Josh Pastner NAU Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

Josh Pastner is the Head Men’s basketball coach at Memphis University and is in his 18th year at the Division 1 level (player, staff members, assistant coach, and head coach). From his experiences, coach Pastner has acquired a wealth of basketball knowledge and is looked on as one of the top college basketball coaches in the country.

These basketball coaching clinic notes will cover the Memphis Tigers’ offense and their ability to play fast with the basketball. Along with insight into the Memphis offense, there will be basketball coaching tips that Coach Pastner has picked up over his years of coaching and from working under some great coaches. Notes provided by Chris Gold, Assistant Basketball Coach at Snow College (Utah).

Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

Big on charting 50/50 balls, hockey assist, and shows film of it to his players.

• Also likes to show film of bad or selfish shots.

In his offense, he gives freedom to play off of his structure.

• Too much structure takes away from a good player’s creativity.

Because his teams are very athletic, like to run – his biggest question to his staff and team is, “Can we execute in the half-court in the games that become smashmouth, halfcourt grinders?”.

Said it multiple times, must have good players.

• When at Arizona under Lute Olson, their team led the nation in scoring 4 or 5 years w/ 5 really good players.

Always impressed with John Calipari’s team defensive because he never does a lot of defensive basketball drills with the team.

• The secret is, Cal does 50 minutes of 5 on 5, spread out 1 on 1 drive.
• The offense is on the attack, and the defense has to be able to survive guarding the ball under heavy 1 on 1 pressure.

Pastner never uses the word ‘run’ with his teams; he always says ‘sprint.’

So many coaches say they want to play fast, but like with anything else you want to do, you must be COMMITTED.

When his team doesn’t want to sprint in basketball drills or live, he will play a 2-minute game and go crazy, make them play ultra-fast, push the ball, score as fast as possible. It speeds everything up.

• Ex. If there is a foul, add a point, give the ball to the other team and GO!
• After about a minute, players are just dead
• “Are you sure you want to run?”

Memphis Motion

It starts in a stack set, likes to “swing the wings” (Cross them, set screens for each other to get open).

Guards can curl tightly for a shot, then pop straight out to get open on the wing.

Once the ball is entered to wing, the point goes wide to opposite to corner. The weak side guard that is being pushed out always comes “up through the nail.”

• Either straight up the lane or sometimes, depending on spacing, he will have to cut it short and go through the elbow, then up through the nail to get the ball on top.

Posts are wide setting pin downs and flares for guards.

Favorite actions are:

1. Curls
2. Flare/ Backscreen
3. Flare/ Rescreen

Becomes continuity motion offense

Guard on top with the ball can score 4-6 points a game breaking off and beating man 1 on 1 because of the repeated screening action that is occupying the 4 other players set out wide on the wing.

Additional Thoughts

Posed this question, what do you run for the play after a play?

• When your set call breaks down, doesn’t work, you get offensive rebound – do you have something your team can auto into for these situations?

Believes simple is powerful

Uses 4s that are really 3s

Lute Olson likes entering the ball from the top of the key, especially if you have good shooters on the wing – hard for them to help off

Drives MUST get to the paint!

Charts Pick and Rolls as Result (score, TO, post score) or Reset (Defense defends)

Memphis has a huge emphasis on not allowing 3s

• Teams of lesser talent can beat you if they hit 3s