is the point guard near half court with the 5-man back to protect the basket. Once the ball comes in it is trapped and the other defenders adjust. This immediately disrupts the flow of the game for the opponent. The key to the Blue is to trap the ball in an area 10 feet on each side of the half court line. Altman teaches his players to trap immediately when the ball crosses half court. Both presses are used during games based on the kind of tempo and pressure desired.

48 minutes. 2008.