(Rental)-Learning The John Wooden Ucla Offense

Swen Nater: Learning the John Wooden/UCLA Offense

One of the most revered coaches in the history of college basketball is John Wooden. His offense at UCLA laid the foundation for Wooden’s record-setting win streaks and national championships. Former Bruin Swen Nater shows you Coach Wooden’s high-post offense and how it can still be used in today’s game. You’ll learn spacing and how to put pressure on defenses with backdoor cuts, double screens, and more.

Keys to an Effective Offense

Nater shares the 10 principles that create scoring options and give offensive players to opportunity to make plays. The principles include passing, balance, and penetration which are all mentioned in Nater’s presentation. All 10 concepts are revisited throughout the presentation to show you how UCLA would use each one in their offense.

UCLA Offense

Nater shows you how to enter the offense against defensive pressure. A number of options are shown including backdoor cuts, hand-offs, post feeds, and double screens. You will also see how simultaneous actions on both sides of the floor occupy help defenders. Three different options for feeding the post, a big part of the UCLA offense, are also demonstrated.

Rebounding & Balance

Spacing was one of the biggest problems for defenses that faced the UCLA offense. Spacing also helped UCLA get into position for offensive rebounds. Nater talks about how players can form a triangle at the rim to obtain rebounding balance. Shooters also learn how to hunt long rebounds. Balance also helps your team get back in transition to play defense or even go right into full-court pressure.

Special Plays

Along with the basic options in the UCLA, you will also learn seven special plays. These plays have all been used with great success having helped the Bruins win several national championships.

• Learn the options of the side post game as well as ways you can free up post player by “popping the stack” on double screens.
• Use decoy cuts to set up the defense and free your best shooter coming off a double screen in “Kentucky.”
• Learn two sets that utilize a wing hand-off to set up a lob or run a shooter off a pin down screen.
• Take advantage of strong post players with two ways to initiate high/low plays.

Wooden Wisdom

It wasn’t just Xs and Os that made Wooden legendary. Nater shares with you some of the many lessons he learned from his coach. These gems include communicating effectively, how to correct players when they make mistakes, and much more. In addition to the UCLA offense, gain some insight into the coaching practices of one of the greatest of all-time.