No Middle = No Easy Buckets! Jerry Petitgoue's Complete Guide for a Smothering No-Middle Defense

with Jerry Petitgoue,
Cuba City HS (WI) Head Boys Basketball Coach from 1971 to 2023;
2023 Wisconsin 'Hometown Hero' Award;
Most wins by a Wisconsin high school basketball coach ever (1027 wins);
2020 NFHSC National High School Coach of the Year;
Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director;
29 Conference titles, 3x Wisconsin State High School Champions;
2013 University of Dubuque Athletics Hall of Fame;
2007 UW-Platteville Hall of Fame;
2003 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame;

In 2022, legendary Wisconsin high school coach Jerry Petitgoue became the first coach in state history to record 1,000 wins and in 2023, finished his career in 2023 with 1027 wins and 270 losses for a winning percentage of 79 percent.

As the all-time winningest coach in Wisconsin high school basketball history, Coach Jerry Petitgoue has seen and utilized a variety of defensive systems to win games. Having all sorts of players come through Cuba City High School (WI) – from undersized players, to talented and explosive players, to smart and savvy rosters some years and everything in-between, Coach Petitgoue managed to win 1,027 games over a nearly 60 year coaching career by adapting his approach to defense, based on what his teams will be facing and what type of personnel he has to execute his defensive goals.

From dribble drive motion offense in today’s game to high-low motion offense to ball screen action, Coach Petitgoue has experienced playing against every offense the game has ever created.

Through his approach to no-middle defense, Coach Petitgoue’s teams have overcome some of today’s best offenses. By forcing opponents out of the middle of the floor and toward the baseline, Petitgoue shows it places the offense in a disadvantageous situation and leaves them only tough shots as viable options.

In this instructional coaching video that utilizes on-the-court demonstration, Coach Petitgoue showcases all the key build-up drills, critical techniques and incorporated principles of no-middle defense and puts it all together in a highly effective 5-on-5 setting that’s easy to learn, teach and implement.  

Why No-Middle Defense Works

Coach Petitgoue begins his presentation by explaining how and why ‘No-Middle Defense’ is a great option for any level of basketball, detailing the ways that it creates trouble for the offense by forcing them out of the middle of the floor and driving toward the sideline and baseline.Once the ball is forced out of the middle, Petitgoue offers an examination of how help-side defenders are now able to rotate over easily with early help. Coach Petitgoue then explains the benefits of placing a defensive focus on stopping the ball and creating a protective barrier around the paint by closing out to the high side and forcing opponents into an uncomfortable drive.With tough ball pressure and nothing allowed in the middle, Petitgoue explains how offenses are left with no other options other than trying to reverse the ball – only to find that your help-side defense has met the pass once it gets there.These philosophical principles are what make the no middle defense one of the best strategies in the game!

No-Middle Build-Up Drills 

Teaching defense starts with the basics. Coach Petitgoue begins a demonstration of how he teaches no-middle defense, by starting with an examination of the proper 1-on-1 stance technique – where your defenders sit on the high side of the ball handler, forcing them out of the middle of the floor.  

In his ‘3-Line Closeout Drill,’ Coach Petitgoue shows how players focus on closing out to the high side of the ball while help-side defenders rotate over. This is an excellent drill to build fundamentals of closing out and communicating in help.  Coach Petitgoue next offers a look at his ‘Take-The-Charge Drill,’ in which defensive players are focused on getting ahead of the ball handler to force a charge as their offense drives baseline. This drill places an emphasis on keeping the ball handler outside the paint.  

In the ‘3-On-2 Help-Side Drill,’ players learn how to rotate out of the paint and stop dribble penetration baseline – which creates a trap on the baseline and smothers your opponent.  

Coach Petitgoue also showcases his ‘No-Middle Shell Drill,’ in which players learn to allow the pass to go through while protecting the paint and closing out on the high side and toward the ball handler.  

No-Middle: 5-On-5 Work (Full-Court and Half-Court)

Teaching players to understand how a no-middle defense functions as a whole is the end-result goal for Coach Petitgoue when implementing it to his team. The ability to teach all aspects of no-middle defense in a half-court setting is critically important during the implementation process. 

From switching all ball screens and containing, to defending the perimeter, to helping early and often versus a dribble-drive motion offense, Coach Petitgoue explains all the ways in which the no-middle defense frustrates opponents.Coach Petitgoue covers how to teach players stunting and closing out high sides, and how doing so, enhances your ball pressure.In a terrific 5-on-5 full-court demonstration, Petitgoue showcases the best methods to teach players how to pick up the ball early and contain toward the sideline, while allowing help-side defenders to sprint back and pick up off-the-ball.  

Coach Petitgoue also does an excellent job laying out the foundation of using no-middle defense as a transition defense and then seamlessly staying into it as a half-court defense.  

No-middle defense has been a staple for containing even the best ball handlers from getting into the paint.  Coach Petitgoue has put together an excellent coaching guide that shows you how to teach no-middle defense to your players and immediately implement the defensive system with your team.This is a must-see defensive presentation for coaches at all levels of basketball.

Customer Review: 5 Out of 5 Stars. ‘Coach Petitgoue does an excellent job of laying out all the details and coaching points for teaching and using no middle defense.’  

61 minutes. 2023.