The Best Closeout Coach
Meeting Tony Bennett's staff at UVA...
In 2019, I had the chance to attend several practices and speak with the staff at the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team. For years, I had studied their defensive work, as they consistently ranked among the top teams in college basketball defensive metrics. One of those metrics was closeout defense. According to Synergy Sports, Virginia had been one of the best teams at lowering opponents' shooting percentages over a six-year stretch. This success couldn’t be attributed to luck or variance alone, so I was eager to learn about their closeout teachings and techniques.
What I discovered wasn’t what I expected. When I asked about closeouts, the staff discussed several drills they use to practice them. Some drills were surprising, designed to help players learn their impact distance on shooters. Others were more conventional, the kind you see in gyms everywhere. Clearly, the volume of reps showed they valued closeouts. But what about technique? Two hands or one? Choppy feet or stride stop?
When I brought up questions about specific techniques, I received a half-shrug and the phrase, “It depends.” They were being honest. In reality, they rarely focused on the specific technique of a closeout. This blew my mind. But they elaborated, of course, if a player was struggling with closeouts or used a technique that was more harmful than helpful, they would take that player aside and work on it. But for the most part, they treated it like a player’s shooting form—if it’s broken, they’ll fix it, but if it’s working, keep it going. They can make tweaks and small adjustments, but they view closeouts in the same light as shooting.
Each player may have a slightly different, anatomically correct closeout form. As long as the technique meets their closeout objectives, there’s no problem. Some players favor a stride stop, others choppy feet, and some land somewhere in between. Not every shooter needs the same form to be effective, and the same goes for closeouts. But there’s one more piece to the puzzle at UVA.
The Last Piece
The debate about closeout footwork might not need to be much of a debate at all. Instead, it should be seen as arguing over the worst-case scenario—a technique that should rarely make a huge difference. Instead, the ultimate goal of a closeout is to arrive on the catch, and this is too often overlooked. As the ball reaches the offensive player’s hands, the defender should already be there, making the closeout footwork irrelevant since on-ball defense has already begun.
As coaches, we often spend too much time preparing for the worst-case scenario. We focus more on rotations than on guarding one-on-one. Similarly, we spend more time working on closeout footwork than on enforcing and practicing arriving on the catch. From my firsthand observations, UVA excels at arriving on the catch more than any other team I’ve watched. Their off-ball defenders are always ready, anticipating when to recover to the ball. As the coaches say, "They are always ready to steal second," a baseball analogy for beating the ball to the base as the pitcher throws it. It’s a perfect metaphor for anticipation, reaction, and timing—a crucial addition to an age-old drill.
Drill - Steal Second
Basketball drills come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes the most effective ones are those that draw inspiration from other sports. Today, we introduce a unique drill that combines elements of basketball and baseball, aiming to sharpen defensive anticipation and improve closeout speed and technique.
The drill involves setting up three stationary offensive players (we can add dribble drives and movement later), like in a shell drill with build-up segments. Around each offensive player, tape down a large square that acts as a base, similar to a baseball base. The size of the base depends on how tight you want your defenders to close out. The objective for the defenders is to execute a closeout and arrive on the catch before the ball gets to that base. They must beat the ball or arrive with it to be "safe," simulating a base runner in baseball, particularly one stealing second base.
One of the key skills honed in this drill is anticipation and reaction. Defenders must constantly read the offensive player's movement cues, eyes, and the ball to anticipate the pass, allowing them to arrive at the base simultaneously or before the catch.
This drill also reinforces the importance of off-ball defenders and their mindsets. Defenders cannot afford to relax off the ball in this drill; they must be constantly focused and ready to move in an instant.
The drill also emphasizes the speed and agility required to execute closeouts. Defenders must explode out of their defensive stance, sprinting towards the offensive player as soon as the pass is made. Quick and efficient closeouts not only prevent open shots but also apply pressure and limit the offensive player's options. By arriving on the catch, we bypass the closeout footwork debate and transition directly into on-ball defense.
Basic Drill Rules and Concepts:
The defensive team tries to complete as many closeouts as possible without getting three outs. After three outs, the next team comes on.
Closeouts without an early hand result in an out.
Offensive gap drives and movement can be added as the drill and players progress.
If the offense is moving the ball too easily, the defense needs to improve at tracing, impacting, and disrupting the ball. This will also enhance the off-ball defender's ability to read and anticipate the ball handler's intentions to pass.
By infusing basketball with elements from America's favorite pastime, this drill offers a fresh perspective on the shell drill, adding a layer of competition to the often repetitious and routine shell positioning.
*A special thanks to the UVA staff and Tony Bennett for their sharing of the game and their immense master of basketball defense.