FREE ACCESS... This simple to use 1-page player evaluation form is helpful in guiding you through your basketball team/club tryout process. Rate player skills and intangibles and make comments to help you in your follow-up decision-making process. It is never enjoyable to make cuts, but if you have to do so, it is very important to keep a record of your evaluations. You never know when someone will want to see why and how you made your decisions (not that everyone needs to see this … [Read more...]
Double Stack Through Reverse Play
This basketball play from the double stack low set is designed to get a layup. It's simple to execute and can create a nice, easy scoring opportunity ... especially against a defense that likes to overplay to denial. O3 cuts through from the weakside to the strong side, going under the double stack set. O1 dribbles to the side as if setting up the pass to O3. After O3 cuts passed the double screen, O4 pops up the lane to receive the pass. O1 quickly reverses the basketball to … [Read more...]
Suicides, Sweat and Success
My basketball career was short lived. In fact, it was cut short before it really got going. I broke my ankle in my junior year of high school. I couldn’t try out for the varsity team. And in my day, if you didn’t play in your junior year, you didn’t make the squad your senior year. So my hoop dreams ended early in life. But here’s what I’ll always remember from those early years of playing competitive ball… suicides. Suicides are brutal. Your legs hurt. Your lungs burn. Your heart pounds. … [Read more...]
2 vs. 1 Reaction Rebounding Drill
Purpose: To develop both offensive and defensive rebounding skills. Particularly helps the defensive rebounder learn to react and recover against an offensive rebounder. Also helps offensive players learn to crash the boards and finish effectively when they gain control of an offensive rebound. Drill: A coach or shooter at the top with a basketball. Two offensive players, one at each elbow. One defender starts under the basket. The coach will shoot the basketball and O1 and O2 … [Read more...]
Power Post Options Play
The Power Post Options basketball play is designed to get the ball into the low post area for an easy score. With the ball movement, cuts, and screens, this play offers 3-4 options for getting the ball to a player in the low post. When you need to get your power game going, this is an excellent play! O1 begins by dribbling to the right wing. As O1 is going right, O4 moves up to the free throw / key area to set a screen for O3. O3 walks toward the top and then cuts hard off O4's … [Read more...]
Skill Development Coach Review
:: A Hoops U. Basketball Review :: Website: www.skilldevelopmentcoach.com I recently was given the opportunity to check out Skill Development Coach, a new website built for basketball players, coaches, and trainers. If you're in the business of teaching kids the game of basketball or if you're a player looking to improve, you definitely want to check it out now. The unique feature of Skill Development Coach is the concept of the Periodic Table. The periodic table allows you to custom … [Read more...]
Downscreens Clear vs. Triangle-and-2
A simple play you can run when you come up against a triangle-and-2 defense. It creates jump shot opportunities for those players not being defended man-to-man. It is also easy enough to implement in a game even if you have not practiced this play specifically. If your players know how to screen and cut, they can easily jump in and execute this play which might be helpful if you're 'surprised' by a sudden triangle-and-2 thrown on you. Players O2 and O3 are defended man-to-man and start … [Read more...]
Pick Away Weave Play
Use the Pick Away Weave Play to run down the clock and then take the last shot of the quarter, half, or game. The three perimeter players - O1, O2, O3 - pass one way and then screen opposite. They continue this weave until time runs down and you want to get off the last shot (probably about 8-10 seconds left). As time runs down, you can run one of the following two plays. It is wise to have a name for each so you or your players can call it out and know what is to be … [Read more...]
A Basketball Discussion with Howard Garfinkel and Tom Konchalski
On June 19, 2014, Charlie Rose sat down with a couple of legends from the game of basketball. This very insightful conversation with Howard Garfinkel and Tom Konchalski touched on the original 5-Star Basketball Camp along with a few stories about some of the great players and coaches involved. They also discuss other areas of basketball, coaching, teaching, and leading. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Lob Two Downscreens
This baseline out of bounds play is best run against zone defenses. The initial action creates a lob opportunity that, if unavailable, leads into two downscreens to create an open shot. When the official hands the basketball to O1, O4 pops out to the ballside corner. O3 fades behind the zone on the weak side and O5 steps hard toward the passer. O2 acts as the safety outlet. For this play (unless O5 is open), we are looking to pass inbounds to O4. O4 quickly reverses the basketball … [Read more...]