Guest: Victor Lapena, Canadian Women’s National Basketball Team Coach

Canadian Women's National Basketball Team Víctor Lapeña joins the Basketball Podcast to share his philosophy on international coaching, development, and principles of play.

Lapeña brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to his current role as Head Coach of the Canadian Women's National Basketball Team.

Prior to his appointment in 2021, Lapeña spent a remarkable 14 years within the Spanish Basketball Federation.  His impact is undeniable, having played a key role in Spain's dominance on the international stage. During this tenure, he contributed to an impressive collection of 14 medals, including two coveted EuroBasket golds (2013, 2017) and a silver medal at the prestigious 2016 Rio Olympics.

Lapeña's expertise extends beyond the national team level. He also boasts a distinguished club-level career in Spain, leading teams in both the second and first tiers of their national league. His strategic brilliance culminated in a championship title with CB Avenida in the 2012-13 season. Additionally, he achieved success on the international club scene by guiding Nadezhda Orenburg to the EuroCup Women title in 2019.

Breakdown

1:00 - Introduction

2:30 - Coaching Basketball in Canada

10:00 - Club Model vs Scholastic Model

16:00 - Basketball Development Model

22:00 - Coaching Principles and Strategies

26:00 - Player Development

32:00 - Coaching Strategies Learned in Soccer

37:00 - Defensive Strategies in Basketball

43:30 - Defensive Rebounding Strategies

47:00 - Conclusion

Victor Lapena’s Bio:

Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADctor_Lape%C3%B1a

Chris Oliver / Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guests: Carly Thibault Dudonis, Fairfield Head Coach

In this week’s coaching conversation, Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis joins the Basketball Podcast to share her insights on 5-Out and, team and basketball identity.

In just her second season at the helm, Thibault-DuDonis led the Stags to a program-record 31 wins as part of an historic 31-2 campaign, the second-highest winning percentage in the nation. That mark featured a conference-record 29 game winning streak culminating in a MAAC Championship, their fifth in program history.

Thibault-DuDonis was named the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year, All-Met Coach of the year, the ECAC Coach of the Year, the College Insider Kay Yow Coach of the Year, and the MAAC Coach of the Year to celebrate Fairfield's historic season. The Stags also achieved the program's first-ever national ranking as they slotted No. 25 in the AP Top-25 poll and also received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. They finished the season ranked fourth in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll. The Stags capped off their historic season with the MAAC Tournament and Regular Season Championship while punching their ticket to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

In her first season with the Stags, she led the team to a top-5 finish in the conference, receiving a bye into the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals with an 11-9 conference mark.

Carly most recently served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Minnesota. Before joining Minnesota, Carly was an assistant coach at Mississippi State and Eastern Michigan.

Thibault-DuDonis' father Mike Thibault was a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year previously coaching the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics while also being an assistant coach in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. Her brother Eric, is the current Head Coach of the Washington Mystics.

Breakdown

1:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Positive Team Environment

5:30 - Offensive Identity

9:00 - Coaching Strategies for Mid-Major Teams

12:00 - Creative Advantages in Offense

14:30 - Cutting and Spacing

18:00 - Basketball Analytics and Player Development

23:30 - Defensive Strategies

27:30 - Defensive Fundamentals

30:30 - Film Analysis abd Drills

34:00 - Workload Management

38:00 - Coaching Philosophy

41:00 - Skill Improvement

Carly Thibault Dudonis’s Bio:

Bio: https://fairfieldstags.com/staff-directory/carly-thibault-dudonis/240

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CTbow

Chris Oliver / Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guests: Dave Love, NBA Shooting Coach, and Matt Robertson, Co-Host of The Coach Dave Love Podcast

In this week's coaching conversation, Chris Oliver joins the Coach Dave Love Podcast to share insights on applying skill acquisition concepts to basketball shooting and player development. In this enlightening episode of The Coach Dave Love Podcast simulcast on the Basketball Podcast, hosts Matt Robertson and NBA Shooting Coach Dave Love are joined by Chris Oliver, the esteemed founder of Basketball Immersion. 

