MIKE RICE THOUGHTS ON DEFENSE

Our 5 Rules Defensively:


1. We dictate to you on defensively. We attack

2. Force ball sideline and baseline: our chin on your top shoulder. We don’t drop our feet to open up. We dictate defensively what you do. EXCEPT on baseline or at the top of the key where you are chest-to-chest (defense there at the top of the key is so important because that’s the penetration that really kills you because it is so tough to help on).

3. Make teams play faster than they want to

4. Switch 1-4: You might call us lazy because we don’t want to fight through picks, but I just don’t think I have tough enough or smart enough kids at my level to get through screens. We switch everything – downscreens, backscreens, ballscreens, dribble hand-offs. You need to be strong and athletic to play this (2 things we emphasize heavily in recruiting). Tough kids are so rare today.

5. Energy + Intensity: We have to have it.

-So important for us (and any defense) is containing dribble penetration because without having to help and rotate, it will be a much better defensive possession.
-We heavily emphasize closeouts (and mirroring the ball) because a. good closeouts prevent the offense from passing and reversing the ball with fluidity and b. if we get one great closeout, BAM, the offense is back to zero and everything they positive they had accomplished prior in that possession is negated because they’re cowering with the ball behind their head
-You have to make things fun for your kids. Make everything a game to keep them interested. Whenever someone takes a charge at RMU all 4 players need to help him
-Don’t deny wings or any perimeter passes, but instead sit in help.
- Because of our switching we love playing teams that get a bulk of their offense from set plays. It just drives them nuts. I don’t want to rely on my kids handling the complexities of dealing with staggers and such so we just switch it.
-Believes it to be truly easier in season to make your team a great defensive team than a great offensive team. Offense is predicated on skill work that’s done in the off-season mostly.

-Incorporates the offensive concepts of their next opponent in that day’s shell drill.