THE MARYLAND OFFENSE

ASSI

ST20

Zoran KovacicWOMEN’S U19 SERBIA ANDMONTENEGRO OFFENSE

Aldo corno and mario buccoliero1-3-1 zone trap

Nancy EthierTHE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORSHIP

ESTHER WENDERFIBa EUROPE’S YEAR OFWOMEN’s basketball

Donna O’ConnorTHE “OPALS” STRENGTH ANDCONDITIONING

FIB

A A

SSIS

TM

AGA

ZIN

EFO

RB

ASK

ETB

ALL

ENTH

USIA

STS

EVER

YW

HER

E M

AY/

JUN

E 20

06

BRENDA FRESE

THE MARYLANDOFFENSE

20_001.qxd 31-05-2006 13:16 Pagina 1

COACHESFUNDAMENTALS AND YOUTH BASKETBALLWomen’s U19 Serbia and Montenegro Offense 4by Zoran Kovacic

Shooting Drills 8by Francis Denis

OFFENSEThe High-Post and the Triangle Offenses 11by Geno Auriemma

The Maryland Offense 16by Brenda Frese

The Rational Game 20by Tamas Sterbenz

deFENSE 1-3-1 Zone Trap 23by Aldo Corno e Mario Buccoliero

HOOP MARKETWomen's Basketball 30by Raffaele Imbrogno

REFEREES AND GAMEADMINISTRATIONThe Importance of Mentorship 32by Nancy Ethier

A Woman on The Refereeing World 33by Chantal Julien

Right or Wrong? 34

SPORT MARKETING AND MANAGEMENTexecutives and marketingFiba Europe’s Year of Women’s Basketball 35by Esther Wender

The past and the future of the WNBA 36

FIBA RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTREBehind the Stage 39by Karen Strahl, FIBA Study Centre

DOCTORS, CONDITIONING COACHES AND TRAINERSCONDITIONING COACHESThe “Opals” Strength and Conditioning 41by Donna O’Connor

NEWSONE-on-oneRecalcati Expects More Competitive USA 44

PLANET basketballThe World in Brief 46

OFF-THE-COURTThe Odd - The Funny - The Unusual 50

FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE | 20 2006 | PAGE 3

FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE IS A PUBLICATION OF FIBAInternational Basketball Federation51 – 53, Avenue Louis CasaïCH-1216 Cointrin/Geneva SwitzerlandTel. +41-22-545.0000, Fax +41-22-545.0099www.fiba.com / e-mail: [email protected] COLLABORATION WITH Giganti-BT&M, CantelliEditore, ItalyPARTNER WABC (World Association ofBasketball Coaches), Dusan Ivkovic President

Editor-in-ChiefGiorgio Gandolfi

Editorial Office: Cantelli Editore, V. Saliceto 22/E, 40013 Castel Maggiore (BO),Italy, Tel. +39-051-6328811, Fax +39-051 6328815E-mail: [email protected] in Italy.Copyright 2006 by FIBA.The magazine is published 6 times per year.FIBA, Cantelli Editore and the Editor-in-Chief arenot responsible for the opinions expressed in thearticles. All rights reserved. The National Federation and their affiliates canreproduce any part or all the magazine for theirinternal use, but not sell any part or all of the maga-zine to an external publisher without the writtenpermission of FIBA. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMirco Melloni, Corrado de Belvis, Lisa Cavallini,Giuseppe Mazzù, Gerald Couzens and RaffaeleImbrogno; Greg Fiume/Maryland Media Relationsfor the pictures of the article of coach BrendaFrese, Jon Ingram of FIBA Europe for the picturesof the articles of Zoran Kovacic and Francis Denis;Randy Press of UConn Athletic Communicationsfor the pictures of the article of coach GenoAuriemma, and Gigi Brotto for his help with the arti-cle of coach Auriemma.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2006 FIBA CALENDARMAY19 - 23.05 FIBA Women’s World

League, PR Group A, in Shaoxing, P.R. of China

31.05 - 08.06 FIBA Asia Champions Cup for Men in Kuwait

June 28.06 - 02.07 FIBA Women’s World

League, PR Group B, in Pecs, Hungary

28.06 - 02.07 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in San Antonio, USA

28.06 - 02.07 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women in Colorado Springs, USA

July04 - 14.07 Wheelchair World

Championship for Men,in Amsterdam, Netherlands

18 - 27.07 FIBA Europe U18 Championship for Men in Amaliada, Olympia and Argostoli, Greece

21 - 30.07 FIBA Europe U18 Championship for Women in Tenerife, Spain

August10 - 15.08 Stankovic Continental

Champions Cup in Nanjing, P.R. of China

19.08 - 03.09 FIBA World Championship for Men in Japan

September12 - 23.09 FIBA World

Championship for Women in Brazil

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:A one-year (6 issues) subscription to FIBA Assist Magazine

costs Euro 40 (europe), a n d euro 45 (outside europe) to be payed in one of the following ways:

Payment with postal current account n. 28300408 headed to Cantelli Editore(Only for subscription from Italy) Payment with banking transaction c/o Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna ABI 06385 - CAB 36740 - c/c 07400012796S - CIN SIBAN: IT73S063853674007400012796SSWIFT: CRBOIT2BXXXPayment with credit card connecting at the website www.shop.cantelli.netPlease, fill in the subscription form that you can find on fiba.com, and send it, including the receipt, to:BY MAIL: Cantelli Editore - Via Saliceto, 22/E 40013 - Castel Maggiore (Bo) - ItalyBY FAX: ++39 051 6328816FOR INFORMATION: ++39 051 6328836(from 9 am to 1 pm Central European Time)

20_003.qxd 31-05-2006 12:03 Pagina 4

PAGE 04 | 20 2006 | FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE

FIBA EUROPE

by Zoran Kovacic

COACHES - FUNDAMENTALS AND YOUTH BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S U19 MONTENEGRO

Zoran Kovacic is the Technical Director of YouthWomen’s National teams of Serbia and Montenegro. Hecoached the Yugoslavian senior and youth women’steams of the Red Star Belgrade, Kovin and Buducnost,winning a total of five senior titles, six YugoslavianCups, eleven Under 18, and seven Under 16 Yugoslaviantitles. With the former Yugoslavia and then Serbia andMontenegro Women’s National teams, he won one sil-ver medal at the FIBA European Championship with thesenior team, and two silver and one bronze medal withthe Under 18 teams at the FIBA World Championships,one gold medal and one bronze medals at the EuropeanChampionships. He also won two bronze medals withthe Under 16 team at the FIBA European Championships.

The breakup of former Yugoslavian Republics caused anumber of new independent states to appear in theBalkans. All former Federal Republics had by now establishedtheir own autonomous state, barring Serbia andMontenegro, which stayed together. The very succes-sful method of work we used until then in the basketballarea has changed. Now, we have a much smaller baseof players to choose from, and the requirements of com-peting on the highest level are increasing. When I became a coach of youth teams, I decided to usethe same training approach for all the different agenational teams.

20_004_007.qxd 31-05-2006 12:04 Pagina 4


SERBIA AND OFFENSE

20_004_007.qxd 31-05-2006 12:04 Pagina 5

Our staff for the Under 19 World Championshipin Tunisia 2005 consisted of:▼ One Head coach.▼ Two assistant coaches.▼ One strength and conditioning coach.▼ One psychologist.▼ One physiotherapist.

We created team offense sets that will beexplained further.

TEAM DEFENSELet’s now briefly review our defense, which isalways at the base of a winning team.

Basic rules of our man-to-man defense are:1. Force the opposing players to the sideline

or baseline.2. When the opposing team reaches our half

court, we force the ball handler to one sidein order to determine the weak side.

3. Do not allow the opponent to play theirregular offense sets.

4. Force the point guard to use weaker handto dribble the ball.

5. Do not allow the penetration to the middleand make inside passing extremely difficult.

We split our defense to six areas of the halfcourt, so that the players could easily com-prehend the defense set.

In addition to this basic defense, we also usedthese other defenses:a) 2-1-2 zone.b) Two versions of 1-1-2-1 half court zone press.

TEAM OFFENSEMAN-TO-MANThis offense is based on the great individualtechnical and tactical knowledge of the smallforward, 3. This player could play the pointguard in some situations against the aggressi-ve defense, and she could play at center,while being guarded by a shorter player. Weused these sets during the course of the tour-nament:

▼ 3 plays against man-to-man defense.▼ 2 zone offenses.▼ 3 out of bounds plays (2 from the baseline,

1 from the sideline).

▼ 1 zone offense and 1 zone press offense.This is the description of one of the man-to-man offense sets we used (diagr. 1). 2 and 4form a stack on the left side of the half court,while 1 is in the low post position and 5 in thehigh post on the right corner of the free-throw area. 3 passes the ball to 2, and if sheis open, she shoots. If she cannot shoot, 4sets a screen for 3, who goes to low post,where she will back down her defender, ifshe gets the ball. If she isn’t open for the pass(diagr. 2), 2 passes the ball to 4, while 5 sets ascreen for 1, who is trying to get in position toreceive a pass from 4. If 3 cannot receive theball (diagr. 3), 4 passes the ball to 1, 3 usesthe screen of 5 on the other side of the court,and tries to receive a pass, going outside ofthe lane. After the pass to 1, 4 sets a lateralscreen for 2 (diagr. 4), and 1 has four options:pass to 4 or 5 in the three-second lane, to 2 orto 3 for a jump shot from outside (diagr. 5).

ZONE OFFENSEThe start positions are shownin diagr. 6, with 5 on the lowpost on the left side of thecourt, 3 and 4 forming a stackon the right side, and 1 and 2playing at the same level inthe guard positions. 3 opensup to receive the ball from 2,and, if free, takes the shot. Ifshe cannot take the shot(diagr. 6), 3 passes the ballback to 2, uses the screen of 4and cuts in the three-secondlane, also using the screenfrom 5. 2 passes the ball to 1and 1 passes to 3 (diagr. 7). If3 cannot shoot, 4 sets ascreen for 2, and goes to thehigh post position at the cor-ner of the free-throw lane. 2continues her cut to thestrong side, uses a screenfrom 5 (diagr. 8). 3 now hasfour options: she can pass to 2coming off the screen of 5;pass to 5 in the low post; passto 4 in the high post, or pass to1 in the middle of the court(diagr. 9).

FIBA EUROPECOACHES - FUNDAMENTALS AND YOUTH BASKETBALL


D.3D.1 D.2

D.4

D.5

20_004_007.qxd 31-05-2006 12:04 Pagina 6


D.11

D.8

D.9

D.12

D.13

D.7

D.6 D.10

BASELINE OUT-OF-BOUNDSHere is one of our out-of-bound plays. 2 is theinbounder, and 4 and 5 form a stack on the ball sideof the court. 1 fakes to cut in the three-second laneand then using the double screen of 4 and 5, goesoutside to receive the ball from 2, while 3 goes low(diagr. 10).After the pass, 2 uses the stagger screen of 4 and5 and goes high (diagr. 11). Right after the staggerscreen, 4 and 5 make another baseline stagger for3, who cuts baseline and goes in the opposite cor-ner (diagr. 12). Finally, 5 screens for 4 (diagr. 13).

This method of training provided us another greatresult: after only 15 days, 10 players from theUnder 19 team, which won the silver medal at FIBAWorld Championships, played in the Under 18 FIBAEuropean Championship, and they went ton to winthe gold medal.

20_004_007.qxd 31-05-2006 12:04 Pagina 7


FIBA EUROPE

by Francis Denis

COACHES - FUNDAMENTALS AND YOUTH BASKETBALL

After a twenty-year career as a player, FrancisDenis started coaching in 1975 with theAbidjan (Ivory Coast), then with the Ivory CoastNational team, where he won the gold medalat African Championship in 1985. In 1986 hecame back to France, coaching Grenoble fortwo years. In 1991 he became coach of theFrench Women's national team A, winning thesilver medal at the 1993 FIBA EuropeanChampionships. From 1997 to 2002 he coachedthe French Women's Under 16 national team,winning the bronze medal at the 1999 FIBAEuropean Championship and the gold medal atthe 2001 FIBA European Championship. He isthe current head coach of the French women'sUnder 20 national team, which won the goldmedal at the 2005 FIBA EuropeanChampionship.

The preparation for a competition such as theFIBA Youth European Championships requiresperfect organization and precise rules. The pre-paration was extended over a period of sixweeks before the beginning of the competition,and was made up of different practice sessions,followed by internal friendly games and exhibi-tion games in different tournaments. The teamsplayed one game a day as a way to prepare forthe mental and physical challenge of the FIBAEuropean Championships.We dedicated a good amount of time to indivi-dual skills improvement, with drills based on thespot of the floor, the roles of the players and thegame strategies we decided to adopt. These dril-ls, along with goals to achieve, were used as anevaluation index both for the coach and for theplayers. Described below are some of the manyexamples of drills we used during the summer of2004, before the FIBA European Championshipsplayed in France, where our national team won asilver medal. They were also used in the 2005FIBA Under 18 European Championship, wherewe won the gold medal.

DRILLSLAY-UP DRILLSStraight lay-up: 6 running lay-ups, 3 from theright, 3 from the left side (diagr. 1).Finish the drill with 10 free throws for eachplayer.Reverse lay-up: The same move, but this time it

SHOOTING DRILLS

20_008_010 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:06 Pagina 6

D.3


must end with a reverse lay-up. It's necessaryto make sure the move is made by changinghands (diagr. 2).Finish the drill with 10 free-throws for eachplayer.

JUMP SHOT DRILLSOne count stop. If a passer is available, 8 jumpshots are taken at a 45° angle to the basketafter receiving the ball, 4 from the right, 4 fromthe left side. If there is not a passer, jump shotsare made off the dribble. 8 jump shots off thedribble are taken from inside the three-secondlane (diagr. 3). For this drill, the coach must takecare of these technical details: ▼ When finishing the dribble, the legs must be

flexed, lowering the center of gravity. ▼ The heels must first touch the floor to make a

good stop and help maintain body balance. ▼ The body must immediately spring up to

reach the ideal height needed to executethe shot.

▼ The technical sequence must be repeatedwith a good base and proper flow.

Finish the drill with 10 free-throws for eachplayer.

Change of direction and flare on a back pick. 8shots, 4 from the right and 4 from the left side(diagr. 4). Again, the coach must take care ofthese technical details: ▼ When finishing the dribble, the legs must be

flexed, lowering the center of gravity.▼ The heels must first touch the floor to

make a good stop and help maintain bodybalance.

▼ The body must immediately spring up toreach the ideal height needed to executethe shot.

▼ The technical sequence must be repeatedwith a good base and proper flow.

▼ For making a good stop on the left side, theheel of the left foot touches the floor first,followed by the heel of the right foot (thesequence is reversed, when the player ison the on the right side of the floor).


Change of pace. 16 shots, 4 from the right and 4from the left side of the floor, for each of thesetwo different situations (diagr. 5): ▼ After a pass from inside to outside, the

player comes out on the short corner (pre-ferable situation).

▼ After a pass from inside to outside, theplayer comes out vertically, after using ascreen, faking the different defensive situa-tions and making a curl or flaring out.

It would be preferable to change the order ofthe shots and situations during this drill. Finish the drill with 10 free-throws for eachplayer.

