Our preseason preparation between the first day of classes and the official start of practice plays an important role in setting the stage for the whole season. The NCAA allows us to work two hours a week on basketball skills with our guys during this time. You can split those two hours up however you would like, but that’s the maximum time allotted to have coaches on the floor actually working on basketball skills with players. Before September 15th, we are only allowed to work with a maximum of four players in a group. After that date, you can work with your whole team, if you choose. Some of it is dictated by the NCAA rules, but also what we want to teach and emphasize at that moment.
Once we reach September 15th, we will usually start out in small groups and work towards a big group practice so that our guys will understand what an hour of a practice-like environment will be. Then you can break it down again and say, “Now that we have worked as a group, let’s focus on what we need for you and what we envision your role being. Here are the things that we’ll need.” Going from small to the total team and back to small really gives our guys a perspective of what we will expect from them when practice starts. The individual workouts are especially beneficial with the younger players because you can take it slow and explain, “Hey, this is what we think and this is what we’ll need from you this year.” You can train those habits as the season progresses, whether it’s by watching video or doing specific drills. Each guy is different and we have to cater to the best way they can learn for our team.
In addition to the basketball work, we have our strength and conditioning program. It is headed by Will Stephens and his support staff to prepare our guys so that when practice starts they are in really good condition and they are ready to focus on becoming a team. We want our guys to be strong, we want them to be in shape, and we want their bodies prepared for the rigors of the season. In that respect, flexibility is something that we take a lot of pride in as well.
At Duke and in college basketball overall, the resources available for players and the science of conditioning, wellness, and fitness have gone to another level since my senior year in 1998. We have a much bigger staff. We have resources and facilities in which our guys train that are much better than when I was here, and what guys are used to in preparation is much different than what we were used to. The science of it all — the science of being in shape, having a strong core, being flexible — is incredible.
We approach each preseason on a year-to-year basis, depending on what we feel the team needs at that time. It’s not like the strength and conditioning program has stayed the same over Coach K’s tenure here — Each year it’s different depending upon the needs of the team. With an older team like we have this year, we haven’t had as much structured conditioning as we would in years past with a younger team that we feel needs to develop the habits to be prepared for the upcoming season. With an older group, we feel like they know what to expect and will come into the year ready.
The preseason also gives our players the chance to establish a strong foundation academically in the first semester and allows our freshmen to adjust to college life when we are not as busy with practices and games. Once the season gets rolling, everyone will be settled in and ready to go.
We’ve had a terrific start of the school year so far and can’t wait for the official start of the season. Our first official practice of the 2008-09 campaign will be open to the public on Friday, October 17th and we hope to see you there!