Chris Oliver stands as a leading figure in integrating motor learning and skill acquisition principles into basketball training. With a track record of consulting for numerous NBA teams and National Federations globally, Chris brings a wealth of evidence-based coaching approaches to the table.

Throughout the episode, Chris and Dave dissect their top five Skill Acquisition concepts, providing invaluable insights for coaches looking to enhance their training methodologies. This episode serves as a beacon for those new to the realm of Motor Learning, offering a comprehensive starting point. Tune in as Chris and Dave delve into the nuances of skill acquisition, providing actionable strategies and practical advice that coaches can implement immediately. 

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to coaching, this episode promises to equip you with the foundational knowledge needed to elevate your coaching game and unlock the full potential of your players. If you're ready to take your coaching to the next level and optimize player development, this episode is a must-listen.

Breakdown

1:00 - Introduction

3:00 - Basketball Shooting Form and Practice Methods

8:00 - Improving Skill Acquisition

12:30 - Importance of Adaptability

17:00 - Internal vs External Cues

21:30 - Perception and Adaptability

26:00 - Skill Acquisition Strategies

30:30 - Reducing Instructions

37:00 - Focusing on Habits

40:00 - Teaching Cues

44:30 - Coaching Techniques

48:00 - Constraint-Led Approach

54:30 - Player Development

58:30 - Personalized Approach

Dave Love’s Bio:

Website: https://www.coachdavelove.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-coach-dave-love-podcast/id1719926493

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCspHEavqXfrWe2YFps_4RiQ

Matt Robinson’s Bio:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachmattyrob

Chris Oliver / Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Chris Oliver, Founder of Basketball Immersion

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, the creative mind behind Basketball Immersion, Chris Oliver, joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on his practice framework for player and team development. 

For a decade, Chris Oliver, founder of Basketball Immersion, has been revolutionizing basketball coach education with his experiential and evidence-based approach. Chris has traveled the world, and worked with NBA organizations, National Federations, and NCAA programs, along with youth basketball players and coaches around the world. In this special solo podcast episode, Chris dives deep into his Practice Framework – a blueprint for maximizing player and team development. Listen in as the veteran coach unveils strategies to go beyond rote memorization and empower players to understand the "why" behind the drills. 

This episode includes an audio clip from a 10-13-year-old mixed youth basketball development session and is a must-listen for any coach who wants to build winning teams and create a truly impactful practice experience. Learn more about this podcast and Basketball Immersion at.

Breakdown

1:00 - Focus on Player Development

3:00 - Moving to Los Angeles

7:00 - Audio on 5 on 5 Conceptual Offense

11:00 - Player Development and Parent Involvement

15:30 - Creating Double Gaps for Spacing

18:00 - Classroom Management Strategies

23:30 - Challenging Drils

26:30 - Improving Player Performance

32:00 - Offense and Defense Concepts

34:30 - Space, Passing, and Driving Principle

42:30 - Player Development and Problem-Solving

48:30 - Player Responsibility

51:30 - Defensive Strategies and Techniques

57:00 - Open-Ended Questions

59:30 - Coaching Philosophies and Practice Strategies

Chris Oliver / Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Joe Crispin, Penn State Assistant Coach

Penn State assistant coach Joe Crispin joins the Basketball Podcast to share his philosophy on cultivating creativity and adaptability in basketball.

One of Penn State’s all-time great players and longtime professional athlete, Joe Crispin is an Assistant to the Head Coach at Penn State. Crispin last appeared on Episode 247 and his Immersion Videos product All Access Practice with Joe Crispin has become a best seller as coaches learn about his play based philosophy from raw and real practices.

Crispin spent the last seven seasons as the head men’s basketball coach at Rowan University where he guided the Profs to a 114-54 record, three NCAA Tournament appearances, two conference titles and the 2023 Sweet 16. He collected the fourth-most wins by a head coach in school history through his seven years on the sideline.

