Slappin' Glass Podcast

Slappin' Glass
  • 4.4 (268)
  • Basketball
  • Weekly

Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches from around the world.

  1. 15h ago

    Tagging Up vs. Crashing Five | Offensive Rebounding Deep Dive

    Dan Krikorian, Patrick Carney and Eric Fawcett discuss the next stage of the offensive rebounding conversation: strict tagging up, crashing five, and the space between them. Pat shares his early experience with a staff sending five to the glass, while Dan breaks down the details that keep aggressive rebounding connected to transition defense: approaching on the high side, staying with the tag long enough, and making the rebounder’s first dribble go east-west. The group explores freeing a strong offensive rebounder, adjusting to mismatches and scrambled defenses, and why the third player reaching the glass may matter more than adding a fourth or fifth. Eric shares observations from Division I tracking data, and Dan explains why transition numbers need to be checked against the film. The episode closes with a look at European teams and styles on the hosts’ watch lists. What you will learn How crashing five changes the message players receive about offensive rebounding.Why low-side approaches, soft tags and early re-switches expose transition defense.How a one second press can buy time for teammates to recover.Where floor position and shot quality may justify more rebounding freedom.Why actual participation matters more than the number of players assigned to crash.How to separate transition possessions after turnovers from those after missed shots.What to watch when opponents use early screens to disrupt tags after made baskets.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  2. Oct 23

    Ross Hodge on Defensive Adaptability, Solving Offensive Problems, and Attacking Zones | West Virginia

    Ross Hodge joins Slappin’ Glass to discuss defensive adaptability, teaching defensive decision making, and adjusting a no middle defense against modern basketball offenses. The trio explores how to prepare players for scramble situations, develop defensive feel, and defend the flat ball screens that challenge paint protection. During Start, Sub, or Sit?!, the trio dives into offensive player development, including rim finishing, shot selection, passing, and drawing fouls. Hodge explains how better decisions create better finishes, why footwork and spacing matter for bigs, and how to help secondary playmakers avoid situations that demand difficult passes. The trio also discusses zone offense, using step up ball screens and weak side screening to create advantages, and building practice plans that expose your offense to different defensive coverages. Hodge closes with his thoughts on investing in players, staff, and the people around your program. Time Topic   |02:28  | Ross Hodge joins the conversation  | 02:49  | Defensive adaptability and playing in the gray  | 05:49  | Teaching through scrambles and disadvantaged situations  | 08:25  | Personnel, peel switching, and defensive feel  | 12:57  | Building habits before adding freedom  | 17:38  | How North Texas protected the paint and limited threes  | 20:19  | Adapting no middle against middle third attacks  | 23:37  | Defending flat screens and adjusting the pickup point  | 26:45  | Start, Sub, or Sit?!  | 27:11  | Offensive puzzles: passing, finishing, and drawing fouls  | 30:12  | Guard finishing and shot selection  | 33:37  | Developing a big’s base, balance, and spacing  | 36:56  | Helping secondary players become better passers  | 39:24  | What defensive coaches learn from watching offense  | 41:22  | Ranking screening actions against zones  | 44:35  | Adjusting the offense to different zones  | 46:38  | Practicing against other defenses  | 49:38  | Using “punch” segments early in practice  | 51:24  | Foul line playmakers and driving against zones  | 53:49  | Best career investment: investing in people  | 55:57  | Dan and Pat’s takeaways To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  3. Oct 16

    Brooks Savage on Offensive Evolution, From Tagging to Crashing, and Late-Game Comebacks | East Tennessee State

