Hard Smart Together Chalk Talks

The Recruiting Process Has Changed When Should You Start Your Recruiting Process? Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles As I talk with student-athletes about the recruiting process, a recurring question comes up from them and their family. When is the right time to start the recruiting process and start sending emails to coaches? Today I am going to share what I tell them. If you think the recruiting process is you sitting back and opening a stack of letters or emails from coaches around the country, begging you to come play for them, you may find yourself disappointed. While that may be the experience of student-athletes who are at the top of their chosen sport, the majority of future college student-athletes are going to have to initiate and manage their own recruiting journey. So when do you start? And when do you send those introductory emails to coaches you are interested in maybe playing for? Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

When You're Behind At The End Of The Game On Defense How You Need To Play Defense Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles A few weeks ago I did an episode on high basketball IQ strategies on offense, when you are down at the end of the game. Today I am going to share how you can change your defensive play to give your team a better chance at getting stops and winning the game. You’re down at the end of the game and need the ball back to score and catch up. Now we aren’t talking about desperation, have to foul time. We are talking, not many possessions left and you need to make something happen on defense. As I mention, everytime we are talking strategy, a high IQ player always listens to what your coach instructs you to do. You first job is to execute their strategy. But you should also have situational awareness to avoid the mistakes made by so many average players. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave

Student Athlete Mindset Do You as a HS Basketball Player Inspire Others? Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles I love sports, all sports and I love following athletes and their stories. It’s typically the reason I follow certain teams. So as I was watching a show highlighting some of the athletes that are going to be in the upcoming Winter Olympics, it got me thinking about why people love sports so much and what HS basketball players can learn from the athletes we see on tv and inspire us. Every athlete has a story, whether it’s Lindsey Vonn or Alysa Lui, Steph Curry it’s the stories that inspire us. Can you imagine watching just a bunch of nameless, faceless people that you know nothing about playing sports. You probably wouldn’t care to even watch. So what can you learn from these heroes that have made it to the pinnacle of their sports as a HS Basketball player? Plenty, here are 3 things that you can learn. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

How To Stand Out To College Coaches With Your Basketball Recruiting Video Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles If you’re a HS Basketball player that has hopes of playing in college. One of the most important components in your recruiting process is making a highlight video for college coaches. Today we are going to discuss some common mistakes most players make with their videos and how you can stand out from the crowd. As a HS and College coach I have watched tons of recruiting highlight videos. Most of them are made from the perspective of a fan, not a coach. In the changing world of recruiting, a highlight video takes on a bigger responsibility than in ever has before. Let’s be honest, there are so many players out there that want to play in college, coaches have no way to know about them all and you can’t assume that any of the coaches that you may want to play for have any idea who you are. Coaches also want and need developed players, opting for transfers because there is more evidence of a player’s development. You have to stand out with your video! Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Basketball Tip For When You’re Behind At The End Of The Game on Offense Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles If you’re a HS Basketball player that wants to increase your basketball IQ, you need to study how to play in different game situations. Today I want to share what smart players can do in end of the game situations, when their team is behind and they need to score quickly on offense. Have you found yourself down at the end of any games this season? Did you know what your best chance of scoring on offense was? As a high IQ basketball player, you should also know how what to do on offense in this situation as well, so today I am going to share the easiest way to score quickly and give your team a chance to win. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

If You Are a HS Basketball Player Ask Yourself This Question Everyday! Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles In an episode a few weeks ago we talked about the difference between contributing vs contaminating. Today I am going to share the simple question you should ask yourself everyday as a HS Basketball player that will keep you on the right side of that equation. Just a quick review if you didn’t catch the episode a few weeks ago. There is an old saying, if you aren’t contributing, you are contaminating. That applies to everything you do with your basketball team. We talk in that episode about a few ways you could contribute, using your voice for a winning gym, helping your teammates get better and not being an energy vampire. Today I want to share how to make contributing a habit. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

