(Rental)-Smorgasbord Of Basketball Practice Drills

Chris Mack: Smorgasbord of Basketball Practice Drills

Louisville head coach Chris Mack shares his ideas for organizing practices, discusses the Pack Line defense, and takes questions from coaches to show you 14 different drills that can help you improve on defense, rebounding, and overall team toughness. Mack spent several years at Xavier University where his team won the 2018 Big East championship and earned Mack a conference Coach of the Year award.

Mack is best known for the Pack Line defense and producing teams that rebound well and are simply tough. In this video, Mack demonstrates 14 drills and adds in several anecdotes that reveal his basketball philosophy.

Drills for the Pack Line Defense

Coach discusses the critical elements of the Pack Line defense including philosophy, body positioning, closeouts, and much more. He then shares drills like his favorite – the Blackhawk Drill. An on-ball defender must work the basic fundamentals: jump to the ball, bump the cutter, closeout, and pressure the ball to prevent straight-line scores.

You will also see three drills that focus on stopping fast breaks. You’ll get a glimpse of how Coach Mack teaches players to get back in transition.

Rebounding & Toughness Drills

To win the rebounding battle, teams must develop a level of toughness. Mack shows you five drills he uses to produce hard-nosed, physical rebounders. Teaching points in the drills are:

• The “hit and seal” approach to individual rebounding
• Protecting the basketball while under intense pressure
• Battling for offensive position in the post
• Containing the dribble with intense on-ball pressure

Offensive Drills

Players have to learn to play through pressure. Coach Mack shares three drills that help players use their dribble to beat the 5-second count and maintain possession of the ball. The Pressure Drill helps players maintain their composure and be strong with the ball while under stress.

According to Coach Mack, the best post move is no post move. Learn how to position close to the rim and finish strong with a drill specifically for post players. Mack also shares teaching points for scoring close to the rim.

This is an excellent video for coaches looking to improve overall toughness. Coach Mack has had great success throughout his career using the drills he shows you in this presentation.