Practice- what is the general structure?

[NineOneSeven]

This has been asked before. What is a typical practice like for our team?

 

[cto]

1) Tutorial instruction for individuals and in groups by position; 2) Drills; 3) Game-like scrimmages. Walk-ons are involved in all, as well as scholly players. This is generally followed by more one-on-one instruction.

I have not been to a practice this year, but in previous years, Mike had the bigs; Adrian, the forwards; and GMac, the guards. JB intently oversees it all, and offers his intense input.

 

[NineOneSeven]

1) Tutorial instruction for individuals and in groups by position; 2) Drills; 3) Game-like scrimmages. Walk-ons are involved in all, as well as scholly players. This is generally followed by more one-on-one instruction.

I have not been to a practice this year, but in previous years, Mike had the bigs; Adrian, the forwards; and GMac, the guards. JB intently oversees it all, and offers his intense input.

Who has bigs now?

 

[kcsu]

1) Tutorial instruction for individuals and in groups by position; 2) Drills; 3) Game-like scrimmages. Walk-ons are involved in all, as well as scholly players. This is generally followed by more one-on-one instruction.

I have not been to a practice this year, but in previous years, Mike had the bigs; Adrian, the forwards; and GMac, the guards. JB intently oversees it all, and offers his intense input.

His intense input needs to be intensified.

 

[rrlbees]

Who has bigs now?

Griff

 

[RF2044]

This has been asked before. What is a typical practice like for our team?

I've answered this a couple of times over the years, but here is a general practice structure [just to build on what CTO lists above].

Practice begins early for most players, who work with the coaches / managers on shooting or other fundamentals before practice officially begins. Players also have different academic obligations [classes, labs, etc.] so some will get there earlier than others, depending on the day -- and some might even arrive after practice begins depending on class considerations, at which point they'll jump into the mix [the managers inform the coaches which players when arrive if there are conflicts, so it is structured]. But the various players will trickle onto the court and begin shooting, warming up, etc. if they aren't working on a specific set of stuff with a coach / manager.

Then, they'll kick things off with a lengthy period of stretching, generally led by the athletic trainer. This probably goes for 15-20 minutes, and is something they don't skimp on.

Next, they'll shift into the conditioning part of practice, where they'll run various drills designed to have the team run full court and work up a sweat. This can vary from day-to-day, but often will involve a shooting drill where they'll divide the squad into two groups [one on either end of the floor], where they'll rapidly shoot from a designated spot [say, the foul line right extended], and try to make as many as they can in a timed period of time [60-90 seconds usually], before completing a group of full court sprints, after which they'll shoot from a different spot and repeat the process.

Another drill they use frequently is a full court fast break drill where they'll rotate players in a couple of different spots and sprint the length of the floor without the ball ever touching the ground. So, a player will rebound the ball after another player completes their sprint and then pass it to a stationary player at mid court, and proceed to sprint down the right lane of the court. As they pass midcourt, the stationary player will pass the ball back, and the sprinting player [without dribbling] will then pass it to a second stationary player at the opposite foul line, who will then give it back to the sprinting player to convert a layup / dunk attempt. They'll then run this back the other way. Very fast paced drill, with the coaches rotating guys [usually walk ons] into the stationary roles. They time this drill for like 7 minutes, so the players are running hard.

Then, they'll do a UCLA drill to practice executing fast breaks when you have numbers, and defending fast breaks. The way this drill works is that you'll have three players attack two defenders, who will try to stop the fast break. When they get the ball [either after a made shot or a steal or a rebound], those two defenders head back the other way, with the "middle" player - who is usually a point guard tries to defend the two on one the other way. The two offensive players who don't drop back to defend then become the two defenders for the next group of three. Another fast paced, frenetic drill.

There are other variations that they'll use for conditioning drills, but those are the main three the coaches seem to use most practices over the years. This part of the practice goes for about 30 minutes, with the whole thing being timed to keep the pace brisk. Up to this point of the practice, the assistant coaches are generally the ones organizing things, with JB looking on and sometimes interrupting depending on what transpires.

After that, they'll switch gears and practice half court offensive sets. Boeheim breaks the teams into two groups [usually the starters against others, but they'll rotate guys in and out quickly to have different lineups of offensive / defensive players; walk ons are heavily involved in this part of practice]. They run their various plays, and sometimes Boeheim will have the offensive group run without defenders, just to practice their rotations and passing, simulating what they would do to get the ball inside for a point blank score or a dunk. Boeheim tends to be very vocal during this part of the practice, especially when they are running two squads against each other, if he sees things that he doesn't like from either the offensive group or the defensive group.

