Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

[BDKiiing]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

[Feared]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

I know this has been stated before but it cannot be stressed enough. Strength & Conditioning, Conditioning, Conditioning...

Work on your endurance, and stamina. Sprints, Shuttle drills, intensive state cardio with dribbling integrated. The longer you are able to stay on the court without getting completely winded will make you more valuable in the eyes of your coaches; because you can give them more Quality minutes.

Don't let confidence be your issue. Play against the best quality competition you can during these Summer camps, and don't be afraid to miss shots. (Jordan, Kobe, LeBron have all missed multiple potentially game winning shots in their careers but it does not stop them at all from being the go to guy with the game on the line in the future.)

Also too boost your confidence, get in the weight room. Work on core, leg drive, upper body strength. For some reason a lot of Tall High School guys are allergic to the weight room... Adding quality muscle will help boost your Physicality. (Rebounding, Post play)

[wwharton]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

A lot of REALLY good advice here. I'll try to add on without repeating (because everything everyone has said is right on point).

REALLY work on your defense: Even at the highest level, a great defender is valuable if that's all they really do well. More importantly, defense is more about heart, effort and playing smart than about skill. Whenever you play (camps or pick up) put as much effort into being in the right place to help on D and still close out, getting back on fast breaks, boxing out EVERY time, keeping your man in front of you when he has the ball. I PROMISE you, every coach notices someone willing to put int he extra effort on that end of the court. Don't get discouraged if the guy you're guarding scores (even if your teammates heckle you about it). Good defense isn't as much about "shutting down your man" as it is about doing everything you can to make your man and everyone else on the team take difficult shots. Steals are great, but gambling and losing is a big red flag to a coach that doesn't know you.

Building confidence: Lots of great advice already on this. You can work on your mental game through practice also. When you "shoot around" have a plan. Think about where you expect to get open and practice shooting from these spots... over, and over, and over, and over. Depending on time, take 10 to 50 shots from the same spot at a time. At least 10 just flipping the ball to yourself (or from a passer if you have one). If you can do more than 10, catch coming from right to left 10 times, left to right 10 times, with 2 dribbles, step back, etc. If you do have a passer, have them pass to you from different angles. This can seem boring so you can mix it up like running from say 12 feet out on one side of the baseline to 12 feet on the other, or one corner of the foul line to the other.

The goal is to make this YOUR shot (shots if there are multiple spots but I wouldn't do more than a few until you're really comfortable with at least one). Then when you play, your goal is to do what you can to get to that spot. If you're there (or can get there) you will shoot... confidently. That's what needs to be in your mind BEFORE getting the ball there.

Otherwise, do a ton of layup drills from both sides as much as possible. Coaches don't care so much about missing shots as they do about taking the right shot. But all coaches hate missed layups. Plus, if you can crash the boards and make everything around the rim, you will be valuable to any team.

Work ethic: It sounds like you're well on the right track here. Just keep it up and try to be the hardest worker out there. Kids develop bad habits here, getting complacent and expecting to make the team, get time, start, etc. You may get flack from older kids bc of this, but coaches notice... just remember the older kids don't determine who makes the team.

Good luck!

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

I played football in HS not basketball so I can't recommend any drills or anything. But run, run some more, and when you think you're done run some more. Freshman football I didn't really listen when the coaches said to run, as I would just jog a little bit after the weight room and that would be it. 2 a days came around and I was dying before we even got to the first set of drills.

Chug water too, it was probably more of an issue down here in South FL in the middle of August then it may for you but it's hard to put in productive workouts if you're not hydrated.

[BallSoHardU]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

First off you are pretty tall. Damn I'm about to turn 16 and I was like 5'10'' as an incoming Freshmen. 6'1'' now. In terms of basketball I only play rec although I played in middle school. The best advice I could give you is always keep your eyes open for camps over the summer. Also, try to get on an AAU team after the season is over. You probably already know about that but that's all I can help you with lol.

[jyoung]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

I don't know what kind of offense your team runs, but if you're going to be a wing player, learning to turn, catch and shoot in one quick motion off screens is skill a that few kids practice. Anyone can shoot off the dribble or shoot from a stand still. But being a wing player who can shoot off screens with speed and accuracy is a great way to get your number called a lot more often on offense.

Another extremely overlooked skill is free throws. Try to shoot them at the points in your workout where you are most tired, and use free throws as your "break" from the heavy activity. I have seen too many players over the years -- even some of the most talented guys on the court -- who don't want to be the person that goes to the foul line in end of game situations. Don't be that guy. Be the guy who can make 70% to 80% of his free throws and can live from the line if your jump shot isn't falling that night. If you haven't already noticed or been told, most gyms will have a nail in the center of the free throw line that you can use to square your shooting elbow to the center of the rim.

[loccdogg26]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

A positive attitude can help you go a long way.

[beast10]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Been working on a lot of this. I found an intense all year round basketball workout facility that runs sessions every Saturday morning and Monday night.

I've realized many of my flaws which is a good thing. My jumpshot mechanics are getting better & I'm also working out my upper and lower body strength to become a lot more explosive.

One of my future possible teammates also goes to the training sessions as well so we've been building some chemistry. Really pumped for this all.