GUARDS AND FORWARDS 20 three-point shots (10 from the right and 10from the left side), after coming out of horizon-tal and vertical stagger screens (with the chan-ce to come out on the left or on the right side),always paying attentions to foot position andmovement (diagr. 6). ▼ On the horizontal stagger screen (with the

exit on the right or on the left side of thecourt): the player must make a two-countstop.

▼ On the vertical stagger screen (with the exiton the left or the right side of the court): theplayer must make curl around the screenand make a count stop.


For versatile guards and forwards to developpost-up skills. 10 shots (5 from the right and 5from the left side) in the following situations(diagr. 7): ▼ After taking position in the low post (taking

and reading the physical contact); ▼ After going up to the high post (to play dif-

ferent situations); ▼ After a back-door cut in the low post (cut-

ting along the baseline), an action thatbegins with a teammate's drive to thebasket on the same side of the court (toclear out an area of the court).


CENTERS 10 three-point shots (5 from the right side and

D.4

D.5

D.2

D.1

20_008_010 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:06 Pagina 7

5 from the left side), after the following situa-tions (diagr. 8): ▼ A screen under the basket.▼ Taking position in the low post. ▼ To shoot after a normal exit to the three-

point line, or after a fake, or after a fakeand dribble.


For versatile centers. 20 shots (10 from theright and 10 from the left side), after the fol-lowing situations (diagr. 9): ▼ After taking position in the low post (taking

and reading the physical contact). ▼ After going to the high post (to play diffe-

rent situations). ▼ After a back-door cut in the low post

(cutting along the baseline), an actionthat begins with a teammate's drive tothe basket on the same side of the court(to clear out an area of the court).


CONCLUSIONSThese drills can also be used with playerswith different levels of skills. To obtain thebest results, it's better for a coach to checkout the execution of the technical moves,insisting on technical corrections where it'sneeded (one or two counts stops beforeshooting, the right flow to shoot, etc.). Thecoach should also evaluate the success ofevery single drill. After completing all the dril-ls, a player will have taken a total of 124 shots(including 60 free-throws), but it's possible tomodify the quantity of shots for every practi-ce, as well as changing the number of shotsfrom each spot on the court. With our natio-nal team, once the players learned the orderof the drills, the number of shots increased to174, and then to 214. Considering the eventualhigh shooting percentages of our players inthe championships, my advice is to increasethe number of shots in the practice sessions.This is especially true for the inside players,who must be particularly efficient for this partof the game.

FIBA EUROPECOACHES - FUNDAMENTALS AND YOUTH BASKETBALL


D.9

D.7

D.8

D.6

20_008_010 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:06 Pagina 8


FIBA EUROPE

by Geno Auriemma

COACHES - OFFENSE

Geno Auriemma, 2006 inductee in theBasketball Hall of Fame, was women's teamassistant coach at the University of St.Joseph's, and then at the University of Virginia.As head coach of the University of Connecticut,he won five NCAA women's titles. This Italian-American coach was chosen as Women'sNational Coach of the Year five times by diffe-rent organizations, and coached six collegiateWomen's National Players of the Year. He alsowon a gold medal as assistant coach of theU.S. Women's National team at the SydneyOlympic Games, and a bronze medal as thehead coach of the women's team at the 2001FIBA Junior World Championship.

The basic move from which we start to teachthis offense is the split cut, which is a cut of twoplayers around the high post. The first one, whopassed the ball, cuts first (diagr. 1). The centercan pass the ball to one of the two cutters, orshe can turn, face the basket, and shoot theball herself.

When I was young, the players were not indi-cated as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, but simply as twoguards, two forwards, and one center. So manytimes I will mention the two guards, who crossthe mid-court line practically at the same time,and one center, who goes in the high-post posi-tion whenever it's possible. The reason wecross the mid-court line with two guards is thatit's difficult for the defense to double teamwhen the offense moves this way.

After the ball is passed to 1, 2 makes a crosscut and, if she is free, receives the ball from 1(diagr. 2). If not, 1 goes to the middle of thecourt. She cannot be trapped here, becausethere is always a teammate near her, who willpunish the trap.

If 1 is overplayed, she makes a backdoor cutgoing towards the mid-court line, or, if shereceives the ball, she can pass to 2 or dribble,crossing towards the mid-court line (diagr. 3).

THE HIGH-POSTAND THE TRIANGLEOFFENSEs

20_011_015.qxd 31-05-2006 12:07 Pagina 23

FIBA EUROPECOACHES - OFFENSE


2's defender cannot trap, because there is immediately apass back or 2 can easily go behind the ball line and helpthe dribbler. Besides, we can send the center away fromthe ball, after the inbound pass, because we do not needher as a safety. In this way, we can avoid to have the cen-ter dribbling the ball.

A basic detail: the guard without the ball does not cross themid-court line until the dribbler herself: she can be a safetyvalve and receive a pass from 1 (diagr. 4), when the defen-se gets tight.

When we dribble over the mid-court line and are able topass the ball to the post, we make the split action with thefirst passer, who cuts first.Here are the various options:

▼ Pass and cut.▼ Pass and make a screen.▼ Pass, fake a cut, and come back.▼ The center can pass to one of the cutters, or else fake

a pass, and then play one-on-one.

The key point of this action is that we want the defendersof the two guards to turn their heads and watch the ball asit reaches the high post. It's difficult to play good defensein this situation because the defenders do not know wherethe offensive players will go.

I would like to underline that the success of this play doesnot depend on the quickness of the two guards, becausethey can beat the defenders even if they are slower: theycan count on reading the defense on different options andon the two different cuts.

THREE PLAYER SETWe start to build the split simulating a situation of arebound, baseline out-of-bound, and then the split at thebeginning a 3 vs 0 and then a 3-on-2 (diagr. 5).

We set the players in three lines, with a guard, whobrings the ball on offense starting from over the mid-court. There is also one mid post player and one at thefree-throw line extension. 1 crosses the mid-court lineand then changes direction. She must pass the ball tothe forward before going out with both feet from thecenter court circle: this is the time for deciding whereto pass the ball (diagr. 6).

We set the players in three lines: 1 passes the ball (again,before going out with the feet of the center court circle),and then cuts and goes in the corner on the ball side(diagr. 7).

2 passes the ball to the mid post and then 1 and 2 make thesplit cut (diagr. 8). The center must be active and smart toread the defenders' moves and capitalize on theirmistakes. It's a must to read the defense, both for the cut-ters, as well as for the center with the ball. It's also very important to have a good alignment betweenthe forward and the center (diagr. 9): ▼ The forward must be outside the three-point line, at the

free-throw line extension.

D.4

D.5

D.3

D.2

D.1

D.6

20_011_015.qxd 31-05-2006 12:08 Pagina 24


▼ The center must be at the mid post position, withenough space between her and the baseline forthe cut of a teammate. There should also be enou-gh room to let her play one-on-one as a finaloption.

We say to the players that no move is prearranged,but, again, they must read the defense and let thatset up determine what will work best.

Here, for example, are two other options after thepass to the mid post:▼ 1 can anticipate the cut (diagr. 10) or ▼ Makes a curl cut around 5, without going in the

corner (diagr. 11).

Let's now assume that the forward 2 is overplayed:here are the different solutions:a. Backdoor. 5 comes high at the corner of the free-

throw area, facing the midcourt line, and automa-tically 2 will make a backdoor cut to receive theball (diagr. 12).

In short, when the ball crosses the mid-court line, theplay becomes a three-player collaboration: 5 mustread the defense and see if her teammate is over-played. Then she must offer the choice of the entrypass to 1.

b. Hand off. If 2 goes backdoor, 1 can receive a handoff pass and shoots, or drives to the basket, or 5can always play one-on-one (diagr. 13).

c. UCLA cut. 1 passes to 2, makes a cut on 5, andthen goes on the opposite corner. 5 then does apick-and-roll with 2: 2 can shoot, pass to 5 on theroll, or make a skip pass to 1 for a three-point shot(diagr. 14).

d. Post up. After the pass to 2 and the UCLA cut, 1can also stop at the low post position (diagr. 15). 2goes down to pick 1, after the pass to 5 (diagr. 16).2 then comes high to back screen 5, after 5 haspassed the ball to 1 (diagr. 17).

FOUR PLAYER SETLet's now add another player, playing with threeguards and a center. The beginning of the play is thesame, with the ball passed from 1 to 3, and from 3 to 5,with 1 going to the corner on the ball side. 2 replaces1 in the middle of the court, after faking a cut in theother direction (diagr. 18).

If 5 is aggressively guarded, 3 passes the ball to 1, and1 passes to 5, who has faked a high cut (diagr. 19). If 1cannot pass to 5, 5 comes out, makes a back screenfor 3, and then plays pick-and-roll with 1 in the corner(diagr. 20).Spacing is always very important, staying especiallyoutside of the three-point line.

FIVE PLAYER SETWe start with two guards on the line, one forward at

D.8

D.9

D.10

D.7

D.11

D.13

D.14

D.15

D.12

D.16

20_011_015.qxd 31-05-2006 12:08 Pagina 25



D.18

D.19

D.17

D.21

D.20

D.23

D.24

D.22

D.26

D.25

the free-throw line extension, one mid-post on theforward side and the other forward at the mid-postposition on the other side of the court (diagr. 21).

The play starts when the two guards cross the mid-court line, and the players move based on thedefenders' reactions. When there is an offensive overload in the corner,2 must always come in the middle of the court. Theycan now play three-on-three on one side, and two-on-two on the other side of the court (diagr. 22).

If 3 has the ball and cannot pass to 1 or 5, 3 makesa dribble weave, difficult to defend, going towards1 and then passes to 1. 1 passes to 5, while 2 recei-ves a back screen from 4, and then flares out (diagr.23). Then, 1 and 3 make a split cut on 5 (diagr. 24).

If we cannot pass directly to 5, we reverse the ballfrom 3 to 2, who is set in the middle of the court andoutside of the three-point line. 2 can pass inside to5 (diagr. 25).

If nothing happens, 4 and 2 play two-on-two on theother side of the court. 2 passes to 4, who comeshigh, and then 2 moves, based on the reactions ofthe defense, making a hand off, or a pick-and-roll,using different fakes (diagr. 26).

If 2 is overplayed, 4 comes high, 3 passes the ball to4, 2 makes a backdoor cut and receives the ballfrom 4 (diagr. 27).

DIFFERENT OPTIONSBased on the previous premises, we can build anyplay. For example, if 3 is overplayed, 5 comes up tothe elbow, and receives the ball from 1, who, afterthe pass, screens for 2, who goes on the forwardspot. At the same time, 3 cuts in the lane and goesto the opposite corner (diagr. 28). 5 can make apass to 2 or 1. We now form a new triangle on theother side of the court, the left side (diagr. 29).

On this side we can create a new three-on-threeplay, with 1, who passes to 3 in the corner, and thenreceives a back screen from 4, who then playspick-and-roll with 3. In the meantime, 5 screens for2 (diagr. 30).

Another option is the entry pass to 4 on the weakside post, with 2, who immediately makes a back-door cut to receive the ball and goes to the basket(diagr. 31). It's important to underline that 1, the ballhandler, must make the entry pass right away,when she crosses the mid-court line.

If 1 does not have any entry pass options to 3, to 5,or 4, she will pass to 2. 4 will pop out at the forwardposition, and 5 will come out for a back pick for 3,who will cut in the lane, heading in the oppositecorner (diagr. 32).

We can also form a triangle with 3, 4 and 5, who,

20_011_015.qxd 31-05-2006 12:08 Pagina 26


D.28

D.29

D.27

D.33

D.31

D.30

after the pick, opens up. 4 can pass to 3, or to 5,who can pass to 1 on an automatic back-door cut,right after 5 receives the ball (diagr. 33).In short, this play can have many options, always has atriangle on one side, and a two-on-two play on theother side.The keys are: ▼ Read the defense. ▼ Proper spacing.▼ Patience.

D.32

20_011_015.qxd 31-05-2006 12:08 Pagina 27


FIBA EUROPE

by Brenda Frese

COACHES - OFFENSE

Brenda Frese started her coaching career as an assistant coachat Kent State, followed by positions at Iowa State and Ball State.She became head coach at the University of Minnesota in 1998,where she earned National Coach of the Year honors, and twoyears later became head coach at the University of Maryland. In2006, she guided her team to the NCAA Women's Championshipand she again won the Coach of the Year award.

I would like to share with you some of our offensive sets thathelped Maryland win the 2006 NCAA Women's national title.

MAN-TO-MAN OFFENSESET UPWe initially line up in a three perimeter and two inside player set.

The three perimeter players stay outside the three-point line,while the two inside players are set up with one at the corner ofthe free-throw area and the other opposite to her in the low postposition.

CREATING A TRIANGLE1, the point guard, has two choices for starting this play:▼ If she dribbles towards 2, it means that 2 must go to the deep

corner (diagr. 1).▼ If she can pass to 2, 1 will cut and go in the deep corner

(diagr. 2).In this way we start to form a triangle on one side of the court.

ENTRY PASSOnce the triangle is loaded, we are looking for a quick pass to

THE MARYLANDOFFENSE

20_016_019 31-05-2006 12:09 Pagina 16

D.3


the low post 5, from 1, in this case, or from 2, if 1 is ableto pass the ball to 2 on the wing.On this pass, 4 will dive hard down to the low post,on the same side of the court, while 3 will slide up(diagr. 3).If we cannot pass the ball to 5, because she is over-played on the side, 1 will pass to 2 and 2 will pass theball to 5. If 1 passes to 2 and 2 cannot pass to 5, 1 will cut in thelane and will go on to the opposite side of the court,outside of the three-point line to clear out the ball sideside of the court. 5 will come out and screen on the ball

D.1 D.2

D.5

D.4

20_016_019 31-05-2006 12:09 Pagina 17

for 2. 2 will attack the defender and 5 will roll to thebasket. As this action is taking place, 4 will screenfor 3 (diagr. 4).

If there is no chance of shooting, 2 can come off thescreen, dribble towards 3 and pass her the ball,while 5 goes to the low post position (diagr. 5).

3 will now be able to set a new triangle on the otherside of the court: she will dribble the ball to the wingposition, 4 will go in the low post area, while 5 willcome up in the high post position, opposite of 4(diagr. 6).

If 3 passes the ball to 5, 5 can look to pass to 4, whohas cut inside the three-second lane. As an option,we can also do a hand-off pass between 5 and 2(who must set up her defender before goingtowards 5 to receive the ball). This offensive play isvery hard to guard against and gives a chance to 2to get open for a shot (diagr. 7).

ZONE OFFENSEWith this offense we want to create maximumplayers movement that will enable us to use thesame basic attack versus various zones andmatch-ups. I want our team to be able to usedribble penetrations, posts-ups, screens, over-load, and slides into the open areas. You caninitiate the offense from various sets, such asthe 1-4, the 1-3-1 or 2-1-2 set, or out of the tran-sition, with the guards at about 4 meters apartto ensure easy passes between them, if neces-sary.

ENTRY PASSOn the entry pass, from 1 to 2, in this case, theweak side post 4 cuts to the ball on the short sidecorner, in an open area on the baseline in thegap of the zone (diagr. 8). The other post, 5, huntsthe ball and is in line with the ball and the basket(diagr. 9).

RULE 1On any point guard to wing pass, the offside postcurls to the ball side short corner. The strongside post gets in line with the ball and the basket(diagr. 10).