Depending on the practice, they might be focused on preparing for an upcoming opponent, or it might just be a mid-week type of filler practice. If its the former, JB will concentrate on the specific game plan they're implementing -- instructing the players about the various wrinkles they want to employ to attack the opponent. He really rides the team in this portion of practice, often stopping things or having them re-run a set if they do it wrong or blow a defensive assignment.

Then, they usually run another full court conditioning drill for about 10 minutes, again to lather the squad up, before breaking into individual shooting drills. The Melo center has numerous baskets around the two courts [on the sides, etc.]. Players will break into pairs and work on form shooting drills, usually from short distances on various spots on the floor. Form shooting is slow, generally involving them catching the ball or getting a rebound after a made shot, and then using one hand to simulate proper shooting mechanics. Both players will shoot from the same spot--usually on both baselines, and then from various spots around the circle from about 5-8 feet, where they don't have to use a lot of legs to "horse" the shot up from distance, so that the emphasis is on form.

After that, they'll usually then practice free throws -- again in pairs, in a timed activity with one player shooting and the other rebounding.

Then, they'll break into positional groups and do various shooting drills. Griffin has the bigs, Autry coaches the forwards, and GMac works with the guards. They'll use different drills to rapidly put the players through the paces. So, for example, the bigs will post up against each other or against managers using big football pads to lean on them, and practice catching entry passes and going up strong through contact. The guards and forwards will both do quite a bit of ball handling to get to a pre-designated spot on the floor for a shot --usually with the coaches and a group of managers simulating defense. They usually run through positional practice for another 30 minutes or so, doing different variations on this theme. Center also practice rebounding and keying the outlet pass, whereas the guards / forwards drills are usually more ball handling oriented.

Then, the team will scrimmage. Boeheim again takes over and divides the team, and then has them play up and down, with him periodically blowing the whistle to run something again or to provide instruction based upon what happens on the court. Sometimes, they'll keep score or play to a specific score, which they track using the scoreboard while the team is scrimmaging. There might be more of an emphasis placed on scrimmaging or slightly less, again depending on whether they are gearing up for a game or if it is just a tune-up practice in the middle of the week.

Practice usually concludes with them running a drill where the squad [including walk ons] is usually divided into two groups -- one on each end of the floor], and they'll do a timed activity where they'll each shoot from three point range, the foul line, or another pre-designated spot [like a 15 foot baseline jumper], with each player in line shooting as rapidly as they can and then getting back to the end of the line. The goal of this is to informally try to make as many jump shots in a row as they can, with the coaches counting. After 60 seconds, they'll have the teams sprint up and down the full length of the court, and then repeat the drill, but shooting from a different spot.

A variation on this drill is that they'll have them run sprints and then designate a player to step up to the line after they've run to attempt a free throw. If the player makes it, they quickly substitute another player to shoot a free throw. If the players miss, then their half of the squad runs a full court up-and-back. This drill simulates them having to shoot while being slightly winded [which might certainly happen during a game], and also to simulate "pressure" since their group will have to run if they miss the shot.

So, they'll run a drill like one of the options described above, after which Boeheim will gather the team at halfcourt. They usually have a quick [5-10 minute] discussion which is impossible to hear from the sideline, but it generally appears that they review the week schedule, talk about specific stuff for the next game, etc. After this discussion, formal practice concludes.

But most players--again, depending on their class schedule--will stick around for some one-on-one work with the coaches / managers. It might involved three point shooting or free throw shooting, or some other kind of skill work. Sometimes, the younger players get more fundamental instruction; back in the day, Louis Orr used to snare frosh Etan Thomas [just as an example] after practice, to teach him the nuances of big man play. Etan was a big, strong athlete even as an incoming frosh, but was totally raw. He had no idea about positioning, footwork, even how to catch the ball or use his body to "feel" the defender and create space. So Orr would provide one-on-one instruction, and then have Etan work on catching the ball and making moves against Orr himself, who was 6-9 and could contest him. Again, the majority of players stick around to put in extra work, so it seems to be a "norm" for our team [and has been dating back to when I used to attend practices regularly in the early 90s, when they were open at Manley]. Players who are injured might also receive treatment at this point, or work on various pieces of equipment in the training area, get therapy, etc.

The Post Standard reporters and other media types [such as announcer Jim Satalin] are often there, and this will be the point where JB disengages from the players to talk to the reporters for articles, etc. Most guys will put in about 30 minutes of extra work after practice -- but with them having access to the Melo center 24/7 [as opposed to Manley, when they were sharing the facility with other teams like the track squad], they can also put in extra work not just during the practice timeframe.

 

[cuseattle]

Are any practices open to public?

 

[RF2044]

Are any practices open to public?

