Playing Uptempo

Episode 107: Pace, Actions & Spacing w/ Mountain Home coach Brent Keener

One of the best things about the podcast is that it gives me a reason to connect with coaches I’ve followed over the years. As I prepped for this year’s state tournament, I knew Mountain Home’s Brent Keener was someone I wanted to reach out to when I started producing episodes again.

Mountain Home plays with pace, spaces the floor well, and gives its players the freedom to play. In his 18th season, Keener surpassed the 200-win mark and led his team to a third-place finish in Idaho’s 5A classification.

The scary part? His team is still young. They return a sophomore point guard who averaged 17.0 points and 3.6 assists per game. On top of that, I was impressed with the work their “big” did — executing on-ball concepts, stretching the floor with her three-point shooting, and punishing mismatches by sealing smaller defenders on switches.

Here’s an excerpt from the podcast where Keener breaks down the role of the point guard in their offense.

Keener generously shares insights into an offensive system influenced by Mike Neighbors and Tyler Coston. I hope you enjoy the episode!

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

1:20 - What led you to an uptempo offense?
2:15 - Changes adopted in a more uptempo system
3:00 - Transition offense principles
4:45 - Offensive geography
6:40 - Practicing the 3 layers of offense
7:40 - Game shot feedback
9:00 - Teaching off-ball reads
10:55 - Point guard responsibilities
13:15 - A big’s responsibility in the offense
15:25 - 2-person actions with wings
16:20 - Ball movement in an uptempo offense
18:05 - Teaching spacing principles
19:55 - Practice focuses throughout the year
20:40 - Favorite shooting drills
21:40 - Earring a shooting license
23:25 - Separating position players during practice
24:25 - Developing meaningful reps in practice
26:05 - Defense that plays into the offense
28:15 - Secrets to coaching longevity