Last week, Sean Miller held an informal media availability with several basketball writers. You can find notes from the first part of the interview here. In the second half of the session, he discussed a litany of topics, ranging from X’s and O’s discussions, his front court depth, and what he has learned from other […]
Last week, Sean Miller held an informal media availability with several basketball writers. You can find notes from the first part of the interview here.
In the second half of the session, he discussed a litany of topics, ranging from X’s and O’s discussions, his front court depth, and what he has learned from other Texas head coaches.
Here are some of the important things that stuck out.
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X’s and O’s: Pace and Space
The biggest issue with the last administration was the lack of creativity on the offensive end, as well as lack of pace. Oftentimes, there were only two or three actions per possession in the half court, almost always on the ball. Something that Miller wants to emphasize is first, pace (getting into transition), and second, activity in half-court sets.
“First, when you watch our offense, I would say what I hope you see is fast execution. We want to play with pace on an opponent’s made or missed field goal…There is a difference between running off of another team’s missed shots or turnovers, and pushing a fast pace when they score on you…’Fast execution’ means we are constantly trying to get those ‘quick strike’ moments. First six seconds…That’s how the modern game is played. To play with pace [affects] today’s recruiting. It allows the current players to develop…It’s the best way of playing offense.
He then discussed what he wants to see in half-court sets.
“In the half court, you should see all five players touch the ball, most of the time…The two things that determine our half-court approach is unselfish cuts and the ball having energy. It just moves. It shouldn’t stick. If the ball has energy and you have unselfish cuts, and five players involved, that’s the hardest team to defend…When you combine both elements…then you have an exciting style…Using the entire court.
He went on to describe what Dailyn Swain‘s role would be in that offense when asked about it.
“He can do a lot of different things…Using his size, passing, and ball handling, I think you’ll find he’ll be involved in a lot of actions.”
Roles for Lassina Traore and Matas Vokietaitis
When asked about roles for Texas’ new transfer centers, Miller made clear a couple of things about what they can contribute. He began by talking about Vokietaitis.
“Look at our center position as a one-two punch. Certainly, we can move Nic Codie there, John Clark, a couple of international guys that haven’t gotten to school yet…We do have front court depth. We don’t have as much front court experience as we do in the back court.
“I’ll start with Matas…When you judge seven footers or big guys, do they play the game because they’re tall? Or do they play the game because they truly love it? …The answer to that question with Matas is yes, he loves the game. The second thing we try to judge our big guys by is, do they love contact? Do they have a problem smashing people and getting hit? …He loves contact…The third part is, does he have good hands? Can he catch? If you have a big guy with those three characteristics, what you have is someone that can grow, develop, and improve…I’ve seen great improvement [since he’s gotten to Texas].
He then talked about Traore.
“The thing I love about Lassina Traore is that he’s very experienced…He’s one of the few guys that averaged a double-double in college for two years…Rebounding translates. He would have been our starting center a year ago at Xavier [if not for the ACL injury]. He was our best inside player with [Zack] Freemantle…We’ve been very cautious. He’s been cleared for non-contact…I think he brings a warrior mentality to what we do…[Both players] are physical.
What Sean Miller Learned from Sark and Other Texas Coaches
When asked about culture and team building, Sean Miller discussed what he has learned from other head coaches on campus.
“We went to a head coaches retreat here at Texas…All the great head coaches on this campus congregate for a day and a half to share ideas, learn about the future…It was an amazing powerful experience. Sometimes, the best way to learn isn’t from coaches in your own sport, it’s from coaches who are excellent in a different sport. Whether that be Jerritt Elliott from volleyball, Coach Flo from track and field, Coach Bowman in swimming, and obviously, Coach Sark.
He went into more detail on what Steve Sarkisian has done with Texas football, and how it can impact the job he does on the basketball court.
“Building his football program at Texas into a national championship contender…it’s amazing what I learned…from that group…’Culture Wednesday,’ which the football team has…how to do it in a powerful way that has meaning…It’s more the consistency of what you do every day…That’s how you build a true program…We are working at that togetherness each week.
Category: General Sports
