Competitive Drills for Shooting, Ball Handling & Finishing

with Shaka Smart, Marquette University Head Men's Basketball Coach;
2023 NABC Coach of the Year;
2023 AP Coach of the Year;
2023 Henry Iba Award;
2023 Big East Coach of the Year;
University of Texas Head Coach from 2015 to 2021;
2021 Big 12 Tournament Champions;
2019 National Invitation Tournament champions;
2016 USA Basketball U18 National Team Head Coach;
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Head Coach from 2009 to 2015;
2012 CAA Tournament and 2015 A-10 Tournament Champions;
2011 NCAA Regional Champions - Final Four;
2010 CBI Champions;
2011 Clarence Gaines National Coach of the Year;
in each of his six seasons as head coach at VCU, Coach Smart led VCU to over 26 wins

Shaka Smart has demonstrated a talent for building a basketball program after leading Virginia Commonwealth University's rise to national prominence. A critical piece to the success of any program is maximizing the development of the player's athleticism, mentality, and skills.

In this video, Smart unveils his philosophy behind how to create an environment where a player takes ownership over his game and feels responsible and devoted to his/her own development.

In an individual workout setting, Smart demonstrates a package of drills; each with a 'standard' that must be met in order to beat the drill. He also shares his own program's records for these particular drills which makes meeting and exceeding each standard extra fun.

In all, over 10 drills are shared, complete with Smart's expert commentary on the rules pertaining to each exercise, the goals involved, and the teaching points relating to each individual skill being developed. Attributes to be developed include:

• Increasing shooting range and accuracy, both while stationary and on-the-move.
• Developing ball-handling functionality with the weak-hand.
• Creating a move-set and footwork while handling the ball.
• Increasing offensive awareness and recognition skills by way of 'read-and-react' based breakdown drills.
• Finishing around the rim, ideal for post-player development.

Player Development Ideology/Philosophy:

In the first 20 minutes of the video, Coach Smart's details his core values for individual player development. He discusses:

• The "5 Keys to Player Development" that serve as a backbone to the programs entire approach to 'reaching' a player intellectually.
• The importance of taking a 'holistic' approach to player development and how it translates to creating an all-around talent.
• How setting 'program standards' that players must meet within each drill can infuse a layer of ownership into each drill and make it easier for a player to grasp the need for achieving goals.

Shooting Drills

Raise the level of your team's shooting with four drills that will challenge your players to compete against themselves at all times. The Evans Drill will establish a mentality in your shooters to never miss twice in a row. The Spurs Shooting drill is a great way to train your forwards on how to shoot in pick & pop situations.

Dribbling Drills

Smart demonstrates four ball handling drills that will enable your players to make plays off the bounce. The Commando drill will tighten up your players' handles while teaching them how to change their pace. The Recognition & Read drill forces your players to quickly react in game-like situations versus the unpredictability of live defenders.

Low Post Drills

Help your post players finish at the rim with four different practice drills. These drills will develop your players' ability to score with their weak hand, play strong in an athletic stance, rip the ball into a powerful position for finishing through contact, and aggressively fight past block outs to score off offensive rebounds.

In addition to all of these drills, Smart shows one drill for putting all of these skills together in a game-like situation with Close Out 1-on-1.

By infusing energy and competitiveness into individual workouts, and by utilizing keys and standards to drive home the importance of his developmental ideologies, Smart has catapulted into one of the top young coaches in America. Learn the secrets behind the approach and witness proven, on-court drills to better elevate a player's talent level and your program's overall potential.

Produced at the 2017 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Clinic.

74 minutes. 2017.