Now, back to my original story.  I was at Fordham and I got into what an important basketball skill development discussion with close friend of mine, Phyllis Mangina (the former Seton Hall women’s basketball coach).  We were talking about skill development in general and then we got into finishing around the basket and how it is a major weakness in many players’ games.  We determined that the inability to finish is a result of two factors: fear of contact and footwork, and since that time, I have been thinking about this conversation and have determined that one is a direct result of the other.

Simply put, players worry too much about contact.  Watching countless games, I have come to the realization that as players drive to the basket they are trying to shy away from it.  Consequently, they are missing more shots around the rim than they should be.  As a player drives to the basket and tries to avoid contact they are actually putting themselves in an off balance position.  This off balance position makes what was once a makeable shot into one that is significantly more difficult to make.  As a result layups are missed because of the increased difficulty of the shot due to the off balance nature of the player.  

The lack of balance caused by the player’s determination to avoid contact is where the connection is to the second issue, footwork.  During our conversation, Coach Mangina brought up the fact that finishing around the rim needs to be built from the ground up.  In other words, footwork is the key.  As the player drives to the basket and approach the point at which they are going to finish, they must have their feet underneath them. Having their feet underneath them will give them a solid base and good balance and enable them to explode from their low position and finish at their highest point.  Proper footwork and balance can only be achieve if the player is not worried about getting hit and trying to avoid contact. 

Footwork is a facet of the game that needs to be developed and worked on daily.  Players should work on a variety of finishing moves around the rim all with the focus on having their feet in a solid position underneath them.  It would also help if a coach, trainer, or friend had a blocking pad that they could use to by physical with the player.  This will force the player to get used to finishing with proper footwork and through contact.

Please let the Elite Basketball Training community know your thoughts on finishing around the rim by speaking up in the comments section below.  And remember, we have a variety of skill development and sports performance based programs that are available at the new New Jersey Sports Academy so feel free to email me with any questions. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner, USAW

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

To view this video, click on this link: Fundamental Ballhandling Drill (Video)

As always, if you have any drills please share them in the comments section below.

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner
Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the basketball game that saw Rutgers shock then number 10 in the country, Villanova.  I was invited to the game by Dallas Ouano who is a walk on at Villanova and trains with me in his off months from basketball.  It was really exciting to attend a high level Big East basketball game, especially one that ended like this game did (sorry Dallas). 

The first thing I noticed after I received oxygen and the burning sensation in my legs wore off from climbing to my seat in the rafters was how hard the players were working on the court.  I could seriously touch the roof of the RAC but was still able to hear the sneakers squeak on the basketball court below.  That is not by accident.   That is straight up hard work!  There is something to be learned from the sounds of the game of basketball and squeaking sneakers is definitely a sign of effort.  This effort was exuded by both teams and it was Rutgers who gave just a little bit more down the stretch to earn the victory.

After the game, I hung around to talk to Dallas about how things were going with college and basketball.  He came out noticeably disappointed and justifiably so.  We got to talking about things and I was telling him about my team and how we had lost six straight games at that point.  I asked him what coach Jay Wright had to say after a devastating loss like this.  His first response was quite simple;  that they needed to take it on the chin and get back to business the next day.  However, he further went on to explain that at that level, everyone is really good and the pace of play is extremely fast, and that ultimately, it is the team that plays the hardest for the longest wins.  Dallas places the responsility for such losses on his own shoulders as it is the scout team’s (which he is a part of) responsibility to prepare his teammates for each and every game.  Dallas told me that they work so hard to beat the first team every single practice and if they do not, they are not doing their job. 

I was so impressed with this advice that I relayed it to my own team.  This information is not something that is new to them, as we emphasize effort and execution daily.  However, the source from which it came is.  What I made clear to them was that Dallas has very little to gain from busting his tail day in and day out.  As a walk on, he will very rarely, if ever play.  This makes his perspective on hard work and effort very selfless and team oriented.  His selflessness was reiterated in the following text that he sent me after the game:  “Tell your guys that it doesn’t matter if you look bad. Some of them will stop playing ball after high school and some might have college on their minds, but in the end, guys on good teams get looks. You have to sacrifice your personal agenda for your team, and in the end it will help each guy reach his personal goals.”  As a long time coach and trainer, this says it all.  The concept of working hard for the name on the front of your jersey is not a new one, but it is sometimes forgotten when the going gets rough.  Dallas’ insights served as a reminder of this for my team with the hope that it will provide new life for my them going forward in the playoffs.

Let me know what you think on this topic in the comments section below or by weighing in on this discussion on my Elite Basketball Training Facebook Fan page.

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Just curious, where do we stick our big kids when they are young?  Under the basket.  What do we tell them when they get a defensive rebound?  Don’t dribble, give it to a guard. 

