New Zealand College Coach Visits Knights' Practice

On Thursday, Nov 21, Coach Piet Van Hasselt of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand visited the Northridge practice as part of his whirlwind tour of basketball practices and games in the United States.  

Coach Piet is making this trip in an effort to improve the level of basketball coaching in his home country.  You can read about his trip on his blog: http://pietvh.tumblr.com

The Knights were honored and humbled that Coach Piet selected Northridge as one of his stops given the many outstanding basketball options that he has at his disposal in Chicago and the greater midwest.

Again, we thank him for selecting Northridge.  We wish him well and hope that his trip is worthwhile professionally and personally rewarding.

Good Times & Great Memories with some of NRP's finest!

Pictured below are six members of the 2008 and 2009 NRP Varsity teams who gathered last Saturday night at the O'Hare Intercontinental Hotel to celebrate '09 graduate Jason Beck's marriage to Kelly Knorr (Willows '09). 

Along with their teammates, this group of Knights accounted for 41 victories against one of the toughest schedules ever at NRP, 2 IHSA Class 2A Regional Championships, 1 Conference Championship, and Northridge's first-ever Grant Holiday Tournament Championship. In addition, they were the first Northridge team in school history to win 23 games in a season and to register a 15 game winning streak during the 2008-09 season.

 Pictured (left to right): Guard Sam Carter, Guard Jack Whalen, Forward Jason Beck, Coach Rey, Forward Rob Rey, Forward Julian Coleman, and Guard Brian Bland.

CONGRATS TO JASON AND KELLY!

GO KNIGHTS!

The 2,500 Club continues growing ...

 

Senior Dan Currie becomes the fourth "2,500 Club" member.  Way to go, Dan!!

 

Who will be next?

And the shots just keep on dropping ...

 

The newest member of the "2,500 on The Gun" Club is junior Matt Brown

 

Congrats, Matt!!!!!!

 

The Race to 5,000 is Raging!!!!

 

Remember:

It's what you do ON YOUR OWN when no one is watching that makes the difference in YOUR development.  Teams are made during the season, players are made in the off-season!

 

Scroll down and read "Ordinary Days" poem ... it's at the heart of NRP Basketball success. 

Second Knight Hits 2,500 Made Shots

 

Sophomore Pablo Esparza joins Senior Steve Leazer the "2,500 on The Gun" Club!

 

Next goal: 5,000!  Who will be the first to get there?

 

Congratulations, Pablo!   

Congratulations to senior Steve Leazer!

  Steve is the first Knight to reach 2,500 made jumpers this summer. 

The t-shirt reads: "Good Things Come In Threes." 

Perhaps it should read: "Good Things Come To Those Who WORK!" 

Way to go, Steve!!

 

Steve's next goal????  5,000 made jumpers before the start of the season!

Can he do it????

 

 

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT KNIGHT TO "EARN" A 2,500 MADE SHOTS T-SHIRT?

 

WILL IT BE YOU?

LeBron James Goes to School

Even the world's best player "goes to school" to learn from one of the game's greats, two-time NBA Champion Hakeem Olajuwon.  Here Olajuwon instructs LeBron on scoring moves around the basket.  Notice that all the moves begin with INSIDE and OUTSIDE pivot footwork.  "You ALWAYS beat the opponent with your feet!"  

The Jump Hook for Guards

DRose displays that the jump hook is NOT just for the bigs ... here he comes to a 2-foot jump stop in the traffic and with balance, poise, and control, he outside pivots back into a jump hook.  Once again, FOOTWORK and MOVES are the key.

Up, Up & Away!!

NRP players look as if they're ready to take off in flight as they perform "ball push-ups." 

The players begin the exercise by doing a one-handed push-up on a Heavy Trainer Ball and balance themselves momentarily on one arm once they complete the push-up.  This is a terrific upper body strength and CORE exercise.

 

Strength & Conditioning -- Plyometric Jumps

Two NRP players working on plyometric jumps with heavy ball.  Plyometric exercises help develop leg strength, balance, and coordination.

