A look into the defensive principles and philosophies behind 3-seed Texas Tech’s impressive run to the Final Four. Final Four Team Previews: Auburn | Virginia | Michigan State Going into this year’s tournament, it was the Virginia Cavaliers’ defense that had everyone talking. But heading into college basketball’s final weekend, all the chatter is about…
Auburn Tigers – Transition Threes
The Auburn Tigers (28-9, #5 Midwest Region) high-powered offensive attack is propelled by transition threes. Let’s look at how they manufacture them. The Auburn Tigers love the three-point shot. The Tigers are sixteenth in the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 38.2% from behind the line. Auburn’s 11.5 three-pointers made per game is tops in the…
Unrivaled Off-Season: Best Basketball Coaching App to Build Your Program Once the Final Buzzer Sounds
FastModel Sports breaks down how top coaches are using a basketball coaching app like MaxOne to win the off-season. The clock hits zero, the final buzzer sounds, and just like that, you find yourself addressing your team one last time. Perhaps your season ended in the best way possible, a championship, a buzzer beater, a…
NCAA Tournament: Viewing Guide by Style of Play
No matter what type of basketball you prefer to watch, the NCAA Tournament has it. Here’s who to watch based on style of play. The beauty of the NCAA Tournament is that it has something to offer for everyone. Upsets, check. Blue-bloods, check. Great defense, check. Creative plays, check. Whatever you are looking for, the tournament…
Baylor Bears Zone Offense
Preview: The Baylor Bears (#9, West Region) will face the Syracuse Orange (#8, West Region) and their vaunted 2-3 Zone in the first round of NCAA play. In general, #8 versus #9 matchups offer intrigue in NCAA first round play. They feature evenly matched teams who had similar seasons and the winner gets a shot at…
Ball Screen Defense: Analyzing Effective Methods
Experimenting with a new ball screen defense in addition to your primary strategy could have huge benefits for your team. What is your team’s primary method for defending a ball screen? I recently asked that question via Twitter poll. What is your team’s primary method for defending a ball screen? (If vote is “other,” please specify.)…
FastModel Sports x NACBM: The Team Behind The Team
We teamed up with the National Association of Collegiate Basketball Managers (NACBM) for a Final Four celebration. Any basketball coach understands how important it is to have a dedicated managerial staff in order to run a smooth and successful program. At FastModel Sports, we know that many of these young, hard working individuals will be coaches…
Focus Is More Important Than Genius
Counseling Coaches Series: How focused you are on what you do is more important than how much you know. In this day and age, the ability to filter out information is a Coaching Superpower. In the hundreds of hours each year I spend counseling coaches this is a constant battle; especially when they are faced…
Motion Strong Entries And Options
Two “Motion Strong” entries and options from five-out featuring the Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets (35-33, 7th in East) have taken Motion Strong, a long-time staple of the San Antonio Spurs, and opened up the spacing with a five-out alignment from transition. Like the four-out version popularized by the Spurs, the Nets’ version features a staggered screen and different options…
The Throw & Go Handoff
The “Throw & Go” handoff can be an effective two-player action for creating an advantage. Simply put, a throw & go handoff is when a player, typically a guard, passes to another player, typically a big, on the perimeter and chases their pass for a handoff. The guard throws a pass and goes immediately into a handoff…