Randy Lambert

It should always be about the team. My pursuit of personal excellence is my responsibility to my team. How do I make myself better today to help the team and bring out the best in my teammates? Putting the team before yourself is so much more rewarding in the long run!

In this day of conceptual offensive basketball, your offense needs a strategy if you get nothing out of your first action. I think the quick solution is a reversal to obtain an open look or a paint touch by pass or dribble.

From my old buddy Pat Murphy: “Worry is a waste of time.” Stay in the now, and prepare for today and what it means for tomorrow!

The best basketball teams have a connectedness on defense and have 5 guys on the floor looking for the best shot. If you are playing to only find your own shots, then you are hurting the team. It’s a team sport, play it that way!

Player development should be the foundation of your program. Time in the gym is the best way to develop relationships and show your players how much you care about them. It pays dividends in their growth as a player too. Teach them how to work!

Players, Immerse yourself into basketball and develop your IQ of the game, your position, and the system your team plays. (read, study, watch film, watch the good players who play your position). Get off your phones or use them to study the game. Basketball IQ is underrated.

In preparing for the season, your man offense needs to fit your personnel. Put players in spots where they can succeed. Each alignment should have multiple options to make it harder to scout. Have options to get a 3, to get a post up, to get a backdoor, and to get an isolation.

As you head into the season: 1) Be early, don’t just show up, show up with intention. 2) Be positive with talk and attitude, no whining, complaining or excuses. 3) Be a selfless servant, it’s all about team on the floor and in the locker room. Every day counts!

Focus on the fundamentals, do the little things. You don’t score more points by being pretty or based on your degree of difficulty. Kobe said it best: “Why do you think I’m the best player in the world, because I never get bored with the basics. Be fundamentally sound!

Love Illinois’ Off. Rebounding rules A) above ft line you’re back B) below ft line go to glass. 70% of missed shots are going offside or middle C) In corner, attack glass from middle, not baseline D) Off rebounding must be an established priority. You drill it to emphasize it.

In this day of attacking gaps off the dribble: 1) have a retreat dribble, 2) typically, make the move, decision, or play one dribble earlier before you attract a crowd, 3) if you hit the gap and the defense collapses, land on two feet with a jump hop or stride stop. 4) No to’s.

When you set a screen away, down screen or ball screen, and you always set the screen; this is a sign you are not reading the defender and you have no creativity within your personal offense. Read the defenders when setting a screen. Slip, ghost or re-screen every now and then.

Let’s bring back college sports and return to some normalcy where we have a more level playing field. I’m tired of those who just buy a team. What happened to getting a degree, enjoying campus life, and making life long friends. Why did we allow this to happen. Pass the bill!

Attention AAU and high school basketball players: As you head into the summer, play the game to improve, but more importantly, play the game for the right reasons: strengthen the relationships with your coaches and teammates and have fun while you honor the game.

Your growth as a player begins with your discipline. Focus on a plan, hold yourself accountable, and get busy with the right mindset and effort.

Watching the basketball championships of all levels of NCAA (M&W), the culture which emphasizes toughness, aggression, physicality, and sharing the ball is the one that wins. Most importantly selflessness reigns supreme!

A coach’s observation of a player under duress will clearly define what you have and who you can count on. Response to an injury or sickness, a bad call, tough coaching or a tough loss. What is their daily demeanor? Are they moody or quick with an excuse? Mental toughness is key

After watching hours of basketball this past week: The ability to score and/or get a stop when you need to is a consistent quality of a good team. End every practice during the season working on this. Need a basket, need a stop, score-stop-score, or stop-score-stop, etc.

A Coach Cignetti jewel: “Good players want coached. Great players you can’t coach them enough, they want more, more, more. Inconsistent players want to be coached on their terms.” …(and always have a response or excuse)