by Matt Ellis | Apr 11, 2026 | Coaching Insights, Offensive Strategies
The Habit Most teams don’t lose the rebound. They lose what comes next. Watch closely after a defensive rebound. secure it gather themselves look around slow it down Then: “Settle.” That word shows up everywhere. And in that moment…the advantage disappears. The Window...
by Matt Ellis | Apr 11, 2026 | Coaching Insights, Offensive Strategies
The Importance of Box Outs Possessions are decided on the Rebound Everyone talks about defense. Closeouts. Rotations. Contests. But most possessions aren’t decided there. They’re decided on the rebound. Where Defends Ends You can defend perfectly for 20 seconds. great...
by Matt Ellis | Apr 9, 2026 | Coaching Insights, Offensive Strategies
The 24 Misses That Should Have Changed the Game Everyone will talk about what was made. That’s not where this game was decided. In the Michigan-UConn game, UConn missed 24 threes. Michigan missed 13. That’s 37 missed perimeter shots. And inside those 37...
by Matt Ellis | Mar 30, 2026 | Coaching Insights
Structure and Movement Creates the Advantage When people hear “fast break,” they think speed. They think: numbers advantage a few players pushing the ball quick shots before the defense sets That part is familiar. But that’s not what this is. The Pony Express is a...
by Matt Ellis | Mar 29, 2026 | Coaching Insights, Offensive Strategies
Simulating Game Conditions I was watching the Syracuse–UConn game, and something stuck with me — not just the score, but what Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said afterward: “I couldn’t simulate what we were going to face…” That’s an honest statement. And it points to a...
by Matt Ellis | Nov 2, 2025 | Coaching Insights
Zane’s Story Every coach talks about their “five best.” But the Pony Express doesn’t shrink the game down to five. It expands it. Zane wasn’t the kid filling up the stat sheet. He wasn’t hunting threes or leading sets. What he was, though, was the best base-path...
