The Diamond Full Court Press

The full court press is a tool that any team can use to change the pace of the game, but Coach Derek Kellogg takes it to the next level by implementing the press for the entire 40 minutes.

This all-out, non-stop, pressure system has resulted in stunning success, as the UMass win total has climbed from 12 to 15 to 25 over the past 3 years and includes an NIT Final-Four appearance at Madison Square Garden. They finished the 2011-12 campaign ranked #1 in the NCAA in possessions and in the top 10 in steals per game.

Through this court-tutorial, Coach Kellogg shows you how to get your opponents to play at a pace and style they are not accustomed to.

Kellogg demonstrates the full-court diamond press while providing several breakdown drills you can use to instill the attacking mentality into your team. This style of play is all about pressuring your opponent into poor shot selection and turnovers. Your players will embrace this high-energy tempo not only because it's a lot of fun to play, but also because it requires a deep bench, so everybody gets to play.

In order to properly apply pressure, Kellogg builds an attacking mentality through a series of 5 minute drills that are run every day at UMass. Drills such as the "Circle Trap" Drill and his Mad Man Drill - to develop the role of the player guarding the inbound pass - along with drills to develop both the middle layer of the press ("Free Safety") and the back leg of the diamond (the "Enforcer").

The 3-3-3 and 4-4-4 Drills are full-court trapping drills that help players learn to anticipate passes and take proper angles to achieve successful trapping positioning. Once the press is beaten, the Recovery Drill teaches players to sprint back on defense and to poke the ball from behind before falling into help position.

Once all of the layers and aspects of the roles and rotations are addressed, Kellogg puts all of the elements together in live, 5-on-5 drills.

Change your results by changing your style of play. With the UMass Diamond Press, your teams will play energetic and exciting basketball that leads to wins and fills the stands.

69 minutes. 2012