Developing Perimeter Players: Drills for Skills

with Travis Steele,
Miami University (Ohio) Head Men's Coach;
Xavier University Head Coach from 2018 to 2022;
3 seasons as Associate Head Coach and 7 seasons as an Assistant at Xavier;
8x NCAA Tournament appearances;
2017 Elite Eight

Long time Xavier assistant coach Travis Steele took over as head coach in 2018 and has the Musketeers competing at a high level. Coach Steele has learned under a variety of successful coaches that have demonstrated how to develop players into prolific scorers through individual development drills. In this video, you will learn Steele's secrets to creating an effective individual perimeter player workout.

Culture

Coach Steele has had a hand in developing the culture at Xavier for over a decade and know how to set the tone for players to become the best versions of themselves on the court. By having a plan and working within it, his athletes have developed a sense of trust with their coach. Steele sets the tone with specific workouts that are put on paper so players can visualize their goals. He adds purpose to every drill, which makes players want to come back into the gym to work harder than they did in their previous workout.

Developing Your Workout

Having players set the tone for each other in their workouts builds a level of competition and sets them apart from everyone else. Your players will come into the gym and begin with form shooting and a larger shooting warm-up. Next comes ball handling and triangle shooting, which lets players know how hard they have to work to beat their score from the day before.

Steele transitions into drills for shooting on the move, then finishes with a teaching segment to help players grow and apply their skills in 1v1 competition drills. This has been one of the 'recipes for success' that has set Xavier apart from other programs over the last 10 years.

Drills

The Commando drill lets players work on dribbling and handling the ball in tight spaces as they go from baseline to elbow and back. Great players learn to play in straight lines rather than allowing the defense to dictate where they are going. This drill will allow your players the flexibility to move in straight lines while also working on different moves to get around defenders.

The Two Ball Command drill has players work on dribbling on the move to get a feel for the ball. Rather than using traditional static ball handling drills, players use two basketballs and listen for the coach's commands, focusing on dribbling with their head up to see the open floor.

Coach Steele demonstrates his plan and attention to detail when it comes to putting together a workout. This system will help you create a culture of competition full of players who want to be their absolute best!

56 minutes. 2019.