(Rental)-The Diamond Full Court Press

The Diamond Press

Derek Kellogg’s rise as an NCAA Division I head coach is directly related to his use of the full-court press. The press is a tool any team can use to control the tempo of a game and to wreak havoc on opponents. Kellogg likes to use the press for the entire 40 minutes of a basketball game and his teams have become successful doing it.

Kellogg was a former player and assistant under now-Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Kellogg’s pressing style of defense took UMass from 12 to 15 to 25 wins over a span of just three seasons. He has taken both UMass and LIU-Brooklyn to the NCAA tournament.

Breakdown Drills

Coach Kellogg demonstrates the full-court diamond press in its entirety. He provides a number of breakdown drills to instill that attacking mentality into his players. The name of the game, of course, is forcing opponents into poor shots and turnovers. Players love the system not only because it’s fun, but also because it requires more players and everyone gets to play as a result.

Drills to Build Attacking Mentality

There are everyday drills that Kellogg uses to build that attacking mentality. The drills only take roughly five minutes each, but help players learn to constantly apply pressure. The Circle Trap and Man Man Drills develop the player guarding the inbounds pass. “Free Safety” is a drill for the middle players in the press and “Enforcer” is a drill for the back end of the diamond press.

Game-like Situation

The 3-3-3 and 4-4-4 Drills are full-court trapping drills where players learn to anticipate passes and take the right angles to get into the best trapping position. The Recovery Drill teaches players what to do when the press is broken by the opponent, how to sprint back on defense and look for opportunities to steal from behind.

Once all the roles and responsibilities are taught, Coach Kellogg puts all the elements together in live 5-on-5 drills. Coach Kellogg’s diamond press can help your team play with more energy. The results are a more exciting style of play, but more importantly, a program that produces wins. Rent this Diamond press DVD today.