Strategy- 1996 Pressure Basketball

In 1994-5 season, we had a very talented team, and we had not only size but we had talented “bigs.” We started a 6’1” all-state post who was our leading scorer, the other post was 5’10”, and we came off the bench with 5’9” and 5’11” post players. We tried to run but were more than happy to settle to run half-court offense. We pressed some, but often just played half-court man to man. I would describe us as a team who “wanted to run and press,” but we were not “committed to being a running and pressing” team.

Our 1995-6 team did not have size. Our three best players were our 5’3”, 5’4”, and 5’5” guards. They were quick and were great ball handlers, passers, and shooters. Our posts were 5’8” to 5’10.” My belief was that we were not going to be able to go toe to toe with teams in the half-court. We needed to make the game uptempo- run and shoot on offense and press any chance we could get on defense.

We were not a Grinnell System team. We did not sub every 30 seconds. Our three guards often played 28-32 minutes. Our posts played about 3 minutes and rotated out. Offensively, we ran a numbered break on makes and misses- and we looked for quick, open shots. We ran no secondary break- if we did not have a shot, we looked to reverse it. 

Defensively we pressed man to man on any guard scores and pressed 1-2-1-1 on post scores. At the back end of the press, we played a man to man defense, denying the next pass. On all deadballs, we pressed man to man but jumped the dribbler at half-court and trapped that possession. On misses, we got back and played man to man half-court defense. 

In Illinois, we could run camps and play in leagues in the summer months. I decided I needed to do three things in the Spring headed into the summer. 

1- Label what our style of play was going to be.

2- Describe exactly what our style would be.

3- Sell them about how unique and how fun our style of play was going to be. 

Here is what I shared with the players when we had our Spring meetings:

GALESBURG PRESSURE BASKETBALL

We are not going to apply defensive pressure sometimes, we are not going to fast break sometimes- we plan to press and to run every single possession for 32 minutes every game. Our number one priority is to apply constant, unrelenting pressure on both offense and defense. We want our opponents to know that when they step on the floor against Galesburg they are in for a a game much faster and more intense than what they are used to playing. To successfully apply pressure we hope to:

1- Offensively and defensively create a tempo that is faster than is comfortable for our opponents.

2- Defensively, we plan to press on all made shots. If our posts score, we will press 1-2-1-1. If our guards score, we will press man to man full court. In all deadballs, we will press man to man and trap at half court. We will fall back in a half-court man to man defense, where we apply extreme ball pressure and overplay the passing lanes. On any deadballs, we will press man to man but trap at half-court. We want them to feel more pressure than they are used to feeling, and we want them to play at a faster tempo than they are used to playing. We will not press sometimes- we will do this for 32 minutes every game.

3- Offensively we want to apply a constant pressure by running the ball every single possession. We want every player to sprint the floor, not to run the floor. We will fastbreak on missed shots, steals, and made baskets. The other team will have to sprint back every single possession for 32 minutes. 

4- Offensively we will not allow them to rest at the end our break. We will never plan to pull it out and “set it up.” We will run the floor, then attack by moving the ball and taking quick, open shots. We will work to getting into quick hitters immediately at the end of the break. 

When people play Galesburg, they are not going to be playing the kind of game they are used to playing. Opponent's practices are not going to prepare them for Galesburg "Pressure Basketball.”

Be Ready To Get After It-  Coach Massey

Our 1995-6 team bought into our “Pressure Basketball."  They went 29-6 and finished in 3rd in State. We continued to use our version of pressure basketball, and we went to State the next 9 years in a row. I learned the following lessons about tempo, pressure, and fastbreak:

1- Early in the season our games were “messy.” Early we turned the ball over more as we learned to run, the other team turned the ball over more as they tried to handle our pressure. 

2- If you are going to succeed with pressure defense, you cannot foul. Fouling negates everything you are trying to do. It slows the game down as refs report the fouls and administers the free throws. You must in practice emphasize not fouling by calling fouls on anything close to a foul. 

3- Refs do NOT like to work games where the teams are running and pressing. You will find refs will be apt to slow the game down by calling more fouls and administer ft’s slowly. We actually overheard a ref before a game tell their partner,"I will get them out of the press by calling fouls."

4- When the other team makes some easy layups, early it is tempting to take the press off, but the press was always most effective as the game went on. 

5- It is so easy to look at some game matchups and think you need to pack it in to protect vs size on the other team. During the 1995-6 season, we had a stretch of three games before Christmas where we played vs great post players. We decided to go back into a 2-3 zone and pack it in vs playing our aggressive man to man defense. The result was 3 losses. The other teams were good and we may well have lost if played our aggressive mm defense. I realized if we are going to be “Pressure Basketball,” when we play a team with great posts- don’t use less pressure, use more pressure. 

6- Most years, you will have better team morale because more players will be playing, but don’t think everyone will be happy. The kid who is playing 10 minutes a game, and would not be playing if you did not run and press, may now think they should be playing 20 minutes.

7- Players always say they want to fast break, but when you commit to REALLY being fastbreak, they will not realize what they are getting into. You MUST make players sprint the lanes and fast break every possession. If you allow it, they will not sprint every possession.

8- Do not allow players to read the defense, decide there is not a break, and slow up. Even if the defense is getting back, you must make them get back faster than they want. Never allow players to slow up. 

9- Practice time must be spent running 5 on 0 fast break drills. 

10- Time must be spent on basic man to man drills. 

11- This style of play creates fear in other teams. Coaches fear being embarrassed by defensive pressure. As a result other teams will spend a significant amount of time working on their press break in the practices before you play. In other words, their practices will send a message to their players that the upcoming game is about your team- not them. 

In the newspaper preview of one of our Regional games, the opposing coach when asked if he was confident in handling our press, replied,”I think we will be ok, we spent most of the week working vs. 7-8 defenders.” 

Before a Super-Sectional game the opposing coach said,”We know they are going to press, we spent 45 minutes each practice working vs their presses.” 

While these teams were trying to physically prepare where to align, where to pass, where to cut- they psychologically were creating a level of fear in thier players. The message was that this game is not about us- it is about Galesburg and how they run and press.

12- The more you press and run, there will be more and more teams who will not want to play you. If you have a non-conference schedule to fill, you will have trouble filling your schedule. 

13- Pressing and running will make your players more aggressive in everything you do. Seldom will you come out flat. Most loose ball and long rebounds will be gained by your team.  

14- Pressing and running tends to make your kids perform better at the end of the season because they get any nerves out quicker. 

15- The work and the discipline needed to play "Pressure Basketball," creates a confidence and pride. Players feel they can dominate!