Core Practice Drills by Chris Filios

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 Coaching | Basketball Drills | Defensive Drills | Offensive Drills

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October 31, 2021

Core Practice Drills

Practices around the country have either started or will be starting soon. There are so many things you want to accomplish, yet not enough time. You must prioritize what is important. Here are some of my favorite core practice drills that cover key aspects.

It all starts with defense for me. These three drills are the backbone for everything:

Defensive Cutthroat. So simple, yet so versatile. Start with 3 v 3 and build your way up to 5 v 5. You can use it to work on different actions or emphasize different things. Build in advantages/disadvantages to make the drill easier or more difficult. This is an everyday must for me.
Kill Drill. I have seen different versions of this drill. It was a staple under Chris Beard at Texas Tech. It builds toughness and a defensive mentality.
Laker Break. This is actually an offense and defensive drill. The offensive aspect focuses on attacking the advantage and getting a great shot quickly while they have numbers. The defensive aspect is spriting back, communicating, and getting the offense to work as hard as possible for a shot. It also serves as a solid conditioning drill.

A few other drills I love:

FIBA 3 v 3. This drill is simple and quick. You just want to let the players play. Do not stop the drill. Set an amount of time and clock and let players compete and figure things out on their own.
10 Second Fix-It Drill. This drill comes from Ettore Messina. I love this drill as it forces the offense to just figure it out. No set play. No coach drawing anything up. Players need to just make quick decisions on their own.
1 v 1 Full Court.
Olympic Drill. For me, this drill is all about competitiveness. Who wants it the most? Which player will fight to stay on the floor? Which player will compete while they are tired?
Full Court Shooting. This is a team competitive shooting drill. It is also a great conditioner at the end of practice. Often, it is difficult to fit shooting in with everything else you are trying to accomplish in practice. This is perfect to end practice while they are tired. They compete as a team.

Click on this link to download the drills