SIMPLE SUMMER SHOOTING DRILLS Below Are Several Simple Shooting Drills Courtesy Of

NEWSLETTER #44 - 2007-08 SIMPLE SUMMER SHOOTING DRILLS Below are several simple shooting drills courtesy of http://www.coachesclipboard.net/

With all of these drills, make sure your shooters are squared up, using good technique, elbow in, follow through, no drifting sideways. Shooters should receive the ball in "triple threat" position. Make sure the passes are sharp and accurate. Players should sprint after the ball and to their shooting spots (game speed)... no loafing! Make the drills competitive and have each pair keep score. Losers do push-ups.

Shooting Drill #2, Shot Fake and Shoot Jumper. Follow the same procedure as in Drill #1, but this time have your shooter first receive the pass in triple threat position, make a shot fake or jab step, move around the defender using no more than one or two dribbles, and then shoot the jump shot. The shooter can move in either direction, using a pump fake and moving right, or a shot fake and crossover move to the left.

Shooting Drill #3, Fake and Drive for the Lay-up. Again, the same procedure is used. This time the receiver makes a shot fake and explodes through the defender (rub off his shoulder) for the drive to the hoop and lay-up.

Shooting Drill #4, Anything Goes! Same procedure as above, but now the shooter has all of the above options and the defender plays all out defense.

Shooting Drill #5, Elbow Shooting. Player #1 is the re-bounder for player #2. #2 starts at the left elbow, fakes left and cuts to the right elbow. #1 passes to #2 so that the pass arrives at the right elbow the same time #2 does. #2 plants the inside foot, squares up and takes the shot. Make sure that correct shooting form is being used and that the shooter does not "drift" sideways. #1 rebounds the shot and passes back to #2 for the shot now at the left elbow. #2 continues moving back and forth from elbow to elbow for a total of ten shots. Then the players switch roles and #1 is the shooter for ten shots. You can repeat this for as many sets as you want, getting 20, 30, 40 or 50 shots for each player.

The elbow shooting drill can be modified. You can have the shooter catch the ball, make a shot fake, cross-over dribble to the middle of the paint (between the free throw line and the circle hash marks) for the short jumper. This is especially useful for your post players, helping them to acquire that "soft touch" on the short, point blank jumper.

Shooting Drill #6, Partner Shooting. This drill will help shooting, spotting up, and will emphasize that shooters should follow their shots. Each player gets a partner, preferably with another player who plays a similar position. That is, the a perimeter player should pair up with another perimeter player, and post players should pair up together. Each pair has a ball. Use all the baskets in the gym.

For perimeter players: One player starts on the right wing (player #1) and the other starts opposite on the left wing (player #2). Player #1 on the right wing shoots, follows the shot, rebounds and passes out to #2 on the left wing. Player #1 then spots up at another place on the perimeter. Player #2 takes the shot, follows it, rebounds, and passes to #1, who is now spotted up in a different location. This rotation continues, with the players moving around to all the locations that they will normally shoot from in a game... corners, top of the key, etc. For a variation, do the same drill but instead of spot stationary shooting, have the shooter fake the shot, dribble adjust, and then take the jumper.

For post players: Use the same drill as above except the post players should be taking their shots inside, in the paint, around the hoop, and can actually work on their post-up moves. After rebounding, the player can dribble the ball out and pass down into the post to his partner.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU PLAY OF THE WEEK - MAN OFFENSE # BREAK - SHALLOW

5 2 5 2 3 3

1 4 4 1

A B

# Break alignment. 1 passes to 2. 2 passes to 4. 4 passes to 1. 5 1 and 4 interchange with 1 cutting begins to walk up the lane line. through the nail on the foul line.

2 2 3 3 5 5

4 4 1 1

C D

1 dribbles at 3. 3 runs a backdoor 1 dribble replaces 3. 3 button hooks. cut. 1 sees 3 on the cut. 4 and 5 set a stagger for 2. 1 sees both 3 in the post and 2 cutting off of 4 and 5.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU PLAY OF THE WEEK - MAN OFFENSE # BREAK - SHALLOW WITH SHUFFLE

2 5 2 5 3 3

1 4 4 1

A B

# Break alignment. 1 passes to 2. 1, 2 passes to 4. 4 passes to 1. 3 runs 4 interchange. 1 runs "shallow" a backdoor cut as 1 dribbles at him. through the nail at the foul line. 5 walks up the lane line. 1 sees 3 on the backdoor cut.

3 2 3 5 5 2 4

4 1

C D

As 1 dribble replaces 3, 2 uses 4 and 2 posts. 3 uses a 4, 5 stagger for a 5 and shuffle cuts across the lane. 1 possible shot. 1 passes to 3. sees 2. 3 continues through the lane.

Xavier University - Men's Basketball - 3800 Victory Parkway - Cintas Center - Cincinnati, OH 45207 - (513) 745-3417 - (887) WE ARE XU Page 1 of 2

King James holds court over prospective subjects

July 9, 2007 By Gary Parrish CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer Tell Gary your opinion!

AKRON, Ohio -- It was dinner time at the LeBron James Skills Academy, and Rhodes Arena had mostly cleared out because even the best high school prospects in the nation have to eat, you know. In the bleachers just a few coaches remained, and the only thing left on the court were camp counselors, a group of elite college players selected by Nike to help mentor through the weekend.

It was officially time to play pick-up.

So guys like Wesley Matthews (Marquette), Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) started shooting around, getting ready to run for the next 90 minutes. And that's when this tall fellow in blue shorts, a white T-shirt and sandals strolled through a back door, sat down, laced up some sneakers and put them on.

