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As you know, the start of the season is a crucial time for players at all levels to establish good habits through effective basketball drills. 

This is why we’ve pulled three early-season defensive drills from three elite head coaches that can provide you with a blueprint for how to get your team to mid-season form before your opponents on defense. 

Mark Downey - No Man’s Land Drill

Mark Downey - No Man’s Land Drill

Mark Downey enters into the fifth season of his second stint as head coach at Arkansas Tech and will be in his ninth season overall at Tech in 2024-25.

Coach Downey’s ‘No Man’s Land’ Drill from his ‘Practice Drills & Guard Individual Development’ clinic begins with five players on defense in a circle in the paint while a coach is under the hoop with a ball. 

There will be one offensive player on the block while the other four offensive players are spread out along the wing. The defensive players need to hold hands and spin while the coach with the ball rolls it out to one of the players on the wing. 

Whichever player in the spinning circle that’s closest to the player who receives the rolled ball must immediately go and closeout. The next closest player needs to get in the nearest passing lane. Two other players need to close out the help side, and then the fifth defensive player must take care of the opposing post player. 

At this point, the drill becomes a live scrimmage scenario. There can be a ton of different variations to this drill, but the key part to it is that the defenders must be communicating and making fast decisions about who to guard once the ball gets rolled. 

Dave Adkins - 3 Man Touch to Transition Defense Drill

Dave Adkins - 3 Man Touch to Transition Defense Drill

David Adkins joined the Washington women's basketball program ahead of the 2024-25 season, bringing 15 years of collegiate and NBA experience to the Huskies' bench as an Associate Head Coach. 

Coach Adkins’ ‘Player Development: Offensive and Defensive Combination Drills’ clinic details a 3 Man Touch that begins with three players who each make a dunk or layup. Once they do, all three run back to transition defense while three other players push it down the court. 

The key for the defenders is shrinking the floor along the wings and making quick closeouts. 

This is a simple drill that emphasizes quick repetitions, conditioning, communication, and teamwork on the defensive end. 

Joe Pasternack - Wildcat Drill

Joe Pasternack - Wildcat Drill

Joe Pasternack is in his eighth season at the helm of the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team. 

Coach Pasternack’s ‘Program-Defining Drills’ clinic’ discloses his ‘Wildcat Drill’, which is primarily focused on defending the ball screen. It begins with one post player on defense at the top of the post. The player he’s guarding makes a pass then cuts down into the paint, where a coach is waiting to set a screen with a protective pad. 

The defender must get past that back screen, defend the ball in the post, defend a cross-screen, front the post player, then end with however the coach wants their players to defend the ball screen with their post player. 

Never get out coached,

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