No. The Melo Center is security access controlled. It is very difficult to get in to watch practices these days--you have to be invited or have a reason for being there [i.e., the PS reporters].

 

[NineOneSeven]

1. Next, they'll shift into the conditioning part of practice, where they'll run various drills designed to have the team run full court and work up a sweat. This can vary from day-to-day, but often will involve a shooting drill where they'll divide the squad into two groups [one on either end of the floor], where they'll rapidly shoot from a designated spot [say, the foul line right extended], and try to make as many as they can in a timed period of time [60-90 seconds usually], before completing a group of full court sprints, after which they'll shoot from a different spot and repeat the process.

2. Then, they'll do a UCLA drill to practice executing fast breaks when you have numbers, and defending fast breaks. The way this drill works is that you'll have three players attack two defenders, who will try to stop the fast break. When they get the ball [either after a made shot or a steal or a rebound], those two defenders head back the other way, with the "middle" player - who is usually a point guard tries to defend the two on one the other way. The two offensive players who don't drop back to defend then become the two defenders for the next group of three. Another fast paced, frenetic drill.

3. Then, the team will scrimmage. Boeheim again takes over and divides the team, and then has them play up and down, with him periodically blowing the whistle to run something again or to provide instruction based upon what happens on the court. Sometimes, they'll keep score or play to a specific score, which they track using the scoreboard while the team is scrimmaging. There might be more of an emphasis placed on scrimmaging or slightly less, again depending on whether they are gearing up for a game or if it is just a tune-up practice in the middle of the week.

4. A variation on this drill is that they'll have them run sprints and then designate a player to step up to the line after they've run to attempt a free throw. If the player makes it, they quickly substitute another player to shoot a free throw. If the players miss, then their half of the squad runs a full court up-and-back. This drill simulates them having to shoot while being slightly winded [which might certainly happen during a game], and also to simulate "pressure" since their group will have to run if they miss the shot.

.

Excellent post RF. Incredibly detailed- much more than I was even hoping for!

I noted a few of your points that I will comment on.

1. Would love to see where each player is practicing shots from-- this has definitely not translated to games for most of the players.
2. Fast breaks are DEFINITELY not translating to games. Pretty typical drill though, often called 3 on 2, 2 on 1. The naming obviously is backed up by the drill. I always liked this one when I played.
3. A big part of limited depth is not only noticeable in games, but in practice. Walk-ons are incredibly underappreciated and important parts of a team, but you can't over-estimate how beneficial scrimmages are when you have guys of equal talent battling against each other. I think that is what made our 11-12 team so great- one of the teams was MCW, Dion, Southerland, Fair and Keita! WOW! Look at the dream team documentary- the practices those guys had were more intense than the games!
4. Also a very common drill used for foul shooting. It's impossible to replicate game pressure obviously, but learning to shoot while tired is very important especially with our team.

Overall, seems like a lot of conditioning takes place which makes sense since we have three guys going close to 40 each game. I still believe we should try to place a little more emphasis on drawing up specific plays to execute. There are absolutely sets that we run during a 40 minute game, but when we have timeouts on the floor and come out and next "play" take a contested 25 footer with 4 seconds on the shot-clock, I have a hard time saying we can't get better at this. I would love to see more back screens, low post screens for guys to curl off, and less high ball screens.

Thanks for the write-up!

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I've answered this a couple of times over the years, but here is a general practice structure [just to build on what CTO lists above].

Practice begins early for most players, who work with the coaches / managers on shooting or other fundamentals before practice officially begins. Players also have different academic obligations [classes, labs, etc.] so some will get there earlier than others, depending on the day -- and some might even arrive after practice begins depending on class considerations, at which point they'll jump into the mix [the managers inform the coaches which players when arrive if there are conflicts, so it is structured]. But the various players will trickle onto the court and begin shooting, warming up, etc. if they aren't working on a specific set of stuff with a coach / manager.

Then, they'll kick things off with a lengthy period of stretching, generally led by the athletic trainer. This probably goes for 15-20 minutes, and is something they don't skimp on.

Next, they'll shift into the conditioning part of practice, where they'll run various drills designed to have the team run full court and work up a sweat. This can vary from day-to-day, but often will involve a shooting drill where they'll divide the squad into two groups [one on either end of the floor], where they'll rapidly shoot from a designated spot [say, the foul line right extended], and try to make as many as they can in a timed period of time [60-90 seconds usually], before completing a group of full court sprints, after which they'll shoot from a different spot and repeat the process.