On a pass to the weak side (diagr. 11 and 12), 5 fla-shes hard to the ball side and 4 loops to the strongside short corner (it's also possible to start with oneof the post players in the short corner).

RULE 2On any pass from the wing back to the point guard,or from a wing to a wing, the passer makes a skippass and cuts to the basket, becoming the nextshort corner player on whichever side the ball ispassed. The short corner player replaces the wingthat cut, and 5 continues to stay in line with the balland the basket (diagr. 13).



D.10

D.11

D.9

D.8

D.6

D.7

D.15

D.14

D.13

D.12

20_016_019 31-05-2006 12:09 Pagina 18

From here, if 1 swings the ball to 3, then 2 beco-mes the short corner player on the ball side. 5stays in line with the ball and the basket (diagr.14).

If 1 had passed the ball back to 4, 2 would be theshort corner player on 4's side, and again 5would be in line with the ball and the basket(diagr. 15).

BASIC MOVEMENT RULESWhen a wing passes to the point guard, or toanother wing with a skip pass, that wing firstcuts to the basket and becomes the next shortcorner on the ball side. The short corner playerreplaces the wing, while the post stays in linewith the ball and the basket (diagr. 16 and 17).

RULE 3On any pass to the short corner, the wing thatmade the pass cuts to the middle of the lane andbecomes the next short corner player on the ballside (diagr. 18).

Rule 4The short corner player must catch the pass,face up to the basket, shoot, drive, or drag theball back out to the wing. If a player is doubleteamed, she should look for the diagonal pass tothe point guard or across the baseline to thewing, who has dropped (diagr. 19, 20, and 21).

SCREENING THE ZONE OR MATCH-UPSAnytime the wing passes to the point, she mayscreen the strong side back line player in thezone, or match-up. After the screen, 2 slides intothe short corner and 4 replaces 2 at the wing(diagr. 22).

Or, the short corner player can back screen theback line of the zone for the alley-hoop pass to 2,cutting to the basket. If the pass is not thrown,then 4 slides out to the wing to replace 2, and 2slides to the short corner on the ball side (diagr.23 and 24).

RULE 5When a pass is made into the post, everyone spotsup to shoot. The short corner player changes sidesof the floor, looking for the ball (diagr. 25).

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDINGOffensive rebounding is quite effective becausethe cutters are in excellent position to "get to theglass." In addition, the short corner players havegood angles for sneaking in for rebounds.Obviously, we always rebound with both thewings and the posts, while the point guard goesback defensively to prevent the fastbreak.

Against the odd front zones, simply tilt the offen-se by dribbling the ball off the center court, whileeveryone keeps the proper spacing.


D.20

D.21

D.19

D.18

D.16

D.17

D.25

D.24

D.23

D.22

20_016_019 31-05-2006 12:09 Pagina 19


FIBA EUROPE

by Tamas Sterbenz

COACHES - OFFENSE

Tamas Sterbenz is a former player of theHungarian National Team. He wasappointed head coach of the HungarianWomen’s National Team in 2004. He tea-ches economics and management at theHungarian University of PhysicalEducation. His Ph.D. topic was “BoundedRationality in Decision Making in SportsManagement”.

Smart play is a goal of coaches andplayers in every sport. The winner isalways proud of his strategy and emphasi-zes the correct execution. The loser criti-cizes the game plan or blames the coachor players for neglecting that. Indeed, dothe sportspeople know what should theyhave done? Do they know how rationalstrategy should be built the next time?Unfortunately, in most cases they do notknow. In this short article, I will analyzethe rationality of basketball and describesome strategic principles.

RATIONALITYA behavior is considered rational if ithelps achieve a definite goal. So, first weneed to determine the goals in basketball.For example, the goal can be to win achampionship, to beat a specific oppo-nent, or in the short term, to score abasket. These goals are simple but theyare not the same. Therefore, we need toselect one unit to analyze the rationality.In competitive basketball this unit shouldbe the game because performance can bebest compared at the game level. Duringthe game the teams alternate possessionof the ball. Both teams have equal oppor-tunity to score points and the team thatscores more will win the game. We cansee the better performance within agame, but if we want to compare severalgames we need to look at the ratiobetween points made and number of pos-sessions. To analyze the performance,final score itself is not good indicator. The

score should be weighted bythe total number of attempts,which also shows the rhythmof the game.

EFFICIENCYTo measure efficiency ofdefense and offense, methodshave been created and usedfor several decades. Histo-rically, famous coaches suchas Dean Smith and FrankMcGuire and analysts likeDean Oliver and JohnHollinger have worked ondeveloping a measure ofoffensive rating:

Offensive Rating = ScorePoints / Possession

Current statistics do not keepcount of the number of pos-sessions, but this can easilybe counted or estimated.Offense ends with either afield goal or a free-throwattempt or turnover. Obviously,a free-throw will not count for1 possession. According to theNBA’s estimation, a free-throw

should be multiplied by 0.44 to get the cor-rect number of possessions for a wholeseason (for fast post game analysis 0.5can be used).

Possession = Field Goal + (Free-Throw0.44) + Turnover - Offensive Rebound

Offensive rebounds have to be deductedfrom the equation, because they are stillpart of the same possession; only theoffensive time starts over. This ensuresthat both teams have equal number ofopportunities to score. This does notmean that offensive rebounds are notimportant, as is described in the next sec-tion.

CRUCIAL FACTORSThat team that wins is one whose offensi-ve rating is higher than its own defensiverating, which is equal to the opponent’soffensive rating. Both offensive anddefensive ratings are good tools for analy-sis by the coach. Yet, to make the bestrational strategic decision, the coachneeds to find which elements are the mostcritical to increase the offensive ratingand decrease the defensive rating.According to Dean Oliver, the four basicaspects of a game include:

1. Shooting percentage from the field.2. Offensive rebounding.3. Committing turnovers.4. Going to the foul line a lot and making

the shots.

To better understand these crucialaspects, a good guide is that in professio-nal men’s basketball the offensive rating isaround 1, so a team usually makes 1 pointin average per possession (in 1991-92, theNBA’s Chicago Bulls reached the highestseasonal offensive score of 1.155 in).

1. If the team finishes all its offenses witha 2-point shot, a 50% shooting percen-tage ensures an offensive score that ishigher than 1. In case of 3-point shots,the team has to have a 33% shootingpercentage to reach the same.

2. Increasing the number of free-throwshelps the team reach an offensive

THE RATIONAL GAME

20_020_021.qxd 31-05-2006 12:10 Pagina 28

score higher than 1. Other than extre-me cases, all players make free-throws above 50% success rate.

3. High number of field scoring attemptsshows that the team does not committurnovers. Also, low number of turno-vers decreases the defensive rating,because the opponent could notmake many easy baskets.

4. Increase in offensive rebounds willlead to more chances to make aclose attempt or to get to the free-throw line. Often at the end of thegame, following an offensiverebound, the team will get a new 24-seconds on the shot clock, whichcan lead to winning the game.Offensive rebounds would alsoincrease the offensive rating, andsave the game. If the free throws

were missed on purpose, the teamwould have a chance to make a 2-or 3-point shot.

BOUNDARIES IN BASKETBALLEvery sport is surrounded by rules tomake the game more difficult and intere-sting. These rules, or boundaries, impactthe strategies and the decisions in theexecution. The following boundaries existin basketball.

Opponent: in basketball, the goal is notto make many baskets, but to makemore baskets than the opponent. Themoves don’t have to be fast, but fasterthan the opponent. In decision making,can’t neglect the opponent. Successdoesn’t only depend on a team’s deci-sion, but also on the opponent’s choice.

Time: there are 24 seconds to finish thepossession, and the quarters are 10minutes long. The remaining time left inthe 24-second period or the quarter willalways influence the decisions. Rationalbehavior must take this into considera-tion. The same shot in the beginning ofthe possession is irrational compared tothe shot at the end of the period, which isnecessary.

Space: moves are differentiated bywhere they take place on the court.Shooting percentage depends on how farthe player is from the basket. Rationalstrategy should increase the expectedvalue of the shooting. The opponent’sposition on defense affects what theoffense should do (rational strategy mustdiffer when playing against press or zonedefense).

Personal fouls: the offense must beaware of how the defense can stop theteam from scoring. If the defensive teamhas less than 4 personal fouls, the offen-sive team should know that rational deci-sion might be to commit a foul.

Result: at all times the actual score willinfluence tactical decision. Rationality ofall tactical decision depends on how itimpacts the final score. Decisions throu-ghout the game can be evaluated basedon time and score, and risk taking mustconsider the same factors.

RISK AND UNCERTAINTYAll decision contains risk and uncer-tainty. Nothing is certain, situations areambiguous, decisions depend on multiplecriteria, and execution depends on thewhole team. Even though all these arerational factors, there will be the oppo-nent that will impact the outcome.

In basketball, there are only rational deci-sions, but not optimal decisions. Onemust know that success is relative, and itis often affected by good fortune.Rational strategy ensures only long-termefficiency but single actions depend onintuition and anticipation. In a game, bothteams have 80 to 90 possessions andsometimes even irrational behavior canlead to success.

During practices, coaches should buildboundaries into the drills to teach playersto be rational. If both teams play smartand use correct strategy, there still willbe a winner and a loser, but basketballwill advance!


20_020_021.qxd 31-05-2006 12:10 Pagina 29


FIBA EUROPE

by Aldo Corno

by Mario Buccoliero

COACHES - DEFENSE

Aldo Corno is the head coach of Taranto,the Italian Serie A1 women's team. Hewas the head coach of many Serie A1women teams: Viterbo, Vicenza (wherehe won 4 Italian titles and 4 EuropeanChampionships), Como (where he won 8Italian titles, 5 Italian Cups, 1 ItalianSupercup, 1 World Cup for clubs and 2European Championships), and Schio (2Ronchetti Cups). As the head coach ofthe Italian Women's National team, histeam won a silver medal at the 2001Mediterranean Games and at the 2003University Games.

Mario Buccoliero has been the assistantcoach of Taranto since 2000, and his teamwon a Serie A2 title, the 2003 Italian title,an Italian Cup and an Italian Supercup. Hestarted his career in Taranto as the coachof the men's youth teams.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF 1-3-1-ZONE I am not at all a "defensive" coach, but Iam convinced that without a great defen-se you cannot build a great team. I star-ted to apply my defensive philosophymore than 20 years ago, and I have usedthis 1-3-1 zone with most of my teams,either with the clubs, as well as with theItalian National team.There are different types of 1-3-1 zones: ▼ Regular: without traps.▼ Half court with the traps only in the

deep corners. ▼ Three-quarters court, with the traps in

the four corners of the defensive halfcourt.

In this article, I will focus on the last twotypes.

ADVANTAGESHere which are the advantages thisdefense can offer:

1-3-1 ZONE TRAP

20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:13 Pagina 23

FIBA EUROPECOACHES - DEFENSE


1. The most important advantage is thatthis defense is unique in "influencing"the movement of the offense, forcingthem to play an unconventional offen-se, a style of play that is risky andmoves them out of their usual offensivespots.

2. It can quickly change the direction ofthe game and offer decisive breaks forthe defense.

3. It's a spectacular defense, that crea-tes excitement with its aggressivetraps.

4. It "pumps up" the defense, when well-made stops and steals occur and"shakes" the defense, when players arelazy and not playing aggressive basket-ball.

5. It creates great problems for the offen-se to move the ball, forcing them to uselob and bounce passes, slow passesthat can easily be stolen.

6. It creates extreme pressure on theoffensive perimeter players.

7. It will often create a "paralyzing" effecton the opponents, causing them tomake bad passes and force their shots.

DISADVANTAGESThis is a very risky defense (wide spacesto cover, traps), and a little mistake willallow the offense to easily beat you. There is no balance when blocking-out ondefense and on the help-side rebounding.It requires a lot of energy, so this zone can-not be used throughout the game. In addi-tion, it's a very technical defense and

requires players with specific skills inorder to play it well.

PLAYERS' SKILLS▼ This defense requires players, who are

able to sacrifice themselves and, frommy experience, I find that women willoften guarantee that this happens mostof the time.

▼ Players must totally believe that whatthey are doing is the best for the team.A coach must be able to sell this defen-se to the team in order to make it work.

▼ Players have to be quick and haveexcellent athletics skills.

▼ Very important aspect: players must beskilled in aggressive man-to-mandefensive tactics.

▼ You will need months of practice andplenty of patience to build this defenseso it can be regularly applied.

INITIAL SETThere are not fixed rules for where theplayers should play. Each coach knows hisplayers best and will have to make individualdecisions when assigning positions. Here,for example, is how I set the players when Icoached the Italian National team (diagr. 1):▼ X1, Zimerle, the point guard: quick,

strong, with quick hands.▼ X4, Balleggi, the power forward: fast,

with a great arm span, very agile.▼ X3, Macchi, the small forward: similar

to X4, with a good elevation.▼ X5, Paparazzo, the center: tough, good

on the passing lanes, intelligent.

D.3

D.2

D.1

20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:13 Pagina 24


▼ X2, Masciadri, the guard: quick andpowerful, the "playmaker" of thedefense, who is positioned in the lastrow of the defense, sees the entirecourt, constantly talks with his team-mates and alerts them to movements.She is the key for the 1-3-1 defense.

TRAPS ON THE FOUR CORNERSIf we decide to use the three-quarters 1-3-1 trap, we will double team on the fourcorners of the defensive half court(diagr. 2).

GLOBAL TEACHING METHODFor teaching this defense, I show howthis defense works for all the players (glo-bal method), and then I divide the defenseinto the five parts, so each player willknow her role (analytical method), andthen go back again to all total defense(global method).

After a free-throw, we run the defensehigh and we trap right after the half courtline (diagr. 3).

Here the individual tasks:▼ X1 forces the ball handler on one side

of the court, and does not let any drib-ble penetration in the middle of thecourt.

▼ X4 slides down and double teams onlybehind the mid-court line.

▼ X5 always plays behind the ball andfronts the offensive player, keepingher from receiving the ball.

▼ X2 covers the player in the corner orthe low post.

▼ X3 slides down to steal the potentialdiagonal pass.

If the double team is successful, we willbe in the situation described in diagr. 4.We will try to intercept the pass with X3or X2, leaving 2 open, who is the leastdangerous of all the offensive players. If we decide to continue with the hightraps (diagr. 5): if 1 passes the ball to 2, X3runs to cover 2, X1 double teams 2, X5 fol-lows the movement of the ball, and fronts5. X2 covers 3 on the opposite corner, andX4 slides down, looking to steal a possiblepass to 4 and to protect the basket.

1-3-1 ZONE WITH TRAPS IN THE CORNERSWhen and how to run it (diagr. 6):If there are no "desperate" situations andwe do not want to run too many risks.After the first trap, we double team only inthe corners. The main aspect of thisdefense is to "cover" the passing lanes.This defense then "invites" penetrations in

the middle of the lane. This forces theoffense to make slow (lob or bounce) pas-ses. It's very important that the defenserelies on their arms and hands.Sometimes, we let the defenders jump toput more pressure on the offense.

X5 must always be behind the ball, and infront on the high post. In addition, he mustbe ready to slide down and front the lowpost (diagr. 7).

TRAPS IN THE LOW CORNERSThese moves are fine when you playdefense that double teams in all four cor-ners of the half court.

