Shot Caller’s Hoops

Jason Richards asked:


There have been countless films on playing high school basketball and by doing this, the lead actor has landed a college scholarship. This isn’t just a Hollywood make-believe event. It can happen even to an unknown athlete in your school-or it could happen to you. 

When you believe that you were born to fulfill your destiny as a basketball star and that most of your time in high school was spent in trainings and basketball games, then you are on step one. As a high school basketball player, it is important for you to be noticed by, not only by the swooning girls but also, your basketball coach. He may be able to make the recommendations that you need to land a college basketball scholarship. Although this isn’t a guarantee, it pays to do well in every training or game and to stand out. 

Your high school basketball coach might not know coaches of different colleges so it is also highly advised that high school players make themselves known to them. Unless you play like Michael Jordan, then you have to be able to sell your skills to these coaches. Make them notice you. Don’t wait for any college basketball coach to recruit you. You must confidently submit a resume or profile of your personal basketball history and let your track record be tangible proof for them. 

The next rule is probably one of the most important things that any high school basketball player needs to know-and that is to achieve good grades. Although basketball may be unrelated to language proficiency or mathematics, the fact remains that most colleges that offer basketball scholarships will want their applicants to have outstanding grades. What do these grades prove? They only tend to prove that despite the rigors of trainings and games, the player remains disciplined to finish other tasks. The grades will also mirror how well you balance your time on different endeavors. So the next time you start thinking that your English grade means nothing to your college basketball scholarship, think again.

Generally in the United States, athletic scholarship applications are best done right after high school graduation. The standing rule for age is 18-24 years old. The great news in the U.S. is that, there are a booming number of colleges and universities that offer scholarships. You have a lot of choices so take a pick and start sending your resume to some of the colleges that you like. 

Participate in ranking tournaments and give each one of these games your best shot. When you are ranked high, of course, the chances of getting a good scholarship will be greater compared with mediocrity in regional or national ranking.

To be able to land an athletic scholarship, you should understand the sophisticated processes of recruitment. You just don’t go about telling every college basketball coach you meet that you can play the game. Know which colleges you want and be able to impress that you can play basketball on a non-neophyte level. Promote your skills and sell your talents.

Behave yourself. Basketball coaches want to work with an individual who has a clean track record and who they can mold into the athlete that they envision. If you have a smeared record, chances are, coaches might shun away from meeting you. 

When you have finally decided which college will be able to offer you the best scholarship, begin processing not just your resume but also other important credentials such as transcript, your ACT and SAT scores, samples of completed work (in short, your portfolio). These are just some of the necessities so it’s important for you to ask your chosen college’s specific requirements. There are, of course, different requirements for different colleges. 

There are many hurdles to acheiving an athletic scholarship. The requirements include a lot of physical and mental preparation. If you believe you have what it takes to succeed, then you have already succeeded.

Patrick Ocheni asked:


You cannot become a championship caliber team or player without dominating the backboard! The team that controls the backboard during a basketball game would most likely win. Why? More basketball rebounds leads to more possessions, and more possessions lead to more second-chance scoring opportunities. And, the team with the most second-chance scoring opportunities will win.

 How important is rebounding? Every player on a team should learn how to rebound effectively, regardless of your position on the team. The reasoning behind this is that, every player should form the habit of attempting to grab the rebound after either an offensive or defensive shot has been made. Each player should always assume that the shot will be missed. With that being said, a team should have five solid rebounders on the basketball court at all times during a game.

 What are the traits of a great basketball rebounder? Although your size and height as a basketball player could give you an advantage when attempting to rebound a basketball, they’re not the primary determining factors to becoming a great rebounder. For example, Dennis “the worm” Rodman was one of the most prolific rebounders in the NBA (National Basketball Association), despite the fact that he was an average height of 6-7″ as a professional basketball player and barely weighed 210 lbs. Although he was not a great scorer, his uncanny yet masterful ability to successfully grab rebounds (both on offense and defense) helped his teams win several NBA titles and earned him two consecutive defensive player of the year awards, which is an incredible accomplishment. What Dennis Rodman and other great rebounders knew is that, one of the main keys to effective rebounding is Positioning–not your height or size.

 Floor Positioning

 A great rebounder always establishes an excellent floor position when attempting to grab a rebound. An excellent floor position means that you fight for the inside position by being closer to the basketball hoop than your opponent, regardless of whether you are trying to grab an offensive or defensive rebound.

 Grabbing the Rebound

 Once you have established an inside position, the most effective way to grab a rebound is by leaping straight up in the air with great explosiveness and power using both feet, keeping your legs spread apart and **** pointing outward, and grabbing the basketball with both hands. Bring the basketball in front of you after you grab it instead of keeping it over your head.

 This keeps your opponent away from you, and prevents him from grabbing the basketball or smacking it out of your hands as you are coming back down after you have grabbed the rebound.

 Catch all rebounds instead of batting the basketball into the air or out of bounds. This would allow you and your team to maintain possession of the basketball.

