Hardwood Hustle

This week, Sam and TJ discuss frustrations and questions coaches face during seasons as we try to problem solve strategy and scouting decisions as well as common mistakes we’ll want to avoid making. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the variability of opponents and the need for players to adapt to different game situations. Good offensive coaches are characterized by their clarity of how they want to play and their ability to generate good shots. Good passing, cutting, and spacing on offense can be the little details that make your offense go. On the defensive end, coaches should have a clear defensive identity and make adjustments based on their personnel. Not to be left out of your in-season priorities is the importance of player development and keeping that a focus for your players and within your practice plans.Show Notes:• Understanding changes from game to game• The 80/20 Rule• Growing your offense by adapting and evolving• What Good offensive coaches do • Shot selection and pl

This week, JP Nerbun is back to help us discuss the important topic of working with and ultimately building partnerships with parents. If we can get this right in our programs, we have the opportunity to create an even better experience for our athletes and make an even greater impact in our communities. If you listen to this episode and  want to go deeper, check out his new book, The Sports Parent Solution available on Amazon.More On J.P. Nerbun:J.P. Nerbun is a bestselling author, leadership coach, and founder of TOC Culture Consulting, a leading global sports-consulting and leadership coaching business. His mission is to support leaders and their teams to achieve their full potential through 1:1 coaching, consulting, and community.In 2019, he published his first book, Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey toTransformational Leadership, which has received critical acclaim. In 2022, he publishedThe Culture System: A Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture, agroundbreaking book offering a fra

This week TJ and Sam discuss style of play and the advantages and disadvantages of varying styles as well reasons for adjusting, changing, or doubling down on the style you choose for your team. Show Notes:Does your offensive and defensive systems fit each other.Year to year changesGrinding styles: Layups & ThreesWhat's your style of coaching?Getting your opponent to play your styleWhy make a change?Big picture 'Why'The teaching factorStarting back at zeroBeing able to "just play"Having a hodgepodge of players & choosing a styleRegular and post season expectationsHow do you want to win?Shot quality on both endsWhen it's not working... Have a curveballSend us a Message.

This episode is part 2 of the Read & React offense with Rick Torbett, celebrating 20 years since its creation and impact on the basketball community. In this episode we dive into teaching, implementing, and gamifying the Read & React where you can get ideas and strategies for coaching any offense.To go deeper on the Read & React offense, sign up for Rick Torbett's free Read & React Master Class. Go to PGCHustle.com to sign up.Send us a Message.

This week we’re joined by the creator of the Read & React Offense and founder of Better Basketball, Rick Torbett. Over 20 years ago Coach Rick asked some hard questions about how he could create a flow to his offense, play his 5 best players regardless of position, and truly help his players learn the game. In Part 1 Coach Rick shares the stories behind how he developed it and why so many coaches have implemented the Read & React Offense.Don't forget to check out Episode 526 for Part 2 on the Read & React Offense with Rick Torbett.To go deeper on the Read & React offense, sign up for Rick Torbett's free Read & React Master Class. Go to PGCHustle.com to sign up.Send us a Message.

Every season has its own challenges and as we know, adversity is coming for us and our players. This week TJ and Sam discuss how to navigate and mentor players face the challenges of earning playing time, receiving tough coaching, or being disappointed in their role. Helping players understand that adversity is meant to make us better if we learn how to face it head on is a great opportunity as a coach which can change the trajectory of our players lives. Listen this week to join the discussion and follow us @hardwood_hustle to stay connected.Send us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss In-Game coaching strategies including making strategic adjustments, how and when to use timeouts, managing our emotions and our team’s energy, using stats during games, and ensuring your team is prepared.Send us a Message.

Show Notes:• Intro Topic• Injured player example• Michigan football stealing signs• Justifying breaking rules• Rick Majerus example• Reading opponent's scout• Winning the right way• Celebrating the right way• Getting a technical on purposeSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Coach Jonas Allen. With years of high school and college coaching experience, Coach Allen was in his second year as a head coach, when he was ready to quit. In this episode he shares how he transformed his coaching and quickly turned around his program to win a state championship.Send us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam dive into the details of what will make your offense work this season. They discuss spacing, screening angles, timing, assessing different offensive strategies for your team, and much more. Send us a Message.

With all the 'Me First' influences we have in our culture, it can be even more challenging to develop great teams and great teammates in our programs. This week TJ’s associate head coach, Graham Maxwell joins us to discuss how to take our programs to the next level by ensuring we help our players zoom out and develop the tools and skills to be a great teammate in basketball and in life. The difficulty level is high, but the reward is worthwhile.Send us a Message.

