Combining Dribble Drive Concepts with the Princeton Offense for an Up-Tempo, Explosive Attack!

with Tavaras Hardy,
Loyola University Maryland Head Men's Coach from 2018 to 2024;
Georgia Tech Assistant Coach from 2016 to 2018;
Georgetown University Assistant Coach from 2013 to 2016;
Northwestern University Associate Head Coach from 2011 to 2013;
Northwestern University Assistant Coach from 2007 to 2011;
Played collegiately for Northwestern (2x All Big Ten, 3x team MVP);
Played professionally in Europe

Prior to the shot clock, the Princeton Offense was considered to have some of the best offensive concepts used in the game. With the shot clock now in place at many levels of basketball, combined with the skill sets of today’s modern players, coaches who have always loved how Princeton actions break down defenses are now looking for innovative methods to blend in new strategies and get the best of both worlds.

One of the brightest coaching minds in college basketball,Tavaras Hardy, has developed game-tested strategies that combine the Princeton Offense with up-tempo, shot clock-driven concepts from the Dribble Drive Offense. Coach Hardy shows you the process for combining these two offensive styles, how-and-why they fit together seamlessly and explains coaching methods that make it easy to teach to your players. 

Best of all, once you’ve combined Dribble Drive concepts into the offensive mix through transition, Hardy shows how it all still plays to the greatest strength of the Princeton Offense - that you always have scoring options!

Principles, Transition Concepts and Teaching Drills

Coach Hardy sets the stage by explaining the principles of each offense that fit together and uses live, on-court player demonstrations to clearly illustrate how Dribble Drive concepts in transition can blend with Princeton Offense actions to create a tough-to-defend, up-tempo offense.

Next, Hardy teaches you his primary break series, featuring key offensive concepts for successful transition, such as: how to maintain proper spacing in this combined offense, how players can create good scoring opportunities without disrupting the offense and keys for attacking in the half-court.

Coach Hardy also provides examples of how to capitalize on your opponent’s bad shots and how to take advantage of the moments the defense lets their guard down. With transition offense playing a prominent role in the success of this blended offense, Hardy provides an easy-to-follow blueprint for implementing the transition-game strategies into your own team’s attack.

Coach Hardy shares practice-tested drills he’s used to build up and teach this transition offense that uses Dribble Drive actions and work to smoothly flow into Princeton Offense. You learn drills such as the ‘3-Lines-Running Drill’ (the basic teaching drill for transition), the ‘Hit-Ahead Drill’ (which teaches players how to get out and into transition from a defensive rebound), the ‘Transition-Attack, 5-on-0 Drill’ (which is key for teaching the ball handler how to get the team into the Dribble Drive from transition) and the ‘Transition Advantage Drill’ (a drill that teaches players how to make reads offensively).

Executing Princeton Offense From Dribble Drive Transition

From the Dribble Drive actions and opportunities derived from transition, Coach Hardy then shows how your team can seamlessly flow into the Princeton Offense. 

Using on-the-court demonstrations, Coach Hardy provides easy-to-follow examples of different ways that your offense can flow into the following Princeton sets off Dribble Drive transition:

• Princeton Offense: Low-Post Series.
• Princeton Offense: Point Series (featuring the use of pin downs and high ball-screens).
• Princeton Offense: Corner Series.
• Princeton Offense: Chin Series (showing a variety of ways you can get into this set).

Coach Hardy does an excellent job of showing you how to transform Dribble Drive concepts into a transition offense weapon and how those actions can be blended in seamlessly with the Princeton Offense to create a truly unique offense that not only teaches players how to play the game, but also makes it a fun and enjoyable style of basketball to play.

With offensive philosophies and concepts that can be used at all levels of play, this instructional video provides value for any coach who wants to inject an explosive, up-tempo style of play into their patterned, half-court offense.  

57 minutes. 2023.