Basketball Questions Volume 2: What is the number one thing that you are struggling with right now?

Coaches, I am back tonight to try and finish up most of the basketball questions that I received from your replies. I hope that you find these basketball coaching answers useful. If I don’t have a answer then I will try to provide some basketball clinic notes to help you out.

Basketball Questions:  We are struggling in finishing game. Lost 3 close conference games in the last seconds or in the final minute. Players are losing their poise and teasing up in the final minutes. Any advise?? I am coach a varsity team with good athletes but not great basketball IQ

Answer:  My first question would be if you are practicing special situations at least twice a week?  Here is a late game checklist that might help you out:  Late Game Checklist

Here is another check list:  Don Meyer Late Game Checklist

Another suggestion for you would to go through this checklist and have some time of competition.  I would just keep trying to keep their heads up and try to stay positive with them.

Basketball Questions:  Playoff through end of game situations and having the right offense to run to milk the clock

Answer:  I think that end of game situations are crucial at the end of the year especially when the play-offs are so close.  I would spend some time going over your end of game situations.  Here are some Jerry Wainwright Special situations Notes

I also have some delay offenses for you:  Dean Smith 4 Corners Delay Game   and   Hank Iba Delay Game

Basketball Questions:  Zone offense and press break.

Answers:  I have always had a continuity zone offense and some special zone quick hitters to mix up the defense.  I really like this ball screen continuity zone offense. I think that you will get a lot of looks with this action.  Here are some Tom Izzo Zone Quick HItters that I use too.

Here is a Jim Crews Press Breaker for you too.

Basketball Questions:  BLOB against a zone and EOG/Quarter sets.

Answers:  Here are six BLOBS against a 2-3 zone for you.  Here are some Morgan Wooten EOG Special Situations and Set plays.

Basketball Questions:  4th grade boys…developing court awareness…B.B. IQ

Answers:  I would just have patience with that young group of kids.  I would try to give them some youth basketball drills where they have to make choices to improve their court awareness.  Patience is the biggest thing.

Basketball Questions:  Can’t contain the dribbler!

Answer:  My first question would be what type of defense are you using?  Pack-line or Pressure defense.  I am a pressure defense coach and always push my dribbler to the outside.  I never let them in the lane if possible.  Are you getting beat in Dribble Handoffs?  Here is a dribble handoff post that might be useful.

This Quin Synder Missouri defense packet has some great stuff that will help you with containing the dribbler and give you some new ideas.

Basketball Questions:  Struggling against 2-3 and 1-2-2 zones.

Here are some zone quick hitters versus a 2-3 zone.  Here is a Keith Dambrot Zone Offense / Quick Hitters that I really like too.

Basketball Questions:  Scoring the ball. We play well, get great shots, but camera finish at tre rim or from behind the line

Answers:  I would go find some football pads and beat on them when they are shooting layups.  I am not talking about hitting them hard, but they need to get use to contact.  I have found that pounding them with football pads works really good.

Basketball Questions:  Number 1 thing….. we have a short team, attacking zones has been a challenge.

Coach, I have put an number of zone offenses in this post.  If I was you with a short team, I would attack the short corners and high post.  Zone offense is about moving the ball and having the defense make a mistake.  I wouldn’t try to shoot them out of a zone defense.  I prefered to attack the gaps and have the defense break down.

If I haven’t answered your questions then I will wrap them up tomorrow.  I am going to go watch Kansas vs. Kansas State right now.  I will wrap them all up tomorrow.