Slappin’ Glass sits down this week with the Assistant Coach for the Utah Jazz, as well as Head Coach for Team USA during the 2022 Americup, Alex Jensen! The trio dive into the interesting topics of 5 v. 5, role definition, and talk playing the triangle and 2 with Rick Majerus and “Drop Coverage” during the always fun “Start, Sub, or Sit?!”
Inside the Episode
It was another great week on the podcast as we were joined by Utah Jazz Assistant Coach, Alex Jensen! Coach Jensen also served as the Head Coach for Team USA during the Americup this past summer and many will remember him from his time as a player for the University of Utah under Rick Majerus during their 1998 Final Four run. Topics included in this episode are:
- Playing 5 v. 5 in practice: To start the podcast we dove into how Coach Jensen thinks about implementing 5 v. 5 in practice and the differences in using it as a teaching tool vs. competitive tool.
- Role Definition: Within our conversation about 5 v. 5 we discussed the importance of Role Definition and how 5 v. 5 can be used to do so. Coach Jensen talks about this being one of the most important things that a coach can do.
- Playing the Triangle and Two for Rick Majerus: During “Start, Sub, or Sit?!” we traveled back in time to discuss the famous 1998 Sweet 16 game in which Utah used the “Triangle and Two” to beat the Miles Simon and Mike Bibby led Arizona on their way to the Final Four. Coach Jensen was a major part of that team and we picked his brain on the art of playing that alternative defense in a big game. For more on the “Triangle and Two”, you can hear last week’s conversation with Spanish NT Head Coach, Sergio Scariolo.
- The Art of Drop Coverage Footwork: We also discussed Drop Coverage angles, depth, and more during “Start, Sub, or Sit?!” along with some teaching points of each.