Roy Williams: Breakdown Drills for Individual and Team Defense

with Roy Williams,University of North Carolina Head Coach from 2003 to 2021;
3x NCAA National Championship Coach (2005, 2009, 2017);
2019 USA Today National Coach of the Year;
9x ACC Regular Season Champions;
University of Kansas Head Coach from 1988 to 2003;
John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award (2003);
4x Big 12 Regular Season;
2x AP Coach of the Year (1992, 2006);
2x Henry Iba Award (1990, 2006);
1997 Naismith College Coach of the Year;
As a head coach (Kansas, UNC) went to the Final Four 9x;
University of North Carolina Assistant Coach (with Dean Smith) from 1978 to 1988;
1982 NCAA National Champions;
903 career NCAA wins;
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2007);
College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006)

Guarding the ball is one of the most difficult tasks in the game of basketball. From traditional defensive drills to new concept drills, two-time NCAA national champion Roy Williams guides you through defensive details that he has picked up through his years of coaching experience. He shares the Tar Heels' most effective individual and team drills that will help you build a championship caliber program. Together, the drills build the UNC "22" half court defense. The objectives of the defense are to steal the ball, force a bad shot, or take the opponent out of their offense.

Any good defense must start with defenders in a basic stance. Coach Williams demonstrates how he teaches a basic stance to his players at the beginning of the season to help improve their lateral quickness. Everything starts with on-ball defense. The dribbler must constantly be under pressure and cannot go where they want to go. You'll learn three drills that improve the technique, lateral quickness and explosiveness of your players that will help them stay in front of a ball handler. Off the ball, help-side defense is key to disrupting your opponents' plays. If they cannot make a pass, everything falls apart. In the "Mine Field Drill", defenders learn to weave through multiple screens. The "Deny-Help-Deny Drill" teaches proper positioning and how to sprint from help position to deny. The third drill in this fundamental series will teach players to close out, as well as the ability to help off of their man.

In 4v4 and 5v5 defense, Coach Williams combines on-and-off ball pressure to create game-like situations. Coach Williams runs through each position and their objectives, which include pressuring the ball, denying the next pass, closing out, and stepping in from help side. The Tar Heels make a point of not allowing any baseline drives. Your players will learn to become better defenders as they use drills from one of the best coaches in the game today.

With each segment, Coach Williams adds more to every drill until his practice culminates in 5v5 full-court transition defense. Each drill brings out players' pride, as Coach Williams drives them to "guard their yard."

Playing intense defense has won Coach Williams two national championships. Whether you are a long time coach looking for a new drill or concept, or a beginning coach that's just starting out, this video will help improve your team's defensive pressure.

Produced at the Spring 2015 Myrtle Beach (SC) clinic.

75 minutes. 2015.