Hardwood Hustle

This week, Coach Graham Maxwell joins Sam and TJ to discuss how your leadership and team culture affect your Xs and Os, especially your team’s shot selection.Show Notes:• The art of coaching - mastering all facets• Identifying what each team needs• Getting buy-in about shot selection• Playing CIA - Confident, Intelligent, and Aggressive• FG%'s - Educating players and coaches• Hearing the player's perspective• How players earn freedom• Being able to 'show' players• Playing fearless and riding the edge• Transparency with the team• Being able to back it up with the #'s• Teaching shot selection• Do you know your team?• Letting players in on your coaching• Heartset and mindset• Film sessions focused on when they're getting it right• The fundamental of winning and losing• Talented v. less talented teams• Every player should anticipate shooting• Adjusting game to game - season to season• Confident yet responsibleSend us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info

This week, Sam and TJ discuss 4 important tips and strategies for your player development that you’re going to want to incorporate right away.If you're interested in going deeper on this topic, or joining our community of coaches, go to https://coach.pgcbasketball.com/ to learn more about upcoming coaching tracks and membership.Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.Mark your calendars! The first 300 coaches to register for a PGC Basketball camp this summer will receive FREE tuition!  2025 camp dates and locations will be announced Jan 21st and registration opens Monday, Jan 27 at 9am EST. Spots sell out fast!Go to https://PGCbasketball.com/coaches/ to learn more and see why over 12,000 coaches have attended a PGC camp.

This week, is a reminder of the importance of the mindset and approach you bring to every practice and every game throughout the entire season. TJ and Sam discuss how to avoid complacency and maintain enthusiasm for the standards.Send us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.Mark your calendars! The first 300 coaches to register for a PGC Basketball camp this summer will receive FREE tuition!  2025 camp dates and locations will be announced Jan 21st and registration opens Monday, Jan 27 at 9am EST. Spots sell out fast!Go to https://PGCbasketball.com/coaches/ to learn more and see why over 12,000 coaches have attended a PGC camp.

For most of us, the off-season is closer than we think. This week we’re joined by Mano Watsa, president of PGC Basketball to discuss how players, coaches, and parents can focus on the most important aspects of player development. Show Notes:• Introduction• Preparing players• Personal trainers and how to utilize them• Overskilled and underdeveloped• The quality of the experience: Time, Energy, and Money• Dreams, Direction, and Discipline• Matching the player's aspirations, not the parent's• Increasing passion and confidence• The camp experience• Why PGC•. Go to https://pgcbasketball.com/ to find out moreSend us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.Mark your calendars! The first 300 coaches to register for a PGC Basketball camp this summer will receive FREE tuition!  2025 camp dates and locations will be announced Jan 21st and registration opens Monday, Jan 27 at 9am EST. Spots sell out fast!Go to https://PGCbasketball.com/coaches/ to learn more and see why ove

This week TJ and Sam discuss coaching tips and strategies that impact winning and can make a big difference for your team and season.Show Notes:• Playing harder• Play hard, smart, and together• What loses• Coaching effort• Coaching examples• Identifying the standard without emotion• Avoid coaching out of frustration• The game is held hostage• Coaching the mistake• The role of analytics• Effecting winning - What gets lost• Shot generation & Shot selection• Getting the map right• Substitutions and balanceSend us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.Mark your calendars! The first 300 coaches to register for a PGC Basketball camp this summer will receive FREE tuition!  2025 camp dates and locations will be announced Jan 21st and registration opens Monday, Jan 27 at 9am EST. Spots sell out fast!Go to https://PGCbasketball.com/coaches/ to learn more and see why over 12,000 coaches have attended a PGC camp.

