Sean Miller is the Head Men’s basketball coach at the University of Arizona and is in his 5th year with the Wildcats (13-14). In his first four years with the program, he has set a school record with 96 total wins. Coach Miller is one of the best college coaches in the country and continues to prove this with his teams that he puts out each year. Some of the previous schools that Miller has been a part of are Xavier, North Carolina, Miami (Ohio), and Wisconsin. Here are his basketball coaching clinic notes from when he spoke at the NAU coaching clinic.
Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes
“Passing Game” Motion
• Refers to it as their default or “termination” offense (quick push in transition, after UOB that doesn’t score, offensive rebound, etc.)
• Termination = the play, after the play
• They make the basketball court a “map,” taping down important areas on the court for players to visualize
• Very big on having the program use the same terminology has a sheet of every term used in the program
• Like to run their motion higher on court and tape down “motion line”
- Runs a foot above the block, sideline to sideline
- He likes players to take baseline drives in this as there is spacing available
- Top of key area = Pocket (like the pocket in football)
- Pocket = pass
- Does not like drives from the top of the key, no room to make plays
“(Receiving screen) Slow to cut, (screener) sprint to screen”
• Cutter should always be aware of, ‘where is my man and where is ball’
1) Away Screen
- Guards looking to curl
- Posts always screen and ‘peel back to ball’
- Get a lot of shots from this
- 2 players are communicating as the post is coming to set away screen, and if there becomes an opportunity for post to change the angle (i.e., pinning defender in, guard spotting up or spacing to a spot), Post or Guard yells, “CHANGE”
2) Back Screen
- Use ‘Fist Up’ = I’m coming to get you
- “Back screen for a passer”
- Screener sets back screen then can look to pop for quick 3 if the defender doesn’t jump to the ball
- “Back screen, button hook”
- If the guard jumps to the ball, the guard takes him into the post, reverse pivot post up (Similar to duck in)
- “Switch”
- Screener goes chest to ball, and cutter finishes his cut all the way through (Like a receiver running a route)
- Another good opportunity to ‘button hook’
3) Flare Screen
- Only set for good shooters
- Only bigs set
- Guard must read the man, curl around flare is always open late
- “Sitting Duck” – guard sitting in help, away from their man
- The guard on O runs straight off the screen; no need to engage with the defender. Run to a spot
- Screener setting flare can pop back for 3
- As the ball is in the air to flare man, big can roll to the hoop after screen
- Miller loves flares vs. “switch” (Finish cut, chest to ball – like a slip action on POB)
4) Ballscreen
- Likes posts passing to guards and follow and get action
- Bigs can set screen and “rim run” as opposed to “screen and roll”
Additional Thoughts
- “When in doubt, move the ball or move yourself”
- Ball reversals = Good offense
- When teams switch POBs – Likes big to slip quickly and guard to come off the screen and drive hard