Another drill they use frequently is a full court fast break drill where they'll rotate players in a couple of different spots and sprint the length of the floor without the ball ever touching the ground. So, a player will rebound the ball after another player completes their sprint and then pass it to a stationary player at mid court, and proceed to sprint down the right lane of the court. As they pass midcourt, the stationary player will pass the ball back, and the sprinting player [without dribbling] will then pass it to a second stationary player at the opposite foul line, who will then give it back to the sprinting player to convert a layup / dunk attempt. They'll then run this back the other way. Very fast paced drill, with the coaches rotating guys [usually walk ons] into the stationary roles. They time this drill for like 7 minutes, so the players are running hard.

Then, they'll do a UCLA drill to practice executing fast breaks when you have numbers, and defending fast breaks. The way this drill works is that you'll have three players attack two defenders, who will try to stop the fast break. When they get the ball [either after a made shot or a steal or a rebound], those two defenders head back the other way, with the "middle" player - who is usually a point guard tries to defend the two on one the other way. The two offensive players who don't drop back to defend then become the two defenders for the next group of three. Another fast paced, frenetic drill.

There are other variations that they'll use for conditioning drills, but those are the main three the coaches seem to use most practices over the years. This part of the practice goes for about 30 minutes, with the whole thing being timed to keep the pace brisk. Up to this point of the practice, the assistant coaches are generally the ones organizing things, with JB looking on and sometimes interrupting depending on what transpires.

After that, they'll switch gears and practice half court offensive sets. Boeheim breaks the teams into two groups [usually the starters against others, but they'll rotate guys in and out quickly to have different lineups of offensive / defensive players; walk ons are heavily involved in this part of practice]. They run their various plays, and sometimes Boeheim will have the offensive group run without defenders, just to practice their rotations and passing, simulating what they would do to get the ball inside for a point blank score or a dunk. Boeheim tends to be very vocal during this part of the practice, especially when they are running two squads against each other, if he sees things that he doesn't like from either the offensive group or the defensive group.

Depending on the practice, they might be focused on preparing for an upcoming opponent, or it might just be a mid-week type of filler practice. If its the former, JB will concentrate on the specific game plan they're implementing -- instructing the players about the various wrinkles they want to employ to attack the opponent. He really rides the team in this portion of practice, often stopping things or having them re-run a set if they do it wrong or blow a defensive assignment.

Then, they usually run another full court conditioning drill for about 10 minutes, again to lather the squad up, before breaking into individual shooting drills. The Melo center has numerous baskets around the two courts [on the sides, etc.]. Players will break into pairs and work on form shooting drills, usually from short distances on various spots on the floor. Form shooting is slow, generally involving them catching the ball or getting a rebound after a made shot, and then using one hand to simulate proper shooting mechanics. Both players will shoot from the same spot--usually on both baselines, and then from various spots around the circle from about 5-8 feet, where they don't have to use a lot of legs to "horse" the shot up from distance, so that the emphasis is on form.

After that, they'll usually then practice free throws -- again in pairs, in a timed activity with one player shooting and the other rebounding.

Then, they'll break into positional groups and do various shooting drills. Griffin has the bigs, Autry coaches the forwards, and GMac works with the guards. They'll use different drills to rapidly put the players through the paces. So, for example, the bigs will post up against each other or against managers using big football pads to lean on them, and practice catching entry passes and going up strong through contact. The guards and forwards will both do quite a bit of ball handling to get to a pre-designated spot on the floor for a shot --usually with the coaches and a group of managers simulating defense. They usually run through positional practice for another 30 minutes or so, doing different variations on this theme. Center also practice rebounding and keying the outlet pass, whereas the guards / forwards drills are usually more ball handling oriented.

Then, the team will scrimmage. Boeheim again takes over and divides the team, and then has them play up and down, with him periodically blowing the whistle to run something again or to provide instruction based upon what happens on the court. Sometimes, they'll keep score or play to a specific score, which they track using the scoreboard while the team is scrimmaging. There might be more of an emphasis placed on scrimmaging or slightly less, again depending on whether they are gearing up for a game or if it is just a tune-up practice in the middle of the week.

Practice usually concludes with them running a drill where the squad [including walk ons] is usually divided into two groups -- one on each end of the floor], and they'll do a timed activity where they'll each shoot from three point range, the foul line, or another pre-designated spot [like a 15 foot baseline jumper], with each player in line shooting as rapidly as they can and then getting back to the end of the line. The goal of this is to informally try to make as many jump shots in a row as they can, with the coaches counting. After 60 seconds, they'll have the teams sprint up and down the full length of the court, and then repeat the drill, but shooting from a different spot.

A variation on this drill is that they'll have them run sprints and then designate a player to step up to the line after they've run to attempt a free throw. If the player makes it, they quickly substitute another player to shoot a free throw. If the players miss, then their half of the squad runs a full court up-and-back. This drill simulates them having to shoot while being slightly winded [which might certainly happen during a game], and also to simulate "pressure" since their group will have to run if they miss the shot.

