"The System" - Create More Possessions, Score More Points

with Dr. George Barber,
Greenville University Head Coach;
In 2019 season, set the NCAA Division III record in scoring offense (135.1 ppg);
also, in 2019, led the country in: assist per game, steals per game, turnover margin, total assists, 3pt FG attempts, 3pt FG made, total steals, offensive rebounds per game, turnovers forced, total rebounds per game;
in 2018, set the NCAA record for total points scored in a season (3528 in 28 games);
2016 SLIAC Coach of the Year; 2016 SLIAC regular season co-champions;
recipient of the Lee McKinney Distinguished Service Award in 2015;
part of Kentucky's 1996 National Championship team (Graduate Assistant coach)

Fast-paced style of play has become more and more popular with players; they love the pace, ability to get up and down the floor, and chance to create their own shots.

Dr. George Barber has replicated 'The System' at Greenville University, where his teams have consistently been ranked in the top five in scoring in all of college basketball across every level and have been breaking new scoring records each season. In this video, he details his system using whiteboard diagrams and on-court demonstrations in an actual practice.

Philosophy

When Coach Barber decided to play and adapt this style, he was 'all-in' after getting reinforcement from his administration. You'll hear him detail the amount of time it will take to teach and get everyone within your program to adapt to his system. It isn't an easy style to play, but as he describes, it is a fun style to play. Using 12 -15 players each game, Barber creates more participation within his program and more interest from the community.

Each year it is important to set goals for your offense. With this system, you will generate an average of 25 more shots a game than your opponent. Setting a goal of 100 shots per game in a 40 minute game makes this a very competitive style to play. Coach Barber's teams average 50 3-pointers a game while shooting at a high percentage.

By forcing a quick pace of play, you will also create an off-balance style for your opponent. There's no way to prepare in practice for this style of play if you don't already play it.

Offense

Everything starts with a 12 second shot. The idea is to get a quick shot off, then attack your opponent with a smothering defense to get the ball back as quickly as possible. Once your opponent turns the ball over or scores, your players will need to use a three step method to get the ball out of the rim and look to attack right away in transition. By putting players in specific spots on the offensive end of the floor, your team will have multiple chances to get downhill to attack the rim. This offense can be combined with any other offense, but preferably one that attacks the rim and has lots of movement such as dribble drive or read and react.

Defense

Once you score in this style of play, you will want to attack your opponent right away. Using various trapping presses in the full court, you can speed your opponent up and make them play uncomfortably.

In the half court, Coach Barber describes how he wants his team to trap all over the floor. Using a defense that forces players towards the sidelines, your opponent will have nowhere go to.

Practice Planning

It's not easy to train your players to play at this pace, but setting up your practices will help them feel the pace of play. Barber sets his practices up so players shoot for at least 30 minutes everyday. Every drill he does in practice is geared toward making players get as many reps as possible in a short amount of time to simulate pace of play.

Coach Barber recommends players spend 30-40 minutes on defense during practice. Athletes have to be able to flip the switch and know where to trap and how to rotate out to continue putting pressure on your opponent. To finish practice, Barber uses his remaining time to scrimmage. He explains that this will help players adjust and apply what they have done in practice to play at a quick pace.

In this detailed video, Dr. Barber outlines his philosophy, his "why" behind that philosophy, and his team's full style of play. You will get the complete package of "The System" and how you can implement it into your program. You players will love the style and running it will generate more interest in playing for your program.

2 Videos (202 minutes). 2019.