 

Developing Scoring Moves

NRP players work on "Dribble Moves" using chairs as imaginary defenders

8th grade summer tournament

NRP Coach Lukens and former NRP All-Stater Rob Rey coaching local 8th grade team in

summer tournament in Wauconda, IL.

Knights on Their Way to Becoming a STRONGER Team

Players are paired and pass Heavy Trainer Ball back and forth with a
CORE strengthening motion

 A comprehensive exercise that works on balance, coordination, upper body strength, and strengthening of the feet and ankles.  Performing certain exercises without shoes helps reduce foot and ankle injuries.

 Pushups using two Heavy Trainer Balls helps develop upper body, hand, and CORE strength along with body balance.  

 Pushups with one Heavy Trainer Ball rolled back and forth between reps helps isolate chest and arm muscles along with further developing the CORE.

Bigs Develop Handles

NRP forwards and centers work on dribbling skills just as do guards.  The NRP motto is:

"Individual Players are Made in the Off-Season, Teams are Made During the Season."

"Leap Frog" Shooting on "The Gun"

Four Knights honing their 3-point shooting by executing a rapid-fire "Leap Frog" drill on "The Gun"

VISION: one of the 3 keys to good ballhandling

John Stockton displays the court VISION that enabled him as a 6'1" 170 pound guard to set the All-Time NBA records for assists and steals.  Stockton "sees the floor" and delivers the ball precisely where the receiver can catch the pass.  In his 19-year career, Stockton was an All-NBA selection 11 times, made the NBA All-Star game 10 times, was enshrined in the Hall-of-Fame in 2009, and was selected one of the Top 50 players in NBA History.

Individual Instruction Shooting Workout on "The Gun"

 Three NRP varsity guards complete their 60 minute Individual Instruction Session with an 8-minute Workout on "The Gun."  As a trio, the players took 200 game condition three-pointers

in the 8-minute workout. 

The 8-minute Gun workout included shots from spots on the floor where NRP players

get shots in their offense. 

Teaching Youngsters How to Play the Game Right!

An important aspect of the NRP Summer Basketball Program for the coaches is teaching basketball to youngsters in the community.  Veteran NRP varsity assistant coach, Brian Lukens, and former NRP All-State player, Rob Rey, volunteer their time during the month of July to coach a local 8th grade club basketball team.

Coach Lukens and Rob teach the finer points of dribbling.

Player development is a PROCESS that begins with experienced coaching instruction that is followed by properly executed player repetitions.  Improvement comes with constructive correction from the coaches and direct application of the corrections on the part of the players.

Coach Lukens utilizing the "overload principle" of learning by having the players use two balls simultaneously to develop their dribbling skills.

Known professionally as an excellent teacher of individual skills, Coach Lukens works with young players on efficient and effective 1-on-1 moves.

The Northridge Basketball Program revolves around teaching players how to
"Play the Game Right!" 

McDonald’s taught Ray Allen an early lesson about CONDITIONING that helped shape an 18-year career

Ray Allen just opted in for an 18th NBA season at age 38. That decision was certainly made easier by the fact his 17th season ended with a championship ring, one the Miami Heat would not have won without him. Plus he is still effective — he averaged 10.9 points a game and shot 41.9 percent from three last season.

Which is pretty ridiculous when you think about it. Playing at that level, keeping your body in tune like that for 1,378 games (regular season and playoffs) and deciding at least 82 more at his age was a good idea.

Few players take their health as seriously as Allen (who is in Washington D.C. this week speaking to congress on behalf of the health of his six-year-old son with diabetes).

Allen can thank a Hartford area McDonald’s for teaching him that lesson early on (and he didn’t have to go the full Morgan Spurlock to learn his lesson).

“There was a time in college where before practice I went to McDonald’s and I had a quarter pounder with cheese, I went to practice that day and I just remembered I felt so sluggish out there,” Allen told ProBasketballTalk. “And I was looking around thinking ‘Coach is just working us too hard’ because I just feel so tired. I ask the guys around me, ‘Do you guys feel tired? Because I just can’t move around like I want to” and everybody is like ‘no, I’m good.’

“And I was thinking about it all practice — wow I had a cheeseburger before I came to practice, I can’t do that anymore. From that day forward I started thinking about everything I put in my body that was preventing me from performing. I started realizing it is connected.