This week we discuss a quote from UCONN Men’s Coach, Dan Hurley about wanting his players to be obsessed, how we agree and disagree with his statement, and what that might look like for your team.Show Notes:• Coach Dan Hurley's quote• Helping your players love the game• Baseline standards and expectations• Understanding individual player perspectives• Not wanting obsessed players• How to help players who aren't as committed• Players want high standards• Identify your non-negotiables• Modeling love for the game• Knowing what matters mostSend us a Message. If you'd like us to reply, include your contact info.Mark your calendars! The first 300 coaches to register for a PGC Basketball camp this summer will receive FREE tuition!  2025 camp dates and locations will be announced Jan 21st and registration opens Monday, Jan 27 at 9am EST. Spots sell out fast!Go to https://PGCbasketball.com/coaches/ to learn more and see why over 12,000 coaches have attended a PGC camp.

This week is a 4 quarters episode with TJ and Lisa discussing ball pressure, preparation, rebounding, and what we do in our culture when we’re winning versus when we’re losing.Show Notes:• Ball pressure• Compete and anticipate• Anticipate what they do if you apply pressure• Changing pressure – keep offense guessing• Mental pressure = mental fatigue• Teach players the nuance of pressure• What types of teams to pressure• Preparation & Scouting• What you do physically to prepare matters• Layer it in and build – grow over time• Emphasis everything and get nothing• Implications of switching• Rebounding• Habits & Individual Approaches• Mentality & Urgency• Personnel options• Playing the percentages & angles• Culture – When you’re winning v. losing• Focusing on the process• The importance of honesty• Knowing the heartbeat of the team• Meeting your standards every daySend us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam hit on an important topic for coaches which is how you confront your players and be honest with where they’re at while also creating a team culture that genuinely cares about each other. Send us a Message.

Coach Micah Mills is back on the show to discuss troubleshooting your offense and player development in order to find solutions to your offensive frustrations midseason.Show Notes:3 ways to look at offensive problem solving"Identify the problem so we can prescribe the right medicine"Being a "Defensive coach"Balance in using Sets Determining your offensive identity Start with understanding how you will generate shotsRole identificationGiving players "freedom" on offense is overratedClarity on what we are hunting Getting the ball to the paint is half the battle Skill Development and 18 ways to finish "Why are you working on that?"Money actionsWhat do we do best? How do we do it more?Timeout playsBe an expert on your teamSend us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss managing your roster in terms of number of players along with playing time decisions in order to limit the headaches and maximize the potential of your team.Send us a Message.

This week we’re talking about aspects of your program that make for a winning culture such as setting high standards, building accountability, and growing through conflict and adversity.Show Notes:Intro episodeLevels to coaching and winningReality of Accountability and holding the line on standardsBeing unattached emotionally to standards Standards vs RulesSetting the BarHaving a powerful WHYRelationships and RebellionCoach mode at homeTransformational v Transactional Approach to AdversitySend us a Message.

Joined by special guest, Jason Peery, this week we dive into how he built a successful high school program as he shares his best practices when it comes to creating drills, teaching the game, and developing players.  Show Notes:Coach Jason Peery's backgroundBlood DrillsYour motive in care is really important Creating Connection Clear expectations Positive, negative or neutral coachingCoachabilityTeaching the little things What basketball can learn from pickleball Naming your drills Mental toughness vs emotional toughness More about Jason Peery:Currently assistant varsity coach at American Heritage High School in Utah under head coach Paora Winitana. Both of us have sons on the team.Former Head Coach at Pinewood High School (CA)Consulted Stanford Men's (Johnny Dawkins) and Women's Basketball (Hall-of-Face coach Tara Vanderveer) teams in 2013-2014, installing Triangle Offense in both programs, which went to Sweet 16 and Final Four respectively that year. Article in NY Times, "Riding the Tria

This week TJ and Sam discuss how to start the season off right by knowing what you need out of your first practices, how to evaluate your first games, and setting up your team for success not just at the start, but throughout the season.Show Notes:• General Thoughts on how to prepare your team for the first game of the season• First week of practice• Identifying the goal• How can you stack things• Balance Offense and Defense• Creating standards of practice• Attitude and effort• Capturing the vision of who you want to be as a team• Cover your butt coaching• Player Development• Handling adversity• Leadership• Holes in the ceiling• Working in 3s• Getting the foundation right• Learning and improving season to seasonSend us a Message.