Protecting the basketball after a Rebound

 All your effort to grab the rebound and regain possession of the basketball would be in vain if you do not protect the basketball on your way down. Remember, after you grab a rebound, you will usually be surrounded by opponents that are standing by ready and eager to steal the basketball from you. Be alert and vigilante!

 As you land after grabbing a rebound, bring the basketball in under your chin (Chinning the basketball) with your elbows out and with a hand on each side of the basketball gripping it tightly. Do not swing your elbows wildly in order to keep your opponent(s) away from you, because doing so might lead to a foul violation.

 Pivot away from an opponent that might be trying to steal the basketball away from you. Do not put the basketball on the floor immediately after going up for a rebound, especially if you are surrounded by your opponents.

 Keep your head up after grabbing the rebound so that you can easily scan the entire basketball court to see if you can find an open teammate who might be positioned to lead a fast break for an easy score.

 There you have it…Becoming an awesome rebounder is as simple as (1) Establishing great inside position; (2) Grabbing the rebound; and, (3) Protecting the basketball after you grab the rebound. With constant practise, there is no reason why you cannot become a top, if not the best, rebounder for your basketball team. In addition to mastering the mechanics of grabbing a rebound as illustrated above, equally as important is developing a mindset or attitude that you will attempt to grab every rebound during a basketball game. Remember, it is not the “size” of the rebounder that matters; rather, it is his burning desire to go after every rebound.

 Visit http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com to find more information on this topic, and to download a FREE copy of our Basketball E-Book ($29 Value) titled, “The Fundamentals of Basketball: A beginner’s guide for coaches and players.”

Jason Richards asked:


They usually say that basketball wins are owed to the proper playing of the defenses. Honestly, when the best defense is projected at every single level of the basketball game, everything will turn out well for the team.

The best coaches know for a fact that basketball defense should be made the topmost priority. After all, basketball defense determines the after-effect of the players’ efforts on the courts. But are you sure that your team knows how to play basketball defense the right way? Will their knowledge on basketball defense satiate the requirements for bringing home the bacon?

Being cultured with the proper basketball defensive knowledge is hard to deal with especially with the lack of effort and time spent both by the player and the coach. Getting into the core of basketball defense is all about desiring to improve the rest of the fields of the game. Basketball isn’t only about passing, dribbling, or shooting. Furthermore, it is all about learning basketball defenses so these aspects will be perfected. Most dedicated coaches can attest to how vital basketball defense is especially when a team’s heart is into winning.

Here are the valuable tips that need to be kept in mind as one learns the ropes of basketball defense:

You’ve got to quicken your hands and feet.

Know how to repeatedly and swiftly jump.

Practice your instincts and reflexes so you can immediately jump into action. Be with a coach who prioritizes commitment and focuses not only on the individual members of the team but basketball defense as well.

Learn the different basketball defenses such as half-court trap, man-to-man defense, full-court press, and many others.

Be quick in your transitions from that of the offensive floor end to the defensive positions.

Comprehend the overall grasp of the game alongside its strategies and concepts.

Be an expert in handling not only the strong side basketball defense but also the weak side.

Constantly practice the necessary positioning, defensive bearings, and footwork. 

The fans usually roar as they spot their favorite players handle the basketball defenses the flawless way. In reality, basketball defense is actually all in the mind and being in the right attitude. If one truly desires to win, his heart extends to being willing to handle basketball defensive learning. Remember that playing basketball isn’t only a matter of shooting the ball and scoring. Executing the best defenses should likewise be vitally played.

Jason Richards asked:


It is certainly fun watching basketball. But for players, the game isn’t just fun. It is challenging.

There are lots of pressure that players undergo whenever they hit it to the court every game. They are of course committed to make the team win by accumulating more scores than the opponent. Aside from that, almost all players want to stand up to impress the viewing public.

In the tradition of Michael Jordan, Shacquille O’Neal, Dennis Rodman and the likes, every basketball player dreams of being an icon in sports. That is why almost all basketball secrets have been revealed.

There are also more coaches, trainers and centers that offer to help players develop proper attitude and skills in playing basketball. Almost all mental and physical aspects of basketball playing have also been discussed and openly assimilated by players.

The footwork

A strong footwork is considered one of the basic skills and characteristics a basketball player must possess to be able to become a good player. That is because everything else depends on the strength of the feet when playing.

Solid footwork is very necessary in executing basic basketball tasks and techniques like defense, rebounding, ball-handling, and many more. Basketball is a very physical game so without the solid foundation of the foot strength, you would easily end up being tripped at or knocked at the floor.

Because you basically run, jump, bend and walk during the basketball game, your footwork must be well built and planned. Further, during, before and after games, you are advised to take some flexing, relaxing and warming activities to condition your feet to become stronger for each game.

Footwork tips in basketball

Because footwork is such an important aspect of playing basketball, here are some tips that will truly help you attain good footing while playing the arduous game of basketball.