So, they'll run a drill like one of the options described above, after which Boeheim will gather the team at halfcourt. They usually have a quick [5-10 minute] discussion which is impossible to hear from the sideline, but it generally appears that they review the week schedule, talk about specific stuff for the next game, etc. After this discussion, formal practice concludes.

But most players--again, depending on their class schedule--will stick around for some one-on-one work with the coaches / managers. It might involved three point shooting or free throw shooting, or some other kind of skill work. Sometimes, the younger players get more fundamental instruction; back in the day, Louis Orr used to snare frosh Etan Thomas [just as an example] after practice, to teach him the nuances of big man play. Etan was a big, strong athlete even as an incoming frosh, but was totally raw. He had no idea about positioning, footwork, even how to catch the ball or use his body to "feel" the defender and create space. So Orr would provide one-on-one instruction, and then have Etan work on catching the ball and making moves against Orr himself, who was 6-9 and could contest him. Again, the majority of players stick around to put in extra work, so it seems to be a "norm" for our team [and has been dating back to when I used to attend practices regularly in the early 90s, when they were open at Manley]. Players who are injured might also receive treatment at this point, or work on various pieces of equipment in the training area, get therapy, etc.

The Post Standard reporters and other media types [such as announcer Jim Satalin] are often there, and this will be the point where JB disengages from the players to talk to the reporters for articles, etc. Most guys will put in about 30 minutes of extra work after practice -- but with them having access to the Melo center 24/7 [as opposed to Manley, when they were sharing the facility with other teams like the track squad], they can also put in extra work not just during the practice timeframe.

You always had great practice reports over the years as it meant a lot to you to be there. Even with that, some people will still insist that JAB just rolls the balls out.

 

[pfister1]

How long are practices typically?

 

[RF2044]

You always had great practice reports over the years as it meant a lot to you to be there. Even with that, some people will still insist that JAB just rolls the balls out.

Thanks, clifton! You always went out of your way to acknowledge those reports and let me know you appreciated the practice observations.

I don't live in CNY anymore, but have had the good fortune to be able to check out a few practices over the past few years -- very fun to do that, and to bring those observations back to the board.

 

[br801]

I've answered this a couple of times over the years, but here is a general practice structure [just to build on what CTO lists above].

Practice begins early for most players, who work with the coaches / managers on shooting or other fundamentals before practice officially begins. Players also have different academic obligations [classes, labs, etc.] so some will get there earlier than others, depending on the day -- and some might even arrive after practice begins depending on class considerations, at which point they'll jump into the mix [the managers inform the coaches which players when arrive if there are conflicts, so it is structured]. But the various players will trickle onto the court and begin shooting, warming up, etc. if they aren't working on a specific set of stuff with a coach / manager.

Then, they'll kick things off with a lengthy period of stretching, generally led by the athletic trainer. This probably goes for 15-20 minutes, and is something they don't skimp on.

Next, they'll shift into the conditioning part of practice, where they'll run various drills designed to have the team run full court and work up a sweat. This can vary from day-to-day, but often will involve a shooting drill where they'll divide the squad into two groups [one on either end of the floor], where they'll rapidly shoot from a designated spot [say, the foul line right extended], and try to make as many as they can in a timed period of time [60-90 seconds usually], before completing a group of full court sprints, after which they'll shoot from a different spot and repeat the process.

Another drill they use frequently is a full court fast break drill where they'll rotate players in a couple of different spots and sprint the length of the floor without the ball ever touching the ground. So, a player will rebound the ball after another player completes their sprint and then pass it to a stationary player at mid court, and proceed to sprint down the right lane of the court. As they pass midcourt, the stationary player will pass the ball back, and the sprinting player [without dribbling] will then pass it to a second stationary player at the opposite foul line, who will then give it back to the sprinting player to convert a layup / dunk attempt. They'll then run this back the other way. Very fast paced drill, with the coaches rotating guys [usually walk ons] into the stationary roles. They time this drill for like 7 minutes, so the players are running hard.

Then, they'll do a UCLA drill to practice executing fast breaks when you have numbers, and defending fast breaks. The way this drill works is that you'll have three players attack two defenders, who will try to stop the fast break. When they get the ball [either after a made shot or a steal or a rebound], those two defenders head back the other way, with the "middle" player - who is usually a point guard tries to defend the two on one the other way. The two offensive players who don't drop back to defend then become the two defenders for the next group of three. Another fast paced, frenetic drill.

