Open Practice with Jim Larranaga: Skill Development Drills & Strategies

Jim Larranaga,
University of Miami Head Men's Coach from 2011 to 2024;
2023 Final Four;
2x ACC Coach of the Year;
2013 AP College Basketball Coach of the Year;
2013 Naismith College Coach of the Year;
2013 Henry Iba Award;
2013 Adolph Rupp Cup;
2013 ACC Regular Season and ACC Tournament Champions;
George Mason University Head Coach from 1997 to 2011;
2006 Final Four with George Mason;
2006 Clair Bee Coach of the Year

In this highly valuable Open Practice instructional video, Coach Larranaga peels back the curtain to shed light on his coaching approach to skill development - by showcasing a collection of drills and exercises he uses as the foundation of the Hurricanes player development program. 

Taking full advantage of the Open Practice format, Coach Larranaga offers a unique, inside look - which includes on-the-court demonstrations of drills that address a variety of facets of the game - from ball handling to shooting to passing and efficient biomechanics.

Many of the drills in Open Practice: Skill Development are done with a partner. Adding a partner increases accountability and allows for a more dynamic skill development session.  Players work to move, pass and shoot off game-situation pick-and-roll set-ups.

In addition to individual skill work, Larranaga uses the practice to work on skill development that ties directly to team concepts. 

By working on individual passing and shooting, and then working on game-like situations such as post catches and reads, players can connect the individual skill work to how they will utilize those specific skills during a game.

In this Open Practice session, Coach Larranaga pays particular attention to the details of each skill that's being focused on, with each given to a variety of actions and situations including:

• Timing and reading post moves.
• Ballscreen reads and reactions.
• Shooting from game spots and shooting off a variety of moves.
• Executing lob passes to bigs off the dribble.

Coach Larranaga offers a variety of warm-up drills and passing-focused drills, such as the '4-Corner Passing Drill,' the Full-Court Passing w/Layup Finish Drill,' and a '3-on-2 to 2-on-1 Transition Drill' that also teaches players how to value the ball during every possession.

Moving on to team shooting, Larranaga showcases an assortment of team shooting drills, including the '5-Minute 3's Drill,' which features players working on catch-and-shoot 3-point shots, done for a minute at a time before rotating to a new spot on the floor.

You will also see the 'Zoom Shooting Drill,' which offers players shooting repetitions while coming off dribble handoffs.

You will also see an informative practice segment where perimeter and post players work on executing the correct ball-screen reads against defensive coverages such as drops, ice and blitzes.

This Open Practice video offers a comprehensive take on the skill-development process, and you'll receive Coach Larranaga's template for ideas and drills to address improving players at all positions.  

By combining both individual and partner work, this video is chock full of ideas and concepts to improve your players and your team!

54 minutes. 2024.