    Brooks Savage has changed his offense several times since becoming a head coach. In this episode, the East Tennessee State coach explains how personnel, team strengths, and defensive identity shaped those decisions—and why he became more effective once he stopped trying to be different for its own sake. Savage also shares how he builds a clear team identity through standards, recruiting, and consistent language; why he prefers short, repetitive practices built around a few priorities; and how his approach to offensive rebounding has shifted from tagging up to more selective crashing. He discusses the decision to play without a traditional center, how he attacks a late-game deficit, and why coaches should use timeouts when the game calls for it instead of saving them for an imagined final moment. What You’ll Learn How personnel and team strengths should shape an offenseWhy a program’s identity starts with standards and informs recruitingHow to build culture through repeated language and daily expectationsWhy Savage favors short, focused practices with consistent prioritiesWhat his team learned by shifting from tagging up to crashingWhy ETSU chose to play without a traditional centerHow he approaches pressing, lineups, and timeouts when trailing lateTimestamps 02:42 The evolution of Savage’s offense07:54 Finding an edge through fundamentals09:59 Choosing sets and preparing for opponents12:03 How a set-heavy offense changes practice15:02 Building practice around a team’s capacity20:37 Moving from tagging up to crashing24:29 Start, Sub, or Sit: identity and standards28:58 Making culture real through language and behavior32:00 Matching team identity to the university and community33:52 Coaching players who fall below the standard36:31 Creating a comeback by changing the game40:02 Why ETSU plays without a traditional center42:49 When to use timeouts44:38 The best investment of Savage’s coaching careerTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  4. Oct 9

    Kim Caldwell on Building a Connected System, Burning the Boats, and Practice Tipping Points | Tennessee

    Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kim Caldwell joins the podcast to detail the connected system behind her high-possession style of play. Caldwell explains how her teams pursue a 20-shot advantage through forced turnovers, offensive rebounding, limiting their own turnovers, and getting to the foul line. She breaks down the habits that must be unlearned to play fast, how shot selection connects to floor balance, and why crashing four naturally establishes matchups for the press. She also discusses subbing for fatigue rather than mistakes, giving defenders freedom within the run-and-jump, and the danger of introducing a Plan B that contradicts the team’s identity. In Start, Sub, or Sit, Caldwell ranks communication, decision-making, and execution when players reach their physical limit. The conversation closes with her approach to full-court practices, eight-minute drills, conditioning, and choosing coaching jobs where winning is possible. Timestamps 2:20 – Kim Caldwell joins the show 2:34 – The goal of creating 20 more shots 4:29 – Adjusting the shot-margin target by competition level 5:13 – Unteaching habits and training with a 12-second clock 6:33 – Defining a good shot within the system 7:41 – Preferred opponent shot profile 9:12 – Using defense to regain pace and momentum 10:47 – Substitution patterns and playing in short bursts 12:55 – Attacking teams that try to slow the game 14:36 – What Caldwell tracks during timeouts 16:49 – Crashing four and “building a house” 18:37 – Matching up and flowing into the run-and-jump 19:45 – Giving defenders freedom to err toward aggression 20:26 – Conviction, adaptation, and the danger of Plan B 23:04 – Protecting leads without abandoning pace 25:14 – Late-game shot selection and pressure adjustments 26:12 – Caldwell’s philosophy on calling timeouts 28:02 – Start, Sub, or Sit: Practice tipping points 30:12 – Player-to-player communication under fatigue 31:51 – Keeping chaos within the right boundaries 33:14 – Full-court practice and conditioning 35:03 – The eight-minute drill limit 36:46 – Finishing the final conversion of a drill 38:19 – Building practice plans with the staff 40:04 – Caldwell’s best career investment 41:39 – Slappin’ Glass takeaways To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  5. Oct 2

    Jim Les on Building Urgency, Princeton Reads, and Multiple Offensive Modes | UC Davis

    UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss the daily habits behind elite performance, building trust before asking for hard truth, and creating a team environment where productive conflict can be handled quickly. Coach Les explains why urgency starts with what a staff is willing to tolerate, how written player goals can sharpen accountability, and why “the game knows” has become a central teaching idea in his program. On the tactical side, he breaks down UC Davis’s use of Princeton and chin action, the value of a dynamic catch before the pick and roll, teaching split cuts through clear order of operations, and using multiple offensive modes during a game. The conversation closes with ball-screen coverage complexity, deciding whether to fix or cover a team weakness, and the coaching investment that has kept him learning for more than two decades. Episodes Chapters 02:51  The traits of elite players and teams 03:22  Urgency habits and editing your life 08:40  How Coach Les changed as a communicator 11:17  Protecting the head coach’s voice 13:40  The game knows 15:47  Building a pre-practice habit system 18:17  Teaching passing off the dribble 19:36  Productive conflict inside a team 22:27  Staff communication and alignment 25:06  Investing in relationships with players 28:51  "Start Sub or Sit" Princeton into pick and roll 30:15  Dynamic catches and sprinting into the screen 32:03  Why Princeton punishes good defensive principles 34:55  Teaching split cuts and the feeder is the leader 36:36  Attacking the closeout before the ball screen 38:12  Using multiple offensive modes 40:02  "Start Sub or Sit" changes in coaching philosophy 41:41  Scaling ball-screen coverage complexity 45:19  Fixing a weakness or covering it 47:05  Coach Les’s best career investment 49:07  Slappin’ Glass recap To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  6. Sep 25

