Hardwood Hustle

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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Sam is joined by Coach Graham Maxwell to discuss in-game and late-game coaching tactics that we often see in March or tournament time with our teams.

Show Notes:

• Inbounds underneath / BLOBs
• Shot selection
• Using timeouts
• Late clock 
• Fouling up 3
• Stopping their best player
• Having a non-free throw shooter in the game

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This week Sam is joined by Josh Merkel, Head Men’s Coach at Randolph-Macon to discuss end of season evaluations, off-season plans, and ways to continue improving your program.

Show Notes:
• Postseason feelings
• Locker room after your last game
• Finding 1%ers
• How do you talk about championship goals
• Value of player IQ
• Getting better during the season
• Getting player feedback
• Off-season goals
• Leadership lessons
• Evaluating and implementing changes
• Josh's off-season plan
• Implementing shooting challenges
• Sam's practice shooting routines
• Evaluating offensive and defensive systems
• Finding the curve ball
• Taking notes from March Madness
• The hedgehog concept
• Knowing your strengths and who you are
• Focusing on the most important things

More about Head Coach Josh Merkel and his program.

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