Basketball Drill – 3 on 1 Closeout

By Brian Williams on February 19, 2010

I found this defensive drill on the Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter. If you are interested in checking it out or subscribing, you can go to this link for either:

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/xavi-m-baskbl.html

Like everything else I post, I hope you can adapt a version of this to fit your defensive system. We don’t trap the post from the post feeder, but rather from another helper. We then position the post feeder’s defender to take the pass out of the post if it is made to the ball side. But, that would be an easy change to make in this drill.

Here is Xavier’s Drill:

Three offensive players are positioned on the floor. Two on their respective wings free throw line extended and one above the top of the key. One defender is positioned under the basket facing half court.

A coach passes the ball to the offensive player on the right wing. As this happens, two
managers step onto the court with one on each block.

As the offensive player catches the initial pass, the defender closes out and establishes ball pressure.

The offensive player then passes the ball to the right block to the manager. The defender “covers down” on the post.

The right block manager then passes the ball to the top of the key. The defender goes from a “cover down” on the right post area to a closeout at the top of the key.

The ball is now passed to the manager on the left block. The defender again covers down on the manager who has the ball on the left block.

Finally, the ball is passed to the left wing out of the post. Again, the defender closes out to the ball, this time on the left wing. On this catch it is a live one on one drill with everybody out of the way except the offensive and defensive players who are playing one on one from the left wing.

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Ideas About Winning Coaches

By Brian Williams on February 18, 2010

I have had this article in my files for quite a while. I am not sure where it came from, but I really like it.

THE DOUBLE WIN: Winning Coaches employ the DOUBLE WIN PHILOSOPHY which states that: Winning on the bottom line (wins and losses, profits, etc.) comes only as a direct result of winning on the top line (Investing in the academic, personal, and athletic development of the total athlete).

CONTRIBUTION: Winning Coaches develop systems that support a basic human need: the need to make a positive contribution. The greatest, but most difficult contribution, is allowing others to contribute to us. Winning Coaches remain open toward allowing others to contribute to them.

THE POSITIVE LEARNING CYCLE: Winning Coaches use a method of teaching in which there is no such thing as failure. The only source of competition for the athlete is with themselves in striving to reach their own greatest potential. Winning Coaches create an environment where setbacks and breakdowns are regarded as opportunities for learning, rather than failures.

THE STEPPING STONE METHOD: Winning Coaches employ the STEPPING STONE METHOD of steady improvement. This method involves building one small success after another, reaching towards the final or highest goal. The strategy of the coach is to progressively teach only those skills that are needed to empower the athlete to climb to the next level.

RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM: Winning Coaches develop an environment of responsible freedom where mutual trust, relatedness, and open communication are encouraged and acknowledged. Within the limits and guidelines of responsible behavior, an environment of safety is developed that encourages openness and honesty between the coach and players.

A BALANCE OF EXTREMES: Winning Coaches have learned to be both highly directive and highly supportive in their relationships with their players. They develop a supportive environment for constructive risk-taking and growth, and yet instill a demand for perfection that is unyielding.

INTEGRITY: Winning Coaches act as models and not critics. They foster a mutual commitment to Integrity through (1) actions and behaviors that are in alignment with personal values, (2), upholding all promises and agreements, and (3) through demonstrating their loyalty and commitment to their players. Through their personal integrity and commitment to their players, Winning Coaches earn the highest sense of integrity, commitment and loyalty in return.

OPENNESS: Winning Coaches fight to remain open. They resist the most common human tendency; THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, which inadvertently makes others wrong. Winning coaches take the path not taken; which is to remain open to innovation and new learning, as well as permitting themselves to be supported and directed by others.

SYNERGISTIC SYSTEMS. Winning Coaches develop and perpetuate an environment in which the system is greater than the sum of all the parts. The system creates a continuous s self-renewing chain of success.

STRUCTURE FOR FULFILLMENT: Winning Coaches create a structure for fulfillment that is based upon abundance as opposed to scarcity. This structure becomes a roadmap through which players are empowered to progress toward both their own personal goals, and to actualize the larger vision that is communicated by their coach.

Shooting a Basketball

By Brian Williams on February 10, 2010

THE 10 RULES OF BEING A GOOD SHOOTER

This article was written by Coach Randy Brown.

www.coachrb.com

www.winningplays.net

Are you a GOOD SHOOTER?

1. Good Shooters spend time each day on proper shooting technique. Good Shooters use a chair to “form shoot” for 10 minutes before taking their first shot at the basket.

Poor Shooters spend time on their shooting technique when they “have time.” Poor Shooters grab a ball and go to the three point line to begin launching shots.

