Coach ,

College Basketball is officially back!

Last season, Baylor knocked off Gonzaga in the National Championship game. This season, there are plenty of teams that will have a chance to hoist the National Championship trophy in April.

Here’s a look inside what makes these preseason AP Top 5 teams in the country successful:

#1 - Gonzaga

Gonzaga Assistant Coach Stephen Gentry has become one of the brightest minds in basketball. He spent last season at the University of Illinois and is known to be one of the best teachers of transition offense.

Here is a look at his Pitch Ahead Buffalo action.

The Pitch Ahead Buffalo starts with a pass ahead. After the pass ahead, the guard then cuts through to the opposite corner.

The ball then gets reversed -- and swung to the guard that originally cut through. Then that player comes off a ball screen.

This action is commonly referred to as the Thru Action.

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#2 - UCLA

UCLA is fresh off a Final Four appearance last season. Coach Mick Cronin had the Bruins playing their best basketball in March. UCLA was known for their Toughness and Rebounding last season.

Assistant Coach Darren Savino has been coaching in Mick Cronin’s system for the last decade. Coach Savino teaches that rebounding is built through a mentality and techniques.

One of the main techniques in rebounding that is taught by the UCLA staff is the spin out technique. The spin out is used as an offensive rebounding technique when a player is blocking out.

During the block out, the players are back to back. The offensive player spins quickly either direction to get an angle to run past the player blocking out.

This puts them in a rebounding position. 

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#3 - Kansas

Coach Bill Self has Kansas ready to be a national contender again this season. Last season, they lost to USC in the Sweet 16. 

Coach Self’s offensive playbook is filled with many actions that can help your team. Here is a look at one of Kansas special situation sets.

The 4 High Back Cut is set used if a team is overplaying on the defensive side of the ball.

It is a very good after time-out set to get a backdoor. 

Coach Self’s Kansas playbook is filled with 43 pages of different sets:

• 2 Zone Offense Sets
• 8 Halfcourt Offense Plays
• 15 Baseline Out of Bounds Plays (BLOBs)
• 5 Sideline Out of Bounds Plays (SLOBs)

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#4 - Villanova

Villanova has become one of the perennial names in College Basketball. Every season it seems that they’re always in the mix.

Coach Jay Wright is known as an offensive genius. However, Villanova is also one of the best defensive teams year in and year out. 

His 1-2-2 press is one of multiple defenses that Villanova runs. The 1-2-2 shrinks the floor and then Villanova drops back into their zone defense most of the time. 

Here is a look at Coach Jay Wright explaining the 1-2-2 press.

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#5 - Texas 

Coach Chris Beard takes over at Texas after making Texas Tech basketball a household name. Two years ago, he led Texas Tech to the National Championship game, and now he has Texas as a National Contender after one summer recruiting. 

Coach Beard had Texas Tech as one of the best defensive teams in the country every season. His defense was built on toughness, charges, 50/50 balls, and great helpside defense. It’s built on giving up No Middle.

Below is an example of the rotations to not give up middle on defense. If a charge is presented to be taken, it should be taken in Coach Beard’s defense.

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These top 5 programs are competing to have the confetti fall on them at the end of the season with the song One Shining Moment playing in the background.

Never get out-coached,

-- The Coaches Clinic Community of Helping Coaches