There are other variations that they'll use for conditioning drills, but those are the main three the coaches seem to use most practices over the years. This part of the practice goes for about 30 minutes, with the whole thing being timed to keep the pace brisk. Up to this point of the practice, the assistant coaches are generally the ones organizing things, with JB looking on and sometimes interrupting depending on what transpires.

After that, they'll switch gears and practice half court offensive sets. Boeheim breaks the teams into two groups [usually the starters against others, but they'll rotate guys in and out quickly to have different lineups of offensive / defensive players; walk ons are heavily involved in this part of practice]. They run their various plays, and sometimes Boeheim will have the offensive group run without defenders, just to practice their rotations and passing, simulating what they would do to get the ball inside for a point blank score or a dunk. Boeheim tends to be very vocal during this part of the practice, especially when they are running two squads against each other, if he sees things that he doesn't like from either the offensive group or the defensive group.

Depending on the practice, they might be focused on preparing for an upcoming opponent, or it might just be a mid-week type of filler practice. If its the former, JB will concentrate on the specific game plan they're implementing -- instructing the players about the various wrinkles they want to employ to attack the opponent. He really rides the team in this portion of practice, often stopping things or having them re-run a set if they do it wrong or blow a defensive assignment.

Then, they usually run another full court conditioning drill for about 10 minutes, again to lather the squad up, before breaking into individual shooting drills. The Melo center has numerous baskets around the two courts [on the sides, etc.]. Players will break into pairs and work on form shooting drills, usually from short distances on various spots on the floor. Form shooting is slow, generally involving them catching the ball or getting a rebound after a made shot, and then using one hand to simulate proper shooting mechanics. Both players will shoot from the same spot--usually on both baselines, and then from various spots around the circle from about 5-8 feet, where they don't have to use a lot of legs to "horse" the shot up from distance, so that the emphasis is on form.

After that, they'll usually then practice free throws -- again in pairs, in a timed activity with one player shooting and the other rebounding.

Then, they'll break into positional groups and do various shooting drills. Griffin has the bigs, Autry coaches the forwards, and GMac works with the guards. They'll use different drills to rapidly put the players through the paces. So, for example, the bigs will post up against each other or against managers using big football pads to lean on them, and practice catching entry passes and going up strong through contact. The guards and forwards will both do quite a bit of ball handling to get to a pre-designated spot on the floor for a shot --usually with the coaches and a group of managers simulating defense. They usually run through positional practice for another 30 minutes or so, doing different variations on this theme. Center also practice rebounding and keying the outlet pass, whereas the guards / forwards drills are usually more ball handling oriented.

Then, the team will scrimmage. Boeheim again takes over and divides the team, and then has them play up and down, with him periodically blowing the whistle to run something again or to provide instruction based upon what happens on the court. Sometimes, they'll keep score or play to a specific score, which they track using the scoreboard while the team is scrimmaging. There might be more of an emphasis placed on scrimmaging or slightly less, again depending on whether they are gearing up for a game or if it is just a tune-up practice in the middle of the week.

Practice usually concludes with them running a drill where the squad [including walk ons] is usually divided into two groups -- one on each end of the floor], and they'll do a timed activity where they'll each shoot from three point range, the foul line, or another pre-designated spot [like a 15 foot baseline jumper], with each player in line shooting as rapidly as they can and then getting back to the end of the line. The goal of this is to informally try to make as many jump shots in a row as they can, with the coaches counting. After 60 seconds, they'll have the teams sprint up and down the full length of the court, and then repeat the drill, but shooting from a different spot.

A variation on this drill is that they'll have them run sprints and then designate a player to step up to the line after they've run to attempt a free throw. If the player makes it, they quickly substitute another player to shoot a free throw. If the players miss, then their half of the squad runs a full court up-and-back. This drill simulates them having to shoot while being slightly winded [which might certainly happen during a game], and also to simulate "pressure" since their group will have to run if they miss the shot.

So, they'll run a drill like one of the options described above, after which Boeheim will gather the team at halfcourt. They usually have a quick [5-10 minute] discussion which is impossible to hear from the sideline, but it generally appears that they review the week schedule, talk about specific stuff for the next game, etc. After this discussion, formal practice concludes.

But most players--again, depending on their class schedule--will stick around for some one-on-one work with the coaches / managers. It might involved three point shooting or free throw shooting, or some other kind of skill work. Sometimes, the younger players get more fundamental instruction; back in the day, Louis Orr used to snare frosh Etan Thomas [just as an example] after practice, to teach him the nuances of big man play. Etan was a big, strong athlete even as an incoming frosh, but was totally raw. He had no idea about positioning, footwork, even how to catch the ball or use his body to "feel" the defender and create space. So Orr would provide one-on-one instruction, and then have Etan work on catching the ball and making moves against Orr himself, who was 6-9 and could contest him. Again, the majority of players stick around to put in extra work, so it seems to be a "norm" for our team [and has been dating back to when I used to attend practices regularly in the early 90s, when they were open at Manley]. Players who are injured might also receive treatment at this point, or work on various pieces of equipment in the training area, get therapy, etc.

