Play Like an Opal

SEPTEMBER 2005 12 Issue 3 Volume THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION Play like an Opal Men’s international basketball trends VIC Metro in Las Vegas ALSO: Off season & pre season strength training New coach, new team for TigersTigers Athletic training for basketball CONTENTS 1 What it takes to play like an Opal EDITOR Rachel Wolters GENERAL MANAGER, COMMUNITY BASKETBALL 3 FIBA Oceania Championships Michael Haynes PHOTOGRAPHY 3 Regional Victoria hosts Boomers Getty Images, Sport the Library, FIBA, Australian Sports Commission, Ian Knight 4 Off-season and pre-season PhotographyADVERTISING New Era Sales & Marketing Department Tel: 02 9764 3482 strength training 13 Melbourne Tigers DESIGN Southern Design & Print Group Tel: (02) 9587 7722 7 VIC metro tour USA PRINT Paragon Printers Australasia Tel: (02) 9360 1993 CONTRIBUTIONS & FEEDBACK 8 Men’s international We welcome news items, feedback and basketball trends suggestions. If you have an upcoming event or program you would like included, or if you would like to comment on any of the articles in this or 10 Crocs finish shy of a medal previous editions, you can email us at [email protected], or submit content to us at the following address: The Editor, Xs and Os, 11 Boom time hits aussie shores P.O. Box 17, Regents Park BC NSW 2143. Photographs should be clearly marked with caption details including credits. 12 Profile: Dean Kinsman Xs and Os is produced by the Community Basketball Department of Basketball Australia. Xs and Os is a 12 Gems fall at world champs quarterly publication with cover dates of March, June, September and December and is available only through hurdle membership of ABCA. © Reproduction of any material without written permission from the Editor is strictly prohibited. 13 New coach, new players, new Signed articles represent the views of the author and are not necessarily those of Basketball Australia. era: Westover’s makeover of the Melbourne Tigers Basketball Australia www.basketball.net.au Basketball House 14 Duncan’s drills 1 Herb Elliott Ave Sydney Olympic Park Homebush Bay 2127 15 Athletic testing for basketball Tel: (02) 9764 3482 Fax: (02) 8746 0582 Cover Photo: Kristi Harrower epitomises the style of the Opals game ABCA Life Members Lindsay Gaze Barry Barnes Ian Laurie Getty Images Merv Harris Dr Adrian Hurley Patrick Hunt Ken Watson Brian Kerle Ray Tomlinson Basketball Australia gratefully acknowledges its major sponsors: YOU KNOW VALUE WE KNOW HAIR What it takes to play like an Opal The Price Attack Opals recently had a training camp in Brisbane and, as part of Basketball Queensland’s National Women Winning in Sport, coaches had the opportunity to see Opals’ Head Coach Jan Stirling and Assistant Coach Gary Fox show members of the Queensland South U16 women’s team just what it takes to be an Opal! 30 Second Drill This drill is a great defensive conditioner. O1 dribbles hard to the wing and X1 must “slide” to keep defensive position. On the pass to O2, X1 closes-out and must then guard O2 taking a hard dribble to the baseline. After X1 stops this penetration, the ball is passed to O3 in the post. X1 “digs down” – how close she gets to the post depends upon the post player. If it was Lauren Jackson you would jam right in, against an average post player you may go half way and then close in as they dribble the ball. O3 passes back to O1 and X1 sprints back to the start. Continue the drill for 30 seconds of hard, Opals’, defence! Up and In The defender starts with their “arm-bar” on the chest of the offensive player, staying in a good low defensive stance. The defender keeps their “nose on the ball” and straddles the “free” or “active” foot (ie not the pivot foot). The defender’s other arm is extended out in the passing lane. The defender’s feet should be parallel, do not give the opposition a lead foot to attack. As the offence pivots, the defender moves to keep straddling the free foot. If the offence swings the ball low, the defender swaps “arm bar” and “out” arm. Variations • Offence takes two strong dribbles and then pivots at the end. Defender must keep good position (nose on the ball, straddling the free foot). • Change from “arm bar” to having the palm up. Grab the ball when it is on the floor. In Traffic Lay-ups When driving to the basket “in traffic” the offensive player should expect contact, coming off 2 feet to power to the basket. The defender leans on the offensive player and pushes them as they shoot. They don’t try to block the shot, they just try to knock them off balance. The offensive player must keep their head