with Eric Bridgeland,
Whitman College Head Coach;
led Whitman to a 104-14 record (.881) from 2014-15 through 2017-18;
back-to-back unbeaten conference records in 2017 & 2018;
2018 Basketball Times D-II Men's Coach of the Year;
2018 HoopDirt.com D-III Men's Coach of the Year;
2018 NABC West District Coach of the Year
With over 300 career wins at the Division III level, Eric Bridgeland has proven he has the coaching chops to develop high-achieving teams. A run of successful seasons under Coach Bridgeland has placed Whitman as one of the top programs in the country that also focuses on developing off the court relationships and leaders in today's world. His fast-paced system has made for a fun style of play that your players will love to play within themselves.
Philosophy
In Coach Bridgeland's unstoppable fast break, all bets are off. Players are taught to get to the paint - no matter what. If you can keep your dribble and attack in the open court, do it! If you can hit the wings flying up the court, do it and attack middle! If you can hit a rim runner for an easy score at the rim, do it! By attacking mid-line defenders, your opponent will quickly find themselves in foul trouble and frustrated due to allowing easy buckets at the rim.
You'll see how to teach your athletes to draw two defenders to open up the floor and create more driving lanes once the ball is in the half court. This style of play makes it tough for defenses to deny or take away any one player, as all athletes on offense are looking to attack the paint. You'll put constant pressure on the defense to stop you at the rim.
Spacing and Rules
In order to open the floor, Bridgeland incorporates a traditional setup: two wings, an inbounder, a post runner, and a ball handler. The ball handler looks to advance the ball as quickly as possible by dribbling or hitting the open wing ahead. Coach Bridgeland gives his point guard three rules to remember at all times:
- Get the ball inbound quickly
- Get to the paint as soon as possible
- Make sure you have a trail inbounder
Drills
4v0 Transition will allow your players to get used to sprinting to their spots. Players start out at a 75% pace and move up and down the floor, creating proper spacing and positioning. In this pace, athletes are able to visualize where the defense will cut them off and how to reverse the ball quickly in order to create another driving angle to score.
Using traditional fast break drills, Coach Bridgeland helps his players develop the speed and passing skills necessary to play at a fast pace and also attack the paint. Guards work in a 2v2 format, focusing on getting open off the inbound pass and attacking the middle third of the floor. They also work to get open to split their defenders and create separation.
Rounding out the video, Bridgeland finishes with 5v0 and 5v5 situations where players have to put everything together in a set amount of time. This teaches athletes to be aware of time and score and helps them get an idea of how quickly they need to move up and down the floor in transition.
This video from Coach Bridgeland is a great resource for any program. Your players will have fun running and attacking the basket aggressively while collecting easy transition buckets.
61 minutes. 2019.