Honestly, is there any reason we should wonder why our players do not posess all three fundamental skills?

This is just one of a few topics that Stan Van Gundy touches upon in the video which is based on his experience coaching his son and daughter in their youth basketball leagues.  Trust me, you will not want to miss this…it is eye opening.

To view the video, click here : Stan Van Gundy – Expectation to Win

As always, let us all know your thoughts on this topic by posting a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks.

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

The big question is when do they find the time to do this.  I firmly believe that there is plenty of time in any day to accomplish all that you need to as a basketball player.  If you have a Saturday morning practice, ask your coach if you can come in early or stay later.  If you have a day off, take an hour or two to go to a local gym or park to work on your game.  The fact is, basketball skill development and training can take place on many days and times during the season and it should.  Players with better skills will make the team more successful because team success is dependent upon the overall skill of your players. 

If you are looking for basketball drills that will help you improve your game use the search engine on this site or visit the Elite Basketball Training youtube page.

As always, share your thoughts on basketball skill development during the season in the comments section below. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

As a valued member of the Elite Basketball Training community, I am seeking your help.  I want to know what topics you would like to see covered more often in the form of blog posts and products.  To better serve you, I have created a brief survey that I would like you to fill out.  Please take a moment of your time as filling out this survey would be greatly appreciated and benefit the entire Elite Basketball Training community.

Click here to take survey

Thanks.  See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

The Corner to Wing Shooting Drill allows coaches to work on getting shots from the wing out of a typical cut in a motion offense. 

Purpose of the Drill:

The purpose of this drill is to work on shots coming off a cut from the wing to the corner.

Instructions

• The player makes a pass to the coach and then takes a few steps down, jams to get open and comes around the top cone for a series of shots.
• Shots include: off the catch, head fake one dribble pullup (both directions), rip back through for a one dribble pullup, run through with extended dribble into the lane for a jumper, finish at the rim, finish at the rim with a reverse, jump stop in the lane step across and finish (both directions), and a floater in the lane (both directions).
• Repeat the drill on the opposite side of the court.

Points of Emphasis:

• receiving the ball low and with your hands ready.
• finishing low to high.
• pushing past the defender on all dribble moves.

Motivation/Teaching Tips:

• Make a set number of shots before moving onto the next shot type.

Purpose of the Drill:

The purpose of this drill is to work on various double and single moves off the dribble while either finishing at the rim or taking a pullup jumper.

Instructions:

The player will attack the first chair and use a double move (ex. double crossover, between the legs crossover, etc.). They then attack the second set of chairs with a single dribble move and finish at the rim or with a pullup jumper.  Repeat on the opposite side.

Points of Emphasis:

On the double move, set your defender up with the first move and then make the second move quickly. Make sure the player is low going around all chairs. Try to get their shoulders as low as the top of the chair. Finish high either at the rim or on your jumper. Use a variety of finishing moves and attack moves.

Motivation/Teaching Tips:

Make a set number of shots on each move before moving onto the next one.

As always, if you have any variations of this drill that you know or any other drills that you feel would be beneficial let the Elite Basketball Training community now about them in the comments section below. 

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Purpose of the Drill:

The purpose of this drill is to build up a player’s speed endurance using movements from the game of basketball.

Instructions:

• The player should sprint to the foul line and perform three defensive slides steps back in one direction.
• Then sprint to the half court line and perform three defensive slide drills back in the opposite direction.
• Then sprint to the opposite foul line and perform three defensive slides back in the same direction as the first foul line.
• Then sprint to the opposite baseline and perform three defensive slides back in the same direction used at half court.
• Repeat for three to five rounds.

Points of Emphasis:

• Staying low on your defensive slide.
• Change directions from your sprint into your slide and back into your sprint quickly.
• Stay low and balanced when changing directions and movements. This will allow for a more explosive transition out of each movement and into the next.
  

Motivation/Teaching Tips:

Time the drill.

2. Hesitate and go (soft hedge) – At level of screen, hesitate, eyes on rim. Key to make the hedge man relax.

3. Split the hedge—The most under-utilized part of offensive ball screening. After clearing the screen low and tight, explode on the split. Dribble below the knees.

4. Fake the split then inside/out dribble to the paint.

5. Reject the screen (Guards man completely blocks the path of the driver, screener’s defender is at block area zoning up.

6. Shooting behind—The on ball defender goes behind the screen. Shot must come directly behind the screen.

7. Re-screen – when screener’s defender shows big, flat hedge. Drive over the screen, then crossover and use the screen again toward the baseline. Screener turns to the inside on second screen getting you closer to the basket.

8. Early slip—Guard’s defender jumps low (toward baseline), driver splits between his man and the screen. Counter is to fake the split.
Ball

As always, if you have other ways to use the ball screen or just points about the ball screen please let the Elite Basketball Training Community know by posting them in the comments section below.