2. Good Shooters work on moving without the ball and “prepare” to shoot the ball before ever catching it.

Poor Shooters wait for their turn to shoot then think about getting a shot off.

3. Good Shooters start close to the basket and make 5 straight before moving back.

Poor shooters shoot from all areas of the floor “hoping to make it.”

4. Good Shooters study other good shooters and follow their habits.

Poor Shooters shoot the ball the same way without any help from others.

5. Good Shooters study the path of the ball and where the ball hits the rim. They make adjustments based on where the ball hits the rim; long or short? right or left?

Poor Shooters judge their shooting accuracy solely on whether the ball goes in or not.

6. Good Shooters square up to the basket before shooting, called “Ten Toes.”

Poor Shooters are not concerned with alignment they just want to quickly get their shot off.

7. Good Shooters shoot from an athletic position known as Triple Threat position. One quick movement from triple threat produces a solid shot.

Poor Shooters catch the ball in an upright position then take time to bend their knees before shooting. Poor shooters do not play in triple threat.

8. Good Shooters use their whole body to shoot the shot. They know that their LEGS make shots with good form.

Poor shooters shoot the ball with their upper body only and throw the ball at the basket instead of shooting it.

9. Good Shooters follow through consistently by “throwing their hand into the basket.”

Poor Shooters are inconsistent in their follow through resulting in inconsistent results.

10. Good Shooters understand the importance of BALANCE before, during and after the shot! The feet are alway sunder their head.

Poor Shooters shoot off balance from all different kinds of angles. Their feet are rarely under their head.

How many of these describe YOU as a shooter?

Your goal is to accomplish all 10 of the “Good Shooter” characteristics as you grow and develop as a basketball player.

What is your score out of 10 and how badly do you want to be a Good Shooter?

John Wooden’s Desirable Coaching Traits

By Brian Williams on February 9, 2010

Attentiveness to Detail You must prepare to win in order to be a winner. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Impartiality This is a must, but you must remember that you must not treat everyone alike as they are all different. Give each one the treatment earned and deserved.
Teaching Skill It isn’t enough that you know the game, you must be able to teach it. Follow the laws of learning.
Discipline Most essential for proper concentration and group organization.
Affability The coach must be of an affable disposition because of the various groups with who he must associate.
Forcefulness You must be firm without being bullheaded.
Alertness Constant observation of all going on around and about are necessary for improved learning and decision making.
Optimism The pessimist isn’t likely to produce a confident team that will play near to their full capability.
Desire to Improve Lack of ambition will result in complacency and laziness.
Vision A Picture of the possible must be shown to your players to provide a goal for them.
Consideration For Others You must be truly considerate of others if you expect them to be considerate of you. You must listen to them if you want them to listen to you.
Resourcefulness You must be ever ready to make necessary adjustments according to the situation and the personnel that you have available.
Cooperativeness An essential for all who work with others and are dependent on others in various ways.
Leadership Trust be commanded, not demanded. Others are working with you, not for you. Be interested in finding the best way rather than having your own way.
Industriousness There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile things should never be easy to attain.
Enthusiasm If you are to stimulate others, your heart must be in your work. Enthusiasm brushes off upon those with whom you come in contact.
Sympathy You must be truly interested in those under your supervision and be sympathetic with their problems.
Self-control Good judgment must be exercised in your decisions and they must be made through reason not emotion.
Sincerity Insincerity can be spotted very quickly and cause loss of respect.

Evaluating Basketball Players Part II

By Brian Williams on January 21, 2010

This is the second part of an article that was written by Rick Majerus several years ago. The focus is what he looks for when recruiting, but some of these concepts can be taught and others can be improved upon through work.

Here is a link to the first part of the article: Evaluating Basketball Players Part I

Passers that appeal to me are those who pass the ball away from the defense. Outstanding passers have that snap on the ball that you can’t coach. They deliver it quickly and effortlessly by using their wrists.

I’m continually looking for those players that dribble to improve their passing angle (a lost art and a hard to teach concept). It is easy to find players that can pass in the open court, difficult to find players that can penetrate and pitch effectively in the paint, but next to impossible to find people who can feed a stationary or flash post by ball faking and dribbling to improve the angle of the pass. A good passer takes the ball up to the defense and that’s a trait often overlooked by most.

On a break, I try to find a man who will come to a controlled stop, let a wing fill a lane and be patient enough to give the wing the ball at the most opportune time so the play is made by virtue of the precision pass as opposed to the wing having to execute a difficult move off the dribble because the ball was thrown to soon. Good passers have poise and patience above all else. They anticipate, see the court and read the defense. (not only the defender covering the receiver but the “off the ball” help as well.)

