[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

Rick Pitino..

Most vets of the site know that I am a “die hard” WVU fan so that means I support and believe in Bob Huggins.. I agree with most of what he does but disagree with a few key things..

Maybe it is where I was raised, the type of basketball I grew up playing, or whatever, but I have yet to find anything that Pitino teaches, coaches, and believes in that I disagree with.. The man is a defensive mastermind that wants his offense to be organic. He rarely has a freshman come in an really understand how to play for him. The reason why is because he has to teach them to play all of these defenses:

Full Court:
Run and Jump
Diamond (1-2-1-1) Trapping and Non-Trapping
Box (2-2-1) Trapping and Non-Trapping
Man to Man

3/4 Court:
Diamond Trapping and Non-Trapping

1/2 Court:
Man to Man
Run and Jump
2-3 Trapping and Non-Trapping
1-3-1

Take a minute to think about this.. That is 13 different defenses.. 13!!! Most kids now spend so much time in AAU that a lot of defensive principles are forgotten. He has to reteach the basics before he can teach them these defenses.. Like I said, he is a defensive MasterMind..

He runs a very smooth transition game and gets some great early offense using the pick and roll similar to the NBA. He plays his offense with what he likes to call a “2 point” formation where he tries to keep 2 point guards on the floor.. For example, when he won the 2013 championship, his 2point group was Siva and Smith.. This allows his offense to be more organic because PGs are required to be smart enough to put people where they need to be while controlling and moving the ball. In his transition from defense to offense, he doesn’t have a set outlet man, it is very flexible.. That can be attributed to this “2 point” lineup. Other than his 2 point guards, he keeps a true big man that can protect the rim. Other 2 guys can be described as roll players and aren’t always great shooters but that is what is preferred.

I have had the chance to talk to some of his former assistant coaches and they say he prioritizes his offense quietly.. Doenst make this public to his players but if you read between the lines, you can see it.

His first priority is offense created by his defense. He wants live ball turnovers to keep the game flowing and the intensity as high as possible.

Second priority is in his early offense or his transition game.. Doenst matter if it is a secondary or a primary break, he wants to score early on good shots..

Last priority is set offense. If you are fortunate enough to get through his high speed, full court defense, score the ball, and slow down his transition game, he will set up and run some half court sets.. His time in the NBA made him learn the details of the Pick-N-Roll game and he uses it well in college. He creates movement, motion, and slashing cuts that will terminate with a pick and roll set.. He wants to get it to the big man early in a half court set, a 3 in the middle of the shot clock, and lastly a pick and roll at the end.. That is just a basic outline..

On top of all of this, he writes books, looks like a mafia member, develops players like crazy, keeps Armani in business, pokes fun at his brother, and recruits every possible day he can.

If you haven’t discovered him yet, this is your wake up call. If you are a fan of basketball, want to learn more than you know, want to see defense played at the highest level, start watching Louisville.. You wont regret it..

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

If his kid can be half the coach for the Gophers I’ll be a happy guy.

You are spot on with his defensive principles. They are always super athletic and really pesky. He doesn’t seem to haul in a bunch of 5 star guys, and their offense might not always be great, but Louisville is always good because they play terrific defense.

As a Gopher fan, Richard being our head coach, I like the direction he is heading and how he emulates a lot of those same tactics. He switches his defenses, tries to amp up the pace and rotates a bunch of quick pesky guys.

If people need to know more about Pitino and how big time he’s been, check out his coaching tree. Its insane. Big knocker coaches all over the country have ties to him in some way or another.

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

If his kid can be half the coach for the Gophers I’ll be a happy guy.

You are spot on with his defensive principles. They are always super athletic and really pesky. He doesn’t seem to haul in a bunch of 5 star guys, and their offense might not always be great, but Louisville is always good because they play terrific defense.

As a Gopher fan, Richard being our head coach, I like the direction he is heading and how he emulates a lot of those same tactics. He switches his defenses, tries to amp up the pace and rotates a bunch of quick pesky guys.

If people need to know more about Pitino and how big time he’s been, check out his coaching tree. Its insane. Big knocker coaches all over the country have ties to him in some way or another.

[goddagParticipant]

Wow glad to hear there is another Gopher fan on here.

[goddagParticipant]

Wow glad to hear there is another Gopher fan on here.

[kngojcParticipant]

 I was absolutely thrilled to hear he had been hired, if only simply because of the name and knowledge he would bring to the U. We spent a lot of time hoping Dre would play better, hopefully Pitino can help bring in some new guys to get this team heading in a better direction… Like the NCAA tournament rather than the NIT.

[kngojcParticipant]

 I was absolutely thrilled to hear he had been hired, if only simply because of the name and knowledge he would bring to the U. We spent a lot of time hoping Dre would play better, hopefully Pitino can help bring in some new guys to get this team heading in a better direction… Like the NCAA tournament rather than the NIT.

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 If you want to see bad, check out what Pitino did to the Celtics.  That was a lot of stuff that you and other fans of basketball can disagree with, Pitino was terrible.

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 If you want to see bad, check out what Pitino did to the Celtics.  That was a lot of stuff that you and other fans of basketball can disagree with, Pitino was terrible.

[IhateusernamesParticipant]

 Pitino is a great college coach. 

He could be a good nba coach but his ego and style of communication dont translate with nba millionaires who arent in awe of him.

And his GM skills were laughable. He was trading guys every day in boston including Chauncey Billups. His GM tenure was a real tragedy. College is where he belongs 

[IhateusernamesParticipant]

 Pitino is a great college coach. 

He could be a good nba coach but his ego and style of communication dont translate with nba millionaires who arent in awe of him.

And his GM skills were laughable. He was trading guys every day in boston including Chauncey Billups. His GM tenure was a real tragedy. College is where he belongs 

[ChewyParticipant]

 is deadly. Especially with the players he constantly hauls in recruiting wise. The defensive principals for this press are not easy to learn and at times are counter intiuitive. I think that goes back to the OP’s point of how good he is as a coach to get players to do this!

[ChewyParticipant]

 is deadly. Especially with the players he constantly hauls in recruiting wise. The defensive principals for this press are not easy to learn and at times are counter intiuitive. I think that goes back to the OP’s point of how good he is as a coach to get players to do this!

[Author]

Posts