War drill
Jason Capel, Appalachian State’s first-year coach, talks a lot about toughness. It’s one of the words he uses most often.
He says that toughness is what has helped his team weather rough patches this season – from injuries to suspensions to a difficult three-loss stretch in Cancun – which has led to a 3-1 start in Southern Conference play heading into Thursday’s game against UNC Greensboro.
Capel said that he has used a drill to build toughness and aggressiveness.
“Leading up to our first game against Tulsa, there were some situations happening in practice I didn’t like,” Capel said. “We stopped practice, and went to a drill we call the ‘War’ drill which I adopted from Coach (Tom) Izzo.”
Capel, who played for Izzo in a college all-star game, said that the drill gets everybody’s attention. Five players line up around the 3-point line. A manager throws the ball up against the backboard. Five other players inside the arc are charged, as a team, with boxing out and getting the rebound against a rushing onslaught.
“Anything goes,” Capel said.
“It’s a drill about toughness…. It’s a drill that brings a team together because five guys have to do it together and have to box out and no one can let the other guy down.”
Capel said that the season-opening victory at Tulsa was actually won that day in practice before the Tulsa game. He has revisited the drill a few times since.
“We banded together as a team and discovered some toughness, some togetherness, and those are the things you need to go on the road and win basketball games,” Capel said. “That’s helped us on the road, and going through the ups and downs and adverse situations we’ve faced this year.”