"Is LeBron going to play?" a college coach asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It looks like LeBron is going to play."

'He fit right in'

I come to these camps every July not really knowing what to expect. Scottie Reynolds on 'Bron: 'When he's on the court, he's there to In a good year, it's good. compete.' (Getty Images)

In a bad year, it's still worthwhile.

But in every year things are pretty much determined by the quality of the moments, and I can safely say I have witnessed few moments on the summer circuit as neat as the moment LeBron James -- otherwise known as the best basketball player on the planet -- snuck onto the court of a hollow gym and decided to play pick-up just like one of the guys.

"It was a lot of fun to see him walk out there and put on the same jersey as us," said Tennessee junior JaJuan Smith. "He fit right in."

Well, kinda.

Even when surrounded by college All-Americans (like Michigan State's Drew Neitzel) and future pros (like Stanford's Brook Lopez), James is so clearly on another level. He's bigger and stronger and faster than pretty much everybody, and he's impossible to guard in transition or a halfcourt set.

But don't take my word for it.

Find Jason Thompson.

Ask him.

http://www.sportsline.com/print/collegebasketball/story/10250511/2 7/24/2007 Page 2 of 2

"A couple of guys on my team didn't want to guard LeBron, so I guarded him," Thompson said. "I wanted to go at it with him."

Unless you're a basketball junkie, you've probably never heard of Thompson. He's a senior at Rider, and the only Rider player to ever find himself isolated against a man who just five weeks earlier scored 48 points -- including his team's final 25 points -- in a pivotal game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

James, of course, blew right past Thompson for an easy layup thanks to an initial step quicker than anything the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regularly provides, and it was the first of many impressive finishes by the namesake of this prestigious event. But that's not what made the whole thing great. What made the whole thing great was how James instructed, encouraged and interacted with everybody. Based purely on the way he handled himself, you would've never known James was worth a gazillion dollars and everybody else was merely hoping to one day make the NBA.

He played hard.

He pleaded for calls.

"He yelled out screens and talked a lot," said Ole Miss assistant Michael White. "He did all the things most college guys think they are too cool to do."

Honestly, he did.

I've watched a ton of pick-up basketball through the years, and I don't remember ever seeing somebody play with as much purpose as James did every time he stepped on the court. He was vocal on every possession, talking and helping his teammates the way high school and college coaches routinely (and unsuccessfully) beg their own players to conduct themselves. One example was when he set a screen for Drew Lavender (Xavier) and demanded he curl off of it and into the lane. When the opposing big man didn't step up, James yelled.

He's too late! Take the floater!

For a second, the ball hung in the air.

Give it to him!

Naturally, the shot fell through.

It was only two points in a pick-up game.

But James seemed thrilled with the development, the college players wowed by what was happening.

"LeBron is a competitor," said Villanova's Scottie Reynolds. "When he's on the court he's there to compete, and I guess that's why he's a great player."

http://www.sportsline.com/print/collegebasketball/story/10250511/2 7/24/2007 50 Division I-A football, showing a six-win improvement from the previous season. The Falcons rebounded from a 2-9 record to post their first winning season since 1994 with an 06COACHING502006 8-3 finish. For his efforts, he was named the 2001 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year. A year later, he guided BGSU to a 9- 3 record and its highest national ranking in school history (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today and No. 20 Associated Press). Bowling Green spent five weeks in the national polls and finished third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 40.8 points per game. The Falcons, who became the highest scoring team in MAC history, also finished ninth in the nation in total offense (448.9 ypg) and 11th in rushing offense (219.1 ypg) in 2002. They were the only team in the nation to average at least 215 yards rushing and 215 yards passing per game. BGSU also led the nation in red zone production, scoring on 61-of-63 trips (.968) inside the 20-yard line, including 52 touchdowns.

THE FLORIDA LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE A firm believer that players should be accountable to each other and not just the coaching staff, Coach Meyer utilizes the Florida Leadership Committee. Members of the Leadership Committee include six seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. The Committee is charged with acting as spokesmen for the team and handling situations related to team policy issues, academic affairs, off-campus circumstances and other topics. The committee meets periodically through- out the year with Meyer. “We are looking for the Leadership Committee to enhance team chemistry, police the team from within and exemplify what it means to be leaders, both on and off the field,” says Meyer. 2006 Leadership Committee

Dallas Baker WR 6-3 206 RSR 3L New Smyrna Beach/New Smyrna Beach Jemalle Cornelius* WR 5-11 185 RSR 3L Fort Meade/Fort Meade Earl Everett* LB 6-2 231 SR 3L Webster/South Sumter Billy Latsko HB 5-10 233 RSR 3L Gainesville/Buchholz Chris Leak* QB 6-0 207 SR 3L Charlotte, N.C./Independence Marcus Thomas DT 6-3 286 SR 3L Jacksonville/Mandarin Reggie Nelson S 6-1 195 JR 1L Melbourne/Palm Bay/Coffeyville (Kan.) JC Brandon Siler* LB 6-2 235 JR 2L Orlando/Orlando Evans Kestahn Moore RB 5-10 206 SO 1L Arlington, Texas/Mansfield Summit James Smith LS 6-3 233 RSO 1L Gainesville/Buchholz Eddie Haupt OL 6-4 295 RFR SQ Merritt Island/Merritt Island David Nelson* WR 6-5 204 RFR SQ Wichita Falls, Texas/Rider Tim Tebow QB 6-3 229 FR HS Jacksonville/Nease * Named to Leadership Committee for second straight year