Attain good body balance during the game. It is recommended that you keep the base support of your feet wide. How do you do this? Simply keep each of your feet at least a shoulder apart from each other. Bend your knees a little and keep your head just above the midpoint between the area covered by the feet. This position is said to provide your body with good overall balance. While standing inside the basketball court, practice having this physical balanced position.     Take a good pivoting point. A solid pivot is attained when the ball of the foot is planted firmly and solidly on the floor of the court. If you have a good pivoting position, you can easily turn and run to the left to right, or forward or backward. Good pivoting is essential for the best defensive strategies in the game.     Take quick pivots by planting the balls of your feet on the ground. Then, attain proper body balance. This way, you are sure to be ready for quick and abrupt pivot turns.

Footwork exercises

Aside from the usual footwork drills, there are also several exercises that are simple enough and will surely help improve your footwork for both defensive and offensive tasks in playing basketball.

Here are some of them.

As a form of exercise, bend the knees, take proper balance standing position by spreading the feet at shoulder width. Then, step sideways. Eventually, make the little steps either to the left or to the right turn into short runs. The sideway movements will help you attain good and firm footwork sideways.     Hop with just one leg forward from tone side of the basketball court until you reach half of the court. Bring down the foot and use the other one as you hop forward to the other end of the court. This exercise targets the muscles of the thighs and knees, making up for firmer and stronger footwork.     Regular jogging and running exercises are proven to be effective in improving the footwork of basketball players. In the morning, or whenever there is time, jog around or run. It would also be advisable if you use a thread mill.

It would be impossible to play basketball if the strength of the feet isn’t established. Because basketball is a very physical game, you should make sure your footwork is well practiced before the games.

Jason Richards asked:


One of the skills important for a player to learn before playing the actual game of basketball is passing the basketball. Passing is the act of the handing over the basketball to the player’s teammate. Communication between the team members is crucial in passing. You have to acknowledge the pass first, either verbally or nonverbally, before handing over the basketball to a player. Passing can be used as an escape route if the player is heavily guarded by the defenders in order to keep the ball in the team’s possession and later on shooting the basketball to the team’s basket. In basketball, passing skills are acknowledged by statistics, which are called an assists. Passing the basketball may be done in several ways.

The Chest Pass

This pass is thrown in a straight line with high velocity used on the court’s perimeter. When the recipient is moving, this pass is made ensuring that the player doesn’t over reach to catch the basketball. When the recipient is stationary, this pass is made ensuring that the player who will accept the basketball doesn’t have to move. This pass is received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. In passing the basketball, it must be held at the level of the sternum, then by pushing the back foot and taking a step with the front foot while extending the arms to make the pass.

The Bounce pass.

The accuracy of this pass is dictated by its trajectory and speed. The change of directions of this pass makes it difficult for the defender to judge where the basketball will go, therefore making it hard to steal. This pass is easier to handle than an overhead pass where the recipient is moving. This pass should be caught by the recipient with a stride when he is moving and shouldn’t force the recipient to move when stationary. This pass is also received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. When making the pass, the ball is held at waist level, altering the position from hip to hip depending on the location of the recipient. The spot where the basketball should go will be aimed three-quarters of the way between the recipient and the passer. Passing is done by pushing the back of the foot, taking a step with the front foot, while extending the arms downward to make the pass.

The Overhead Pass

This is a powerful pass but an easy pass to steal. This is done so that the basketball goes over the top of the defender and is received by the other member of the team at the back of the defender. This pass is also received in a triple threat position wherein the feet are shoulder width apart, elbows and knees bent, the shooting hand at the top and the other hand on the side of the basketball. The hands of the player are placed on both sides of the basketball. Using the player’s forearms, the ball is put behind the head, the back of the foot is then pushed off, the front foot takes a step, then the elbows are brought down and the arms are then extended to make the pass.

The Behind the Back Pass

This pass is done behind the back without looking where the ball is going to fool the defender. This is most effective when the player is in motion because the player can easily move in the opposite direction of where the ball will go. This pass needs a lot of patience and practice because it takes time to figure out the right moves to make this pass successful. If expertise in this pass isn’t mastered, it shouldn’t be done during a game. This is done by holding the basketball with both hands. The dominant hand’s shoulder is moved towards the back and the ball is cupped by the dominant hand with the wrist and fingers pointing in the direction of the shoulder’s movement. The ball is then carried behind the player’s back with the arms wrapped around behind the back and the basketball is then released.

The Alley-Oop

Trust and timing is crucial for this pass to be successful. Practice should be done by the player to figure out the motion of this pass. A short, arching toss is the kind of action that is the easiest to receive by the other members of the team. The recipient should have the vertical leap to dunk or the basket should allow the adjustment of the rim’s height. The player should decide to do the alley-oop before making it to the three point arch. The player should establish eye contact with the other member of the team, who will do the hops. A short arching tossing motion is then delivered toward the basket with a shot like motion when the recipient is two or three steps away doing the jump. The spot should be aimed barely above the rim in the side where the recipient is coming from. The other member then receives the pass and makes a dunk, and shoots the basketball in the team’s basket.

Assisting the team to score through correct passing is just as essential as taking the shot. Good passing skills and communication among the team members is crucial to make the team’s game play a success. Practice makes perfect and good communication among team members will go along way in basketball when passing or assisting is concerned.