Crispin engineered one of the most prolific offenses in the country at Rowan, as the Profs averaged more than 80 points per game in each of his final six seasons including 90+ points per game in each of the last two years.

A longtime professional player, Crispin joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001 as a free agent and enjoyed a highly successful career in Europe for more than a decade.

Breakdown

1:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Practice to Games

5:00 - Experiential

7:00 - Youth Basketball Development

11:30 - Higher Level Coaches

16:00 - Problem Solving

21:00 - Asking Questions

24:30 - Creating Solutions

27:00 - Freedom and Structure

30:00 - Organization Drills

34:00 - Stop and Listen

39:00 - Structure

43:00 - Run The Pattern

46:00 - Struggling with Flow

51:00 - Adaptability

56:00 - Working on the Game

59:00 - Take Away Decisions

1:02:00 - Creating Opportunities

Joe Crispin’s Bio:

Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Crispin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joecrispin

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Kevin Mulcahy, Sports Practice Design Specialist

Sports practice design specialist Kevin Mulcahy joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on representative practice using a constraints-led approach.

Kevin is an experienced sports and conditioning coach who has worked with sports teams, athletes, professionals, and clubs across three continents for over 30 years. He is the owner-operator of the Design the Game Project, a platform that shares coaching insights and research with a progressive and learning-led audience.

Design the Game promotes a Constraints Led Approach to Motor Learning and coaching. Kevin has studied on and off the field how humans learn to move and learn skills for well over 20 years.

Through the Design the Game brand has run several mini online courses around motor learning, decision making in sport and practice design. Kevin also runs TMC Performance, a sports and conditioning, personal training business that caters to the overall health and lifestyle of his clients from athletes to busy professionals through a strength and conditioning for life and sport mindset and programming approach.

Kevin has a strong educational background in coaching science, with a BSc in Strength and Conditioning from Setanta College, a certificate in Nutritional Science and Coaching from Precision Nutrition, and a certificate in The Neuroscience of Decision Making from Barcelona FC

Breakdown

1:00 - Constraint Led Approach

7:00 - Manipulating Task Constraint

11:30 - Elicit Skill

16:00 - Technique Development

26:00 - Poet's Practice

34:00 - Feedback with Action

40:00 - Early in Learning

49:00 - History

52:00 - Playing Unstructured

59:00 - Affordances

1:03:30 - The Three Things

1:07:00 - Basketball Drills

1:12:00 - Free Throw

1:14:00 - Conclusion

Kevin Mulcahy’s Bio:

Bio/Website: https://kevinmulcahy.substack.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/movementcoachkm

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Tanisha Wright, Atlanta Dream Head Coach

In this week’s coaching conversation, Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright joined the Basketball Podcast to share insights of WNBA culture and coaching.

Tanisha Wright joined the Atlanta Dream prior to the 2022 WNBA Season and led the franchise to its most wins in a season (14) since 2018. Her breakout first year as a head coach with the Dream also earned her the Associated Press Coach of the Year award and a second-place finish in WNBA Kia Coach of the Year voting.

As head coach, Wright is responsible for fostering the growth of the Dream’s players and establishing a culture of integrity and accountability. She brings 14 years of WNBA experience as a player and 2 more seasons as an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces.

A first-round draft pick in 2005, Wright spent 10 seasons as a guard with the Seattle Storm, where she helped lead the team to nine straight playoff appearances and a WNBA Championship in 2010. She played another four seasons with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx before retiring as a player in 2019.

While still playing in the league, Wright began her coaching career in 2017 as an assistant with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers. In 2020, the Aces signed her as an assistant coach, where she worked closely with industry leader Bill Laimbeer.

Prior to joining the WNBA, Wright was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-American at Penn State.