“So when I got to the NBA I had a pregame routine, a game day routine. How I worked out affected how I ate.”

Allen’s pregame routine and ritual are the most precise and detailed in the league (Dirk Nowitizki comes close). Allen is nearly OCD about his routine — he doesn’t like it changed. He wants that structure in his life.

He said he has tried to preach that to other players over the years — the usual pattern for players entering the league is that they eat pretty badly for a few years, but as their bodies start to age a little they realize what Allen figured out in college.

“That’s the adjustment,” Allen said. “I think so many people fall out of favor when they get to the NBA because you don’t have a structure. It’s important for a lot of guys, when they go through college, you learn a structure, and you got to carry that structure over (to the NBA). But some guys they get to the NBA, or any professional sport at all, and they say ‘I don’t have a coach breathing down my neck all day I can do what I want eating wise, I can manage my own time and do what I want and stay up late.’ Some guys almost rebel.

“But you almost have to go in the other direction. You have to take this as an opportunity to say, ‘I’m in the NBA and I want to make a lot of money, if I want to be around for a long time, I have to make sure I prioritize this job… The money is really a non-issue; it’s really about being effective and successful at your job. The money will come along with it.”

He’s going to get to deal with those professional issues one more year. Thanks to the care he has taken of his body. And with a little nudge from McDonald’s.

(Full article available on http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/10/mcdonalds-taught-ray-allen-an-early-lesson-about-conditioning-that-helped-shape-an-18-year-carrer/)

5,000 Made Jumpers Shooting Workout

Steve on his way to a 300 made jumpers individual workout on "The Gun" ... currently he is on pace to be the FIRST Knight this summer to earn a t-shirt for made jumpers.  The opportunity is there for any Knight to catch and pass him ... who will accept the challenge?

It's all about COMMITMENT, RESPONSIBILITY and WORK!!

 

Strength & Conditioning -- MORE FOR CORE

Coach Hunt digs deep into his bag of CORE exercises ....

Strength and Conditioning -- CORE WORKOUT

Pictures below show Northridge varsity players working on strengthening the CORE.  The CORE is a muscle group in front, back, and side of an athlete that extend from the armpit down to just above the knees.  Strengthening the CORE is essential for athletes in all sports.  Specifically in basketball, a strong CORE helps prepare a player's body for the rigors of the game especially in the area of positioning, increases jumping ability, and reduces back and hip injuries.

   

Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson

Along with Celtic great John Havlicek, #15 Vinnie Johnson holds the distinction of being one of the most effective bench players in NBA history -- for about 30+ years, no one filled the "Sixth Man" role better than Havlicek (1960s and 70s) and Johnson (1980s and 1990s). Vinnie teamed up with Hall-of-Fame guards Isaih Thomas and Joe Dumars to form one of the most dominant and productive 3-guard rotations ever to play in the NBA. This guard trio led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990. Known as "The Microwave" for his ability to "heat up instantly" and score clutch points for his team, the 6'2" Johnson possessed an unstoppable and deadly mid-range pull-up jumper that he developed as a young player competing in Brooklyn, New York playgrounds. Johnson scored over 11,000 points and had more than 3,000 assists in his 13-year NBA career.  He graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Northridge players: In Individual Instruction this summer, you are working on 3 Scoring Moves from a staggered screen series that we will call "LOOP":

1) "Quick Draws" -- Catch and shoot off of a 1-2 inside foot square up

2) "Vinnies" -- Shot Fake, 2 Dribble Pull-up to the "core" (named after "The Microwave")

3) "Reggies" -- Reverse pivot, 2 Dribble Pull-up to the "baseline" (named after Reggie Miller)

Summer Trip #2 to St. Louis Billikens Basketball Shootout

For the past 7 summers, the Northridge Basketball Varsity Knights have taken a team trip to compete against top high school teams from other parts of Illinois and surrounding states. Besides tough competition, the Knights visit college campuses and meet some of college basketball's best coaches who usually take time to share their thoughts on a variety of topics with them. Past trips have taken NRP Hoops to various locations in southern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This year the Knights traveled to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana and to St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. Below are pictures from both trips.     