This week’s episode is about offensive and defensive rebounding strategies and tactics including things you can try with your team and lessons learned from TJ and Sam.Show Notes:• Offensive rebounding percentage• How many to send to the glass?• Creating clarity• Tagging• By area on the court• Do what you do best• What your players do naturally• Emphasis and accountability• Statistical examples• Defensive rebounding strategies• Basketball IQ, physicality, and incentevize• Practice details• TechniqueSend us a Message.

This we discuss staff dynamics and how both assistants and head coaches can lead well and bring the best out in each other even when it comes to disagreements and giving feedback.Show Notes:• Importance of alignment• Giving assistants ownership • Loyalty to the head coach• Finding the best solutions for the team• Can you agree to disagree?• Being all in• Importance of trust• We're in the relationship business• How staff dynamics effect the teamSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Todd Gongwer, a best-selling author, speaker and teacher on leadership and cultural development. He wrote one of our favorite books, Lead… for God’s Sake, and in this episode they discuss leading well in a competitive environment amidst the pressures of winning.Show Notes:• Responsibility crisis• Finding blind spots• The emphasis on results• Winning the right ways• Pursuing happiness• Finding peace• Being a competitor• Passion v. Purpose• Making an impact• What will be enough• What other relationships are effected• Finding purpose• Reaping the rewardsLearn more from Todd Gongwer:@ToddGongwerKardiatg.comTodd's Gongwer's Bio:(Pronounced GONG-wur)For nearly thirty years, Todd Gongwer has been building his expertise in leadershipand team dynamics by serving in a variety of senior level roles in business andathletics. From entrepreneurial start-up, to public company to college athletics,Todd’s real-life practical experiences in these worlds have given him a perspectivethat allow

This week TJ and Sam zoom out on offense and discuss different approaches coaches take in choosing their offensive strategy. They discuss what works and what doesn’t, and how to get your team to buy-in.Show Notes:• Getting players into roles• Style of coaching• The good and bad of freedom on offense• Understanding what wins• Having to breakdown bad habits• Scoring v. winning• Cultivating discipline and responsibility• Does your team know?• Players losing trust early in the season• Offensive essentials: pressure on rim, perimeter threat, shot selection• Getting your team to understand and buy-in• Deeper questions about your strategy• Playing small example• Bringing your coaching to life• Paint TouchesSend us a Message.

This week we discuss the importance of how a coach evaluates their team throughout the season. Specifically we dive into evaluating games, practices, players, and staff.Show Notes:• Games– Are we overcomplicating it?– Focusing feedback on what you value– Age & Stage – Picking 3 Things• Players– Trying to do too much– Narrow the focus and name the win– The role of joy in development– Diagnosing and prescribing• Practices– Engagement and enjoyment– Create a plan for evaluation– Boosting culture in the midst of outside pressures– Sam’s practice examples– Right level of challenge & difficulty– Creating data in practice• Staff– Alignment & role clarity– Communicating the focus– Streamlining feedbackSend us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss whether individual stats or team success get you in the hall of fame, what it means to impact winning, and how to get our players to value more than just scoring. Show Notes:• Recent comments from Gilbert Arenas• How you measure stats• Impacting winning• What we value in our culture•  Winning matters• Accounting for all factors• NBA player examples• Who makes teammates better• High value on scoring• The coach's eye test• Highlight culture• Putting the puzzle together• What's best for your teamSend us a Message.

This week we kick off the episode discussing a recent event in coaching where a professional football player went to the head coach to complain about the offensive coordinator. From there we touch on a variety of topics including coaches making adjustments, navigating relationship dynamics, and the challenge of leading today.Send us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Coach Dean Lockwood from Michigan State who has 40 years of coaching experience in both men’s and women’s college basketball, as both an assistant and head coach, and including 5 Final Four appearances and two national championships at the University of Tennessee with legendary coach, Pat Summit.Show Notes:• Mentorship and growing as a coach•  Pat Summit•  Importance of fundamentals• Top offensive and defensive habits• Telling players the truth• Differences and similarities coaching men and women• Coach development• Assistant coachingSend us a Message.

We’ve heard it said, you become like the 5 people you spend the most time with and in this episode, Sam and TJ discuss what that means for you and your coaching journey.Show Notes:• Surrounding yourself with the right people• Finding mentors• When the student is ready, the teacher will appear• Are you attracting the right people• Our environment shapes us more than our intentions• People, places, and things• Awareness• Influencing weaker environments• The need for communitySend us a Message.