Finally, a really smart passer doesn’t put the ball in the corner unless that man has a shot and he never passes to a man who has begun to cut away from the hoop. The great passer recognizes the difference in those players who are open for a shot or to better position the ball within the confines of the offense.

Good ball handlers are easy to spot. They are at least adequate with both hands. A great dribbler is one who can go full speed up and down the length of the court with either hand and come to a stop under control. A super dribbler is one who can change direction with the ball, head and shoulder fake and change pace accelerating rapidly by the defender. When I see this happen, I know the kid’s a keeper.

A real test of a ball handler comes when he encounters full court pressure. An average guard turns his back against pressure or goes with the playground “spin move.” A heady guard uses a pull back crossover dribble so as to maintain vision up court thus eliminating the likelihood of a double team or trap. And last of all, a great ball handler can back up with the ball. He’ll do it to reset the offense, or perhaps to avoid a trap, and this is an indication to me that the young man is a bright player and can handle the ball. A player who can do all of the aforementioned in addition to shoot the ball is really a find.

It is difficult to appreciably improve someone’s shooting in college. You may be able to make a small change but a complete overhaul is next to impossible. Players revert back to the habits of a lifetime making it extremely difficult for collegiate players to improve on technique. A good shooter has range and there’s a correlation between effective range and leg spring. I’m not as concerned if his elbow is in or out as I am with release and follow-through. A player who can shoot usually has good rotation on the ball, little wasted motion, and an exaggerated follow through. He exudes confidence and can shoot without having to take a rhythm bounce. Those that can shoot it know their range, lack of indecision, and spot up according to the penetration of the ball.

Evaluating Basketball Players Part I

By Brian Williams on January 20, 2010

This is the first part of an article that was written by the late Rick Majerus several years ago. The focus is what he looks for when recruiting, but some of these concepts can be taught and others can be improved upon through work.

There are three major areas of consideration which I address in my evaluation of a prospective athlete. Those areas of concern evaluated are attitude, athletic ability, and basketball skills.

The profession being what it is, one is often pressed to find an area in which unanimity of opinion prevails. However, no matter how diverse our philosophies and the styles of play that we employ, I think every coach wants to recruit or coach players that enjoy playing hard. Each of us has our own criteria whereby we assess selflessness, aggressiveness, poise, and many other personality traits. Hence, I will not belabor the point but suffice to say we’re all in pursuit of the player who best demonstrates those personality characteristics that compromise having a good attitude.

Athletic ability is the measure by which many players earn spots on a team and often fill complementary roles. I look first of all for a player with an explosive first step. Quickness can sometimes compensate for a lack of fundamentals and skills. An especially high premium is placed on lateral quickness because this single facet enables you to excel as a defensive player. Anticipation can somewhat compensate for a lack of quickness, however, there is no real substitute for someone who is not endowed with innate quickness.

After assessing the quickness of an individual, I try to determine how good his hands are. Can he catch a bad pass and make his own next pass a good one? Does he come down with the ball in traffic under the boards? Is he able to pick the ball up off the floor and convert in a transition game? It is especially important that you ascertain the quality of hands in a pivot prospect. Being able to catch it in a stationary post situation should be a given. However, when sliding from the high to low post or when flash posting, can the man catch the pass amid other players and on the move? These situations more than most others will illustrate his ability to catch the ball. A well-coached player is one who meets the ball and locates the defense before making a move. He knows or looks for the defender and moves accordingly.

Body control is another facet I look for and that doesn’t necessarily involve being able to make the circus shot. Rather, it is a facet of play that can better be evaluated by watching for a man who pulls up in balance and squares to the hoop off an explosive dribble. Or you can look for a guard who’s able to come to an abrupt stop at the foul line on a 3 on 1 break. It is most apparent when playing defense because a man without good body control has a tendency to commit fouls by “reaching in.” When challenging a shooter, I’m particularly interested in seeing if the defender can rise vertically, arm extended straight up, and not drift into the man taking the shot.

Last of all in my assessment of athletic ability, I look for the leaper. I’m most impressed by those who can jump off two feet in a crowd. Some players need a step to jump and others a run, but the athlete who can go up “right now” is someone who really possesses talent. Then I watch to see if he can stay with the action by continuing to jump a second and third time. When they go airborne for a layup, I’m looking for an individual who goes up with no fear. I think a great athlete is best evaluated on a layup in traffic because if he’s quick, he’ll pull away from the pack, if he has good hands and jumping ability, he won’t lose the ball, and finally he will finish the play off strong. This is what I feel the ultimate in athletic ability entails.

Here is a link to the first part of the article: Evaluating Basketball Players Part II