X4 and X1 jam the lane if an opponent is inshooting range or tries to drive (diagr. 8).X4 must be aggressive on the ball. Theplayer must not slide on the pass fake. X2covers the low post and goes outside onlywhen a pass is made.

If the ball reaches the player in the cor-ner, we run the double team and rotate asin diagr. 9.First option: if 3 has both feet facingtowards the basket, X2 and X4 aggressi-vely double team. X5 runs down to cover5 in the low post, X1 guards the high post,and X3 jams in the middle of the lane,covering the basket and all lob passes.

Second option: if 3 is with his shoulderstowards the basket (diagr. 10): X1 goes inthe passing lane nearest the ball, X3comes high to anticipate 4 at the highpost. We only leave a passing choice to 2on the other side of the court. This forcesthe offense to make a long and slow (lobor bounce) pass to this player, who is themost distant and least dangerous offensi-ve player.

Important tips:▼ Convince the players - and coach

them with the appropriate drills - that,while they are trapping, they mustforce a mistake or cause a bad pass tobe made while applying pressure onthe trapped opponent.

▼ Do not ever let the ball enter on thehigh post area, which is the most dan-gerous spot on the floor. Once itmakes it to the high post, the ball canbe passed on both sides of the floor.

PASS FROM GUARD-TO-GUARDIf the ball is passed from one guard to theother, the defenders, who are alwayscovering the passing lane, rotate asshown in diagr. 11.

D.4

D.5

D.8

D.6

D.7

20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:13 Pagina 25



D.13

D.14

D.15

D.12

D.11

D.9

D.10

THE DANGEROUS SIDES Skip PassIf there is a skip pass from 3 to 2, the defenseis placed in a very difficult situation (diagr. 12): ▼ X3 must run to aggressively guard 2

with his arms up.▼ X1 must go around the high post 4, until

X5 recovers on him.▼ X5 goes on 5 and X2 runs in the lane,

ready to cover 5. At the same time, X4moves towards the ball.

The following moves are then made(diagr. 13): ▼ X1 recovers on the passing lanes.▼ X4 guards 5 in the low post.▼ X5 recovers on the high post.

Blocking OutIf the shot is taken from the corner beforethe double team, we have great problemsbecause X5 is facing 5, who is now free togo in for the rebound (diagr. 14). We will react in this way:▼X3 goes on 3.▼X1 is of a basic importance on the help-

side and blocks out on 4 or on 2.▼ X4 recovers on 4 or 2, who is on the

wing.We will always be with one less defender,but quickness and collaboration betweenthe players should erase this problem.

Double PostsThe most difficult offense to face is one

D.16

20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:13 Pagina 26


D.18

D.17

D.19

with two high posts (we also use thisoffense versus the 1-3-1 trap).We move in this way (diagr. 15): ▼ X5 anticipates 5, who is the "inside"

post.▼ X3 anticipates 4, who is the "outside"

post. 2 is the most dangerous player,and can hardly be trapped.

If the ball is dribbled in our defensive halfcourt by 2, we will move in this way (diagr.16): X3 will close and go on the passing line.X5 must recover on 4. X2 will stay behind,ready to guard a post if this player movesdown low. X4 closes on 5 or 3 under thebasket. If 4 goes low, he will be guarded byX2. Naturally, when we are in this situation,we do not make the first high trap. We willonly make the traps in the corners.

ANALYTICAL TEACHINGNow we start to teach in an analytical wayto build up the 1-3-1 trap (diagr. 17).

One-on-One DrillThis drill is run for X1, who plays in the first

row of the zone, and must force 1 towardsone side of the court. The defender mustabsolutely prevent the ball being returnedto the right side, in this case, of the diagram.

Two-on-Two DrillWe increase the difficulty for the defender,playing two-on-one, and two-on-two(diagr. 18). X1 must push the ball handler on one sideof the court, and also force 1 to make a lobpass to 2.X3 helps, closing on 2, letting X1 recover.

Contesting the Post DrillContesting the pass for low post is basicwork (diagr. 19).The perimeter players pass the ball to eachother, and X5 runs to contest the post,always staying between the ball and basket.

TRAPSOne-on-two Trap DrillDrills for teaching the proper doubleteams: 2 vs 1 at three-quarters court(diagr. 20).

D.20

20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:14 Pagina 27

At the beginning, we facilitate the defen-se by playing two defenders against oneoffensive player, giving two or threeseconds for getting over the mid-courtline. X1 and X4 must force the ball hand-ler towards the sideline and then doubleteam. The defenders must use their legsand arms without making a foul, coveringthe ball, and trying to force a 5-secondsviolation.

Two-on-Two TrapWe now work two-on-two on different

situations, aggressively contesting thepass to the second offensive player(diagr. 21).

Three-on-Three TrapWe work three-on-three to improve thetiming of the traps (diagr. 22).We put limitations on the offense,which now cannot use the post in themiddle of the court. Besides, the offen-se must get over the mid-court line byhaving one of the guards dribble theball.

"Goalkeeper"This is for the defensive forwards X4and X3. After a trap and a skip pass,they must "dive" behind and recover,possibly stealing the "diagonal" pass.Although this is a very dangerous movefor the defense, it is a key moment inour 1-3-1 zone trap.

BACK TO THE GLOBAL TEACHINGAt the end of the session, we workfour-on-four, and finally we play five-on-five.


D.22

D.21

D.23


20_023_028.qxd 31-05-2006 12:14 Pagina 28

Draft some real all starsAt Adecco, we know the awesome power of teamwork. With many individuals bound by a common goal, remarkable things are possible. Providing employment to over 700,000 people every day is a fine example. And it’s accomplished by our 30,000 employees in 6,000 offices, serving nearly 125,000 client companies around the globe. A formidable task, indeed. But at Adecco, while we know that what an individual can accomplish is inspiring, what people can achieve together is awe-inspiring.

adecco.com

Adecco_FIBA_ad_21.03.06.indd 1Adecco_FIBA_ad_21.03.06.indd 1 21/3/06 17:56:5621/3/06 17:56:56

FIBA EUROPECOACHES - HOOP MARKET

by Raffaele Imbrogno

Raffaele Imbrogno has been coaching since 1980. He is anInstructor for the Italian National Coaches Committee of theFederation and has been Director of the Italian BasketballFederation Study Center. Imbrogno is also the author of se-veral technical basketball publications.

FIBA Europe has created a specialprogram to promote women's basket-ball over the course of the next 18months. Here are the main goals:▼ To increase the popularity of thegame throughout Europe for women. ▼ To increase interest and encouragethe recruiting of players of all ages.▼ To increase number of women refe-rees and coaches, in the Europeanchampionships and Internationalchampionships as well.To study in depth the women's basket-ball, we will now review some of themost popular womens' videos, DVDs,and books.Geno Auriemma, a 2006 inductee tothe Basketball Hall of Fame, is thehead coach of the women's basketballteam of the University of Connecticut.An Italian-American who emigrated tothe U.S. from Montella,Italy when he was sevenyears old, Auriemma is

one of the most famous and successful U.S. wo-men's college basketball coaches. His teamshave won the NCAA Women's championships fi-ve times. He has produced several DVDs overthe years and Champioship Productions recentlyreleased two interesting selections: "Geno Au-riemma-70 minute Players DevelopmentWorkout" and "Geno Auriemma-The SimplifiedZone Offense" .In the first disc, Auriemma explains his ideasabout how a coach can help to develop a skilledoffensive player by using 20 specific drills. Hebegins with full-court drills, focusing on openingfastbreak passes, long passes, and runninglayups. He stresses that for a player to be suc-cessful, there must be effective communicationon the court between teammates. The disc endswith half-court drills featuring jump shots, run-ning lay-ups, proper use of pick-and-rolls, lowpost moves, and how to properly use a screen. In the second DVD, UConn's coach describes

In this section, we introduce the latest books, videos, CDs, andother tools that are primarily aimed at coaches, but certainly usefulfor all of our readers. Please send your suggestions and commentsabout our basketball-related media for review in this section.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

how to best play against zone defenses, such as the 3-2 and 1-3-1. He offers plays for getting a quick shot and plays developingfrom from inbounds passes, both from the baseline and the side-line. The head coaches of the two teams that played against eachother for the 2006 NCAA women's title have published technicalmaterial that is now available. The national champion, Maryland,is coached by Brenda Freese, a young rising star of college ba-sketball. After only four years at the University of Maryland, the35-year-old Freese brought Maryland to the highest levels of wo-men's basketball by employing her particular defensive and of-fensive ideas. These coaching concepts have been captured invideos produced several years ago. The first, "The 2-3 Match-upZone" was released by Coaches Choice in 2001. In 42 minutes,Frese covers all the principles and techniques needed to createan effective 2-3 zone with match-up principles. Several drills aredescribed to create the zone defense with particular attentionpaid to proper player positioning based on their individual skills.The second of Freese's videos, "Championship Shooting Drills",was released by Championship Production in 2002, and it is dedi-cated to all aspects of shooting, free-throws in particular. Sherecommends a variety of drills and practice sessions using threeplayers. The coach of the last NCAA tournament runner up team,Gail Goestenkors, head coach of Duke University, is author oftwo interesting works: "Team Chemistry & the Complete to Sco-ring Opportunities" and "Transition Offense & Quick Hitters". Inthe first DVD, the coach shows how certain practice drills couldbe useful to the team. The second DVD focuses on options for

Duke's famous fastbreak and the main solutions thatcan be employed after the transition . Here some other interesting DVD titles: Doug Brunoof DePaul University has "Eight Interchangeable Of-fensive Sets"; Kay Yow, the coach of the U.S. Olympicchampion women's team (1988), Hall of Fame Induc-tee, and coach of North Carolina State has "13 Indivi-dual and Team Drills for Improvement"; Tara Vender-veer, coach of Stanford University, winner of twoNCAA Championships, and elected three-timeNatio-nal Coach of the Year, has "25 Offensive Practice Dril-ls for Success"; and Harry Perretta, coach of Villano-va University women's basketball team, released"The Unscoutable Zone Offense", “The WildcatSpread Offense" and "The Unstoppable, No Mistake5-Out Motion Offense". Finally, Sylvia Hatchell, a col-lege coach for 30 years, has accumulated more than400 career wins at the University of North Carolina. In2006, her Tar Heels made the NCAA Final Four andHatchell was named the Associated Press's Coach ofthe Year. She was inducted into the Women's Basket-ball Hall of Fame in 2004. This July, her 256-page bookentitled, "The Complete Guide to Coaching Girls' Ba-sketball”, will be published by McGraw-Hill.


20_030.qxd 31-05-2006 12:15 Pagina 30

REFEREES AND GAME ADMINISTRATION

THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORSHIP


by Nancy Ethier

Nancy Ethier is a Canadian refereesince 1992, and FIBA referee since1999. She officiated one Pre-OlympicTournament, one Olympic Tourna-ment, one FIBA World Championshipfor Women and one Junior Women,one FIBA Asian Women's and JuniorWomen's Asian Championships andtwo Championships of the Americas.

Mentorship is a word that has beenused to mean many different things.For me, it is as simple as a process ofon-going exchange between indivi-duals that allows for one to supportthe development of another. It is lessabout deliberate influence, or "powerover" another, and more about ac-companiment, or "empowerment" ofanother.

Mentorship has been both a means ofprofessional and personal develop-ment for me, as well as a way to con-tribute to the development of othersin the great sport of basketball. It hasplayed a very important role in my de-velopment as a basketball official. Ihave had many mentors over theyears; however two have had signifi-cant impact at critical times in my ca-reer: Pierre Marion and Bill Crowley. I have been involved in refereeing forfifteen years now, seven of those atthe international level. It is hard tobelieve how fast time passes whenwe start to look back and tell our sto-ries! I started working with Pierre in1998, my seventh year of refereeing.Canada had decided to identify andfast-track young and promising offi-cials in order to be able to offer suita-ble candidates to FIBA for internatio-nal carding selection. At the time, Iwas both coaching and refereeingbasketball. Pierre, one of the best re-ferees in Canada, encouraged me tochoose between coaching and refe-

reeing, and expressed confidence inmy abilities to officiate at the interna-tional level. I decided, after discus-sion with Pierre, to commit myself torefereeing. I stopped coaching, andbegan participating in camps to im-prove my skills and to get to knowother referees across the country. In1999, there was a certification clinicin Canada which I attended, and itwas there that I received my FIBAcard. Had i t not been for Pierre'scouncil to make some choices andapply myself to my choices, I am notsure that I would have developed therequis i te sk i l ls so qu ick ly. Whoknows, this opportunity may havepassed me by. The decisions weremine and the effort was mine, Pierrehad simply provided a little push ac-companied by a big dose of support.It was a small action with a big ef-fect. I only listened to him becausewe had previously established a sen-se of trust . I knew that there wasnothing he stood to gain by offeringhis perspective, he was doing so onlyfor what it could mean for me. In myopinion, this is a critical condition foreffective mentorship. Pierre has sin-ce followed my development as an in-ternational referee and is still one ofmy biggest supporters and most of alla great friend.

My second mentor that has accom-panied me in recent years has beenperhaps one of the biggest suppor-ters of female officials in Canada. Billand I came to know each other at thefirst national referee camp in Canadain 1999, four months before I receivedmy FIBA card. At the time, he was thePresident of the Canadian Associa-tion of Basketball Officials. He cameto see me referee a game, and afterthe game, he walked onto the gymfloor, looked at me directly and said

these words: "Whatever you want toaccomplish and wherever you wantto go in the basketbal l off iciat ingworld is waiting there for you to gra-sp hold off". At first, I didn't believe aword he said. Less than a year later, Iwas in Australia refereeing the finalof the pre-Olympic tournament. I ha-ve since come to know Bill as a tru-sted friend, and have watched as hecontinues to promote women off i-cials, not just with words but by theassignments he gives as coordinator,and how he models equality in hisevery day interactions. He has no to-lerance for anyone treating anotheras less than an equal in all aspects.His motto is "Get on the floor and dothe job, male or female". This has anincredible trickle effect on everyonewith whom he comes in contact. Billis still one of the first friends and fel-low referees I call to debrief after mybest and my worst games (admit it,we all have challenging games at ti-mes, otherwise known as great lear-ning opportunities!).

When on assignment for FIBA, I havesince found myself mentoring otherfemale officials who haven't receivedthe support that was offered me andthat so contributed to my journey sofar. Often times we spend eveningsafter games chatting about situationswe are experiencing, sharing stories,laughs and ideas. We leave for ourrespective countries richer for our ti-me together, and stronger for thesupport extended to one another.My in ternat ional road began byothers sharing their belief in me, whi-ch helped anchor my belief in myselfand inspired me to act , thank youPierre, and thank you Bill. But I thinkthe best thank you I can give is to dofor others what you both chose to dofor me.

20_032.qxd 31-05-2006 12:15 Pagina 32

A WOMAN ON THE REFEREEINGWORLD

Chantal Julien, the first FIBA female refe-ree, has been a French Men's professio-nal league referee since 1995, and a FIBAinternational referee since 1997. She offi-ciated one Olympic Women's final, oneFIBA Women's World final, one FIBA Wo-men's Junior World Championships, oneFIBA European Women's Junior and twoWomen's Championships, three FIBAAsian Junior and Senior Women's andone Asian Men's Championships, one Fi-nal Four Women's Euroleague, and oneFIBA Men's European Championship. Shealso received the 2005 Italian Oscar ofBasketball, special FIBA Award.