on the target (the basket!) as they drive and should move into the defender (take their space) to ensure they go to the basket. Attack the Hips The defender stands up straight in front of the offensive player. The offensive player drives past the hips of the defender and then “closes the gate”, moving into the way of the defender. The offensive player can go either side and the defender then chases to try and guard the lay-up www.basketball.net.au Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association 1 Motion Offence – Triangle Feeding The Opals look to create a “triangle” for feeding the low post. Jan’s tips were: • Pin the defender with the width (or thickness) of your body – get them on your back • Get low, the same as defensive stance • Feed the post by passing away from the defender • Maintain post position, let your team mates get the ball to you Here the triangle is created with simple “pass-cut- replace” action. The triangle can also be created following a screen, with the cutter curling into the low post position and the screener moving back toward the ball. UCLA Cut The UCLA cut is used by many teams, including the Opals. Following the guard to wing pass, the high post player sets a back screen for the guard to cut. The screen should be set at the 3point line, to create space behind it to cut into. The guard can post up……… The guard can move away, coming off a double screen. This also creates the opportunity for a ball screen. The guard can also cut to the ballside corner (not shown). One of the most effective things the guard can do, is move back up to screen for the high post player to make a UCLA cut. Post defender’s are often unused to guarding this type of action. Shooting The Opals did a lot of shooting drills during the camp, here are a couple: O1 takes one dribble, and then takes a strong crossover shot to pull up into a jump shot. O1 dribbles to the low post (key) and then spins into either a jump shot or a lay-up. It is important on the spin to “look first”, by putting chin to shoulder to see what is behind. O2 dribbles to the high post and then spins into either a jump shot or lay-up. Can also add a “step through” lay-up at the end by coming to a jump stop after the spin move. 2 The Official Journal of the Australian Basketball Coaches Association www.basketball.net.au FIBA OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS: AUSSIES SWEEP THROUGH KIWIS The Opals and Boomers travelled to New Zealand way through. The Kiwis put them through their Fellow Olympians Glen Saville, Jason Smith and this August for the 2005 FIBA Oceania paces, taking the lead in the final quarter. The Matt Nielsen were also solid rocks for their team, Championships. Aussies snatched it back though and ran away with and under the basket, David Andersen and Wade Helliwell teamed up for an intimidating After a successful warm up with an Asian tour, the the 11-point victory. combination. Newcomers, Brad Newley, Mark Stankovic Cup (3rd) and winning the 4-Nations The final match, a dead rubber, was played in Worthington and Alex Loughton announced their Tournament in Australia, the Boomers were fired up Dunedin. Bruton, Nielsen and Saville sat out arrival to the international scene with some for their series against the Kiwis. through injury, and it was up to veteran, Jason sparkling performances, giving fans an excited Smith to guide the ship. Brad Newley, fresh from The Boomers had beaten their trans Tasman cousins feeling for the years to come as this team improves starring for the Crocs at the World Championships only five days previous, and went into their first and adds the likes of NBA rookies Andrew Bogut for Young Men, stepped up to the big league with a and Luke Schenscher. match, played in Auckland on August 17, with every 22-point performance, helping Australia sweep the confidence against their traditional rivals. They did series with a 91-80 win. The Price Attack Opals also swept their Tasman not let their coach down, taking a convincing win, rivals in 2005’s Oceania Championships, but their CJ Bruton had an awesome international season, 82-69, over the disappointed home team. resounding victory came at a terrible cost. cementing his place in the national team, and in the Manukau hosted the second match of the series, hearts of fans throughout Australia. CJ played his Guard Alicia Poto, and young gun, Renae Camino, and the Aussies wasted no time wrapping it up, heart out throughout the Boomers entire two-month both succumbed to Anterior Cruciate Ligament winning 82-71.

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