4 on 4 Continuous Baseline Rotation Youth Basketball Drills

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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Basketball Drills

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August 8, 2014

4 on 4 Continuous Baseline Rotation Youth Basketball Drills

It has been awhile since I have posted something to the website. We had 13 guys in summer school so I stayed busy with that. Making sure the guys get to class on time for class, weights, and etc. makes for very, very long days. Our guys worked hard during their time here. I think I speak for our staff when I say we are looking forward to starting school on August 18th and having everyone on campus. With that being said, August means one thing; basketball season is getting closer and closer. Coaches across the country are adding new creative last minute ideas to their program. Whether that is new offense concepts or defensive principles, coaches’ playbooks are interchangeable.

These youth basketball drills, that I am posting works on cutting off baseline penetration. It is crucial to any defense. It is called “4 on 4 Continuous Baseline Penetration”. Also, these youth basketball drills work on taking away the “habit” pass, “helping the helper” and “near man concept”. The youth basketball drills start with the coach having the ball on the baseline. The players will start in a straight line even with the block. I like to start the drill out by slamming the ball on the court. I have our guys yell “defense”, slap the floor, get in a great defensive stance, and with “feet fire” or “quick feet” if you will. The coach can pass the ball to any corner. For the purpose of the drill, the coach passes the ball to 1. X1 closes out. X2, X3, and X4 locate to their defensive spots according to their defensive principles. 1 will pass to 2. 2 will pass to 3. 3 will pass to 4. All the defenders will move to their sports according to their defensive principles, ON AIR TIME. Once 4 catches the ball, he will drive “game speed” to the basket. X1 needs to stop 4 OUTSIDE of the lane line. X2 needs to drop down and take away the “habit pass”. X3 will drop down low enough to help X2; keeping 2 and 3 on top of his feet while seeing the ball. X3 will not only have X2’s man but his man as well. For instance, if the coach would kick the ball out to 2 or 3 after getting to pass from 4, X3 will close out to either offensive player. X3 is covering two players because of the baseline penetration. I call it “Helping Down”. Once 4 is cutoff from X1, 4 will pass the ball to coach. Coach will hold the ball for a second. Here is where the “Near Man Concept” comes into play. Coach will pass the ball to 1 in the corner. Since X2 is the CLOSEST MAN TO THE BALL, X2 will close out to 1. Since X3 had to cover both X2’s man and his own, X3 will now take 2; he will close out according to his defensive principles. X4 will take 3 because he is the closest defender to him. X1 will now have 4. You will run these youth basketball drills until every defender has defended each spot.

Coach Adam Short is entering his first season as men’s basketball assistant coach at Missouri State University-West Plains. Prior to Missouri State University-West Plains, Adam Short was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Cowley College. Short grew up in Indiana and was a First-Team All-Conference selection as a senior at Lake Central High School. He went on to attend Joliet (Ill) Junior College and helped the team to a NJCAA Division III national runner-up finish, while being named First-Team All-Conference and a two-time Region 4 Player of the Week. After Joliet, Short spent his final two years of college basketball playing at NAIA school Avila University in Kansas City, MO. At Avila, he scored more than 1,000 points in his career and earned all-conference honors each year at the school. He graduated from Avila in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in writing. Short then served as a graduate assistant coach with the Avila men’s basketball team from 2011-2013 and earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Development in 2013. During his time at Avila, Coach Short help led the Eagles to their best record in a decade. As well As well in 2011 where they were 1st in the Nation in three pointers made per game and 3rd in the Nation in three point percentage per game 38%. Short also help lead team to first ever conference tournament hosted game in school history 2012 He also spent the past four years working with MoKan Nike Elite Youth Basketball League out of Kansas City, MO. His job duties consisted of coaching, scouting, and breaking down film.