Geno Auriemma: Four Cornerstones of Half Court Defense

with Geno Auriemma,

• 3x U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Head Coach (3x Gold Medal; '00, '12, '16)
• 1200+ career wins - Fastest coach to 800, 900 and 1,000 wins, any level, men's or women's
• 12x NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship Coach ('95, '00, '02 -'04, '09 - '10, '13 - '16, '25)
• 24x Final Four appearances
• 9x AP Coach of the Year; 8x Naismith Coach of the Year; 7x WBCA National Coach of the Year; 6x USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year
• 2012 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award
• Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ('06); Women's Basketball Hall of Fame ('06); National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame ('07)
• 28x Conference Regular Season Champions (21 Big East, 7 AAC) and 27x Conference Tournament Champions (20 Big East, 7 AAC)

Good defense is based on knowing what the opponent does well and taking it away. In order to accomplish this, Coach Auriemma demonstrates his four cornerstones of half court defense. These four areas of emphasis are defending the baseline drive, guarding and trapping the post, closing out on the shooter and defending the pick and roll. Ball pressure on the point guard and wing denial are two keys in the half court. The three-point line is a guide for defenders to push the offense beyond the line. Doubling the post on the pass is required against good offensive players. Auriemma teaches his defenders to react to the pass and trap the post aggressively. A basic 2-on-2 drill is demonstrated to show the importance proper close outs on the ball. Several different looks are demonstrated regarding the pick and roll. It is important to design a defensive plan based on the ability of your players and your opponent. Auriemma's overriding idea is to make good players take tough shots!

75 minutes. 2007.