    Nevada Smith on "25" Speed, Confusion Zones, and Crashing Five | Siena

    Siena University head coach Nevada Smith joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss the difference between speed and pace, the details behind “25 Speed,” and how his teams work to create advantages within the first five seconds of a possession. Smith breaks down one-handed passing, finishing development, empty-side pick-and-rolls, high-slot spacing, attacking defensive absolutes, and creating “confusion zones” through guard-to-guard actions. During “Start, Sub, or Sit,” he shares his approach to offensive rebounding, reading ball flight, crashing five, training disadvantaged transition situations, and developing point guards who can commit a second defender. What You’ll Learn  Why Smith separates speed from pace—and how he defines “25 Speed.”  How finishing work and one-handed passing support a faster offense.  Why high-slot spacing and empty-side pick-and-rolls create downhill attacks.  How Siena identifies and attacks defensive absolutes.  Why guard-to-guard actions create “confusion zones” against switching defenses.  How shot selection and ball-flight recognition shape offensive rebounding.  Why committing a second defender is Smith’s top point-guard skill.  How the first 36 minutes inform Siena’s offense during the final four.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  7. Sep 18

    Justin Downer on Offensive Decision Trees, The Power of Three, and Creating Productive Adversity | Point Loma

    Point Loma Head Coach Justin Downer joins the Slappin’ Glass Podcast to discuss building offensive decision trees around advantage creation, organizing offense into four connected phases, and using the “power of three” to simplify reads. Downer explains how Point Loma identifies its three best offensive leverage points, recruits primary ball handlers rather than traditional point guards, and teaches ball-screen decisions through three levels: the primary defender, the coverage, and the help behind it. In Start, Sub, or Sit, the conversation shifts to creating productive adversity, building clear feedback loops, highlighting roles, tagging up, and switching with physicality. What You’ll Learn How Point Loma organizes offense into four phases without making the players feel restricted by the structure.  Why every offensive decision begins with identifying the advantage it is meant to create.  How the “power of three” shapes decision trees, offensive actions, and player reads.  Why Point Loma evaluates primary ball handlers through processing and decision-making rather than traditional point-guard traits.  How to teach ball-screen reads through the primary defender, the coverage, and the help behind it.  Why Downer corrects aggressively during teaching segments but avoids providing answers during competition.  How role highlighting allows bench players to retain their strengths when their minutes change.  Why tagging up, forcing left, and physical switching help Point Loma dictate the possession before the offense can create an advantage.To join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

  8. Sep 11

    Jeff Van Gundy On Defending Great Players, Scoring Via Cutting, and Giving Impactful Feedback | SG Classics

    In this high-level, candid, and engaging return to the show, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy joins Slappin' Glass for his third appearance. Van Gundy dives deep into what it takes to defend the NBA's best players—emphasizing the fundamentals of transition defense, rebounding, and avoiding reckless fouling. The conversation explores stunt vs. full help principles, creating physical defenses through communication, and the challenge of preparing against high-powered offenses. A special edition of “Start, Sub, or Sit” covers skill development, offensive rebounding priorities, and what Van Gundy learned moving from broadcasting back to the NBA bench. Authentic, honest, and packed with coaching wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for coaches at all levels looking to sharpen their defensive philosophies and leadership approach. Topics Include: Defending elite players with discipline and fundamentalsCommunication as a driver of physicalityThe evolving role of offensive rebounding in the NBA and other levelsHow to give appropriate and impactful feedback to playersVan Gundy’s “sniper rule” for transition defense 😂“Start, Sub, or Sit” on skill development and late-game coaching lessonsTo join coaches and championship winning staffs from the NBA to High School from over 70 different countries taking advantage of an SG Plus membership, visit HERE!

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About

Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches from around the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Slappin' Glass
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    306
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Slappin' Glass Podcast
  • Show Website
    Slappin' Glass Podcast

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