Eric Reveno – Developing Post Players

These are notes I found on my computer from 2013. Sounds like my writing, so I’m pretty sure I wrote it lol…. Good stuff here from Coach Rev who did a solid job at tough spot like UP. He also did a great job with the bigs while he was at Stanford back in the day

On a side note, the best post development stuff I’ve ever come across is Ganon Baker’s. Anyways, Rev’s notes are below…

Philosophy of coaching big men

• There are some unfair expectations of big men, you cannot get caught up in all of it.
  • “If I was that tall, I would be so good” “you’re that tall, how did you miss that layup?”
  • They are going to miss some layups, growing up with expectations being 7ft, they need to enjoy themselves on the court.
  • Yelling “dunk it” is not coaching. Yelling “finish” is not great coaching. They are trying to finish. Why didn’t he finish it? What made him miss?
  • 3 ways UP evaluates players
  • Skill – what’s the skill necessary of being a good post player? What’s the skill necessary to being a good point guard? What’s the skill of being a good basketball player in general? What’s your plan of attack in developing these skills for that player?
  • Strength – strength is critical for young big guys. What is the plan to develop the players strength
  • System – How can wePut the player in a position to be successful.
    • Reveno –  I did not have a post move, yet earned an athletic scholarship to Stanford . I was a 6’8 post in the Pac 10 and didn’t have a post move. I had a great coach that knew I was ok with contact, that taught me how to seal and ask for the ball, taught the team how to throw me the ball and I made a lot of layups and rebounded everything. Once In college things were a little harder, I had to develop a jump hook, but I was the starting center on the 13^th ranked team in the country.

Top 10 list of things that are key for developing a post

1. Get the bigs in a solid consistent strength and conditioning program.
   1. Even if a post player is really good, everything he does can get better with strength.
   1. Consistency in strength program is key. No magic program. Balance and full body lifts are important.
   1. When guys get knocked off balance just say. “that’s why you’re lifting. So you can be right here in your stance and go up through contact to get an &1.
   1.  Every time you get fouled the ball should have a chance to go in. Get it up to the rim, it’s a strength thing.
   1. Have a good diet. Eat consistently, eat greens. Training table is huge.
   1. Older teams you need to be careful of over working them. They know how to work. Younger teams need to learn how to build habits, canceling weights sends the wrong message. If you are worried about them wearing out they should just go in there and have a light lift, just get in the weight room to build habits.
2. Teach them all the skills of the game, treat them as a basketball player
3. Their bigs do all the ball-handling drills, the 2 ball drills, the passing drills. Maybe not as much time as with the guards, but still do them all.
   1. Passing drill demonstration – basic 2 man passing progression.
      1. Push passes, fake one to make one. Crossover pivot, and regular pivot. Right hand and left hand. Then put someone in the middle to get closeouts going.

• Good post drills

Mikan Drill teaching points

• Don’t get caught underneath the net, get your feet moving so you get into better position
• Drive your knee up instead of drifting out to the side.
• The catch, the step, and the shot are all different moves. Don’t catch and shoot in one motion.
• Put it up higher on the glass, so they get some touch and don’t just bang it in.

McHale drill – good for coordination. Teaches keeping your hands up.

• Jump up with both hands 10 taps, throw it over, get it with other hands 10 more taps. Dunk the last one.

• Teach and drill duck and seal
• In your offense you need to teach your bigs where there is an opportunity to duck and seal.
• It is a battle and a fight for territory. Take up the space before the defense does. You don’t post up a spot on the floor, you post up a person.
• Down screen demo
  • Bigs set a down screen, and front pivot to seal their defender if the defender is showing. If the defender is right on the big, reverse pivot to get the seal.
• Get a seal on a baseline for a layup rather than just square your body to the ball.

• Drill proper post ups.
• Keeping your hands wide and high to make a target. Having your hands low and hooking is a weak position. Keep both hands up. This is the same position as rebounding.
• Work the U – don’t let your defender get in front of you and deny you. Use your butt and footwork to keep the defender behind you.
• Don’t release your position unless you have you. You worked hard for your position, then you meet the pass and give up your position. If you don’t have contact, then you better release and meet the pass.

• What’s your best post move when you catch it deep?
• This does not mean seals or a drop step, when you have a defender on your back with deep post position how are you going to score?
• What’s your best move over your left shoulder, and over your right shoulder?
  • You only need one move over your left shoulder, and over your right shoulder. Get really good at 1 move, and a counter.
  • Jump hook teaching points
  • Ball by your ear is your starting point. Your release point needs to be in front of your ear.

• Pump fake.
• The best time to pump fake is when you beat your man so they cant recover. Throw a pump fake and get an &1
• The ball stays between your chest and your eyes.

• Defensively teach post shell.
• Basic man principles. Ball moves you move. Vision. Teaches how to move around the guy you are guarding.

• Rebounding
• Attack with your forearm, do not lose vision of the ball. Slide to contact, hit with your forearem

1. Think about bigs your offense.
2. Where do you want your posts to score. Get the guy the ball where he can score. Don’t settle for getting ball on the block, get him the ball underneath where he has high percentage shots.