Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

[beast10]

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

Football is during the fall when school starts and last until like the middle to end of October then basketball starts as winter approaches

[beast10]

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

Alright football really has helped, getting bigger, faster, stronger, conditioned, and my confidence has really gone up.

The coach knows me and seems to like me but the freshman and JV ones don't soo I'll have something to prove. I think I'm well prepared and I can't wait.

Will update you all soon


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[mb625]

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

Back when I was in HS, pretty much everyone would play multiple sports. I like that. Not a big fan of specialization, it can lead to burn out, and HS is for doing a lot of different things. You can focus down to one sport if you're good enough to play at the next level, but for right now, you should absolutely play as many sports as you like.

[beast10]

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

Back when I was in HS, pretty much everyone would play multiple sports. I like that. Not a big fan of specialization, it can lead to burn out, and HS is for doing a lot of different things. You can focus down to one sport if you're good enough to play at the next level, but for right now, you should absolutely play as many sports as you like.

If I do good with basketball this year I'm dropping everything


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[SouthBeach]

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

The best advice I was given is to become an athletic freak. Some people are born with crazy athleticism in their genes. Others have to work much harder for it.

But with basketball, it's important to be more athletic than everyone else on your team and to outwork everyone as well. So your conditioning MUST be top tier. If you need an example, watch old Dennis Rodman footage. Dude was a workhorse.

Worry about shooting later. I mean, it's important to practice layups, jumpers, floaters, runners, fadeaways, etc. But all of that stuff can be taught - athleticism cannot.

If possible, see if you can workout with the football team and learn some of their agility drills to practice on your own to develop quicker feet. Or even joining a cross country track team to further develop your endurance.

There are a bunch of ways to develop. Everything helps. But I'd say being athletic in this age of basketball is in the top three in terms of importance.

[fistofrage]

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

Get in the best shape you can. Make sure you have the stamina to still be able to sprint at top speed at the end of games and beat people to the ball and get out front in crunch time.

At 6'1" at your age is good. How tall do you expect to get?

Practice rebounding. I studied the angles a lot of where the ball would be off the rebound and killed it on the glass. If other players were designated to shoot, I made sure I still got my points by rebounding. I had a really good idea where the ball was always going as soon as it reached its arc in the air and got to that spot.

If you get called up to varsity early, you'll likely be a role player so make sure you can play defense, box out, and do the fundamentals.

If you are looking for specific drills, I can post some to build your lateral speed, get a quick first step, etc.

But the most important thing is to be in the best shape possible and keep working on the fundamentals.

[shogunofharlem3]

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

I don't know much about hoop as I am a baseball and hockey guy. As a high school head varsity baseball coach for the last 10 years, work on being a team guy. Players within the high school that are willing to fill any role to aid the team reach its achievable season / individual goals are the guys I am looking for.

Pre Madonnas need not apply. I'll take a kid that is there for the 15 guys around him. I had the player of the year in the state on the team during the State Title year and he was purely the most team oriented kid I ever coached.

So, staying away from skills of your sport as I am not qualified to make any suggestions. When you tryout, be remember able. Show you are there for the team, program and school you represent and not just yourself. Those characteristics will help set you apart. And as I say to my program day 1, any distractions will be eliminated. Let the selfish be eliminated and you position yourself by being selfless, into a good standing within the program.

Best of luck! Looking forward to seeing this thread and checking out how you made out.

One last. I deal with this all the time. Kids disappointed if they are placed on Freshman instead of Jv or JV instead of Varsity. It is about playing time. You are better off getting playing time at a sub level to get timing and experience than getting that Varsity title and rotting on the bench. Plus, playing is fun. Go get em bud!

[Jet Sufferer]

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

First of all don't be afraid of missing your shot, practice until you lose your paranoia of missing. Shooting is 3 things, confidence, concentration and form, notice the first thing I listed.

Next, get in the best cardiovascular shape possible, now you can make yourself a valuable basketball player.

Every time you shoot, follow your shot, EVERY time, you (especially after all this practice) will know better than anyone where the rebound is going if you miss so you have a huge advantage.

Take defense personally, deny your man the ball, front him if he posts you, body him, switch back and forth from fronting him and fighting him for his spot from behind, get to his spot before him if he posts, denying him 4-5 feet closer to the basket will take him out of his comfort zone. Force him to his weak hand until he proves he can use it.

Always know where the ball is, one hand points in the direction of the ball and one hand towards the man you're covering at all times.

Every time a shot is taken box your man out or the man closest to you, BOX OUT EVERY TIME, so many guys don't box out, if you make it a habit you will have a huge advantage.

Every time there is a defensive rebound SPRINT up the court, sprint, not run. Beat your man down the court, fill the lane, take proper angles to the basket to catch the ball and score.