MY BASKETBALL HISTORYMy father was a division one player formany years. He started bringing me to hisgames at the tender age of four years old.It was he who inspired in me a passionfor the game of basketball. I went on toplay for eight years in the first division inFrance, and then decided in 1993 to swit-ch to refereeing in order to remain invol-ved in high-performance basketball.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF REFEREEINGRefereeing at the highest level of basket-ball (World Championships and OlympicGames) brings with it an incredible senseof satisfaction. Though we don't win a me-dal for our efforts, the reward for being in-volved as an official in such an event is in-valuable. To be offered the opportunity toreferee the best players in the world is agreat honor, and to have had the chance toofficiate the final game at these competi-tions has represented for me a proof ofconfidence in my abilities that I cherish.Though the rewards are many, there arealso "downs" from time to time that comewith high-performance refereeing. Manyexamples can be found in games whereone makes more errors in judgement thanone would like; in games where players,coaches or spectators get out of hand;

and in games where conflicts arise andsometimes even a fight erupts. Besidestough times that come with the actual re-sponsibility of a game, there are also tho-se times when an assignment that you arehoping for is eventually not offered.

REFEREEING MEN'S COMPETITION - A MUSTTOIMPROVERefereeing a men's game is differentthan a women's game. The satisfaction isthe same; however, the approach requi-red to date has not been. Since startingto referee internationally in 1997, I havealso been officiating at the Pro A level(first division) in France, the highest levelof men's basketball in my country. I attri-bute much of my improvement as a refe-ree to this involvement. Whether one re-ferees male or female athletes, one mustrespect both games. I have found the fe-male game to be more technical and tac-tical, and it is a pleasure to see the rich-ness of the game grow, particularly at thehigher levels and as the women's gameevolves. Physically, the men's game seesmore contact and more play in the air(plays at the rim or when the ball is in theair). Decision-making must therefore befaster because there is less time availa-ble to make a judgement. Women's ba-sketball has been closing the gap for so-me time now with regard to the physicalaspect of play; female players block, fightfor position in the key, and dunk. Moreand more, the approach is similar. Thecriteria used for refereeing, however, ha-ve always been and remain the same. It is still a challenge to be on the floorwith men. Some players have never beenrefereed by a woman and assume that Iwill be weaker, slower, and more error-prone than my male counterparts. It alsoseems that a mistake made by a womanis worse than one committed by a man. Iseem to constantly have to prove that Imerit my place on the floor. I have to deal

with chauvinism often. When I referee awomen's game, it is easier to establish arespectful rapport and exchange withboth players and coaches alike.The keys to success at the higher levelsof officiating in both women's and men'sgames are to have a strong character, toface players and coaches directly, not toshow doubt or fear, and to work hard forrespect. It is important to establish agood relationship with players and coa-ches by demonstrating your understan-ding of the game, and your appreciationfor the flow of the game. There is also noshame in recognizing one's mistakes;this simply shows honesty.

THE SACRIFICES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS ATTHE HIGHEST LEVELA career as a high performance refereedoes not come without sacrifice at bothprofessional and personal levels. I am aphysical education teacher in the city ofMandelieu-la-Napoule. The city awardsa special status to those involved in highlevel sport; in my case, a replacementteacher is assigned for me whenever Ineed to leave to referee in Europe or in-ternationally. The teacher is hired to tea-ch the curriculum that I have planned.On the personal front, it is hard to recon-cile life on the road as a referee and anormal family life. I spend everyweekend travelling in France during theregular season and two games a monthelsewhere in Europe as well. Time mustalso be invested in preparation and pro-fessional development. To be effectiveas a referee requires dedication andgoal setting. To stay current and sharpone needs to watch video, study rules,and train to stay in shape. To progress,one must stay humble and spend time incritical reflection after every game. Agood referee is one that makes the leastmistakes, not the one that believes he orshe makes none!



by Chantal Julien

20_033.qxd 31-05-2006 12:17 Pagina 33


QUESTIONS1. During the last two minutes of the 4th period,

A4 shoots a successful final free throw, afterwhich team B is granted a time-out. Followingthe time-out, shall play resume with a team Bthrow-in at the free-throw line extended,opposite the scorer's table?

2. On a throw-in by A2, the ball passes throughthe team B basket. Shall team B be awarded athrow-in at the free throw line extended nea-rer the team B basket?

3. After the ball has been placed at the disposalof A5 for two free throws, B8 asks to enter thegame as a substitute for B4. Following A5'ssuccessful first free throw, a technical foul ischarged to a team A player. Shall B8 be per-mitted to enter the game immediately after thetechnical foul has been reported to the scorer?

4. The ball has not yet touched the frontcourtwhen A3 ends the dribble while straddling thecenterline. A3 then fumbles the ball, afterwhich the ball lands in the backcourt and isagain controlled by A3. Has the ball been ille-gally returned to the backcourt?

5. A2 accidentally scores a field goal in thewrong basket. Shall two points be recorded ashaving been scored by the team B captain?

6. A3 is awarded two free throws, both of whichare successful. Following the final free throwbut before the ball is at the disposal of a teamB player out-of-bounds for the resulting throw-in, team A requests a time-out. Shall the time-out be permitted immediately?

7. Must an unsportsmanlike foul always involvecontact with an opposing player?

8. Following a successful field goal during thelast two minutes of play, team B is granted atime-out. Following the team B time-out, teamA is granted another time-out. Shall play resu-me, following the team A time-out, with a teamB throw-in at the centerline extended opposi-te the scorer's table?

9. During a dead ball, a jump ball situation occurs.Team A is entitled to the next alternating pos-session throw-in. Before the ball is placed atthe disposal of a team A player for the resultingthrow-in, B4 fouls A4. This is the third team Afoul in that period. Shall play resume with theteam A alternating possession throw-in?

10. After the ball has been placed at the disposalof A3 for the alternating possession throw-inthat will begin the 2nd period but before theball has touched a player on the court, B4 foulsA4. Has the B4 foul occurred during an intervalof play?

RIGHT OR WRONG?

ANSWERS1. Yes. (Changes to Official

Basketball Rules, October 2005)2. No. The throw-in shall be admi-

nistered at the sideline or endli-ne place where the originalthrow-in occurred. (Art. 17.3.1,17.4)

3. No. B8 may not enter the gameuntil following the completionof A5's final free throw (Art.19.4.1)

4. Yes. (Art. 30.1.1, 30.1.2)

5. Yes (Art. 16.2.2)6. Yes (Changes to Official

Basketball Rules, October 2005)7. Yes. (Art. 36.1.1)8. Yes. (Changes to Official

Basketball Rules, October 2005)9. No. Play shall resume with a

team A throw-in resulting fromthe B4 foul. Team A shall not loseits right to the next alternatingpossession throw-in in the nextjump ball situation. (Art. 12.4.8)

10. No. (Art. 12.4.8)

PAGE 34| 20 2006 | FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE

20_034.qxd 31-05-2006 12:16 Pagina 44


SPORT MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT

Esther Wender is the FIBA EuropeYear of Women's Basketball ProjectManager. A former player at the cluband national level with the Nether-lands, she has 10 years of experiencein public relations with various ba-sketball organizations. She is curren-tly the Head of Communications andPublic Relations at the NetherlandsBasketball Federation and a memberof the FIBA Europe Women's Commis-sion.

It is an interesting time forwomen's basketball in Euro-pe. There is more moneythan ever before in ba-sketball clubs and theEuroLeague Womencan boast some of thetop players in theworld among i tsranks. National teamcompetition has alsoprospered from ther ise in the level ofplay at the club level,as was witnessed atlast year's EuroBasketWomen in Turkey.In one regard, the wo-men's game has comealong way since I stepped onto the court with the Dutch na-tional team over 20 years ago.While there are many positives, it isclear that women's basketball doesnot enjoy the same standing as themen's game, in the eyes of basketballfans and organizing bodies.That is why FIBA Europe has decidedto launch the Year of Women's Basket-ball. One of the main goals of the Wo-men's Commission is to raise the profi-le of the women's game. The Commis-sion came up with the idea for the Yearof Women's Basketball and FIBA Euro-pe agreed to fund the project.

by Esther Wender

The goal of this 18-month campaignis to bring focus to women's basket-ball in order to improve recognitionand respect for the sport in Europeand all female participants in ba-sketball.That means working with the natio-nal federations and clubs to gain

more ex-po-

s u r efor our top

players in their communities and en-couraging young girls to take to thecourts and play basketball.This also entails collaborating withour partners to increase participa-tion in all areas that make up basket-ball, such as coaching, refereeingand administration.The first step in this process was

launching the Year of Women's Ba-sketball, which took place on Inter-national Women's Day (8th March)at the EuroLeague Women All-StarGame in Pecs, Hungary. Russian national team captain IlonaKorstin unveiled the logo at the laun-ch and she will be the "face" of thecampaign unti l the cl imax of theproject at the 2007 EuroBasket Wo-men in Italy.We had the top 24 players in the Eu-

roLeague Women at the All-StarGame and they not only

showed their skil ls on thecourt , but took t ime to

speak to the media, parti-cipated in a photo shootand conducted auto-graph sessions foryoung fans.The EuroLeague Wo-men Al l-Star Gamewas a great spring-board for the Year ofWomen's Basketball,but there will be plenty

more to come in thenext 18 months.

Throughout the project,the Year of Women's Ba-

sketball will be promoted atFIBA Europe events and at a

more localised level throughcollaboration with national fede-

rations. Various organizational cli-nics, conferences and educationalactivities will be held throughout theduration of the project.We will do everything possible topromote the game and our top fema-le players with the goal of attractinga new generation of stars to wo-men's basketball.

For more information, visit the wo-men's basketball section on fibaeu-rope.com.

FIBA EUROPE'S YEAR OF WOMEN'SBASKETBALL

20_035.qxd 31-05-2006 12:39 Pagina 37

SPORT MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT

The Women's National Basketball Asso-ciation, or WNBA, is the organizationgoverning the professional basketballleague for women in the United States.Formed 10 years ago as the women'scounterpart by the NBA, the official lea-gue play began June 21, 1997, shortly af-ter the NBA championships had fini-shed. Eight teams were involved that fir-st season and the best women players inthe world signed on to play. Ten years la-ter, the professional league has 14 fran-chises playing from May through Augu-st. David Stern, NBA Commissioner, isconfident the WNBA will succeed in thistenth season and for many seasons tocome. "We are determined - and this iswhy it's going to succeed - to make thisa successful business proposition. Thisis not an altruistic endeavour. This is abusiness model, and we think the busi-ness model is in the right time and the ri-ght place." There are many reasons whythe Commissioner is right, among them:▼ The WNBA will host their 20 millionth

fan this season. ▼ A random poll conducted by ESPN

reported that the WNBA is the mostpopular women's sport, ahead oftennis, golf, and volleyball.

▼ In-arena fans are 80% women andgirls, while TV viewership is closer to50-50 male/female.

Of the tremendous fan support, WNBAsuperstar Lisa Leslie, center of the LosAngeles Sparks (one of the few playersable to execute a slam dunk) said, "Justwatching the growth of the league, wecan see the league is still growing up ina good way. It's also letting professionalwomen athletes become role models forlittle girls and boys." Donne Orender, the President of theWNBA, is very happy about the growthof the League and of future prospects."In the case of the WNBA, you have tolook at the overall fan base. It's up andcontinues to show signs of greatergrowth. Our ratings were up last year,particularly in the playoffs. Our drafttraffic doubled, and we had large num-

the past and thefuture of the wnba

bers to begin with. Our daily traffic is up20 percent on the website. People arecalling us about new franchises. We havea number of new corporate partners,among them Toyota, T-Mobile, and Mc-Donald's. This is in addition to the long-standing partnerships we have had withCoke, Gatorade, Nike, America Online,Spalding, and Southwest Airlines. Thereis a lot going on that is very positive forthe WNBA. I think what we've really beenable to get our arms around is what moti-vates people to be aligned with and parti-cipate with the WNBA. Interest in theWNBA spans across all demographicsand genders. We're really focusing onthis whole idea of being inspirational. Youcan be a 9-year old girl, who gets inspiredby the WNBA. You can be a 50-year oldguy, who loves this pure brand of basket-ball. You could be a woman, who lovessports. You could be a teacher, coach, orparent, who loves the accessibility of ourplayers and the role model nature of ourplayers. When you look across all of the-


se different groups, and we know thatthey're there in great numbers, we'veonly begun to scratch the surface interms of how much broader our basecan be. We will continue to be very bul-lish about this property of ours."Marketing and advertising campaignsover the years have allowed the WNBAto catch the attention of the Americansports fan. Community initiatives haveplayed a large role here. For its tenthseason, the WNBA has launched a sea-son-long campaign called "10 Years ofCaring," with events scheduled throu-ghout the country. This campaign cele-brates the WNBA's ten seasons ofcommitment to creating programs thatimprove the quality of life for all people,

20_036_037 31-05-2006 12:17 Pagina 36

with a special emphasis on promoting ahealthy lifestyle and positive body ima-ge, raising awareness for women'shealth, family development, and educa-tion.This program is tailor-made for the WN-BA because its teams are already extre-mely active in their respective marketsengaging with fans in a variety of pro-grams, including "WNBA: Be Smart, BeFit, Be Yourself" clinics; "Read to Achie-ve Reading Rallies;" Junior WNBA cli-nics; "Habitat for Humanity" communitybuilding efforts; and school visits by lo-cal team members. "We take pride in the role that WNBAteams and players have undertaken intheir communities," said Donna Orender."Our athletes are strong, passionate,and determined individuals, who are po-sitive role models for people who aspireto great things. Through the "10 Years ofCaring" initiative, players will demon-strate off the court the very same funda-mentals that make them special on thecourt: teamwork, dedication, and deter-mination."The growth and popularity of the WNBAhas also increased greatly, thanks to in-ternational television and the excellentTV partnerships that have been formedin the United States. Last year, WNBA

games were televised in 193 countriesand heard in 31 languages, in countriesranging from China to the Middle East,throughout Europe and Australia. Thisyear, the WNBA TV partners include Di-sney, the American Broadcasting Com-pany, and ESPN, with a total of 36 gamestelecast nationally. NBA TV will also te-levise an additional 54 games. The WNBA is like the NBA in a lot of re-spects, but still has its own particularrules and regulations. The league usesa 30-second clock, a 19-foot, 9-inch th-ree-point line (6,02 m), two 20-minuteshalves, 11-player team rosters, and acollegiate-regulation size ball. TheWNBA's signature orange-and-oat-meal basketball by Spalding is 28,5 in-ches (77,5 cm) in circumference, whichis slightly smaller than the NBA's regu-lation ball. "I'm thrilled about the WNBA," said theNBA's David Stern. "We are setting up anew model for young women to partici-pate in sports and really have their owngender role models. We couldn't behappier about this new frontier that we'-ve opened up." Yes, as league president Donna Orendernoted, it's been a long, but steady climbfor the league, with all signs of a brightfuture still ahead.


20_036_037 31-05-2006 12:17 Pagina 37

FIBA RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTRE

The basketball court is the stage forthe final showdown of this sport, butbehind the stage there are people andcompanies that work to make theshow a success, an entertainmentthat will satisfy and meet the needs ofthe spectators, players, and coaches.