What Are You Willing To Do For More Playing Time? Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles We’re at the point in the season that rotations are pretty set and your playing time is probably fairly consistent. For a lot of you HS Basketball players out there, that may mean that you aren’t getting the PT that you feel you deserve or want. Maybe you only get a few minutes a half or maybe you only get in during a blowout. The question I have for you is, how much do you really want more playing time? If you do, I am going to share your chance to carve out more at this point in the season. I know all the reasons, your coach plays favorites, you don’t get the opportunity to show what you can do, your teammate’s parents are involved, it’s unfair, blah, blah, blah… I doubt those are the reasons you aren’t getting more PT, but at the end of the day, does the reason really matter? You just want more time on the floor, so today I am going to share your best chance at more PT this season. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Student Athlete New Years Resolutions and 2026 Goal Setting Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles It’s that time of year again, when we all reflect on our resolutions of last year and make new ones, As a Student -Athlete and HS Basketball player, your’s may have been about basketball, school or something else. But before you make this year’s resolutions, I want you to reflect on the last year. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

How Your Approach as a Student Athlete Makes a Statement About You Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles I watched the final game in a college football team’s season a couple of weeks ago and at the end of it I saw something that is a lesson for every HS student-athlete no matter what sport you play. It was a reminder of how important your approach to everything you do is and how you never know who’s watching. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

3 Ways To Contribute To Your Basketball Team’s Success Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles There is an old saying, if you aren’t contributing, you are contaminating. That applies to everything you do with your basketball team. Doing nothing, just showing up, blending in, going through the motions aren’t options if you want to contribute to your team’s success, so today I am going to share 3 ways you can contribute to your HS basketball team’s success! Let’s be honest, I’m sure you went into the season with the best intentions, this was going to be the best season ever and you were going to be a major contributor. But as season’s progress it’s easy to become a contaminator vs a contributor to your team’s success. You don’t have to be a active contaminator but you can also just be a passive contaminator, by not contributing in some of the ways I’m going to share with you today. Because it’s not ok, to just go through the motions waiting for your turn. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

How To Make a Bigger Impact on Defense as a HS Basketball Player Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles If you are a HS Basketball player that wants to stand out on the court to your coach and earn more playing time, then you need to make a bigger impact on defense. That’s right defense, because that’s what coaches notice, while fans in the stands notice offense. But guess what fans don’t hand out your playing time! So today I am going to share a question, that will help you make a bigger impact on defense. You can impact a game on the defensive end of the court. Coaches notice and reward great defensive players, even if you aren’t a great shooter or scorer. There is a question you can ask yourself that will help you become more aware and make a bigger impact on defense and that question is, “is the player with the ball worried about me?”. Today I want to share how to create that worry for the offense, no matter if you are guarding the ball or not. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

3 Mindset Tips For HS Holiday Basketball Tournaments Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles High School Basketball Tournaments are upon us. It got me thinking about the mindset that players need during these early season tournaments that can set up them up for league games and postseason tournament success. Today I am going to share 3 mindset tips for approaching the holiday tournaments. Early season HS Holiday tournaments are really important as a foundation of season success. You get an opportunity to play against a variety of competition that isn’t in your league. So having the right mindset going into these tourneys is really important. Today I want to share 3 of these mindset tips. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Practice Gratitude For Better Basketball as HS Players Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles We are approaching Thanksgiving and it’s the time of year that people typically reflect on what they are grateful for. But what if I told you that practicing gratitude on a regular basis can actually have an impact on your basketball game? Today I am going to share how to practice gratitude for better basketball. We are all excited about Turkey dinners, school being out for Thanksgiving break and hanging out with friends. But what if I told you practicing gratitude on a regular basis, not just during Thanksgiving can give you a competitive advantage on the basketball court. Studies have shown that a positive mindset starts with gratitude and a positive mindset on the basketball court means you are free to play better. Today let’s cover 3 steps to incorporate gratitude into your routine, like you would a fundamental basketball drill. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Who Benefits From Fast vs Slow Tempo in High School Basketball Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles Last week we talked about how you as a HS Basketball player can learn and get better at spotting momentum shifts in a basketball game. We touched on tempo in that chat as well. Tempo is one of those things that high IQ basketball players understand. So today, I am going to share, who benefits from fast tempo vs slow tempo. We’ve covered tempo in the past, but it’s one of those high basketball IQ things that you should have a great understanding of. So what is tempo? It’s not how fast you are running, or dribbling, or pushing to ball up the floor. It is simply the number of possessions in a game, or any period of time during the game. Fast tempo games have more possessions than slow tempo games. Today I want to share who benefits from each tempo, why and when. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Increasing Your Basketball IQ By Learning To Recognize Momentum Shifts Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles Basketball players with a high basketball IQ, know how to play and how to make adjustments, based on a variety of things going on in the game. If you are a HS basketball player that wants to increase your basketball IQ, one of the best places to start is getting better at spotting momentum shifts in the game. Today I am going to share 3 simple steps to getting better at this high level skill. Do you play the same way all game? Sure you play hard and try to guard your man, try to score when you can. If you want to be one of those smart players that stand out to coaches, you need to make in game adjustments to how you play and how your team plays depending on the game situation. Being good at spotting momentum shifts and knowing how to respond is one of those high IQ things you need to develop as a HS basketball player. These 3 steps will help you get better at spotting momentum shifts. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Focus on Defending The Paint As a HS Basketball Player Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles Last week I shared how getting into the paint can help you become a better playmaker on the offensive end of the basketball court. Today I am going to share how you can focus on defending the paint on the defensive end so your team isn’t scored on as easily… Keeping the ball out of the paint on the defensive end of the floor is so important to your team’s success. We talked about the advantage you get as an offensive player in the paint last week and so if you don’t want to give opponents that advantage, you have to focus on defending the paint. I am going to share 3 ways that you as a HS basketball player can get better as a defender with that focus. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

