The Basketball Podcast: EP423 with Easton Bazzoli on The System That Won

National champion head coach Easton Bazzoli discusses Gannon University’s 2025-26 national championship-winning season and their approach to the Crutchfield basketball system. Easton explained how they built the program from a 3-win team to a 34-3 national champion, emphasizing the importance of constant pressure defense, decision-making development through game-like practice situations, and individual player development based on each player’s unique strengths.

Bazzoli discussed their offensive philosophy of creating constant pressure while maintaining high IQ decision-making, their approach to practice where they play 5-on-5 competition almost daily, and their focus on developing high-character players over pure talent. Easton also shared insights on substitution patterns, player development, and how they’ve adapted the system to fit their personality and team needs while maintaining the core principles of constant pressure and relentless competition.

Easton Bazzoli led Gannon University to the 2026 NCAA Division II national championship, guiding the Golden Knights to a 34–3 record. Gannon also captured the PSAC West Division title and finished 19–1 in conference play. Bazzoli was named PSAC West Coach of the Year, and the national title marked the first men’s basketball championship in program history, establishing Gannon among the elite programs in Division II. Through two seasons as head coach, he has compiled a 61–10 overall record with an 8–1 mark in NCAA Tournament play.

Listen Here:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Stitcher
Art19

Easton Bazzoli Quotes:

“One of the biggest things . . from the very beginning was making sure that there was a standard and an expectation right away, not a thought process of, ‘We’re going to try and build this thing . .  from three wins to maybe six or maybe eight or maybe 12 or maybe 18 or whatever it was. There just was never a thought that we’re going to put a ceiling on it.”

“The big thing was we’re going to start this expectation of every time we step on the floor, we’re going to win . . that was contagious. It was contagious as we started to recruit to this three-win program at the time to when it really became contagious to our players.”

“It’s more of a mentality . . We’re trying to create a style of basketball that’s going to have unique, constant, relentless pressure offensively and defensively for the entirety of the game. So, more than anything specifically or specific Xs and Os or technicalities, is that mindset of we’re trying to create this constant pressure that just doesn’t stop and make people have to live in our world of what we’re going to create out there on the floor.”

“As far as shot profile goes, we’re trying to get the first great shot that we can with guys in rebounding position. It’s not overly complicated.”

“We obviously want to play with some pace. Part of the way we apply pressure offensively is looking to make advance passes and looking to see is there something early that we can get. But we’re not just going to take a quick shot, just to take a quick shot . . Pace comes from the way that we guard and picking up full court and not allowing someone to walk the ball up the floor.”

“We’re trying to teach IQ as much as anything because we have to allow our guys to make decisions. When you’re playing fast, it’s impossible to play fast and then say, ‘This is what I want you to do out here every single time down the floor.’ We are trying to get these guys to see the game the way that we see it and make high IQ decisions and then on the reverse side make our opponents make more decisions than what they’re used to.”

“We’re going to watch a lot of film, especially early on. We’re going to pull guys aside a little bit more often early on too. Just one on one. It’s not always just decision making. We’re watching what led up to the decision. Usually, when someone makes a poor decision, it’s the result of a couple earlier decisions that didn’t work out that led to the one that shows up on a stat sheet in a poor way.”

“We’re definitely looking to put two on the ball . . I think the most important stuff as we do it is we make calculated decisions in it because once you put two on the basketball, the math doesn’t make sense and numbers don’t work. So, we’re trying to be calculated in those decisions. But also, that’s part of us creating constant pressure and forcing guys to make decisions.”

“If you want to compete more often than you do breakdown drills . . I’d be stunned if anybody does it more than us. We’re going to compete five-on-five as much as possible.”

“We’re always trying to view ourselves as the hunters and never being hunted. Our entire approach [reflect this], the way we approach film, the way we approach weight sessions, the way we approach individual work. We put a lot of responsibility on our players to take ownership over their own development as well – we don’t schedule any of it for them. They are going to schedule it.”

“It’s one of those things that our guys have to learn early . . we have to live through some of the ugliness early, because there is freedom. And guys aren’t used to playing with so much freedom.”

“We’re trying to be true motion as much as anything. We want to be as unpredictable as possible. If you watch us play, you’ll probably see every action in the book that you can think of, but almost none of it is scripted. We’re really trying to teach spacing and teach cutting and screening and how to create advantages without a coach having to put you into a specific set to do so.”

“There is a limited amount of things that we can track. And for us, we track two things all throughout the fall more than anything else. A guy’s win loss percentage when we’re competing and what their plus minus is during that.”

“The most important thing, at the end of the day, were you in the win column or the loss column? And that’s where I hope our guys are feeling the emphasis from us more than any individual make or miss.”

“We try to break down our rotations into a bit of a science and not mess up a guy’s rhythm and flow in the game, but also make sure that we are fresh and legs are feeling as good as possible, as much as we can out there.”

“You look throughout our league and can see this guy played 38 minutes a night over here and he’s averaging about the exact same numbers as our guy who played 25 minutes a night. Why? Because of what we’re doing.”

“You’re going to get really tired in practice when we play because we’re playing a 94-foot game. So, we just cut a deal with the guys and say if you’re willing to push through fatigue in this, we’re not going to be like everybody else and get on the line and run.”

“It’s one of the only promises we make to players. We don’t promise playing time, we don’t promise starting. We don’t promise anything. What we do promise is you’re going to be around a bunch of high character, highly competitive guys. It’s always been a thought process for me. It’s always been something where I go, ‘Why would I not want to be around a bunch of guys that I love being around every day, that are fun to be around?’”

Easton Bazzoli Breakdown: