with Brad Underwood,
University of Illinois Head Coach;
former Oklahoma State University & Stephen F. Austin University Head Coach;
3x ('14-'16) Southland Conference Regular Season & Tournament Champions;
2x (2015 & 2014) Southland Conference Coach of the Year;
2014 Joe B. Hall Award Recipient (Nation's top first-year coach)
Coach Brad Underwood opens the doors to an early season practice at the University of Illinois in this exciting instructional video. Underwood is known for his hard-nosed defensive principles and spread offense. In this video, you will see how the Fighting Illini put it all together - from individual skills to full team defense!
Warm-Up Skill Work
Practice begins with the all-important skill of ball handling. Players partner up and mirror each other as they perform different moves and then pass the ball to each other to continue the drill. This brings concentration and communication right to the start of practice. Next, assistant coaches take players grouped by position to work on different shots that they will encounter within the flow of their offense. You will see:
- Post moves
- Playing off pick & roll
- Penetrate and kick
- Different finishes at the rim
- Hi/low options
- 3-on-0 actions with posts and perimeter
Games are won on the glass and often prove to be a deciding factor in close games. Coach Underwood stresses the importance of rebounding with four different drills in this segment that work on technique, specific responsibilities, and going into offensive transition.
Zone Offense
The next segment of practice deals heavily with zone offense. The Illini work on the passes needed to be successful within their zone offense with the Zone Passing drill, and also work 5-on-5 with their "10" offense. Coach Underwood begins teaching his 10 offense 5-on-0 and discusses reads and options, starting out in a 1-3-1 setup. After working on movements, he puts them against a live 2-3 zone where players can reinforce the action against a defense. As practice progresses, restrictions are put on the team for when they can shoot, forcing them to get the ball to the short corner before a shot. The zone play "DePaul" is shown next as a great way to enter their basic zone offense, which begins with a wing pick & roll.
Rebounding, Transition, and Closeouts
Not forgetting about the importance of rebounding, the Illini move next into another rebounding segment with an offensive emphasis. Offensive rebounding responsibilities are stressed within the Opposite and Inside drill which progresses from 3-on-3 to 4-on-4 with transition defense. This is great to work on converting from offense to defense quickly.
A smooth segue is made into the Transition Drill. This is a classic drill that puts the defense at a disadvantage as one player must sprint and touch the baseline before springing back to help their teammates. A free throw drill follows next to practice free throws while battling fatigue. Different consequences are put into place for missed free throws to put extra pressure on the shooter.
Moving back to a defensive mindset, Coach Underwood has his team practice closeouts with two drills: 3-on-3 Closeouts and Baseline Closeouts. Rounding out practice, the Illini go back to the transition drill and end by shooting 100 free throws.
Any opportunity to see a collegiate practice is well worth it, especially when getting to see a team coached by Brad Underwood. You will get an intense practice outline to follow that is jam-packed with fundamental drills to create a well-rounded, tough basketball team!
147 minutes. 2021.