Proven In-Season Skill-Development Drills To Maximize Practice & Improve Your Entire Roster

with Billy Donlon,
Eastern Michigan University Head Coach;
Clemson University Associate Head Coach from 2022 to 2026;
2024 Elite Eight;
Kansas City Roos (UMKC) Head Men's Basketball Coach from 2019 to 2022;
Northwestern Assistant Coach from 2017 to 2019;
Michigan Assistant Coach 2016 to 2017;
Wright State Head Coach from 2010 to 2016;
2013 Horizon League Coach of the Year;

One of the most important aspects of basketball coaching at all levels of competition is player development. Getting players quality reps to hone their skills is essential for any program's success. In this video, Billy Donlon takes his energy and love for the game to the floor and expresses the importance of team practice drills, while addressing the importance of individual workouts. 

Donlon discusses his philosophy on player development throughout the video and relays how this emphasis and focus has led to much of his success as a coach. Viewers get multiple drills that focus on individual player development including: Layups/Finishing Drills, and skills work that emphasizes passing, shooting, pivoting and individual defense, as well as deep insight into Donlon’s ‘4 R’s of In-Season Development’ and the ‘4 Stages of Players Development.’

Loaded Lineup of Skill Development Drills

This video is loaded with drills and Donlon wastes no time diving into them. He begins by sharing his thoughts on drills as they relate to coaching and how important it is to start practice off the right way with a focus on player skill development. The action starts with full-court drills and a demonstration of the ‘82-In-2 Drill’ to get players moving at full speed in the full court against a time and a goal for made layups. Continuing moving at full speed, the ‘High-Low Jump Shots Drill’ gets players maximum repetitions shooting the ball off the catch and the bounce. The ‘Marion Layups Drill’ shows players working at finishing at the rim using a variety of dribble moves.

Next, several passing drills are shown that work on various types of passes essential for all players at all levels, including ‘Raytown Passing Drill’ which is a great conditioner and communication drill. The ‘Pass-And-Follow Drill’ works on proper footwork and making effective cuts to get open on offense. To round out individual skill development, Donlon shows a terrific ball handling drill to improve ball quickness and then finishes with two defensive drills. 

4 ‘R’s of Individual Work and 4 Stages of Player Development

Donlon shares his ‘4 R’s of Individual Work’ and stresses how important they are in helping players by working with them on a one-on-one basis. He then explains his ‘4 Stages of Player Development’ and illustrates that if you share these phases with your players, it helps them understand where they are in their on-court development and how being aware of each phase allows them to reach new heights and strengthens their overall game. 

This video shows great drills for improving player development for athletes at all levels of competition and they also help coaches maximize practice repetitions by finding creative ways to include multiple players in each drill – thus, eliminating the standing around and distractions that plague many team’s practice sessions.

Individual skill development should never be overlooked, regardless of the time of the year, and now, with the help of Billy Donlon’s video, you’ll possess an abundance of valuable training ideas to help your team! 

83 minutes, 2022.