Winning the 'Games Within the Game': Special Situations & Shooting Drills

with Joe Wootten,
Bishop O'Connell (VA) HS Head Boys Coach;
over 400 career victories;
5x Virginia State Independent Champions;
4x Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament Champions - including Back-to-Back-to-Back titles (2002-04);
3x WCAC Regular Season Champions;
3x Virginia State Independent Coach of the Year;
Director of Coach Wootten's Basketball Camp

Joe Wootten helps you master the art of attention to detail in this smorgasbord of ways to win special situations. Wootten dives deep into the "games within the game" and little areas you can focus on to steal a few extra wins on your schedule.

From inbound sets on the baseline and sideline that give you multiple scoring options and an easy outlet, to simple ways to teach players how to remember time and score, Coach Wootten details many scenarios that can be the difference between a win and a loss.

Shooting Drills

Wootten gives you nine shooting drills that he uses daily in practice to help build the confidence of his players. Through repetition and competitive games, your players will learn to develop their footwork. You'll see how to develop proper technique for shooting floaters, how to get deep in the lane and fake out defenders and how to knock down runners when defenders are looking to take a charge.

Inbound Sets

From a 1-4 set, Wootten demonstrates the "Vandy" series, which allows you to use down screens, double stagger screens, and back screens to get your best shooters open and a post player open for an inside touch. Having the ability to score or get the ball into your offense from a deep corner sideline inbound set is a key element in an offensive arsenal. Using an offset setup, your players will be able to score easily off of a back screen or misdirection lob pass.

Half Court Defense

There always seems to be one opponent on your schedule that forces you to stay on your toes when you play them. Knowing how to beat a half court trap or junk defense is a must for any legitimate basketball coach.

Coach Wootten shows how to use his "4 to Score" half court offense and beat any junk defense a team has in their bag of tricks. Treating a box-and-one or half court trap like a zone is the first step to outsmarting your opponent. You'll learn how to get your players to create misdirection and extend a zone, leaving the weak side open for an easy fast break opportunity.

Time and Score

In the last element of this video, Wootten describes how he teaches his athletes the importance of knowing when to foul, when to force a drive, and how to beat a full court defense when you're looking to keep the ball out of your opponent's hands. Through the use of a color coding system, he is able to walk his players through every situation and make sure they are comfortable handling pressure or playing from behind.

Coach Wootten is an excellent teacher of the game. His players are consistently ready for any situation they come across. This video will help you prepare your players for the upcoming season and steal a few extra wins by winning 'the games within the game.'

91 minutes. 2018.