Kelvin Sampson: Critical Keys To Early Offense and Successful ATOs

with Kelvin Sampson,
University of Houston Head Men's Coach;
2025 NCAA National Runner-Up;
2025 CBS Sports National Coach of the Year
2025 Sporting News National Coach of the Year
2025 NABC Division I Gulf Region Coach of the Year
2025 Big XII Coach of the Year
2025 Big XII Regular Season Champions
2025 Big XII Tournament Champions
2024 NABC Division I Coach of the Year;
2024 Henry Iba Award;
2024 Big XII Regular Season Champions;
2024 Big XII Coach of the Year;
4x American Athletic Conference (AAC) Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023);
2022 Ben Jobe Award;
2022 CBS Sports National Coach of the Year;
2021 Coach John McLendon Award;
2021 NCAA Final Four;
2021 & 2022 AAC Tournament Champions;
4x AAC Conference Regular Season Champions;
Houston Rockets (NBA) Assistant Coach from 2011 to 2014;
Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Assistant Coach from 2008 to 2011;
Indiana Head Coach from 2006 to 2008;
Oklahoma Head Coach from 1994 to 2006;
2x Big XII Regular Season Champions;
3x Big XII Tournament Champions;
2002 NABC Division I Coach of the Year;
2002 NCAA Final Four;
1995 AP Coach of the Year;
1995 Henry Iba Award;
1995 Big Eight Coach of the Year;
Washington State Head Coach from 1987 to 1994;
1991 Pac-10 Coach of the Year;
Montana Tech Head Coach from 1981 to 1985;
2x Frontier Regular Season Champions;
3x Frontier Tournament Champions;
2x Frontier Coach of the Year;
Michigan State Graduate Assistant Coach from 1979 to 1980 (under Jud Heathcote);
played college basketball for UNC Pembroke

Scoring early in your offense places a lot of pressure on your opponents. Using simple actions to get your best player open, especially in transition, creates separation and leads to high percentage baskets. Both of those concepts are priorities that Kelvin Sampson, the head men’s coach at the University of Houston, looks to instill into his offensive systems on every trip down the floor. 

In this video, Sampson outlines some of the most-effective offensive concepts he uses within his program, while offering several tough-to-defend early actions that the Cougars have used to generate one of the best offenses in the country – including an overview of how teams commonly defend the pick-and-rolls, creative ways to create spacing in half-court set and multiple early action set plays, including several key quick hitters.

Defending Pick-And-Rolls, Creating Space Offensively

Sampson goes over how most teams guard pick-and-rolls and explains how the time he spent coaching in the NBA influenced how he now wants his college teams to defend it. In a 5-on-5 on-court setting, the Cougars coach demonstrates solid defensive tactics for influencing a ball handler to their weak hand and where defensive help and rotations would most-likely be coming from. He also offers advice on defensive terminology and explains how defenses stay consistent with ball-screen coverages.

The informative explanation on defending pick-and-roll actions turns out to be a natural transition into a terrific session about the importance of spacing on offense. Sampson explains why spacing is so important offensively and how getting players to understand the concept is critical to offensive success. He demonstrates methods for spacing players in a half-court and offers key coaching points for maximizing drive-and-kick opportunities, as well as how to teach relocating to the post on drives and the importance of creating gaps on offense by cutting hard and maintaining space off the ball.

“Hammer & Boom” Early Actions, Plus 4-Out, 1-In Quick Hitters

Sampson demonstrates several early actions that his teams have successfully used called “Hammer Action” and “Boom Action.” In “Hammer Action,” the Cougars head coach demonstrates the importance of having your best player to run off double-screens and use curl cuts to get wide-open layups. If this first set isn’t open, Sampson then showcases a secondary pin-down action that’s designed to get post players the ball – which places heavy pressure on the defense to come up with a stop around the rim.  

If your early actions don’t generate a quick bucket, Sampson shows a highly effective 4-out, 1-in set play featuring positioning and movements designed to create space. In one example viewers are shown that by interchanging guards on the backside of the floor, it keeps help-side defenses moving and allows offenses to attack from the opposite side of the floor. 

Sampson takes viewers on an offensive thrill ride in this fast-paced, informative clinic video. The early actions and quick hitters demonstrated in these on-court sessions are tough-to-defend, yet easy-to-teach concepts. By adding these flexible attacks into your half-court offense playbook – it allows your team to catch the defense while it’s sleeping and helps you score more easy buckets.  

79 minutes. 2022.