Open Practice with Grant Leonard: Defensive System Mastery - Close Outs, Drills & Ball Screens

with Grant Leonard
Queens University of Charlotte Head Coach;
2026 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Tournament Champions;
Head coach appointment was simultaneous to Queens moving to D-I;
2022 Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic Rose Hall Division Champions;
Queens University Associate Head Coach from 2016 to 2022;
Queens University Assistant Coach from 2013 to 2016;
Paine College Assistant Coach from 2011 to 2013;
Flagler College Assistant Coach from 2009 to 2010;
Played college basketball for William Penn University

Take your team's defense to the next level with Open Practice with Grant Leonard: Defensive System Mastery - Closeouts, Drills and Ball Screens. This Open Practice gives coaches a unique "front row seat" to a normally closed practice, offering an inside look at how an elite defensive system is built, taught, and executed in real time.

Pre-Practice Preparation
Coach Leonard begins with essential pre-practice prep, including dynamic warmups and fundamental defensive principles. This segment ensures players are physically prepared and mentally locked in before tackling more complex concepts.

Closeouts and Core Drills
Leonard then introduces a progression of live-action defensive drills such as 5 Close Outs, Bellaman Drill, Gap Scrapes, Elbow Box Outs, and Jump to the Ball. Each drill is diagrammed on the whiteboard first to explain the "why" behind the action and then demonstrated live on the floor, giving you a clear picture of how to teach, adjust, and maximize results.

Team Defensive Concepts
From there, the practice expands into advanced team defense. Watch Coach Leonard walk his team through full-court shell drills, baseline and slot drive coverage, handoff defense, and detailed ball screen strategies. Systems like WHITE, FLOPPY INTO GREEN, and UP coverage are broken down with precise teaching points on rotations, positioning, and counters to modern offensive actions.

Building a Complete System
Throughout this Open Practice, you'll see how fundamentals seamlessly connect to game-like situations. Coaches will learn how to teach closeouts, enforce proper rotations, and adapt ball screen coverage to counter different offensive strategies. Leonard provides both the teaching framework and the live execution so you can confidently implement these concepts with your team.

By the end of this video, you'll have a complete blueprint for constructing a modern defensive system from the ground up built on fundamentals, sharpened through live drills, and battle-tested against realistic game scenarios. This is your exclusive chance to sit courtside for Coach Leonard's process and bring those insights directly into your own practices.

59 minutes. 2025.