By Jay Bilas, ESPN
I had a great discussion recently with one of college basketball's best coaches about a Bill Parcells concept regarding how teams lose games. Parcells is credited with saying that you have to understand what causes you to lose because until you do, you will never truly understand how to win.After thinking about it, speaking to several coaches about it and consulting so many of the basketball materials I have collected and been given by some of the best coaches I have known, I came up with a list of things in college basketball that cause teams to lose. This list is by no means exhaustive or original, but these principles have been emphasized by many of the best coaches in the game.
1. Defensive Breakdowns
Teams with defensive breakdowns lose. The best defenses are difficult to score upon and do not allow open shots. The best defenses are "help defenses" that require little help because they guard the ball well by closing out under control to take away the open shot and because they take away the middle drive. The best defenses sustain a physical and intense defensive effort, play the ball and communicate at a high level, and they do it consistently throughout the game. Bob Knight has said that action is quicker than reaction, and help defense is the solution. If the defender containing the ball gets beat, he must have swift and decisive help, and the helper must be helped with a similar sense of urgency. The best defenses are committed to taking away any open shots and forcing one quick and contested shot, with five defenders committed to getting the ball before converting to offense.
2. Outcompeted on the Glass
The best teams understand the worth of additional possessions and make rebounding a priority on both ends. The best teams understand that defensive rebounding is a five-man effort to deny the opponent the opportunity to get additional possessions to score before you can. The best teams understand that offensive rebounding allows you to get additional possessions to score before your opponent can. The best teams are committed to going to the glass and not surrendering to or staying attached to blockouts, but instead overcoming obstacles to pursue the ball with both hands and secure it.
3. Losing the Free Throw Battle
The free throw line is the best and most efficient place from which to score on a basketball court. The best teams work with a purpose to get to the free throw line, coach to get to the free throw line and hit free throws when they get there. The best defenses keep the opponent out of the middle, play tough and physical defense without fouling, and understand that there is no such thing as "fouls to waste." Fouls should not be wasted, and when a substitute enters the game with no individual fouls, that is not license to commit a needless foul and put the opponent closer to the bonus. Getting into the bonus earlier takes away opponents' aggressiveness, and putting the opponent into the bonus takes away your aggressiveness.
4. Losing the Turnover Battle
The best teams understand the value of the ball, and being loose with the ball provides the opponent additional possessions and results in empty possessions for your team. The turnover total is not the best marker -- it is the turnover margin, because that is the number of additional possessions gained or lost based upon how each team values the ball. Some teams protect the ball better and other teams have more takeaways than miscues. The key is the additional shot attempts gained by valuing the ball on offense and defense.
5. Poor Shot Selection and Offensive Execution
The best teams consistently work for and take high-percentage shots and are committed to passing up early, contested shots to find a teammate with an open one. The best teams are committed to working together and are not hung up on "my" shot, understanding that every shot is "our" shot. The best teams understand roles and have all five players on the court working hard to get open and be threats to score. The best teams understand that working hard to get a good open shot and taking it is not selfish. Taking bad shots, such as contested shots early in the clock, is selfish.
6. Poor Communication
The best teams not only talk, they listen. It does no good to have five talkers on the floor unless you also have five good listeners and actors. The best teams are connected to one another on offense and defense, and are connected to the bench. Whether at home or on the road, breakdowns in communication result in corresponding breakdowns in Nos. 1-5 on this list. Communication is a skill, and the best teams value communication as highly as any other aspect of the game.
