Coaches are constantly looking for new ways to give their team an edge over their opponents. New offensive philosophies and defensive gimmicks seem to pop up every year. Many coaches at all levels and especially at the high school level seem to jump on these new ideas in hopes that it will help them win a state title or just simply turn a bad season around. Although it is very important for the serious coach to continue to explore and expand their philosophy, it may be as important for coaches to look at what they are currently doing, or not doing.
Many, “old school coaches” live by the philosophy that teams need to prepare for them and not the other way around. In some cases this may be true, but a good coach will always take the time to scout their opponent in an effort to help their team gain an advantage. The best team in your league has weaknesses. As a coach, if you can find those weaknesses and figure out a way to exploit them, you will give your team a better chance of victory.
So, when you go to scout your opponent what do you look for? This is a crucial question that only you can answer. You have to start by taking a look at your team. You need to determine your teams “basketball IQ”. Do you have a team with a high “basketball IQ” that you can throw tons of information at? Or, is your teams “basketball IQ” at a level in which too much information can cause more harm than good? As a coach, learning everything you can about your opponents will always be worth your time. However, how much information you pass on to your players should be determined by their “basketball IQ”.
Now that you have thought about what you are going to look at, its time to go scout. If at all possible it is a great idea to scout two opponents at once. If it is early in the season you may not have this opportunity, but as league play begins, get the most out of your time and scout opponents when they play each other. Take or send your video camera when ever possible. Video is a great tool for scouting and will allow you to stay with your team while you send someone to get the information. Also, you can slow the tape down and review it as much as you need.
As you scout your opponent, live or off of a video, start with the simple stuff. Who are their starters? Do they run a full court or half court defense? Do the play primarily man to man or do they run a lot of zone? Look at individuals players. Can their point guard dribble with his/her weak hand? Who are their shooters? Can their post player shoot from outside? Who are their first couple players off the bench and who do they come in for?
Next, look at their offensive sets. What are they trying to accomplish against a man and or zone defense? Do they like to fast break or are they a half court team? Take a close look at their baseline inbounds plays. Most teams look for a quick score off the baseline inbounds. Pay attention to what they do out of time outs, some coaches like to run a quick hitter out of a time out when on offense, while other coaches will constantly change their defense.
Now that the actual scouting is done, review your notes and start preparing a game plan. Look at the things your opponents do well and determine how you are going to stop them. Look at areas where you can take advantage of their weaknesses. Prepare your players. Talk to them about who they will match up with. Let them know if they are right or left handed. Let them know if they can shoot from outside or like to penetrate. Show your team their offense. Discuss what they do on defense. Show them inbounds play and how to stop them. Again, how much info you share with your team is entirely up to their basketball IQ.
After you play the scouted opponent, review your scouting report. Look at the things you did well and take a close look at the things you did not do well. Just like your players you will need to practice. Scouting can be a very important tool to master in your coaching career. Coaches who put the time into scouting always seem to be more successful year in and year out than those that just fly by the seat of their pants. The more time you put in and the more information you can get your team to absorb, they more successful you will be.
