The Basketball Podcast

Guests: Carly Thibault Dudonis, Fairfield Head CoachIn 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.Breakdown1:00 - Introduction2:00 - Positive Team Environment5:30 - Offensive Identity9:00 - Coaching Strategies for Mid-Major Teams12:00 - Creative Advantages in Offense14:30 - Cutting and Spacing18:00 - Basketball Analytics and Player Development23:30 - Defensive Strategies27:30 - Defensive Fundamentals30:30 - Film Analysis abd Drills34:00 - Workload Management38:00 - Coaching Philosophy41:00 - Skill ImprovementCarly Thibault Dudonis’s Bio:Bio: https://fairfieldstags.com/staff-directory/carly-thibault-dudonis/240Twitter: https://twitter.com/CTbowChris Oliver / Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

NBA Shooting Coach Dave Love and Matt Robertson discuss skill acquisition concepts for shooting with special guest Chris Oliver. They cover top five concepts, including decision-making and practice methods, emphasizing the importance of adapting practice to game situations and guiding self-discovery in coaching.

Chris Oliver, founder of Basketball Immersion, shares his practice framework for player and team development. He focuses on empowering players to understand the 'why' behind drills, creating double gaps for spacing, challenging drills, and improving player performance. The podcast also explores classroom management strategies, offense and defense concepts, and optimizing practice strategies for seamless skill transfer.

Guest: Joe Crispin, Penn State Assistant CoachPenn 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.Breakdown1:00 - Introduction2:00 - Practice to Games5:00 - Experiential7:00 - Youth Basketball Development11:30 - Higher Level Coaches16:00 - Problem Solving21:00 - Asking Questions24:30 - Creating Solutions27:00 - Freedom and Structure30:00 - Organization Drills34:00 - Stop and Listen39:00 - Structure43:00 - Run The Pattern46:00 - Struggling with Flow51:00 - Adaptability56:00 - Working on the Game59:00 - Take Away Decisions1:02:00 - Creating OpportunitiesJoe Crispin’s Bio:Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_CrispinTwitter: https://twitter.com/joecrispinBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Kevin Mulcahy, a sports practice design specialist, discusses constraint-led coaching in sports. He explores manipulating task constraints, eliciting skills, and enhancing player performance. The podcast delves into cultural influences in basketball, the evolution of coaching practices, and the balance between structured coaching and player-led development.

Guest: Tanisha Wright, Atlanta Dream Head CoachIn 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.Breakdown1:00 - Vision of Coaching3:30 - Huge Impact5:00 - Building Culture8:30 - Player Accountability12:00 - Unstoppable Moves13:30 - Analytics17:00 - Player Development Coach19:00 - Game Reps20:30 - Traditional Practices23:30 - Different Type of Realities25:30 - Adjustments27:30 - Special Projects28:30 - Playing Conceptually31:00 - Evolving Landscape34:30 - Development League38:00 - Value of Mentor40:30 - Off Season42:00 - Small JobsTanisha Wright’s Bio:Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanisha_WrightTwitter: https://twitter.com/coachtwright_Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Curt Miller, LA Sparks Head CoachLA 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.Breakdown1:00 - Involvement with USA Basketball5:30 - Unique Places in History8:30 - Love of Teaching11:00 - Scout Heavy Philosophy13:00 - Monotony17:00 - Collaborative Process19:00 - Transactional Nature21:00 - Significant Developments26:00 - Qualitative Elements28:00 - Ball Screen 33:00 - Switching35:00 - Ghost Slip Set Decision38:00 - Point of Attack41:30 - Humility43:30 - ConclusionCurt MIller’s Bio:Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_MillerTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtMillerWBBBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Dylan Murphy, G League Head CoachIn 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.Breakdown1:00 - Introduction4:00 - Understanding Analytics8:00 - Analytics and Basketball Experiences11:30 - Optimizing Offensive Tempo13:30 - Super Slow15:30 - Efficiencies vs Types of Defenses19:00 - Attacking a Switch20:30 - Double Teaming a Star Player25:00 - Offensive Rebounding28:00 - Decision Making31:00 - Interpreting the Data35:30 - Teaching Points37:30 - Decision Making Defensively41:00 - Trends in Basketball Analytics42:00 - Ideas Into ActionDylan Murphy’s Bio:Bio/Website: https://gleague.nba.com/news/osceola-magic-name-dylan-murphy-head-coachBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Bill Dettering and Mike Murphy, Hoopsalytics FoundersIn 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. Breakdown1:00 - Affordable Things4:00 - Evaluating Defensive Performance7:30 - Evaluating 5 Player Lineups11:00 - Tracking Player Moves14:00 - Why Paint Touches is Subjective15:30 - Evaluating Sets and Actions18:30 - Lineup Analysis20:00 - Shot Tracking26:00 - Work in Practice28:00 - Game Decisions30:00 - Value of Three Point Miss33:00 - Turnovers34:00 - Nerd Ball38:00 - Data41:00 - HoopsalyticsBill Dettering and Mike Murphy’s Bio:Bill DetteringBio/Website: https://hoopsalytics.com/about.phpTwitter: https://twitter.com/BDetteringMike MurphyBio/Website: https://hoopsalytics.com/about.phpTwitter: https://twitter.com/CoachMikeMurphyBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com

Guest: Dave Leitao, Overtime Elite CoachIn 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.Breakdown1:00 - Developing Professional Players6:00 - Approaching Player Development9:00 - Holistic Approach11:00 - Analytics14:30 - Free Care18:00 - Continuous Process21:00 - Evolving Philosophically23:30 - Improvement28:00 - Real World Experience30:00 - Deficiency33:30 - Next Generation of Coaches36:00 - Holding Players Accountable39:00 - Player's Life42:00 - The Thompsons46:00 - Foundation48:00 - ConclusionDave Leitao’ Bio:Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_LeitaoTwitter: https://twitter.com/CoachDLeitaoBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com