I would like to introduce some of theFIBA Study Centre partners which arenot as v is ib le to spectators or asspectacular as a dunk or a fancy pass,but they are equally important mem-bers of the basketball family.

A PERSONALIZED COURTFor many years, Bresciani Visual hasoffered a wide range of solutions foroutdoor and indoor sports event per-sonalization. Among their contribu-tions include: ▼ Tyvek and PVC materials for dyna-

mic systems.

▼ Fixed systems.

▼ Perspect ive carpets made ofsynthet ic grass, moquette, andtrample on stickers.

by Karen StrahlFIBA Study Centre

▼ Interview area backdrops.

▼ Anti-slip stickers for the courtfloor.

This innovative company also pro-duces supports and printings in sta-dium and arenas for dynamic adver-tising systems (rotor) for graphicalfitting.

Thanks to i ts many outstandingefforts for basketball, football, andvolleyball games and tournaments,Bresciani Visual is acknowledgedfor its high-quality products, both inItaly and abroad. The company specializes in high-quality megaprints and large formatdigital printing.

They make use of advanced andstate-of-the-art technologies for theproduction of innovative printingproducts and can meet any need foradvertising, exhibitions, point-of-sales, shop windows, postings, mo-bile communication on vehicle and,sports event venues.

A FABRIC FOR BETTER PLAYERPERFORMANCESIn the sports wor ld today, h ighperformance gear is in constant de-mand. For this reason the researchand development departments ofmost companies work intensely tosatisfy this ongoing need.

The Fil lattice Group is one of themost important producers of elasto-meric and stretch fabrics. The Ita-lian company has created Feeltex, anew stretch fabric with high resi-stance levels; light, anti-allergenicand ant ibacter ia l , i t is ideal forsportswear.

Feeltex is available in two new ver-sions, Feeltex PRO and Feeltex ME-SH: the percentage of raw materialcomposition makes MESH articlesstretcher and lighter.

The high quality content, its light-ness and comfort make this fabricspecific for basketball, thanks to ahigh transpiration that assures apleasant sensation of freshness onthe skin.

A SPECIAL SOUNDThe Fox 40 whistle premiered at the1987 Pan American Games, and sin-ce then the Fox 40 Pea-less Whistle

BEHIND THE STAGE


20_039_040.qxd 31-05-2006 12:18 Pagina 39

has become the whistle choice for inter-national sports federations and confe-rences across the world.

The unmistakable, penetrating sound ofthe Fox 40 can be heard in over 140countries around the world. Fox 40 Inter-national has continued to exceed its re-putation for outstanding design and qua-lity products.

Fox 40 can be recognized by its piercingtone which never fails.

The harder you blow this whistle, thelouder the tone. The ingeniously desi-gned Fox 40 whistle doesn't use a pea togenerate sound.

In fact, there are no moving parts what-soever-noth ing to obstruct sound,nothing to stick, freeze. or fail. Fox 40's patented design moves the airblast through three-tuned chambers.

The Fox 40 family of whistles includesthe traditional Fox 40 Classic, Pearl &Mini styles with their cushioned mouth-piece or finger grip option.

Visit www.fox40world.com to review thecomplete line of whistles.

A RANGE OF SERVICESOiko Service is adynamic com-pany with a trackrecord of suc-cess in the deve-lopment of inte-grated communi-cations.

The companyworks c loselywith its clients tod i f f e r e n t i a t etheir f i rms andproducts with re-gard to targetaudience, com-pet i t ion, andcompany vision.

The firm enteredthe market in1999 as an Inter-net companyspecia l i z ing innew mediaareas, such asweb s i te s t ra-tegy and con-

tent, Internet marketing, and Intra-net.

Due to the i r background, theyworked increasingly with clients in

the sports sector.

Today, Oiko Service consults withmarketing managers and relatedfirms to set a strategy and then invi-gorate their brands, employing a fullrange of integrated vehicles, fromcorporate identity and pitch-booksto corporate brochures and eventservices.

Their creative work with professio-nal leagues and teams, host cities,sporting and entertainment eventsspans a range that includes interna-t ional basketbal l tournaments ,Olympic Games, music fest ivals,and a variety of sports champion-ships.

BASKETBALL BACKSTOPSPorter's research and developmentteam has been instrumental in theintroduction of the Fair-Court‚ rimtesting device to fairly and accura-tely measure the rebound perfor-mance of the flexible rim and entirebasketball support system.

Basketball rim testing is essential inorder to begin solving the problemof inconsistent rebound performan-ce found in inferior or worn equip-ment. This helps minimize the home courtadvantage and improves the inte-grity of the game of basketball.

Porter Athletic Equipment Companyis a worldwide supplier of profes-sional and top collegiate basketballbackstops for arenas, col leges,schools, parks, and recreation faci-lities.

Porter manufactures backboards,rims, and portable backstops; cu-stom gymnasium equipment; gymna-sium divider curtains; outdoor pro-ducts and many accessories.

Their continuous research and in-volvement in the sport of basketballcontributes immensely to their abi-lity to design, engineer and manu-facture products to help basketballgrow at a l l age and sk i l l levelsaround the world.

Porter remains dedicated to provi-ding high-qual i ty equipment andservices unmatched by anyone.

FIBA RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTRE


20_039_040.qxd 31-05-2006 12:18 Pagina 40


DOCTORS , TRAINERS AND CONDITIONING COACHES

Donna O'Connor is the Associate Dean(Learning & Teaching) at the Universityof Sydney, and has been with the Aus-tralian Women's Basketball team(Opals) since October 2003.

My role with the team is to assist thehead coach by developing training pro-grams to enhance player performanceand advise on sport science issues relat-ed to player preparation. This involveskeeping up-to-date with current re-search and continually communicatingwith the coaching and medical staff inplanning and implementing training pro-grams.

AUSTRALIAN CONTEXTThe "Opals", the nickname of the Aus-tralian women's national team, are cur-rently ranked third in the world. Of the 25-30 players in the National squad, approx-imately 70% of players will be located inAustralia, while 30% of players will com-pete overseas at some stage during theyear. This situation makes long term peri-odised programming difficult for individ-ual players but in recognising that thissituation will only increase, we have at-tempted to put systems in place to sup-port player preparation regardless ofwhere they are located.

In the first instance, the respective play-er, head coach and myself collaborative-ly decide general goals and specific fit-ness targets for the year. Ideally, pre-ha-bilitation and rehabilitation programs aredevised in consultation with the player'sclub personnel as well as Opals staff. Inow have contact with all WNBLstrength and conditioners and empha-

sise the role they play in supporting theopals player within the club environment.We now disseminate information onstrength and conditioning, testing andrelevant sport science issues. During thepre-season and WNBL season I will con-sult with the strength and conditioners tocollectively design programs for opalsplayers. We have started to have period-ic telephone conference calls to discussprogress of squad members. I will alsoregularly communicate with players ei-ther by phone or email during the season.

Due to the limited time the squad is ableto train together, clear and consistentcommunication is imperative. This is par-ticularly paramount outside the WNBLseason where large physical improve-ments can be made. For players not com-peting overseas, I receive weekly emailsthat include loads lifted in the gym, timesor distances for conditioning drills, andRPE [rate of perceived exertion] etc.From this information I am able to moni-tor and adjust individual training pro-grams.

Players based overseas have been moredifficult to support. We are slowly form-ing relationships with various clubs andtheir trainers so we can communicateand have an integrated approach to theoverall development of the player.

SPORT SCIENCE ISSUESSport science issues that have been re-searched and influenced Opals trainingprescription include energy demands ofbasketball, concurrent training, crosstraining, warm up (static stretching), hy-dration, jet lag, and recovery strategies. I

will briefly comment on two of the issuesas examples of our approach.

The intermittent nature of basketball andthe restricted court size is reflected inthe energy demands of this game. Al-though there are a few studies (McInneset al., 1995; Rodriquez-Alonso et al., 2003)that have quantified these physiologicalrequirements we have decided to con-duct our own research that will then di-rectly inform our training practice. Wehave monitored heart rates, lactates andmovement patterns during internationalgames, scrimmages and training ses-sions. Interpretation of this data gives anindication of player response to the de-mands imposed on them. This informa-tion provides insight into where eachplayer's level of fitness is at for any giventime and assists in individualising playerpreparation and recovery strategies.However, when interpreting these re-sults it must be considered that the inten-sity of the game will be influenced by thequality of opposition, the style of playused by the coach and the physiologicalcapacity of the players. By also monitor-ing these parameters during practicesessions we are able to categorise vari-ous training drills and activities as 'light,medium or heavy', which is helpful whendetermining training demands during dif-ferent phases of training. This will be par-ticularly pertinent in relation to courtwork in the lead-up to major champi-onships.

With the previous Olympics in Athensand the next world championships inBrazil issues such as acclimatisation, jetlag and hydration are very important.

by Donna O'Connor

THE "OPALS"STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

20_041_043.qxd 31-05-2006 12:35 Pagina 41

DOCTORS , TRAINERS AND CONDITIONING COACHES

Due to the amount of air travel we mustdo, educating players of the importanceof hydration is paramount. To assist withthis we will monitor urine specific gravity(USG) levels as an indication of hydra-tion status. Because you cannot rely onthe colour of urine as an indicator of hy-dration levels (due to influence of multi-vitamins etc) we have found using a re-fractometer for USG to be a very simpleand quick measure. For example, whenwe are in training camps we can take asample after training and then monitorthe amount of fluid that is consumed pri-or to the next training when a furthersample is taken. Over time each playerthen has a guide on the amount of fluidthat is required to return a reading of <0.01. We have also been able to makerecommendations on how much watershould be consumed on various flights.Prior to these initiatives some playerswere coming to training or games in analready dehydrated state.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

PERIODISING TRAININGDue to the different needs and playingcommitments of squad members a vari-ety of different programs are devised.For example, the majority of the 28 play-ers in the current Opals squad would befollowing one of seven different pro-grams. Consequently, both the frequen-cy and type of training session sched-uled for each squad member is deter-mined depending on the background ofthe player, their role within the Aus-tralian team, and their strengths andweaknesses.

During the WNBL (the Australian Divi-sion I Women's league), from October toFebruary, players participate in weighttraining that is tailored to incorporatetheir club commitments. In consultationwith club strength and conditioners, twoweight sessions a week are devised. Ata player's request I may also add an ex-tra conditioning or cross-training ses-sion to their weekly schedule. Playersgenerally will have a short transitionphase after the season (active recoveryand rehabilitation). For players not com-peting in the WNBA (the US professionalwomen's league) training during April toJune emphasises either strength or hy-pertrophy while continuing to build anaerobic foundation. During July the fo-cus will move to power and repeatedsprint-ability. Agility, core stability and

flexibility are components in all phases oftraining. August-September has a greaternumber of court sessions with combinedacceleration, agility and ball activities (in-dividual and team). Research indicatesthat loss of strength and power can occurwithin two-three weeks if resistance train-ing ceases. We maintain strength andpower levels with short, regular trainingsessions throughout the lead-up to themajor championships. To monitor and as-

sist with preparation training camps andinternational tours are scheduled wherepossible.

In reality, there are always a number of ob-stacles and difficulties encountered inplanning and implementing these trainingprograms. Depending on internationalcommitments in any given year, a numberof different training camps and travel willmean that there will be deviations from the


20_041_043.qxd 31-05-2006 12:36 Pagina 42

above planning. Difficulties in periodisedplanning and group cohesion occur withthe unavailability of different squad mem-bers at each of these camps while takinginto consideration the travel and playingcommitments of other players when inte-grating training sessions or testing intothe annual plan.

CONDITIONINGTraining sessions are prescribed to focuson the following outcomes: aerobic fit-ness, repeated sprint ability, speed andagility. Examples of training sessions areoutlined in the Table below.

Table 1: Examples of conditioning ses-sions

Session A: Hill runs▼ 8-12 reps x 150m▼ 2 min recovery between reps

Session B: ▼ progressed from 4 to 7 reps x 800m▼ HR> 85%maxHR▼ 4 minute recovery

Session C: beep shuttles▼ 2 min shuttles (L11 & 12) skills/shoot-

ing▼ 1 min shuttle (L 13) skills/shooting▼ 2 min shuttles (L11 & 12) skills/shoot-

ing▼ repeat above

Session D: ▼ 5 sets 10 x 35m on the 30 seconds (jog

back recovery)▼ 5 mins recovery between sets

Session E▼ 3 x 4 agility runs (aim at 40-44s) with

1:3 work: recovery ratio▼ work HR > 85% max HR with recovery

HR 100-120 bpm

CROSS TRAININGCross training is incorporated for a num-ber of reasons: to increase aerobic andanaerobic fitness without the additionalimpact on the body of continual runningand jumping, and to assist with addition-al energy expenditure for players aimingat reducing skinfold readings. Trainingsessions include the utilisation of row-ing on a concept 11 rowing ergometer(20 min aim at >4500m or 3 x 10 x 60s (aim> 275m) with 60 sec recovery betweenreps and 5 min between sets), cycling (3sets of pyramid: 15 sec - 30 sec - 45 sec -60 sec - 75 sec - 90 sec - 75 sec - 60 sec -45 sec - 30 sec - 15 sec; 15 sec betweenreps and 5 min between sets) and ellipti-

cal ergometers (10 x 3 min at level 8 with30-60s recovery at level 4). Pool ses-sions involved deep-water running,kicking, underwater swimming and six-packs (6 x 15m maximal sprints with 5sec recovery).

RESISTANCE TRAININGPlayers participate in 2-4 resistance-training sessions a week depending onthe time of year and macrocycle. To en-hance training adaptations I manipulatethe choice of exercise, volume, intensi-ty, rest and training system every 2-3weeks. Training systems that are incor-porated in different cycles include su-persets (assisted chins (seated row), gi-ant sets (DB lat raises (Front DB raises(reverse flyes: 3 x 8/8/8), matrix (curls: 3x 21), cluster sets (Bench Press: 3 x4/max/max), eccentric (Bench Press: 2 x6, 2 x 4, 2 x 4(eccentric), pyramids(Squat: 2 x 6, 2 x 4, 2 x 2) and complextraining (squats to jumps). At times I willvideo sessions so I can give players vi-sual feedback on their technique. Thishas assisted their learning of the morecomplex lifts and stability exercises.When the players have learnt correcttechnique I include lifts such as powerclean, hang clean, high pull, push press,press jerk and squat to push press. Inthe power phase I will also include 3-5medicine ball exercises.

STABILITYIn consultation with the team physiother-apist, core stability is assessed at eachtraining camp. If there is inadequate corestability, rotation & tilting of the pelvis willoccur which results in poor technique &inefficient force application. Conse-quently, a slower athlete will be the re-sult. Prone, supine and lateral holds(straight arms and forearms) are exam-ples of increasing pelvic stability usingthe athlete's own body weight. Emphasisis placed on contracted abdominals &gluts throughout the exercise as well ashaving the body in correct alignment (stiffas a board). These exercises were initial-ly 'held' for 3 x 20 s and eventually pro-gressed to 60 s holds for each of the eightexercises (8 mins in total). Other exercis-es that I have prescribed incorporate theSwiss ball and include the bridge (doubleand single leg), "jacknifes", hamstringrolls, divers pike, hip extension, Russiantwist, alternate superman and kneeling(see Collins, 1998).

