'CLOSING TIME' Preparation strategies for the game's final minutes By Kevin Weigand, contributing writer As a young coach, I had the pleasure of hearing Hall of Fame coach Hubie Brown speak at a clinic. During his talk, he stressed the importance of the game's closing minutes, identifying your closer, and recognizing the closer from the opposing team. I thought a lot about what Brown said throughout the course of my career. Games are often decided during " closing time, " which I consider to be the last five minutes of regulation. Coaches must not only identify their key closers, but they also must prepare their teams for other aspects of these critical minutes. 10 MAY/JUNE 2019