The Post Standard reporters and other media types [such as announcer Jim Satalin] are often there, and this will be the point where JB disengages from the players to talk to the reporters for articles, etc. Most guys will put in about 30 minutes of extra work after practice -- but with them having access to the Melo center 24/7 [as opposed to Manley, when they were sharing the facility with other teams like the track squad], they can also put in extra work not just during the practice timeframe.

Tremendous description, thanks. I'm winded after reading that.

 

[pearl31]

This has been asked before. What is a typical practice like for our team?

 

[AZOrange]

You always had great practice reports over the years as it meant a lot to you to be there. Even with that, some people will still insist that JAB just rolls the balls out.

Heh...was just going to say roll the ball out

 

[iommi]

Epic post RF2044. Thanks.

 

[tbonezone]

JB is working hard with the mid range game .

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Heh...was just going to say roll the ball out

I was gonna say Poker on the left, Dominoes on the right.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I've answered this a couple of times over the years, but here is a general practice structure [just to build on what CTO lists above].

Practice begins early for most players, who work with the coaches / managers on shooting or other fundamentals before practice officially begins. Players also have different academic obligations [classes, labs, etc.] so some will get there earlier than others, depending on the day -- and some might even arrive after practice begins depending on class considerations, at which point they'll jump into the mix [the managers inform the coaches which players when arrive if there are conflicts, so it is structured]. But the various players will trickle onto the court and begin shooting, warming up, etc. if they aren't working on a specific set of stuff with a coach / manager.

Then, they'll kick things off with a lengthy period of stretching, generally led by the athletic trainer. This probably goes for 15-20 minutes, and is something they don't skimp on.

Next, they'll shift into the conditioning part of practice, where they'll run various drills designed to have the team run full court and work up a sweat. This can vary from day-to-day, but often will involve a shooting drill where they'll divide the squad into two groups [one on either end of the floor], where they'll rapidly shoot from a designated spot [say, the foul line right extended], and try to make as many as they can in a timed period of time [60-90 seconds usually], before completing a group of full court sprints, after which they'll shoot from a different spot and repeat the process.

Another drill they use frequently is a full court fast break drill where they'll rotate players in a couple of different spots and sprint the length of the floor without the ball ever touching the ground. So, a player will rebound the ball after another player completes their sprint and then pass it to a stationary player at mid court, and proceed to sprint down the right lane of the court. As they pass midcourt, the stationary player will pass the ball back, and the sprinting player [without dribbling] will then pass it to a second stationary player at the opposite foul line, who will then give it back to the sprinting player to convert a layup / dunk attempt. They'll then run this back the other way. Very fast paced drill, with the coaches rotating guys [usually walk ons] into the stationary roles. They time this drill for like 7 minutes, so the players are running hard.

Then, they'll do a UCLA drill to practice executing fast breaks when you have numbers, and defending fast breaks. The way this drill works is that you'll have three players attack two defenders, who will try to stop the fast break. When they get the ball [either after a made shot or a steal or a rebound], those two defenders head back the other way, with the "middle" player - who is usually a point guard tries to defend the two on one the other way. The two offensive players who don't drop back to defend then become the two defenders for the next group of three. Another fast paced, frenetic drill.

There are other variations that they'll use for conditioning drills, but those are the main three the coaches seem to use most practices over the years. This part of the practice goes for about 30 minutes, with the whole thing being timed to keep the pace brisk. Up to this point of the practice, the assistant coaches are generally the ones organizing things, with JB looking on and sometimes interrupting depending on what transpires.

After that, they'll switch gears and practice half court offensive sets. Boeheim breaks the teams into two groups [usually the starters against others, but they'll rotate guys in and out quickly to have different lineups of offensive / defensive players; walk ons are heavily involved in this part of practice]. They run their various plays, and sometimes Boeheim will have the offensive group run without defenders, just to practice their rotations and passing, simulating what they would do to get the ball inside for a point blank score or a dunk. Boeheim tends to be very vocal during this part of the practice, especially when they are running two squads against each other, if he sees things that he doesn't like from either the offensive group or the defensive group.

Depending on the practice, they might be focused on preparing for an upcoming opponent, or it might just be a mid-week type of filler practice. If its the former, JB will concentrate on the specific game plan they're implementing -- instructing the players about the various wrinkles they want to employ to attack the opponent. He really rides the team in this portion of practice, often stopping things or having them re-run a set if they do it wrong or blow a defensive assignment.

