Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast

We are fortunate to have Dave Lepisto returning to the podcast for this episode. Lepisto is the head girls coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin where he lead the Papermakers to the 2025 Division 1 State Championship.If you are like me, you’ve benefitted from one of the many resources Lepisto has shared over the years. Whether it’s teaching movement to youth players or borrowing actions and terminology for my conceptual offense, Dave has been a valued resource for me.Topics in this episode include:Balancing Success and Future Growth: Lepisto reflects on moving past Kimberly’s state championship to set new goals and maintain focus, discussing how success can distract teams from continued improvement.Constraint-Led Coaching Philosophy: Lepisto explains how he integrates performance, environmental, and task constraints throughout the season—starting with principles of play and adjusting based on opponents to promote adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving.Player Empowerment and Decision-Making: The episode explores how Lepisto creates an environment of trust and clarity where players make real-time decisions, learn from mistakes, and feel ownership over their development.Spatial Awareness and Teaching Through Chaos: Lepisto emphasizes the role of spatial understanding, controlled constraints, and game-like chaos in building resilient, adaptable players who can perform under pressure.Developing Youth Through Constraints: Lepisto shares how constraint-based methods and spatial teaching start in youth programs, progressing from simple games (like 3-on-3) to complex team play, ensuring decision-making develops alongside skill.

In this discussion, Eric Fawcett, an assistant coach for the Edmonton Stingers and a consulting guru, dives into the practical applications of analytics in basketball strategy. He shares insights on how coaches without dedicated analytics teams can utilize accessible data to enhance their gameplay. Fawcett emphasizes balancing team familiarity with opponent strategies and suggests effective ways to teach players the rationale behind tactical decisions. He also discusses current offensive trends and the importance of a focused playbook to avoid overwhelming players with information.

🏀📥 Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠---We are fortunate to have Colby Blaine back for this episode.Blaine is the head men’s coach at the College of Idaho. He collected his second National Championship this past season with the Yotes. The title — College of Idaho’s second in the last 3 seasons — capped a 35-2 record that included a 25-game winning streak to end the campaign.---EPISODE BREAKDOWN1:20 - Sustaining success at UofI 3:20 - Keys to connection in a program4:50 - Overcoming challenges  during a title run6:30 - Strengths of 2-3 vs. other defenses8:00 - Getting players to think conceptually on defense 9:30 - Placing players in a zone defense11:30 - How defense factors into playing time12:20 - Toughness & Communication in a zone14:40 - Matching up against different formations16:15 - Mixing zone with man defense17:10 - Basic principles of the match-up zone19:05 - More advanced concepts20:00 - Handling cutters21:00 - Skip Passes21:25 - Flare Screens22:30 - On-Ball Screens24:40 - Allowing players to make decisions25:15 - Harder to Guard: Post or Perimeter26:36 - 1v1 at the high post28:40 - Rebounding out of the zone30:25 - Onboarding new players into the system31:50 - Zone defense resources for coaches

In this lively discussion, George Vaz, a seasoned basketball coach from Brazil with stints in Portugal and England, dives deep into the Principles of Play. He outlines how to effectively present these concepts to players through engaging methods. Vaz emphasizes adapting techniques based on team personnel and discusses the importance of constraints in small-sided games. He shares insights on keeping focus during practice and how to handle when strategies don’t pan out. Get ready to transform your coaching approach!

Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠---We are fortunate to have Boise State basketball legend Roberto Bergersen on this podcast. Bergersen is an assistant coach at BSU, where he starred for the Broncos from 1996-99.After a 11-year professional career, which included a D-League Championship with the Idaho Stampede, he was a co-founder of an extremely successful AAU program in Boise and was head coach at a prep school in Missouri. Before joining the Boise State staff, he started his college coaching career at Eastern Washington University.

Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast⁠ newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠---We are fortunate to have Matt Fletcher on this episode.Fletcher is the head coach at Concordia St. Paul in Minnesota. The Golden Bears are coming off one of the most successful seasons in the school’s season, finishing with a 22-9 record, a first-ever conference title and a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament.---EPISODE BREAKDOWN1:30 - Enjoying the growth of a program3:15 - Coaching the program you have4:50 - Recruiting locally5:55 - Factors of adopting an uptempo style7:50 - Playing quickly, but not rushed9:35 - Shot selection as a team11:20 - Recruiting decision making12:10 - When teams try to slow down13:50 - Creating & maintaining good spacing15:20 - Perimeter spacing concepts16:50 - Using SSGs for teaching spacing18:00 - Developing practice plans & activities19:50 - Using your best player as a spacer21:50 - The big in early offense23:35 - Flow after the initial trigger25:15 - Replicating neutral situations after actions27:30 - Communication in a conceptual offense29:35 - Teaching the pace of actions31:40 - Adopting NBA concepts34:15 - Rebounding as a weapon

We are fortunate to have Ryan Lundgren on this episode of the podcast. Lundgren was one of the first coaches to appear as a guest back when the podcast started in 2020. At the time, he was the associate head coach at the College of Southern Idaho. Lundgren went on to serve as the head coach at Carroll College in Helena, Mont. Lundgren is now entering his second year as the associate head coach at Eastern Washington University.---For more updates on our latest podcast episode and more coaching resources, check out the 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠⁠.---EPISODE BREAKDOWN2:00 - Value of working as a high school coach3:20 - Core Values of EWU’s offense4:40 - Building an offense: System or Players?5:40 - Identifying strengths with changeover7:10 - The value of stats in offense building10:20 - Using stats to determine summer workouts11:25 - Film sessions with players12:50 - Staff meetings on player development14:05 - Summer timeline for installing offense16:00 - The importance of 5v5 in teaching17:25 - Decision-making against coverage solutions19:00 - Game plans versus different opponents21:05 - Process for making a change22:45 - Coaching an “untraditional” player24:50 - Playing off an “untraditional” player25:55 - Quickfire: Attributes of Leon Rice, Jeff Reinert, Jeff Linder, Dan Monson28:35 - Takeaways as head coach at Carroll College

We are fortunate to have Dan Krikorian on this episode. Krikorian finished his first season as the head coach at Chapman University in California, where he was a longtime assistant.There’s a reason if Krikorian’s voice sounds familiar. He is part of the duo that makes up popular basketball coaching podcast Slappin’ Glass.The episode focuses on offseason reflection and preparation. We also ask Krikorian how Slappin' Glass has impacted his coaching.---For more updates on our latest podcast episode and more coaching resources, check out the 🔗 ⁠⁠Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast newsletter⁠⁠.---EPISODE BREAKDOWN1:15 - Evaluating the previous season5:30 - Evaluating your own coaching9:10 - Offseason timeline for coaches11:40 - Utilizing assistant coaches during the offseason13:25 - Decision-making process for next season16:05 - Freedom within the structure19:15 - When more structure is needed in-game23:00 - Practice plan development in the offseason25:00 - Decision-making as a fundamental29:00 - Impact of Slappin’ Glass on coaching33:40 - Dealing with expectations

In this podcast, Alex Sarama, author of Transforming Basketball and former Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Cavaliers, shares insights on modern basketball strategies. He discusses the revival of double-big lineups, emphasizing their advantages in rim pressure and rebounding. Alex also explains the impact of motor learning on player development and promotes flexible practice designs that embrace non-linear learning curves. He tackles innovative cutting techniques to create scoring opportunities, enhancing efficiency in offensive play.

Doug Novak, an experienced basketball coach and clinician, shares his insights from a recent clinic. He discusses the importance of protection plans as an offensive strategy, offering players structured options to avoid poor shots. Novak emphasizes how these plans slow down the pace, enhance decision-making, and assist less athletic players. He also covers the mechanics of the stride stop for creating versatile offensive opportunities and advocates for a practice approach focused on adaptable skills to thrive in chaotic game situations.