SPEED AND AGILITYDue to court dimensions there is a sub-stantial focus on acceleration (0-10m)as players generally do not reach maxi-mal speed during competition. Speeddrills (marching, butt kicks, alternatehigh knees, bounds etc) aimed at train-ing the nervous system are incorporat-ed in the warm up at least three times-a-week. For variety 10 mins of ladderwork can also be included (e.g. cario-ca, zig-zag 2 foot jumps, slalom). Re-search indicates that speed off themark is closely correlated to leg power.Consequently, I combine plyometricstarts with acceleration runs duringthis phase of training. Examples in-clude 10 pitter-patters and sprint; 6straight leg bounds and sprint; 90(jumpto left, return to start and sprint 10m(repeat jumping right). An intensity of95-100% is the target for each repeti-tion. Agility involves the need to decel-erate, adjust stride pattern and bodyposition and then accelerate again.Young et al. (1996) demonstrated thatspeed and agility training are specificand only produce a 25% transfer to theother exercise mode. From this, twoagility/footwork sessions are incorpo-rated in the pre-season with at leastone session in-season. These wereshort maximal efforts that involved anumber of changes of direction in theone repetition. The duration of eachrepetition ranged from 3-15 seconds,within a 3-5 minute set followed by bas-ketball specific skill work.


20_041_043.qxd 31-05-2006 12:36 Pagina 43

NEWS

A new Italy will be unveiled at the FIBA World Champi-onship 2006 in Japan (19th August - 3rd September) andveteran coach Carlo Recalcati's aim is to mould the“Azzurri” (light blue), as the Italian national teams arenicknamed, into one of the most competitive nationalsides in international basketball.

Having won bronze at the EuroBasket 2003 in Swedenand silver at the Athens Olympics a year later, Italyneeded a wild card to play for the world title in Japanlater this year after failing to qualify outright.

Some experienced players are set to travel to the FarEast, but Recalcati hasalso revealed thatyoungsters will gettheir chance, includ-ing Benetton Treviso's2,13 (7ft) sensation An-drea Bargnani - a 20-year-old who has cap-tivated the Lega A andEuroleague fans in hisfirst season as astarter.

In a candid interviewwith FIBA's Cindy Gar-cia-Bennett, Recalcatitook a break from hisduties as coach ofMontepaschi Siena todiscuss the Azzurriand offer his thoughtson the squad an-nouncement made byGroup D rivals TeamUSA.

FIBA: There is a lot ofinterest in Italy andthe players who willrepresent the countryat the FIBA WorldChampionship which

gets underway in August. When do you expect to an-nounce your team?

RECALCATI: I will make a selection of 16 players at theend of the Lega A season and I will announce my final12-man squad just days before we travel to Japan.

FIBA: One player who has really captured the imagina-tion of basketball fans in Europe this season is AndreaBargnani. Can you tell us if he is a certainty for Japan?

RECALCATI: I will include young players and Bargnani isone of them. He has a good chance to make it to Japan.


One-on-one

Recalcatiexpects morecompetitiveUSA

20_044-045.qxd 31-05-2006 12:34 Pagina 44

Bargnani will be very useful to us, he is a modern play-er, who is a strong forward and can play the game.

FIBA: Bargnani is just one promising youngster. MarcoBelinelli and Stefano Mancinelli of Climamio Bolognahave played important roles forthe club this season. Are youhappy with how these players areprogressing?

RECALCATI: I'm happy that young play-ers are doing very well for the respectiveclubs and that they are playing at a competi-tive level. We need young players, who arestrong physically and mentally.

FIBA: One of the teams that you will coach against isthe United States. USA Basketball announced the 23players that are available for national team selectionfor Japan. Do you have the impression that the US ismissing a dominating center like Shaquille O'Neal?

RECALCATI: A team always needs a great center. Butthe problem that Team USA had at the last WorldChampionship and in Athens is not that of missing oneplayer or two players but rather the fact that they un-derestimated the other teams. It is no longer sufficientfor them to be just competitive, they now need to workat it, to prepare for this competition just like the rest ofthe teams have done in the past and continue to do.

FIBA: Considering the players, who have been named,like 2,13 (7ft) center Brad Miller of Sacramento andLos Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, do you see adifferent approach being taken? Additionally, formerBenetton Treviso coach Mike D'Antoni is an assis-tant to head coach Mike Krzyzewski so surely thiswill be a problem for Italy since he is familiar withyour players?

RECALCATI: I think they have recognized their mistakesand proof of this is the fact that they have includedMike D'Antoni in their coaching squad. Mike is a per-son that has a lot of knowledge of international bas-ketball, especially of the European game. After thedisappointment in recent years, one thing that I ex-pect from Team USA is that they will be hungry forsuccess. Their players will show more pride to regainthe leadership that they always had but have failed toshow in recent years.

FIBA: Italy beat the USA in a warm-up game staged inGermany before the Athens Olympics. What was thesecret behind that win?

RECALCATI: We played a great game against TeamUSA, we had nothing to lose. There were 10,000 fanswaiting to see the Dream Team and it was their firstappearance in Europe that year so the pressure wasreally on them. The difference was that we knew allthe players, my men knew who they were facing andthat was not the case with Team USA. The majority oftheir players compete in the NBA and are watched allover the world including in Europe so we obviously

knew their talent while they didn'tknow much about us.

FIBA: Are you surprised by the ex-clusion of former co-captain AllenIverson from Team USA, especiallyas he had so much experienceand also wanted to play?

RECALCATI: Ithink you have to ac-cept the choices,ideas and philoso-phy of a coach. Ifhe has made thatdecision theremust be a reasonbehind it . As acoach, you al-ways look atwhat is bestfor the team,s o m e t i m e syou makemistakes oryour deci-sions mightbe questioned but you have totake difficult decisions whendropping players.

FIBA: The last time you coachedItaly was in Serbia & Montenegroat the EuroBasket and Croatiabeat your team in the eliminationround. Are you looking forward togetting back together with the na-tional side to set the recordstraight?

RECALCATI: I think the World Cham-pionship will allow our young play-ers to gain experience at the high-est level. Of course, they will nothave the maturity due to their age,but this tournament will allow themto gain confidence and it will bebeneficial for the national team in fu-ture competitions such as the 2007EuroBasket.


Find more stories on

www.fiba.com

20_044-045.qxd 31-05-2006 12:34 Pagina 45

NEWS

Planetbasketball

the worldin brief


NEWZEALAND SQUAD NAMEDNew Zealand Head Coach Baldwin has re-leased a 29-man extended squad to preparefor Japan, featuring several in-form playersfrom the National Basketball League. NBAperformer Sean Marks (pictured), who with-drew from the national programme last year,is not listed at this stage, pending further dis-cussions over his availability. The squad willbe trimmed to 20 in mid-June for a trainingcamp beginning July 3. Thomas Abercrombie(Washington State University), AaronBaynes (Washington State University),Calum Baynes (Bay Hawks), Ed Book (Nel-son Giants), Dillon Boucher (Auckland Stars),Gerard Bowden (Savannah College of Art &Design), Craig Bradshaw (Winthrop Universi-ty), Pero Cameron (Banvitspor), BrentCharleton (Harbour Heat), Mark Dickel (Loko-motiv Rostov), Mike Fitchett (Nelson Giants),Casey Frank (Auckland Stars), Jason Greig(Otago Nuggets), Paul Henare (BayHawks/Banvitspor), Leon Henry (SouthernIdaho Junior College), Ben Hill (Waikato Pis-tons), Mike Homik (Harbour Heat), PhillJones (Nelson Giants/Cantu), Jeremy Kench(Canterbury Rams), Calum Macleod (Val-paraiso University), Zane Meehl (Maroochy-

dore Clippers), Aaron Nowell (ManawatuJets), Aaron Olson (NZ Breakers), MilesPearce (Otago Nuggets), Kirk Penney (Mac-cabi Tel Aviv), Tony Rampton (TaranakiMountain Airs), Lindsay Tait (AucklandStars), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants), PaoraWinitana (Bay Hawks). The final pieces to theTall Blacks' FIBA World Championshipspreparation are in place with a tour to SouthAmerica and a further domestic seriesagainst Qatar confirmed for July/August."Visiting South America and playing thatbrand of basketball against some of theworld's top teams will be a new experiencefor our team," enthuses Tall Black coach TabBaldwin. "We would expect to see playerslike Ginobili, Oberto and Nocioni from Ar-gentina, and Barbosa and Varejao fromBrazil, who are playing very well in the NBA."

ON THE MIND OF NIGERIA'S MERCYOKORIEOn the road to the FIBA World Championshipin Brazil (12- 23 September) there are somany items on the mind of Nigeria's smallforward Mercy Okorie (pictured). Aside fromthinking of a solution to the double-headedtask of facing the USA and Russia in the pre-liminaries, the Lady Tiger is alsoworried about the public percep-tion of her height.The former Houston Stealthplayer in the WNBA explainsthat even though she has takentime to fill in her correct statis-tics but the errors in some offi-cial publications across theworld have become asource of worry to her. "Ijust wish somebodycan help me sortthis out; it has be-come worrisome.My height isrecorded wrong-ly on many publi-cations that Ihave comeacross in re-cent times and

I don't seem to understand how it all began.The height of it all being at the Common-wealth Games". "They have me listed at 5'10but I am 6'0 ft which is about 1.88/1.90cm. Iguess they mistakenly confused my heightwith one of my teammates. I do hope that theright people will take note," she said. In theabsence of team captain Mfon Udoka theTurkey based player led the Lady Tigers to theMelbourne 2006 Commonwealth Gameswhere Nigeria finished fourth behind Aus-tralia, New Zealand and England.

NOCIONI CAUTIOUS AHEAD OF JAPANArgentina forward Andres Nocioni (pictured)is worried soaring expectations of his coun-try's title chances at the FIBA World Champi-onship in Japan could hurt the team's bid fora medal. The Chicago Bulls star helped Ar-gentina win gold at the 2004 Olympics and thecountry is among the favourites to win theworld title. He accepts that one of severalteams could win the gold in Japan, though."We're going to have to work very hard if wewant to do well at the championships be-cause we are on a similar level to Spain,France and team USA (United States)," said

Nocioni. The South American giants, infact, will do well to win all of their GroupA games. Argentina will face France,Venezuela, Lebanon, Nigeria andreigning world champions Serbia &Montenegro in the group."It's a dif-ficult group because there are so

many good teams, but we mustmake sure we win it to

avoid getting a tough tiein the next round," hesaid. Nocioni recentlymet up with nationalteam coach SergioHernandez and dis-cussed the build-up to Japan. "Wedidn't talk aboutwhat position hewants me to playin," he said. "Wetalked about the

20_046-049 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:19 Pagina 46

forthcoming friendly games and trainingcamps. In the national team, I play in the posi-tion he (Hernandez) needs me."

WAITING GAME WITH SARASLithuania are still in the dark over the avail-ability of national team guard SarunasJasikevicius (pictured) for the FIBA WorldChampionship.The Baltic giants are hopingthe 30-year-old, who just finished his firstNBA campaign with the Indiana Pacers, willplay in Japan and recently named him in theirpreliminary squad for the tournament. "We(federation and Jasikevicius) talked in Hous-ton at the (NBA) All-Star Weekend andagreed to talk after the season, but that hasyet to happen," national team general manag-

er Algis Pavilonis told FIBA. "Westart from June 8, on theseashore of the Baltics," Pavilo-nis said. The second phase of

preparations will get underwayon June 28 with the more experi-

enced players taking part, which iswhen Jasikevicius would show if he is

willing to play. Play-ers invited tofirst stage of

training camps: Guards: Vidas Ginevicius, Si-monas Serapinas, Mantas Kalnietis, RenaldasSeibutis, Darius Pakamanis, Vytenis Jasikevi-cius, Martynas Pocius; forwards: Arturas Jo-mantas, Stepas Babrauskas, Aurimas Kieza,Vladimiras Severovas, Jonas Maciulis, ValdasVosylius; centers: Darius Silinskis, Povilas Ciuki-nas, Marijonas Petravicius, Antanas Kavali-auskas. Players invited to second stage of train-ing camps: Guards: Sarunas Jasikevicius, Arvy-das Macijauskas, Rimantas Kaukenas, GiedriusGustas, Mindaugas Lukauskis, TomasDelininkaitis; forwards: Simas Jasaitis, LinasKleiza, Ramunas Siskauskas, MindaugasZukauskas, Darius Songaila; centers: DarjusLavrinovic, Paulius Jankunas, Ksystof Lavri-novic, Robertas Javtokas.

BOGUT CONFIRMED FOR JAPAN,SCHENSCHER UNDECIDEDAustralians AndrewBogut (pictured) andLuke Schenscherhave both complet-ed their NBA sea-sons with the firstround defeats of theMilwaukee Bucksand Chicago Bulls.In good news forAustralian basket-ball, both playersemerged from theplayoffs uninjuredand in good form.Bogut in particularhas impressed this season with his solid workethic at both ends of the floor. The number 1 pickin the 2005 NBA Draft averaged 9.3 points and

7.0 rebounds per game, shooting at animpressive 53% from the field across

all 82 regular season games. De-spite the wishes of the Milwau-kee Bucks, Bogut has committedto play for Australia at the FIBAWorld Championship in Japan,and will begin his drive for amedal on June 19th at theBoomers first camp in Canberra.The story for Luke Schenschermay be quite different, however,with the Bulls keen for him to

stay in the United States to polishhis skills and add muscle to his wiry

frame. The 23 year old South Australianis yet to announce his intentions for the Au-

gust tournament, a decision that will be eagerlyawaited by Australian basketball officials andsupporters alike. Luke faces a similar choice tocountryman Chris Anstey, who refused a Bullsrequest to remain in Chicago for the summer of2000, instead competing for his country in theSydney Olympics. Anstey has not returned to theNBA since declining the Bulls offer. Anstey has

committed to the Boomers FIBA WorldChampionship campaign, however, and willcombine with Bogut and Lietuvos Rytas' Eu-roleague star Matthew Nielsen to give Aus-tralia a formidable frontcourt presence.

ARGENTINA GATHERS PLAYERS FORBRAZIL 2006 Five foreign-based players will join up withthe Argentina squad in preparation for theforthcoming South American Championshipand the FIBA World Championship forWomen. Gisella Vega, Carolina Sanchez,Alejandra Chesta and guards Natalia Riosand Valentina Maggi will all link up with Ed-uardo Pinto's (pictured) squad for training inBuenos Aires. "We do not know when theplayers will arrive here, but the most impor-tant thing is they seemed happy with theproject," Pinto said. "Aside from these five,we are thinking about other players whoplay abroad. Besides the FIBA World Cham-pionship, thegirls alsowant to bepart of theSouth Ameri-can tourna-ment." Vega,who plays forSpanish sec-ond divisionside Real ca-noe, will ar-rive at the endof May whileChesta, of Olesa in Spain could also arrive inthree weeks. Sanchez will join up in Julywhile Rios and Maggi, who are withoutclubs at the moment, could link up soonerThe members of the squadwho play domes-tically willmeet upon May 27.