Then, they usually run another full court conditioning drill for about 10 minutes, again to lather the squad up, before breaking into individual shooting drills. The Melo center has numerous baskets around the two courts [on the sides, etc.]. Players will break into pairs and work on form shooting drills, usually from short distances on various spots on the floor. Form shooting is slow, generally involving them catching the ball or getting a rebound after a made shot, and then using one hand to simulate proper shooting mechanics. Both players will shoot from the same spot--usually on both baselines, and then from various spots around the circle from about 5-8 feet, where they don't have to use a lot of legs to "horse" the shot up from distance, so that the emphasis is on form.

After that, they'll usually then practice free throws -- again in pairs, in a timed activity with one player shooting and the other rebounding.

Then, they'll break into positional groups and do various shooting drills. Griffin has the bigs, Autry coaches the forwards, and GMac works with the guards. They'll use different drills to rapidly put the players through the paces. So, for example, the bigs will post up against each other or against managers using big football pads to lean on them, and practice catching entry passes and going up strong through contact. The guards and forwards will both do quite a bit of ball handling to get to a pre-designated spot on the floor for a shot --usually with the coaches and a group of managers simulating defense. They usually run through positional practice for another 30 minutes or so, doing different variations on this theme. Center also practice rebounding and keying the outlet pass, whereas the guards / forwards drills are usually more ball handling oriented.

Then, the team will scrimmage. Boeheim again takes over and divides the team, and then has them play up and down, with him periodically blowing the whistle to run something again or to provide instruction based upon what happens on the court. Sometimes, they'll keep score or play to a specific score, which they track using the scoreboard while the team is scrimmaging. There might be more of an emphasis placed on scrimmaging or slightly less, again depending on whether they are gearing up for a game or if it is just a tune-up practice in the middle of the week.

Practice usually concludes with them running a drill where the squad [including walk ons] is usually divided into two groups -- one on each end of the floor], and they'll do a timed activity where they'll each shoot from three point range, the foul line, or another pre-designated spot [like a 15 foot baseline jumper], with each player in line shooting as rapidly as they can and then getting back to the end of the line. The goal of this is to informally try to make as many jump shots in a row as they can, with the coaches counting. After 60 seconds, they'll have the teams sprint up and down the full length of the court, and then repeat the drill, but shooting from a different spot.

A variation on this drill is that they'll have them run sprints and then designate a player to step up to the line after they've run to attempt a free throw. If the player makes it, they quickly substitute another player to shoot a free throw. If the players miss, then their half of the squad runs a full court up-and-back. This drill simulates them having to shoot while being slightly winded [which might certainly happen during a game], and also to simulate "pressure" since their group will have to run if they miss the shot.

So, they'll run a drill like one of the options described above, after which Boeheim will gather the team at halfcourt. They usually have a quick [5-10 minute] discussion which is impossible to hear from the sideline, but it generally appears that they review the week schedule, talk about specific stuff for the next game, etc. After this discussion, formal practice concludes.

But most players--again, depending on their class schedule--will stick around for some one-on-one work with the coaches / managers. It might involved three point shooting or free throw shooting, or some other kind of skill work. Sometimes, the younger players get more fundamental instruction; back in the day, Louis Orr used to snare frosh Etan Thomas [just as an example] after practice, to teach him the nuances of big man play. Etan was a big, strong athlete even as an incoming frosh, but was totally raw. He had no idea about positioning, footwork, even how to catch the ball or use his body to "feel" the defender and create space. So Orr would provide one-on-one instruction, and then have Etan work on catching the ball and making moves against Orr himself, who was 6-9 and could contest him. Again, the majority of players stick around to put in extra work, so it seems to be a "norm" for our team [and has been dating back to when I used to attend practices regularly in the early 90s, when they were open at Manley]. Players who are injured might also receive treatment at this point, or work on various pieces of equipment in the training area, get therapy, etc.

The Post Standard reporters and other media types [such as announcer Jim Satalin] are often there, and this will be the point where JB disengages from the players to talk to the reporters for articles, etc. Most guys will put in about 30 minutes of extra work after practice -- but with them having access to the Melo center 24/7 [as opposed to Manley, when they were sharing the facility with other teams like the track squad], they can also put in extra work not just during the practice timeframe.

This is seven layers of awesome. Thanks.

 

[br801]

JB is working hard with the mid range game .

I know. If only we had evidence that there was some thought and structure underpinning his coaching.

 

[pearl31]

I know. If only we had evidence that there was some thought and structure underpinning his coaching.

No doubt. I mean, at least a sign that he understands the game of basketball.

 

[JrodCuse]

 

[cto]

This thread has sure gone off the track.