SPT 15 Z — Seeing the Game: A Basketball Masterclass
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s): Tara VanDerveer
Date(s): Oct 20—Nov 10
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 6:30—8:30 pm (PT)
Tuition: $355
Refund Deadline: Oct 22
Unit(s): 0
Status: Open
Quarter: Fall
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 4 weeks
Time: 6:30—8:30 pm (PT)
Date(s): Oct 20—Nov 10
Unit(s): 0
Tuition: $355
Refund Deadline: Oct 22
Instructor(s): Tara VanDerveer
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Basketball can look fast and chaotic from the stands or the couch, but beneath every possession lies an intricate series of calculated decisions, adjustments, and tactical battles. Timed for the start of basketball season, this focused new edition of legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer’s popular course is designed to deepen the way participants watch, understand, and enjoy basketball.
Intended for devoted fans and newcomers alike, the course explores the strategic side of the modern game—the Xs and Os that shape everything from spacing and tempo to defensive adjustments and matchup decisions. Through video breakdowns, chalk talk sessions, and analysis of real game situations from college, the WNBA, and the NBA, VanDerveer combines decades of coaching insight, behind-the-scenes stories, and her signature humor to reveal how coaches create advantages and adapt under pressure. Led by one of the greats of the game, participants will learn to see basketball with new eyes, recognizing the momentum shifts, strategic gambles, and split-second adjustments that decide outcomes at the highest level.
Guest Speakers:
Mike D’Antoni is a Hall of Fame basketball coach whose innovative offensive philosophy helped transform the modern game. Best known for the Phoenix Suns’ influential “Seven Seconds or Less” offense, he emphasized pace, spacing, and three-point shooting years before they became hallmarks of the NBA. D’Antoni coached five NBA franchises, won NBA Coach of the Year twice, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026.
Nancy Lieberman is a Hall of Fame player and groundbreaking coach whose career has spanned college, Olympic, professional, and 3-on-3 basketball. A two-time national champion at Old Dominion University and 1976 Olympic silver medalist, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. Lieberman later became the first woman to coach a men’s professional basketball team and led the Dallas Power to the 2018 Big3 championship, earning Coach of the Year honors.
Muffet McGraw is a Hall of Fame basketball coach who led the University of Notre Dame women’s basketball program for 33 seasons. Under her leadership, the Fighting Irish won NCAA championships in 2001 and 2018, reached nine Final Fours, and became one of the nation’s premier programs. A four-time AP Coach of the Year, McGraw retired with 936 career victories and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Marianne Stanley is a Hall of Fame basketball coach whose career spans more than four decades in college and professional basketball. She led Old Dominion University to three national championships and later coached Stanford to the 1996 NCAA Final Four, earning national Coach of the Year honors that season. Stanley went on to coach in the WNBA, where she was named Coach of the Year in 2002. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Intended for devoted fans and newcomers alike, the course explores the strategic side of the modern game—the Xs and Os that shape everything from spacing and tempo to defensive adjustments and matchup decisions. Through video breakdowns, chalk talk sessions, and analysis of real game situations from college, the WNBA, and the NBA, VanDerveer combines decades of coaching insight, behind-the-scenes stories, and her signature humor to reveal how coaches create advantages and adapt under pressure. Led by one of the greats of the game, participants will learn to see basketball with new eyes, recognizing the momentum shifts, strategic gambles, and split-second adjustments that decide outcomes at the highest level.
Guest Speakers:
Mike D’Antoni is a Hall of Fame basketball coach whose innovative offensive philosophy helped transform the modern game. Best known for the Phoenix Suns’ influential “Seven Seconds or Less” offense, he emphasized pace, spacing, and three-point shooting years before they became hallmarks of the NBA. D’Antoni coached five NBA franchises, won NBA Coach of the Year twice, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026.
Nancy Lieberman is a Hall of Fame player and groundbreaking coach whose career has spanned college, Olympic, professional, and 3-on-3 basketball. A two-time national champion at Old Dominion University and 1976 Olympic silver medalist, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. Lieberman later became the first woman to coach a men’s professional basketball team and led the Dallas Power to the 2018 Big3 championship, earning Coach of the Year honors.
Muffet McGraw is a Hall of Fame basketball coach who led the University of Notre Dame women’s basketball program for 33 seasons. Under her leadership, the Fighting Irish won NCAA championships in 2001 and 2018, reached nine Final Fours, and became one of the nation’s premier programs. A four-time AP Coach of the Year, McGraw retired with 936 career victories and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Marianne Stanley is a Hall of Fame basketball coach whose career spans more than four decades in college and professional basketball. She led Old Dominion University to three national championships and later coached Stanford to the 1996 NCAA Final Four, earning national Coach of the Year honors that season. Stanley went on to coach in the WNBA, where she was named Coach of the Year in 2002. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Students can choose to attend this course on campus or online. Sign up for Section H if you think you might attend class on the Stanford campus at least once. There is no commitment—you can still choose to attend via Zoom for any session. Sign up for Section Z if you know you will exclusively attend via Zoom.
TARA VANDERVEER
Former Head Women's Basketball Coach, Stanford
Tara VanDerveer was the head women's basketball coach at Stanford from 1985 until 2024. When she retired after the 2024 season, she held the record as the winningest coach in the history of NCAA basketball, with 1,216 victories, and had led her Stanford teams to three NCAA Championships, one of four coaches in the history of the sport to win three titles. She advanced the Cardinal to 14 NCAA Final Four appearances, 26 Pac-12 regular-season titles, 15 Pac-12 Tournament crowns, and 35 trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is the author of Shooting from the Outside, which chronicled her 1996 gold-medal Olympic and 60-0 National Team experience. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.