WIN FORPUERTORICOTeam PuertoRico ham-mered TeamBSN 108-92 in theAll-Star Game of thedomestic BSN league.The national team edgedthe first quarter 22-21but extended that leadto 54-45 at the interval.After the break, PuertoRico tightened controlwith Larry Ayuso (pic-tured) and Angel'Buster' Figueroa seal-


20_046-049 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:19 Pagina 47

NEWS

ing the win. Alejandro 'Bimbo' Carmona waselected the night's MVP. The centre, whoplays for Bayamon-based Vaqueros, pouredin 20 points, grabbed six rebounds and hand-ed out four assists in 14 minutes. Ayuso con-tributed 14 points and Wilfredo Pagan added13 but the BSN Team had the match's top-scorer in Corey Benjamin, who netted 34points while Lee Benson managed 27. Else-where, Leones' Robert Lazor won the three-point contest, while Criollos' David Andersonprevailed in the dunk contest.

OPALS SQUAD RE-STACKED FOR BRAZILThe Australian women's basketball team, thePrice Attack Opals, have re-stacked their

squad ahead of the 2006 FIBA World Champi-onships for Women in Brazil this September.The Commonwealth Games gold medallistshave added international players, Penny Tay-lor (pictured), Suzy Batkovic and Kristi Har-rower to the mix, and Olympians Alicia Potoand Natalie Porter have rejoined the squadafter overcoming injuries. Along with starsfrom the Price Attack WNBL, the Opals squadnow stands at 28 ahead of the team's firstfour-day training camp in Geelong on June11. "This is a high quality squad that will be areal force at the World Championships inSeptember," Price Attack Opals head coachJan Stirling said. A team of 12 will be chosenafter the first camp in June to tour China fromJune 28 to July 6. 2006 Price Attack Opals squad:Suzy Batkovic (UMMC Ekaterinburg, Rus-sia), Tully Bevilaqua (Canberra Capitals),Renae Camino (Townsville Fire), RohaneeCox (Townsville Fire), Jae Cross (San Anto-nio Silver Stars, USA), Desiree Glaubitz(Bulleen Melbourne Boomers), Hollie Gri-

ma (Bulleen Melbourne Boomers), JacintaHamilton (Dandenong Rangers), ShelleyHammonds (Dandenong Rangers), KristiHarrower (Valenciennes, France), KatrinaHibbert (Bulleen Melbourne Boomers),Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm, USA),Kathleen Macleod (Dandenong Rangers),Emily McInerny (Dandenong Rangers),Michelle Musselwhite (Sydney UniFlames), Erin Phillips (Adelaide Lightning),Natalie Porter (Sydney Uni Flames), AliciaPoto (Sydney Uni Flames), Emma Randall(Dandenong Rangers), Sam Richards (Dan-denong Rangers), Jennifer Screen (Ade-laide Lightning), Deanna Smith (Perth Lynx),Belinda Snell (Sydney Uni Flames), PennyTaylor (Phoenix Mercury, USA), Laura Sum-merton (Adelaide Lightning), Kristen Veal(Sydney Uni Flames), Jenny Whittle (Can-berra Capitals), Carly Wilson (DandenongRangers).

WANG BACK IN CHINA SQUADWang Zhizhi(pictured) hasbeen recalled tothe China na-tional team afterissuing an apol-ogy for his pre-vious refusal toaccept a call-up. The formerMiami Heatcenter, whowas the firstAsian to play inthe NBA, willnow hope torepresent hiscountry at theFIBA WorldChampionshipthis summer. The importance to China of securing his re-turn has been increased by an injury to Hous-ton Rockets All-Star Yao Ming, which has puthis own participation in doubt. Wang re-turned to Beijing from Los Angeles threeweeks ago to discuss a possible return tothe China team, having not played for hiscountry for four years. China have beenkeen to get their strongest team together asthey begin long-term planning for the 2008Olympics on home soil. Securing the returnof the 7ft 1in Wang has been a priority for theCBA for some time. The CBA initially ap-proached the former Dallas Mavericks andLos Angeles Clippers man in 2002, but hewas unresponsive, sitting out the FIBAWorld Championship and Asian Games thatyear, as well as the 2004 Olympics. However,he made moves of his own to contact theCBA beginning in 2005, culminating in the re-

turn to Beijing. His apology and recall arecrucial to China given the uncertainty overYao's situation. Following Wang's return,the CBA released a provisional squad of 18players - not including Yao - to take part inthe national team's preparations. Squad:Xie Libin (Beijing), Sun Yue, Zhang Songtao,Huang Haibei (Aoshen), Yang Ming (Liaon-ing), Liu Wei, Wang Yong (Shanghai), TangZhengdong (Jiangsu), Yi Jianlian, Du Feng,Zhu Fangyu, Wang Shipeng (Guangdong),Wang Lei (Henan), Gong Songlin (Fujian),Mo Ke, Chen Ke, Wang Zhizhi, Hu Ke (Bayi).

CSKA WIN EUROLEAGUE FINALCSKA Moscow played a game for the agesto beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-69 in Prague'ssold-out Sazka Arena on Sunday in the Eu-roleague title game. Huge underdogs goinginto the contest, CSKA's defense reignedsupreme as Italian coach Ettore Messinacelebrated his third title in the competition.He also won twice as the head coach ofVirtus Bologna. Greece's Theo Papaloukas(pictured), who scored 18 points anddished out seven assists, was voted MostValuable Player. It caps a magnificent sev-eral months for Papaloukas, who last au-tumn led his country to the EuroBasket titlein Belgrade. "It's important for everyone,"Papaloukas said to FIBA, when askedabout the impact for CSKA and for Greece.Just before on Greek radio, Papaloukastold people back home: "It feels great. It re-minds me of last September when we wonthe EuroBasket. Of course, that was better,because it was Greece." "I feel so happy,"Messina said. "Excuse if I get a bit emotion-al. Today my son got better and we won the

final against a greatMaccabi. "Messina's 16-month-old son on Thurs-

day was tak-en to hospi-

tal in

P r a -gue witha serious in-fection. He hadeven been uncon-scious but was re-vived by MaccabiTel Aviv physio-therapists upontheir return tothe MarriottHotel after apractice. Thewin has giv-en CSKAtheir firsttitle in 36years.


20_046-049 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:19 Pagina 48

YAO COULD STILL MAKE WORLDSChina star Yao Ming (pictured) could yet be fitto play for his country at the FIBA WorldChampionship in Japan. Yao's NBA seasonwith the Houston Rockets was cut short by abroken foot on April 10, and it was feared thatthe injury would jeopardise his chances ofplaying in the tournament this August. How-ever, after the 2.29m (7ft 5in) center under-went surgery end of April, Zhang Mingji,leader of Team Yao, has told China Radio In-ternational that Yao could recover in time topull on a China jersey. "I believe there is still apossibility for Yao to participate in the worldchampionships," Zhang said. After the sur-gery, Yao must now begin a long period of re-habilitation. First he must rest following the

operation, but will then have physiotherapybefore returning to China for conditioning. Yaois hoping to be back in Beijing by mid-June,and will base himself at the National TrainingBureau during his rehabilitation. Yao's injuryprevented him from accepting an invitationfrom the White House to attend the banquetwhich welcomed Chinese President Hu Jin-tao to Washington over the weekend.

NEW COACH FOR PANAMAGuillermo Vecchio (pictured) has been ap-pointed as the new coach of the Panama na-tional basketball team ahead of the upcomingFIBA World Championship. The Argentiniancoach's appointment was announced by theBoard of Directors of the Panamanian Bas-ketball Federation (FEPABA). He will workwith the team for three months, from June toAugust, in which time Panama will host theCentrobasket Championship (July 4-8), a qual-ifier for the 2008 Olympics.They will also play the Central American andCaribbean Sport Games in Cartagena, Colom-bia, from July 24-30, as well as some interna-

tional friendliesin Europe andAsia in early Au-gust, before theWorld Champi-onship, to beginin August 19.Vecchio man-aged Argentinain the 1996 At-lanta Olympicsand has also

managed Venezuela and Mexico. Vecchio iscurrently managing Grises in the Puerto Ri-can BSN league and will be assisted by Regi-nald and Enrique Grenald, who have eachhad spells at the national team. The newcoach will take over on June 5, according tothe Federation. Panama are in the FIBA WorldChampionship's Group B, alongside Spain,Germany, Angola, Japan and New Zealand.

BARBOSA NAMES SQUADHead coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa (pic-tured) has named a 21-strong squad forBrazil's games in the build-up to the FIBAWorld Championship for Women. "These 21players form a powerful group," said Barbosa.

"We managed to mix experienced with youngplayers, so it's guaranteeing a permanent re-newal. We've got a very balanced group."Barbosa added: "To host a World Champi-onship carries a great motivation, but also aresponsibility. I think the candidates to win thetitle, apart from Brazil, are the United States,Australia, Russia and the Czech Republic."Brazil squad: Point-guards: Adriana Moises'Adrianinha' (Penta Faenza - Italy), Helen Luz(Barcelona - Spain), Claudia Maria 'Claudin-ha' (Lattes Maurin Montpellier - France).Shooting guards: Vivian Lopes (SantaMaria/Sao Caetano), Iziane Marques (SeattleStorm - WNBA), Lilian Goncalves(Unimed/Ourinhos). Forwards: Janeth Arcain(Ros Casares Valencia - Spain), Jaqueline Sil-vestre (Sao Joao/Jundiai), Micaela Jacintho(MTK Polfa Pabiance - Poland), Palmira Mar-cal (FIB/Semel/Bauru), Karen Gustavo(Unimed/Ourinhos), Silvia Cristina (Ponte Pre-ta), Tayara Pesenti (Yaya Maria Porta XI -Spain). Centers: Isis Nascimento (Catanduva),Alessandra Oliveira (Ros Casares Valencia -Spain), Erika Cristina (Barcelona - Spain), Cin-

tia Santos (Le Schio Club - Italy), JucimaraDantas 'Mama' (Maddaloni - Italy), Kelly San-tos (Santo Andre), Graziane Coelho (PentaFaenza - Italy), Soeli Garvao 'Ega' (SantaMaria/Sao Caetano).

BETTER LATE THAN NEVERFOR NIGERIA'S UDOKA Breaking into the NBA is not an easy thing todo, but Nigeria international Ime Udoka (pic-tured) has taken a longer road than most.Six years after attending a training camp withthe Portland Trail Blazers, the 28-year-old hasfinally begun clocking minutes in the leagueafter signing a short-term contract with theNew York Knicks. Udoka is determined tohang around for as long as possible."It took a little longer than I expected but I'mhere trying to take advantage of this opportu-nity," he told Hoopsworld.com. "It feels good."Udoka, whose sister Mfon also plays interna-tional basketball for Nigeria, remains passion-ate about representing his country, and whilehe will spend the summer doing all he can toearn a return to the NBA next season, he iscommitted to playing at the FIBA WorldChampionship in August. It will give him achance to pay back Vincent for his help in re-alising his NBA dream. "I'm going to play thissummer in Japan for the national team," hesaid. "My coach in the D League (Vincent)coached so that is the reason I went to FortWorth anyway. Then I ended up here. Sohopefully we'll have a successful summer."


Find more stories on www.fiba.com

20_046-049 .qxd 31-05-2006 12:20 Pagina 49

SURPRISE ENTRYATTHE 2006 DRAFTA student sportswriter has suc-cessfully entered his name forthe NBA draft. David Isaacs, a junior at theUniversity of California at Santa Cruz, hasput his name forward despite never playingat a level higher than his intramural leagueat college. The 1.68m (5ft 6in) Isaacs appearsin Section B of the NBA's official list of earlyentrants for the draft. How he got there is thesubject of a column Isaacs has written forSports Illustrated website cnnsi.com."My official basketball career is very short,"Isaacs wrote. "I played throughout highschool - at lunchtime, but there aren't anystatistics. I played in an intramural league atcollege, but no stats were kept for that, ei-ther. The day I realized I was going to de-clare for the NBA Draft was like any other. Ihad finished playing a series of pickupgames at the gym on campus, and the com-petition was tough as always. I matched upagainst a shooting guard, who was about 5ft10in, 180 pounds. This guy tried to pop someoutside shots, but couldn't do it with myhand in his grill. He tried to post me up, butcouldn't back me down. After three consec-utive wins, it dawned on me: I was ready forthe show". Isaacs initially placed calls toboth the NBA Players Association and theNBA Headquarters in New York, but did notget a response. However, after hiring SanFrancisco-based agent John Domantay,Isaacs began to make progress. Domontayshowed Isaacs the sections of the league'sCollective Bargaining Agreement whichmade it possible for him to enter (Article X),and put him in touch with Ned, a member ofstaff at the NBA Operations Department. "Itwas late at night, when I called, so I left amessage for Ned on his voicemail. I woke upthe next morning and imagined Ned had satdown at his desk, laughed at my patheticvoicemail and gleefully deleted it" Isaacssaid. Instead, Ned called back and askedIsaacs to put his declaration in writing. Aquick fax later, and Isaacs was on the list, al-beit filed under "unknown individuals".

BOL WALKING TALL FOR SUDAN CAMPAIGNFormer NBA star Manute Bol is walking the300 miles between New York and Washingtonto lend his support to a campaign promotingfreedom in his homeland of Sudan.Bol has joined the Sudan Freedom Walk, acampaign initiated by former Sudanese slaveSimon Deng. Thewalk aims to raiseawareness of mod-ern forms of slaveryand oppression inthe country.It takes an extra spe-cial effort from the43-year-old, who canonly walk with theaid of a cane aftersuffering serious neck injuries in a car acci-dent in 2002.Bol, who at 2.31m (7ft 7in) became the tallestplayer to appear in the NBA when he wasdrafted by the San Diego Clippers in 1983, isknown for his charity work, and has frequent-ly visited Sudanese refugee camps. In 2001,his visits got him in trouble when he was heldis custody by the Sudanese government forhis support of the Sudanese People'sLiberation Army. He was only released afterthe intervention of United States SenatorJoseph Lieberman. He has given much of his NBA earnings toSudanese refugees via his Ring TrueFoundation. In a string of appearances toraise money for the cause, Bol has demon-strated his abilities in other sports, beatingformer NFL star William "The Refrigerator"Perry in a boxing match, as well as suiting upfor an ice hockey game and enjoying a briefstint as a jockey. Notoriously, his agent used to mention oneunusual accomplishment when negotiatinghis contracts. At 15, the Dinka herdsman killeda marauding lion with his spear as it laidsleeping. It's not clear if any of his clubs paida premium for this particular talent.

NEWS

DUENAS UNHURT AFTER BREAK-IN Spain international Roberto Duenasescaped unharmed after burglars brokeinto his house in the middle of the nightand tied him up.The 2.21m (7ft 3in) Akasvayu Girona centerhad money stolen but was eventually ableto free himself and contact the police.Duenas spoke of his ordeal in the Spanishpress on Thursday."I didn't hear anything because the intrud-ers entered my house downstairs and Iwas upstairs" he said. "I only noticed theirpresence when they came into my room. Igot very scared but the important thing isthat I'm fine."Duenas played for Spain in the AthensOlympics but did not take part in theirEuroBasket campaign last year.He is averaging 5.4 points and 4.2

rebounds in 15 minutesper contest for

Akasvayu, who is insixth place in the

S p a n i s hL e a g u e

ACB.

Find more stories on www.fiba.com

THE ODD - THE FUNNY - THE UNUSUALOff-the-court


20_050 31-05-2006 12:37 Pagina 50

Documents

THE MARYLAND OFFENSE