[Twenty Four]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Been working on a lot of this. I found an intense all year round basketball workout facility that runs sessions every Saturday morning and Monday night.

I've realized many of my flaws which is a good thing. My jumpshot mechanics are getting better & I'm also working out my upper and lower body strength to become a lot more explosive.

One of my future possible teammates also goes to the training sessions as well so we've been building some chemistry. Really pumped for this all.

You sound like you're gonna be just fine man, you're dedicated and love it. Keep working for it. As far as advice, I can't say much about basketball because I played baseball and football in HS. However, I'll say this... Your teammates are going to be your family for the next 4 years. You're going to work, suffer, and battle with each other everyday. If you have a strong relationship with your teammates, you can exceed any expectation. Example, my Junior year we were a 2-8 football team. We had a coach who clearly favored the 3-4 super studs we had on our team, and it really created a wedge between us. My senior season, we get a new coach who was tough as hell, but he was tough as hell on everyone. Indivisual players stopped getting put before the team, and we came together to make the playoffs after an 8-2 season. Sorry for rambling, but if there's one piece of advice id give you, it'd be to build strong relationships with your brothers on the court.

[beast10]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

You sound like you're gonna be just fine man, you're dedicated and love it. Keep working for it. As far as advice, I can't say much about basketball because I played baseball and football in HS. However, I'll say this... Your teammates are going to be your family for the next 4 years. You're going to work, suffer, and battle with each other everyday. If you have a strong relationship with your teammates, you can exceed any expectation. Example, my Junior year we were a 2-8 football team. We had a coach who clearly favored the 3-4 super studs we had on our team, and it really created a wedge between us. My senior season, we get a new coach who was tough as hell, but he was tough as hell on everyone. Indivisual players stopped getting put before the team, and we came together to make the playoffs after an 8-2 season. Sorry for rambling, but if there's one piece of advice id give you, it'd be to build strong relationships with your brothers on the court.

Yeah that's really important to me. That's why I've been trying to get cool with the dude at the workouts. I'm always extremely more comfortable when playing along with people I consider friends.

[beast10]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Alright another update, something different.

I've decided that I'll be playing my first year of football this year. I have a ton of football in my genes, nobody in my family was ever a basketball player, I just inherited that sport myself lol. But I decided to make this choice mainly for physical development that'll also help me on the court, I figure I'll have guided conditioning in practice which will continue to improve my endurance, footwork, explosiveness, confidence, etc. I believe this is a good choice and a next step to success. I'll probably be playing at wide receiver at 6'1 with a lengthy build.

Let me know anything I may need to know about this too I guess lol. Like I said it's my first year in an organized league so what should I expect? Think it's a good choice?

[kehlis]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Alright another update, something different.

I've decided that I'll be playing my first year of football this year. I have a ton of football in my genes, nobody in my family was ever a basketball player, I just inherited that sport myself lol. But I decided to make this choice mainly for physical development that'll also help me on the court, I figure I'll have guided conditioning in practice which will continue to improve my endurance, footwork, explosiveness, confidence, etc. I believe this is a good choice and a next step to success. I'll probably be playing at wide receiver at 6'1 with a lengthy build.

Let me know anything I may need to know about this too I guess lol. Like I said it's my first year in an organized league so what should I expect? Think it's a good choice?

Is it even possible to play those two sports at the same time?

I guess I would recommend against it unless I'm missing something.


In high school I played both baseball and basketball and my basketball coach asked me to make a decision because the two sports were interfering with each other. Can't imagine how that would work with basketball and football.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Is it even possible to play those two sports at the same time?

I guess I would recommend against it unless I'm missing something.


In high school I played both baseball and basketball and my basketball coach asked me to make a decision because the two sports were interfering with each other. Can't imagine how that would work with basketball and football.

In Texas, basketball starts towards the end of Semester 1, with 80-85% of the season after Christmas break. It's entirely plausible to play both at once, and the two wouldn't interfere too much with each other unless the football team made the playoffs.

Hell, at my school nearly the entire basketball team played football as well. And the ones that didn't play basketball ended up playing baseball.

[TheNumber35]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Is it even possible to play those two sports at the same time?



I guess I would recommend against it unless I'm missing something.





In high school I played both baseball and basketball and my basketball coach asked me to make a decision because the two sports were interfering with each other. Can't imagine how that would work with basketball and football.

Unless he's got a different schedule than we had here in Michigan, the standard seasons are football in the fall, basketball in the winter. So it's totally possible to do this, I did it for a year in high school. But I'll say this; you've gotta love both games to do it well. There is some overlap time where you'll most likely have both of them (conditioning for basketball and practice/games for football.) I know I had a couple weeks at the end of football season where I had practice/conditioning or conditioning/game on the same day. And yes, you could probably get out of one or the other...but I know for me personally that wasn't even a thought in my brain. You want to bond to your new teammates in basketball and also not let down the ones you already have on the football team.

I was definitely in top physical condition when basketball season came around though.

[kehlis]

Re: Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Oh okay, that clears it up then.

I went to HS in two polar opposite states temperature wise (NM and PA) and its been about 16 years now so my memory of when each sport started in each state is a little groggy.