Talking Split

Hamish & Andy. Martin & Molloy. Jordan & Pippen. Batman & Robin. Stewie & Brian Griffin. The common link? They didn’t need a third wheel to get the job done, and this week Rob & Mike venture out minus Justin to the place Mike put on the map – Werribee. We catch up with U18 Vic Metro winning coach Reece Potter to discuss the week at AJC’s, his role as Player & Coach Development Manager at the Werribee Basketball Association, and the differences between states that he’s been involved in over the years.

They unpack how competition structure and training design shape player development. They debate reducing games, increasing deliberate skill work, and smarter periodisation. They compare global models and propose club-controlled pathways and TAC Cup-style short seasons. They discuss measuring coaching success by player progress and celebrate basketball media and listener reactions.

Eric Hollingsworth, High Performance Manager at Melbourne United and former elite track and field coach and administrator. He talks multi-sport development and the right age to specialise. He explains designing age-appropriate competition and training windows. He covers building high performance habits, long-term pathway planning, and fixing gaps in coaching and competition to create sustained pro-level growth.

We take a look back at the U18 Australian Junior Championships held in Geelong last week, see how the Victorian teams fared, and a look at the tournament as a whole. Mike got a 5 star review from his Air B&B from Shirley, Justin spent the week socialising (which is why there was no podcast last week), the results of the FIBA 3x3 Asia tournament and the Split, Kick & Extra returns.

Justin Shuler, high performance coach with NBL and international qualifiers experience, and Mike Zappel, coach focused on rebounding, defense and tournament planning, discuss international coaching adventures. They compare playing styles from Germany to Asia, dissect zone defenses and ball-screen strategies, preview under-18 Worlds prep, and outline expectations for the upcoming AJC tournaments in Geelong.

A mailbag-style show answering listener questions about rehab programs and keeping injured players involved. Conversations cover managing multi-sport athletes and coaching mixed‑talent rosters. They dig into building team values, getting the most from assistant coaches, and recovering after tough losses. Practical talks include shooting changes, defensive stance standards, and player development priorities.

They list 21 practical keys to win basketball games, covering on-court tactics and off-court habits. Topics include transition defense, free-throw rebounding, ball-screen plans and press breakers. They cover smart timeout use, endgame plays, scripted opening sequences and zone offense counters. They also stress player and coach development, positive training culture and sideline energy management.

Rob & Mike review the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, check in to see how the brackets are going, and discuss the disappointment of Justin UNC being bundled out of the tournament.

Back on the road, the crew head out to Templestowe College to chat to Master Coach, Ian Stacker. Stacks takes them through his time in charge of the AIS, his NBL career, and the time he beat a range of NBA talent to win a gold medal with the Crocs.Mike gets incredibly passionate about his Kick, Justin tips the hat to a great send off, and we recognise some award winners at the BV awards this week.Mike Czepil Tweet Tracker: Zero activity

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year – on the back of Selection Sunday, the Talking Split Bracket Challenge is up! Join in on the fun to win some prizes via this link: http://talkingsplit.mayhem.cbssports.com You’ll need to register and from there you can compete against the Talking Split crew and listeners to see who the ultimate champion is. If you are just trying to beat Justin, all you need to do is pick heavily against UNC. As soon as they lose, everyone wins. And I mean everyone.