Never stop moving, always look to cut to the basket when there's an opening, backdoor is always open.

If you're willing to BOX OUT and go for every rebound, sprint up and down the court on offense and defense, take pride in your defense and help out on the weakside and with penetrators no coach in his right mind will let you sit on the bench for one second.

If you just never stop boxing out, sprinting and cutting and going for every rebound you will score more points by accident than you could dream of. The shooting and individual moves will come from time, repetition and practice. What you can control is playing defense, sprinting, boxing out and going for every rebound, loose ball and floaty pass, do those things and it won't matter if you can't hit the side of the barn with your shot. Every shot you make will be a bonus to your coach and the team. Play with no fear.

[Equinox831]

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

The coach knows me and seems to like me but the freshman and JV ones don't soo I'll have something to prove. I think I'm well prepared and I can't wait.

Just forget about that and play your game. If you're good enough, they won't be able to deny you. Besides, if my experiences in high school sports are any indicator they probably like you. You just gotta earn it. Good luck this season and I hope it benefits you in basketball come winter.

[CBoller1331]

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

Awesome to see you played football. I can honestly say it made me a much better baseball player and athlete in general. It's also the ultimate team sport, you need all 11 guys to win. Good luck man

[Mr. Blitz]

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

Being that I'm trying out for high school basketball as a junior, and I'm only 5'8'', I can't help but be a bit envious here.

[beast10]

Need advice to better prepare myself for high school basketball

Question for u all, what do you think the odds are of me being a 6'1 point guard lmao. My ball handling has remarkably became better and often contests with smaller guards at workouts. I have good court vision and i love to set up teammates. Qualities of a guard right... But my height ruins those hopes, how does a guy like Michael carter williams or any other tall point guards prove their capable of playing the position rather than off the ball?

Asking this because typically at the gym people ask me who I play for, what position, and what not. I tell them small forward and they're quick to say I should play point guard so I started considering it


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[VDusen04]

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

Question for u all, what do you think the odds are of me being a 6'1 point guard lmao. My ball handling has remarkably became better and often contests with smaller guards at workouts. I have good court vision and i love to set up teammates. Qualities of a guard right... But my height ruins those hopes, how does a guy like Michael carter williams or any other tall point guards prove their capable of playing the position rather than off the ball?

Asking this because typically at the gym people ask me who I play for, what position, and what not. I tell them small forward and they're quick to say I should play point guard so I started considering it.

Generally speaking, 6'1'' is prime point guard size territory. I believe it would be preposterous to deny someone that size of playing the point... if they were capable of doing so effectively. I played alongside a 6'1'' and 6'2'' point guard and I'm pretty sure most of the teams I've coached have had points in the same height area code. I also converted to point at 6'4'' post high school. If you can play, you can play.

[beast10]

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

Generally speaking, 6'1'' is prime point guard size territory. I believe it would be preposterous to deny someone that size of playing the point... if they were capable of doing so effectively. I played alongside a 6'1'' and 6'2'' point guard and I'm pretty sure most of the teams I've coached have had points in the same height area code. I also converted to point at 6'4'' post high school. If you can play, you can play.

Yeah on the varsity level it's no problem but I'm talking about JV or freshmen basketball where the majority of the team is 5'5-6'3 at best


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[thesportsguru11]

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

Question for u all, what do you think the odds are of me being a 6'1 point guard lmao. My ball handling has remarkably became better and often contests with smaller guards at workouts. I have good court vision and i love to set up teammates. Qualities of a guard right... But my height ruins those hopes, how does a guy like Michael carter williams or any other tall point guards prove their capable of playing the position rather than off the ball?

Asking this because typically at the gym people ask me who I play for, what position, and what not. I tell them small forward and they're quick to say I should play point guard so I started considering it


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Your chances depend on A.) the players on your team and B.) your coach. Like someone said earlier, don't limit yourself, as long as you love the game. If you are good at it and have the right qualities for the job, do it.

I can relate your scenario in ways. Our tallest player last year was 5'10 or 5'11 and played point guard, because he was the best guy for the job. He made 2nd team all-conference. I'm 5'5 (in my soph. year now) and played garbage minutes for our school's varsity last year as a freshman (We had no JV, and yes.. Vermont basketball is as bad as it gets, I'm fully aware).

That point guard graduated, and if it weren't for one of my buddies possessing better ball handling skills, I'd be playing PG, but I don't mind. As a result of me not caring about position, I've played anywhere from off-guard to center (don't ask, my coach was experimenting in garbage time of a Junior High game haha.)

So hope that helps. Height doesn't matter if you have skills and a smart coach. (I mean.. talk to Magic Johnson...)