By Steve Witty
Head Coach Boys Basketball, Ben Davis High School

The following information provides defensive concepts and terminology utilized when teaching man-to-man team defense. This information is an excerpt from one of the eight books of the Giant Championship Coaching Series developed by Steve Witty of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. To learn more about the Giant Championship Coaching Series, please contact Coach Witty at CoachWitty@msn.com.

1. In team defense, it’s not me vs. my man; it’s our team vs. their team.
2. In team defense, the ball is the number 1 priority. Therefore, seeing the ball by all defenders at all times is essential to successful team defense.
3. Offense is a variable—defense is a constant.
4. There is never a time to rest or relax on defense. A successful defensive player must continually perform one defensive responsibility after another, according to where the ball is and what the player he is guarding does.
5. When your man moves or the ball moves, you move. All five defensive players must readjust their defensive positions as the ball is moved.
6. The closer your man is to the ball, the closer you must be to your man.
7. Ball side defense is what makes a defense tough. Help side defense is what makes it successful.
8. Good defensive teams make mistakes, but the great defensive teams cover up their mistakes.
9. Great defensive teams make things happen, below average defensive teams let things happen, poor defensive teams wonder what happened.