Drills for Developing Hybrid Players

with Matthew Driscoll,
NC State Assistant Coach;
Kansas State University Interim Head Coach in 2026;
Kansas State University Associate Head Coach from 2025 to 2026;
University of North Florida Head Men's Coach from 2009 to 2025;
3-Time Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) Conference Coach of the Year (2015, 2016 & 2020);
3-Time A-Sun Regular Season Champions (2015, 2016 & 2020);
2015 A-Sun Tournament Champions;
Baylor Assistant Coach from 2003 to 2009;
2008 Fox Sports Top Ten Assistants in the US;
Valparaiso Assistant Coach in 2003;
Clemson Assistant Coach from 1998 to 2003;
Wyoming Assistant Coach from 1997 to 1998;
LaRoche College Head Coach from 1993 to 1997;
Slippery Rock Assistant Coach from 1992 to 1993;
Seneca Valley High School (PA) Assistant Coach from 1991 to 1992;
Butler County Community College (PA) Assistant Coach from 1990 to 1991;
Northgate High School Assistant Coach (PA);
played college basketball at Greensboro College & Butler County CC

Matthew Driscoll knows how to build a program. Coach Driscoll served as an assistant on Scott Drew's staff at Baylor from 2003 to 2009, helping to lead the Bears' back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years (2008). After being hired as the head coach of North Florida in 2009, Driscoll repeated this feat, turning the program around and leading the Ospreys to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (2014-15).

Being tall used to mean you played around the basket, but in today's game, developing your taller players is a necessity to have consistent success. The hybrid player might be the most valuable type of athlete on the court in today's game.

In this unique skill development video, Matthew Driscoll shows you how to develop the tall players on your team into "hybrid" players. These multi-dimensional players have the physical tools to score from inside, but also have the shooting ability to stretch the floor and the ball handling skills to attack from the perimeter.

Ball Handling Drills

Coach Driscoll shares a great set of ball handling drills for bigs that are normally used with point guards. There are four drills that will improve your players' ability to shake a defender with a dribble move and create a driving lane to the rim. These drills will help your players develop a tight control of the ball that shrinks the space they need to execute a variety of separation moves.

In the next set of drills, Coach Driscoll combines ball handling with finishes around the basket. Each move stresses the change of direction that is key to getting defenders on their heels. Your players will work on scoring with pro-hops, step-back jumpers, floaters, the "Stockton" move and more.

Training in the Post

Your hybrid players will have opportunities to exploit mismatches in the post and need to establish a back to the basket game. With three drills from Coach Driscoll, you'll learn how to teach your players to finish at the rim.

The QB-Tee Back to the Basket series will teach your players eight ways to score through post play. Players will also learn how to utilize a "cheat step" to quickly get angles on their defender to put them in position to score. Coach Driscoll shows you how the cheat step can be used on the block or perimeter for 10 ways to score.

Shooting Drills

Coach Driscoll shows three shooting drills that will sharpen your players' shooting technique. The Great 8 Finishing drill will teach your players how to finish with control at the rim using either hand with six finishes. Coach Driscoll has broken down his ball screen offense to help his hybrid players get repetitions with eight scoring situations they'll commonly see in games.

Creating Offense

Whether it's in a pick and roll setting or working off the pass, Coach Driscoll shows how he develops his guys into playmakers with two final skill development drills. The first breaks down options for penetrating the lane, and also includes how to execute a "Lebron" pass to open up perimeter shooters as the help defense sinks to cut off driving lanes. The Ball Screen Acuity drill opens up the possibility of utilizing little-on-big ball screens, with your hybrid players as ball handlers in the pick and roll action. In this drill, players learn how to individually attack different types of ball screen defense.

The game of basketball is changing, and so are the athletes who play it. The hybrid player is becoming more common, and labeling players as "one position" players will be seen less often in the future. Coach Driscoll has created an extensive workout that every coach needs to develop multi-dimensional players. This video will show you the skills, drills, and scoring moves necessary to develop players who will give opposing defenses nightmares from anywhere on the floor.

102 minutes. 2015.