How The Paint Helps To Make You a Better Basketball Playmaker Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles If you are a HS Basketball player that wants to be a playmaker, today’s episode is for you. Today I am going to share how you can use the paint to show off your playmaking and be a valuable contributor on offense for your team. Every HS Basketball player I know wants to be a contributor on the offensive end of the floor. Let’s face it, it’s fun to score and it’s fun to see your team score. So I am going to share why the paint is so important to you being a playmaker for your team, no matter how good a shooter you are or how dangerous an offensive player you are. So I am going to share how the paint makes you a better playmaker. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

Lessons For HS Basketball Players That I Learned From My First 100 Episodes Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles Last week’s episode was my 10oth episode and it got me reflecting on the lessons I have learned in the last 100 weeks. Funny thing is they are lessons that apply to my audience of HS basketball players too. So today I am going to share 3 lessons that you can use as we launch into a new basketball season! 100 episodes and I almost let it pass by without even mentioning it to you guys. I found myself falling in some of the same traps that I warn players about. I was a little disappointed in my progress, hard on myself about not accomplishing all of the things I wanted to accomplish and even having an internal debate if my efforts were making a difference. Then I shook off those thoughts and decided to share my lessons that you can use in your HS basketball season and career… Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

3 Things HS Basketball Players Do Too Much While Trying To Show Their Skills Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles If you are like most HS Basketball players you probably are really excited to show off your skills to the coach during tryouts and at the beginning of the season. The problem is that most players show off the wrong stuff by doing too much of the 3 things that I’m going to share with you today. I know you’ve spent all summer working on your game and you want to show your coach what you can do, but a lot of you are going about it the wrong way, When I was a player in HS and College I did too much of the wrong things and as a HS and College Coach I have seen so many players throughout the years doing too much of the 3 things I am going to share today. If your goal is to make that team, to impress the coach and to be a valuable contributor to your team, stop doing too much of these 3 things. Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.

The Easiest Way To Show Your Mental Toughness To Your Coach Download my free gift for High School Basketball Players - Intangibles Skills Checklist - http://www.hardsmarttogether.com/intangibles Mental Toughness is one of those things that coaches are looking for in players. So how do you show off your mental toughness in tryouts or in the beginning of the season, as your coach is evaluating you and your teammates? Today I am going to share a subtle thing that coaches look for in players that can help you stand out! One of the most frustrating things that coaches hear all the time is how they have favorites on the team. I like to tell all you HS basketball players out there the truth on this channel, so guess what, sure they do! But probably not for the reasons you think, a lot of times it’s subtle little things that you don’t even realize that you as a player are in control of. Yes, you can be a favorite and one of the simplest ways is by showing off your mental toughness. Today I am going to share how to show your mental toughness, so you can kick off this season on the right foot! Welcome back to Hard Smart Together! I’m Coach Dave, I’m here every week to help basketball players become the smart, confident players that coaches love. Hope you enjoy! Coach Dave Website: https://www.hardsmarttogether.com Game footage in this video is intended for critique and education.