Kenneth Manoj is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Liberty High School for AZPreps365.com

Liberty came out of the weekend with big wins against Sanda O’Connor and Kofa and is now in a prime position to win the school's first 6A Desert Valley region title.

But as coach Mark Wood reminded his team at practice on Thursday, the title was the fruit. And for Liberty to bear that fruit, they must first focus on their roots.

Wood joined Liberty in 2006 when the Lions opened for their inaugural season. He had previously coached Cactus to two region titles and one region tournament championship in four years. But the opportunity to build his own basketball program was one he could not pass up.

Over the next decade, Wood went through many ups and downs with his teams as he adjusted his system within conventional basketball schemes to match his personnel. The results were mixed, both on the scoreboard and in the locker room. As the frustration built, Wood began to feel that his program was not achieving what he had set out to do.

"What are we going to do to be different?" Wood said. "What's going to be our identity? What's going to get us over the hump?"

Over the next five years, Wood began to develop a new system of his own that harkened to three key values: discipline, freedom and confidence. Defensively, the Lions moved to a high full-court press to trap the opposition and pressure them into committing turnovers. Offensively, the Lions sped the game up, looking to play with freedom and to not waste time with rigid set plays. Instead, they incorporated a motion offense that focuses heavily on quick passes around the perimeter to spread and pull the defensive apart, creating holes and openings for the offense to take advantage of. 

By nature, both of these schemes are extremely risky. However, therein lies the importance that confidence plays. Without instilling the confidence in his players that the system can work, they would never try it. Without instilling the confidence in his players that they can make the system work, they would never have pushed to make it happen. 

The new system also flipped many of the conventional ideas of how basketball should be played and coached. One such conventional idea was that out-of-bounds plays are extremely important to a team's ability to win, especially in close games, and should be heavily practiced. When asked about his coach's out-of-bounds plays, senior A.J. Snow gave a chuckle.

"We don't have out-of-bounds plays," Snow said.

Wood confirmed this and explained most out-of-bounds plays are determined not by the actual play drawn up, but rather by the offense reading and reacting to how the defense is set up. To Wood, working on his players' reading and reacting levels is simply more effective and replicable in a game than going off "X's and O's". 

Coach Mark Wood observing shooting drills from his courtside seat. (Kenneth Manoj photo/AZPreps365)Wood also broke from the idea of attacking the hoop on a fast break. While most coaches tell their players to attack the hoop on the fast break regardless of any defender, Wood encourages his players to take the transition three-point shot. The extra point, coupled with the effects a defender can have at the rim, is enough reason for Wood to give his players the green light.

For some players, this sort of support and trust from the coaching staff can help push a player to new heights. 

"It's great, knowing that they have the confidence in you to keep shooting, even if your shot isn't falling," senior Miles Guliford said. "I feel like most coaches aren't like that... I feel like they do a good job of giving us autonomy."

Miles Guliford (front) leading the free-throw shooting drill. (Kenneth Manoj photo/AZPreps365)

Practices for Wood are also stripped of many conventional approaches to coaching. There is no yelling or scolding or laps around the gym. Instead, there is only teaching, and not just from the coach. Throughout the practice, players will take it upon themselves to constructively point out the mistakes they each make and work out with them what should have been done.

"So much of our press has been taught to me by the players who play it," Wood said. "There are concepts that we have pulled in because players who've played in it have made those reads and I went, 'I like that, that's going to be a concept now."

The concepts of pressing, pace, and shooting are deeply ingrained into every Liberty practice. Each of Wood's drills incorporates the three different phases of shooting: catch and shoot, catch on the move and shoot, and dribbling into the shot. Within these, he also has his defense work on their traps and rotation decisions, ready to call time at any moment to correct a defensive mistake. 

The speed and intensity of Wood's program were growing pains each of the players had to push through to earn a spot on his roster. Sophomore Davis Hester recalled his reaction to his first varsity practice. 

"I got into trouble for not getting to the spots fast enough, not getting to the corner fast enough," Hester said. "I feel like as I practiced more, I've learned more and I've sprinted the lanes more... I feel like that's what I've gotten better at."

Davis Hester lines up a jump shot. (Kenneth Manoj photo/AZPreps365)Above all else, Wood is most proud of how much each of his players has matured as leaders under his program. While their success on the court has been a joy for him to watch, he knows that their growth as leaders is what will stay with them and help them one day reach their goals.

But until then, the region title will have to do. Liberty will host Pinnacle  at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the opportunity to clinch the 6A Desert Valley region title on Senior Night. Pinnace (7-8) is 6-2 and in second place in the region.

Liberty has two more regular season games this week against Shadow Ridge on Thursday and Mountain Ridge on Friday.