This week we discuss the offensive and defensive implications of the 3pt line, how it affects your players and it's changed all levels of the game.Show Notes:How the 3 is changing the game.Defensive implicationsThe equalizerThe Steph Curry effectWhere coaching mattersThe next trendA coaching mistakeGuess TJ’s favorite NBA player right nowValue of players beyond the 3The hardest teams to play against The risk of being 3 point heavy Coaching shot quality Send us a Message.

This week Graham Maxwell joins the show to discuss how coaches can win in their relationships with opponents, players, and staff and why it can be the difference maker for you this season.Show Notes:• Opponent relationships• Healthy competition• Finding middle ground• Setting the example• Tony Bennett example• Staff relationships• Who over What• Coaching hard• Jockeying for positions• Being a generous listener• Acknowledging and celebrating• Catch them doing something good• What hurts relationships with players• Playing time• Sharing the burdenSend us a Message.

In light of Coach Tony Bennett’s recent retirement announcement, we thought we’d honor his legacy and what he’s given to the game by reposting his 2021 interview with us where he laid out his foundation as a coach and how his team bounced back to win a National Championship.Show Notes:• 5 Pillars / Core Values• Getting player buy-in• How you face adversity• Knowing your Why• Vulnerability & Leading by example• Developing leaders• Style of play & paying the price• Becoming a great teacher• What truly mattersSend us a Message.

In the world of coaching and leadership we often hear phrases and mantras that serve our coaching in a positive way. And there's also statements and quotes that initial appeal to us and may even carry some truth, but if we put too much stock in them, they could also steer us in the wrong direction. Before we know it, we may end up be off course. This week TJ and Sam discuss different 'coachisms' in the form of 3 truths and 3 lies and debate what's reasonable, what's practical, and what ultimately makes sense to apply to your coaching and share with your team.Show Notes:• Intro to Topic• Relationships are paramount to coaching and leadership• Competing is the ultimate equalizer• How you do what you do is the separator• Winning cures everything• Leaders are born, not made• Talent trumps teamSend us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss the importance of practice design and share common mistakes you’ll want to avoid in your practice planning this season.Show Notes:• 1. Lack of preparation• Communication and delegation + more tips• Picking the right things to practice• Enrolling your players• Knowing your strengths and practices• What to pay attention to• 2. Distributing roles in practice• "If you try and watch everything, you'll see nothing."• 3. Identifying influential practice factors• Doing your best stuff most of the time• 4. Designing more than the 'What'• Flow of practice• 5. Marrying the practice planSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Micah Mills, head coach at Wilmington College and PGC Coaching mentor to discuss managing the energy, emotions, and egos of your players as well as yourself.Show Notes:• Bringing energy & being your authentic self as a coach• Teach players how to bring their own energy• Individual hype numbers• Engaging with individual players• Managing your own energy• Changes with time• Consistency with the option to change it up• "Don't let your circumstances dictate your behavior."• Regulating emotions• Individual differences• Helping your players - Walking a fine line• Ensuring your team has an edge• Buying into a team mentality• Having the right conversations• The role of social media today• Speaking the truth to players• Controlling the narrative• Getting it right before its too lateSend us a Message.

A good passing team is a well coached team. This week we discuss all things related to helping your players be better passers this season.Show Notes:• Why you should consider being a pressing team.• Thinking ahead in your season• Developing better passers and emphasis in practice• "Passing is like leadership"• Executing your sets• "Make the simple play"• Inability to pass is limiting - Minimize risky decisions• Defining good passing• Coaching pet peeves• Coaching different types of passes• What will you do the most in your offense• Jump Passes• Taking care of your possessions• Team confidence• Better Passing = More FunSend us a Message.