BasketballCoach.com presents: 25 Practice Drills for Defense

• Geno Auriemma - US Olympic Head Coach, 11x NCAA Championships
• Jim Calhoun - Former University of Connecticut Head Coach
• Mark Few - Gonzaga University Head Coach
• Fred Hoiberg - Nebraska Head Coach; formerly Iowa State/Chicago Bulls
• Tom Izzo - Michigan State University Head Coach
• Mike Krzyzewski - Duke University Head Coach
• Sean Miller - University of Arizona Head Coach
• Bill Self - University of Kansas Head Coach
• Ben Jacobson - University of Northern Iowa Head Coach
• Steve Prohm - Iowa State University Head Coach 2015 to 2021

Iconic coaches (Krzyzewski, Auriemma, Calhoun) and future legends alike (Self, Few, Hoiberg, Izzo, Miller, Jacobson, Prohm) are all present in this video to show you how defense wins championships. In all, 25 different defensive drills will show you new ways to improve your defensive strategies and player technique.

Utilizing both individual and team-based shell drills to build reactionary habits, these drills cover all facets of half-court defense, including on-ball pressure, help and recover, close-outs, rebounding, denying straight-line drives and face cuts, cross-screens, dribble hand-offs and more!

Individual Defensive Drills

Discover 13 defensive technique drills designed to hone the skills needed to play hard-nosed individual defense. Boxing out, jumping to the ball to prevent driving lanes, stunts, close-outs, halting straight-line drives, on-ball pressure, tracing the ball, etc. are all on display as the various coaches stress the importance of the individual component involved within the team defensive structure.

• Jim Calhoun (2-on-2 Rebounding) - Develop the technique necessary to keep opponents off the glass with dominant block outs.
• Mike Krzyzewski (Zig Zag Series) - Coach K's Zig Zag series includes three variations of this defensive slides drill that emphasizes disciplined full court pressure defense.
• Fred Hoiberg (Rebound vs Pad) - This drill will get players used to the physical battles that occur in rebounding situations.
• Bill Self (2-on-1 Closeouts and Guarding Cross Screen / Down Screen) - Discover the next level of the old classic "keep away" to drill the fundamentals of ball pressure. An elevated version of 4-on-4 shell, the guarding screens drill shows you how to defeat the common screen-the-screener strategy used in many offenses.
• Mark Few (3-ball Closeouts and Snakepit) - Coach Few's drills focus on defensive footwork to cut off dribble drives in either direction.
• Steve Prohm (Pick and roll defense, 1-0 Closeouts, 2-0 Help Side Closeouts and 2-on-1 Transition) - The pick and roll training develops hedging hard through all screens and communicating early. For closeouts, the focus is on high hands and denying back cuts.
• Ben Jacobson (Clipper Drill, Front the Post and 1-on-1 Defensive Drill) - The Clipper drill works on closeouts, forcing the ball to a side and taking away air space once the dribbler picks up the ball. Coach Jacobson trains his players to use their feet to get to the high side of the offensive player in the post. The 1-on-1 drill focuses on balance, footwork and movement.

Team Defense Drills

In the remaining 12 drills, each coach uses 2-, 3-, and 4-man shell drills designed to teach help responsibilities, off-the-ball spacing, defending block-to-block screens and hand-offs, awareness of the low post weak side "rover," playing the gaps, defending cutters, etc. The coaches stress the importance of the defensive groups to work in tandem and with continuity in mind and motion.

• Geno Auriemma (Instruction of Shell / 4-on-4) - Covers basic alignments to put your players in the right spot to help prevent dribble penetration, deny passes, or apply pressure as the ball is moved around the court.
• Fred Hoiberg (3-on-3 Post Opposite) - This high intensity drill emphasizes close outs, rotating to help on dribble penetration, and help side defenders sinking into the paint to help cover the post.
• Tom Izzo (2-on-2 Help & Recover, and 3-on-3 Closeouts and 3-on-3 Switching) - Immediate and quick reactions are key to a successful defense, which is the focus of these three drills.
• Sean Miller (Defend Perfect Movement and Baseline Touch 4-on-4) - Jumping to the ball, vision without the ball, pressure the ball, and closeout with high hands for an entire possession are the points of emphasis in this 3v4 drill (Defend Perfect Movement). The Baseline Touch 4-on-4 drill works on different situations in transition defense.
• Bill Self (Shell Cutters and Defending Dribble Hand-offs) - In Coach Self's 4-on-4 shell drill, off-ball defenders change from denying passing lanes, to learning to stop any face cuts to the basket. An an intense 3-on-3 drill, Defending Dribble Hand-offs trains players how to defend dribble hand-offs, and to switch or slide through based on the match-ups.
• Mark Few (3v3 Circle) - Coach Few talks about playing in the gaps and sprinting to spots, offering tips to help players react quicker and with appropriate technique.
• Steve Prohm (4-on-4 Shell Drill) - This drill focuses on defensive principles of jumping to the ball, sprinting hard to close out, getting into gaps during driving situations and keeping everything in front of you.
• Ben Jacobson (3-on-3 Swarm and 3-on-3 No Paint) - These drills work on moving when the ball moves, jumping to the ball, closeouts and using helping the helper principles on a baseline drive.

96 minutes. 2015.