Why Paul Mills is teaching Wichita State basketball to ‘jam’ on defense
Paul Mills believes good defense isn’t just about producing stops, it’s about denying teams the chance to start.
That’s the idea behind the Wichita State men’s basketball team’s new philosophy of “jamming,” a new defensive wrinkle the Shockers are planning to add this season to disrupt opponents before their fast breaks ever get going.
Entering his third season at WSU, Mills is once again prioritizing the defensive end, an area that’s quietly become the team’s foundation under his watch. The Shockers finished fourth in the American Conference last year in defensive efficiency in league play, one spot better than his debut season.
“The emphasis is there,” Mills said. “Some of them are wired defensively and some of it is schematic. You’re always trying to be No. 1, but definitely in the top three (in league play). You know offense is going to take a while, but you can get up to speed a little quicker defensively. We’ve handled it well.”
What is “jamming” in basketball?
In basketball terms, jamming is less about brute force and more about interruption.
When WSU is on offense and a shot goes up, one player — usually a guard — is assigned to immediately locate the opposing point guard. That point guard becomes the jammer’s target.
Instead of sprinting back toward the rim like everyone else, the jammer’s job is to bump, harass and delay the ball-handler’s advance up the floor, whether WSU makes or misses the shot. The goal is simple: Don’t let the other team flow freely into transition.
“You have to have a guy on the ball who can be as disruptive as possible,” Mills said. “Because you know everything is being channeled and facilitated through their point guard. You have to have somebody who can be disruptive there.”
It’s a technique that works best with pesky guards, the kind of players who take pride in being a nuisance. Dre Kindell and Karon Boyd seem to fit the bill for the Shockers, although Mills didn’t specify who has been training as a jammer.
Sound defense can effectively slow up a potential fast break. But poor defense, like if the jammer makes a bad gamble or forgets his assignment altogether, can crumble a defense and leave your team playing four-on-five.
Another tradeoff is on the glass, especially if WSU designates someone like Boyd as the jammer. By sending him to jam instead of crash, the Shockers would likely see their offensive rebounding numbers dwindle. It will be interesting to see if that is a gamble Mills is willing to make if it means cutting off the opponent’s transition lanes before they ever open.
Jamming won’t show up in the box score, but it can shave points off an opponent’s efficiency. Transition possessions are basketball’s most valuable currency, as teams score far better before a defense is set. By slowing those chances, WSU hopes to reduce both the quantity and quality of transition opportunities it allows.
Why Mills is making the tweak for the Shockers
The change isn’t born from desperation.
According to Synergy tracking data, WSU ranked 48th nationally (in the 87th percentile) last season in limiting opponents’ efficiency in transition — a stout mark most coaches would be happy to keep.
But Mills remembers how it looked before that. His first Shockers team was well below average in transition defense, often getting burned before it could get organized. It happened a handful of times last season as well, the most painful example coming at home against East Carolina when R.J. Felton was allowed to freely dribble into the game-winning 3 as time expired.
Those are the moments jamming is designed to erase.
“We need better activity with our hands, with our arms and deflections, just getting our hands on balls and being more disruptive on the ball with our pressure,” Mills said. “(Physicality and active hands) are the boxes we check right now, but the communication part is probably a little lower than what it needs to be, simply because it’s moving so fast for them.”
Communication, physicality and active hands are the three non-negotiables on defense for Mills this preseason. He’s been particularly impressed by the physical tone set by players and the defensive chatter led by Purdue transfer Will Berg, who Mills called “head and shoulders above everybody else” when it comes to communicating on defense — no surprise for someone who trained three years under Matt Painter.
Wichita State looking for a head start on defense
The early returns from fall workouts have encouraged Mills.
Last season, WSU didn’t start implementing advanced pick-and-roll coverages until January. This year, Mills said, they’ve been working on them since September.
“We’re a lot further along defensively than what we were a year ago,” Mills said. “It’s my fault a year ago where we were pick-and-roll defensively. We’ve covered a lot of bases here. We’ll see if it works when you play somebody. But so far, so good.”
The Shockers will get that first look soon.
WSU will host an open scrimmage against Drake at 1 p.m. Saturday inside Koch Arena. Tickets are $20 with free parking. All youth 18-and-under along with WSU students, faculty and staff can claim a free ticket.
Proceeds will benefit Cheese Johnson’s uJump Junior Mentoring program and the Wichita Children’s Home.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 6:03 AM.
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