Breakdown

1:00 - Vision of Coaching

3:30 - Huge Impact

5:00 - Building Culture

8:30 - Player Accountability

12:00 - Unstoppable Moves

13:30 - Analytics

17:00 - Player Development Coach

19:00 - Game Reps

20:30 - Traditional Practices

23:30 - Different Type of Realities

25:30 - Adjustments

27:30 - Special Projects

28:30 - Playing Conceptually

31:00 - Evolving Landscape

34:30 - Development League

38:00 - Value of Mentor

40:30 - Off Season

42:00 - Small Jobs

Tanisha Wright’s Bio:

Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanisha_Wright

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachtwright_

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Curt Miller, LA Sparks Head Coach

LA Sparks head coach Curt Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on WNBA coaching, mastering the monotony, and point-of-attack concepts.

Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Curt Miller made history on August 6th against the Washington Mystics winning his 150th WNBA game as a head coach. His latest career milestone places him in elite company. Miller, Lin Dunn, and Van Chancellor now stand alone as the only head coaches to have won at least 275 collegiate games and 150 WNBA games. Miller is the fifth fastest to 150 WNBA wins.

Before coaching the Sparks, Miller served as the Head Coach of the Connecticut Sun where he was named the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021. Miller led the Sun to two WNBA Finals appearances in 2019 and 2022 and six playoff appearances in seven seasons. Miller also coached at Bowling Green State University (2001-12) and Indiana University (2012-14). In his tenure as a college coach, he won over 290 collegiate games.

Breakdown

1:00 - Involvement with USA Basketball

5:30 - Unique Places in History

8:30 - Love of Teaching

11:00 - Scout Heavy Philosophy

13:00 - Monotony

17:00 - Collaborative Process

19:00 - Transactional Nature

21:00 - Significant Developments

26:00 - Qualitative Elements

28:00 - Ball Screen 

33:00 - Switching

35:00 - Ghost Slip Set Decision

38:00 - Point of Attack

41:30 - Humility

43:30 - Conclusion

Curt MIller’s Bio:

Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Miller

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtMillerWBB

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Dylan Murphy, G League Head Coach

In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, G League head coach Dylan Murphy joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on coaching analytics.

Dylan Murphy is the head coach of the Osceola Magic, the NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic.

Dylan Murphy has been associated with the Orlando Magic for the past five seasons. His journey began as a basketball operations analyst from 2018 to 2020, where he provided valuable analytics support to the coaching staff. Subsequently, he was promoted to assistant coach in 2020 and has continued in that role for the last three seasons.

Prior to joining the Magic, Murphy served as an NBA G League scout for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2016-17 season. His responsibilities included identifying potential call-up candidates for the Hawks’ NBA roster.

From 2013 to 2016, Murphy worked as an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA G League team for the Indiana Pacers. In the 2013-14 season, the Mad Ants clinched the G League championship with an impressive regular-season record of 34-16 and a perfect 6-0 playoff run. They followed it up with another trip to the G League Finals in the 2014-15 season.

Murphy also served as a graduate assistant with the men’s basketball team at Ball State University in 2018.

One of Murphy's most notable contributions to the coaching community is the creation of the Basketball Dictionary. This comprehensive resource serves as a compendium of basketball terminology, concepts, and strategies, providing coaches at all levels with a valuable tool for enhancing their understanding of the game.

Breakdown

1:00 - Introduction

4:00 - Understanding Analytics

8:00 - Analytics and Basketball Experiences

11:30 - Optimizing Offensive Tempo

13:30 - Super Slow

15:30 - Efficiencies vs Types of Defenses

19:00 - Attacking a Switch

20:30 - Double Teaming a Star Player

25:00 - Offensive Rebounding

28:00 - Decision Making

31:00 - Interpreting the Data

35:30 - Teaching Points

37:30 - Decision Making Defensively

41:00 - Trends in Basketball Analytics

42:00 - Ideas Into Action

Dylan Murphy’s Bio:

Bio/Website: https://gleague.nba.com/news/osceola-magic-name-dylan-murphy-head-coach

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Bill Dettering and Mike Murphy, Hoopsalytics Founders

In this week's coaching conversation, Hoopsalytics founders Bill Dettering and Mike Murphy join the Basketball Podcast to share insights on Basketball Stats and Analytics Systems Designed for Coaches.

Bill Dettering developed and conceived Hoopsalytics with co-founder Mike Murphy. Hoopsalytics brings the most powerful analytics to teams of all levels. It is a Next Generation Basketball Stats and Analytics System Designed by Coaches, for Coaches.

Bill Dettering is currently the Girls Varsity Coach at Truckee High School, and is in his 12th season as a basketball coach at various levels. He played college basketball at Swarthmore College. He is a lifelong software designer and entrepreneur, previously founding Zingtree and has started and run six companies - all powered by data-driven decision making.

Mike Murphy is the current Head Coach of the freshmen/sophomore basketball team at Urban High School in San Francisco. He played college basketball at UNC-Greensboro and Catholic University.

Bill and Mike met as they played together in a San Francisco area men's leagues, which led to them connecting and building Hoopsalytics together. 

Breakdown

1:00 - Affordable Things

4:00 - Evaluating Defensive Performance

7:30 - Evaluating 5 Player Lineups

11:00 - Tracking Player Moves

14:00 - Why Paint Touches is Subjective

15:30 - Evaluating Sets and Actions

18:30 - Lineup Analysis

20:00 - Shot Tracking

26:00 - Work in Practice

28:00 - Game Decisions

30:00 - Value of Three Point Miss

33:00 - Turnovers

34:00 - Nerd Ball

38:00 - Data

41:00 - Hoopsalytics

Bill Dettering and Mike Murphy’s Bio:

Bill Dettering

Bio/Website: https://hoopsalytics.com/about.php

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BDettering

Mike Murphy

Bio/Website: https://hoopsalytics.com/about.php

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachMikeMurphy

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Dave Leitao, Overtime Elite Coach

In this week's coaching conversation, Overtime Elite coach Dave Leitao joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss the basketball coaching and development landscape.

Dave Leitao is an accomplished American professional basketball coach, currently holding the position of head coach for the City Reapers in Overtime Elite (OTE). With a coaching journey spanning various institutions, including DePaul University, the University of Virginia, and his alma mater, Northeastern University, Leitao has left an indelible mark on the basketball world.

Leitao began his coaching journey as an assistant under Jim Calhoun at Northeastern University in 1984, later joining Calhoun at the University of Connecticut. 

After a stint as the head coach at Northeastern University, Leitao returned to Calhoun’s staff during the Huskies’ national championship-winning season in 1999. In 2002, Leitao assumed the head coaching position at DePaul University, leading the Blue Demons to postseason appearances, including the NIT in 2003 and 2005, as well as the NCAA tournament in 2004. His tenure saw an overall record of 58–34.

Taking over as head coach at the University of Virginia, Leitao made history as the first person of African descent to coach any varsity sport in Virginia Cavaliers history. Notably, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in the 2006–07 season.

Continuing his coaching journey in the innovative Overtime Elite league, Leitao has achieved success, winning the OTE Finals in the league’s first two seasons. He continues to lead the City Reapers influencing young players like last year’s team members Amen and Ausar Thompson, showcasing his dedication to player development.

Breakdown

1:00 - Developing Professional Players

6:00 - Approaching Player Development

9:00 - Holistic Approach

11:00 - Analytics

14:30 - Free Care

18:00 - Continuous Process

21:00 - Evolving Philosophically

23:30 - Improvement

28:00 - Real World Experience

30:00 - Deficiency

33:30 - Next Generation of Coaches

36:00 - Holding Players Accountable

39:00 - Player's Life

42:00 - The Thompsons

46:00 - Foundation

48:00 - Conclusion

Dave Leitao’ Bio:

Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Leitao

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachDLeitao

Basketball Immersion

Website: http://basketballimmersion.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersion

Facebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersion

Immersion Videos:

Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com