The Knights crossed the Mississippi River on their way to the St. Louis University Billikens' Shootout. Above is a picture of the famous "Gateway to the West" Arch taken from one of the NRP vehicles as the Knights approach the
St. Louis Metro area.

Facing the toughest summer competition in NRP Basketball history, the Knights played 2 of their 4 games on the Chaifetz Arena main court.  Chaifetz Arena is a recently constructed state-of-the-art basketball facility that seats 10,600 fans and serves as the basketball home to the St. Louis University Billikens.

After a brisk 75 minute practice in the Billikens' practice gym, the Knights toured Chaifetz Arena and the Billikens' Locker Room where SLU head coach Jim Crews spoke to the team.  Coach Crews drew on his experiences as a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion at Indiana University (1976 and 1981) and his highly successful 30-year coaching career to share with the Knights his thoughts on Team-Building and Character Formation through Team Sports.  Coach Crews played for and later assisted Naismith Hall-of-Fame coaching legend Bob Knight at Indiana University.  Coach Crews was the head coach at the University of Evansville for 17 seasons and West Point for 7 years before taking over at SLU last season.

Featuring the unique Memphis-style BBQ taste, Pappy's Smokehouse located near SLU was the choice for dinner after Friday afternoon's practice.  Pappy's Ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket are rated among the best in the country!  Although customers normally wait 60-90 minutes to be served, the Knights' timing was nearly perfect as they avoided a long wait (thanks to good planning by Coaches Lukens and Hunt) and were seated within 20 minutes of arriving at Pappy's. 

After enjoying St. Louis' best burger at The Range in the downtown area on Saturday after the games, the Knights walked to Archway Park on the banks of the Mississippi River. The Knights are pictured above with the amazing 630-foot stainless steel Gateway Arch structure looming overhead.  The Gateway Arch is the world's tallest arch; construction costs reached nearly $13 million in 1965 (the cost to build the Arch in 2013 is estimated at $94 million!)

An interesting tid-bit inside the Billikens' Locker Room.  A list of all the defensive charges taken by their players this past season.  Senior forward (#24) Cody Ellis took an incredible 45 charges in 35 games!!!  The Knights established an "Iron Knight Award" after the 2012-13 season to honor the player who takes the most charges during the season (minimum of 10 charges required for the award).  The first recipient of the "Iron Knight" was forward/center James Stoll '13.  James took 27 charges in 29 games his senior year and a total of 60 charges throughout his 3-year NRP varsity career! 
Who will be this year's "Iron Knight" winner???



A special thanks to the SLU coaches, trainers, players, and other staff for their hospitality during this tournament.  Pictured above are long-time friends, SLU Coach Crews and NRP Coach Rey.  Coach Crews was the 2013 Sporting News National Coach-of-the-Year as he led the Billikens to a school-record 28 wins, an A-10 Conference Championship, a 16th AP national ranking, and the third round of the NCAA tournament.  Coach Rey was the ISL Coach-of-the-Year as he led the Knights to a 23-6 record, a conference championship, and Grant tournament championship.  Coaches Crews and Rey worked together at the University of Evansville from 1985 to 1989.

Knights' Basketball Summer Strength and Conditioning Program

Northridge varsity cagers "walking tall" on their toes to help reduce ankle sprains and foot injuries while carrying heavy balls to strengthen arms and upper body.

 Under the watchful eye of Knights' varsity assistant coach Hunt, the Knights perform lateral slides while rolling heavy balls.  This exercise develops strength in the gluts, hamstrings, and quads while also strengthening the core muscles.

 Varsity assistant coach Hunt directs the players in front to back line jumps.  The jumps strengthen ankle, foot, and lower leg muscles. In addition, the players move the heavy balls in a chopping motion in order to strengthen upper body and core muscles.

The players now perform the line jumps in a side to side fashion while also moving the heavy ball from side to side to strengthen the abs and related core muscles.

**The Knights' coaching staff have adopted the Strength and Conditioning Program used by Coach Alan Stein at nationally renowned DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, MD.