Logan was a player in my program about 10 years ago. As a freshman, he barely played. He was slow, and his skill level was marginal.

As a sophomore, he made the JV team. Once again, he was an end of the bench player. I didn’t see much of a future for him in our program. If I’m honest, I pretty much wrote him off.

I cut him as a junior. By the time junior year came around, we had to make very few cuts. As a result, I ran our ‘tryouts’ like a regular practice. Since we had a lot of returning players, Logan didn't receive many reps. He also lacked the knowledge that the returning players possessed. Cutting him seemed obvious.

Logan was disappointed. He wanted to play. If it wasn’t going to happen with us, he wanted to play someplace else. He transferred.

His senior year, he averaged 16 ppg. Some of that was because he grew about 3 inches that year. However, that doesn’t excuse my misevaluation. I ran a poor tryouts. As a result, I didn’t get the best team.

I learned an important lesson from that - both in terms of having an open mind and how to run a tryout. Learn from my mistake to get your team right!

Why Tryouts Matter (More Than You Think)

Tryouts are stressful—for players and coaches. You have a small window to evaluate effort, skill, and fit… then make decisions that shape your entire season. 

Get the drills wrong and you’ll evaluate things that don’t matter. Do that and you’ll spend months fixing problems you could’ve spotted in an hour. 

Get your tryout drills right and you’ll know who competes, who thinks the game, and who helps you win on Day 1.

What Should You Evaluate At Basketball Tryouts?

While it would be great to evaluate everything (here’s a basketball tryout evaluation form to help you do so), that’s not realistic in 2-3 days.

With that in mind, here are 5 areas you must assess:

• 1v1 - 1v1 allows you to see who can create with the ball. It also shows you who can guard their player without help.

• 3v3 - small-sided games are great because they get players more touches in a team context. You’ll learn who makes good decisions in competition.

• 5v5 - the game is played 5v5. Some players show up in those settings, while others fade. Additionally, you’ll see if players can comprehend your concepts.

• Shooting - the #1 skill in the game. If 2 players are close, shooting might be the deciding factor in who to keep.

• Toughness - what coach doesn’t want tough players? Put them in challenging situations and see how they react.

In the video and article below, you’ll see 5 drills for tryouts that cover each area mentioned above. Add them to your tryout plan to make certain you pick the best players for your squad!

1v1 Tryout Drill - “Yell Hand Box”

Source: The CMC Practice System With Kevin Furtado

Playing 1 on 1 exposes defensive mistakes and a lack of effort. It also highlights what each offensive player relies on to score. Essentially, this can be considered as a modified version of King or Queen of the Court that allows offensive players to go 1 on 1.

The differences, though are plenty…

• The player that scores can keep scoring until the defense gets the ball

• Winners from each basket play for a championship

• Winner must “validate” the win by making a FT

Setup

• 3 players per hoop with 1 ball

• You can have multiple hoops going at once

  

Instructions

• 1 starts with the ball on defense

  

• 1 passes to 2 and closes out

  

• If 2 scores, 2 can keep scoring until 1 gets the ball. Each basket counts as 1 point.

  

• If 1 gets a stop, or when 1 receives the ball after 2 score, 1 passes to 3

• 1 goes to the end of the line

• 2 goes to defense

• 3 goes on offense
  
  

Evaluates

• First step / advantage creation, physicality on the glass, finishing vs pressure, competitiveness, on ball defense

3v3 Tryout Drill - Billiken Closeout

Source: 3v3 Drills For Offense And Defense With Nick LoGalbo

3v3 is a great blend of 1v1 & 5v5. Similar to 1v1, players have a lot of space to work with. Like 5v5, players must function in a team setting. Billiken Closeouts is a great way to see who makes good decisions (offensively and defensively) in a team setting.

Setup

• 3 defenders are positioned along the baseline. X1 has a ball.

• 3 offensive players are positioned around the 3 point arc.

  

Instructions

• The defenders swing the ball along the baseline.

• As soon as Defender 1 passes, they close out on Player 3.

• As soon as Defender 2 passes, they close out on Player 2.

• As soon as Defender 3 passes, they close out on Player 1.

• Offense becomes live and the defenders try to keep them from scoring.

Evaluates

• Defensively: communication/IQ, closeouts & on ball defense, help defensedecisions.

• Offensively: decision-making, understanding of spacing, unselfishness, ability to read help

5v5 Tryout Drill - “76’er”

Source: The Flow Motion Offense With Matt Lewis

The game is played 5v5. Thus, we must evaluate players in that setting. The “76’er” drill does that and more. In addition to the 5v5 possessions, it starts with a 5v0 possession. That allows you to ask players to run a play or concept that is important to you. In doing so, you can see who is able to pick up your system quickly.

Setup

• 5 players out on the court with a ball.

• 5 additional players positioned across the baseline.

Instructions

• The 5 players on the court (x1-x5) run a 5v0 possession. You can have them run whatever you want.

  

• Players 1-5 go back on offense

• Players x1-x5 get back on defense

  

• The drills concludes with x1-x5 coming back 5v5 against 1-5
  
  

Evaluates

• Conditioning, talk, leadership - who takes change in a 5v5 setting?

• Transition offense & defense understanding and ability

• Ability to understand concepts

Shooting Tryout Drill - 14 in :90

Source: The Relentless Pressure System With Mike Hilmer

Simply put, shooting is a separator. No team has too many shooters. Make sure you have a good idea of who can knock down shots when picking your team.

Setup

• 1 shooter, 1 rebounder, 1 ball

• 7 spots at appropriate shooting range (can put cones down if easier)

  

Instructions

• Players must make two in a row to move to the next spot

• Players should start at the right corner where it says “1”

• If players get through all 7 spots, they shoot from the top of the key and add any makes to their total

• The diagram shows where the seven spots are located throughout the court

• Use all the baskets you have available in the gym

• If you have more players than hoops, you can have two groups start at each basket to avoid kids sitting; just start them from opposite sides of the baseline.

Evaluates

• Shooting footwork

• Ability to make shots when tired

• Ability to shoot under pressure

Toughness Tryout Drill - Man In The Hole

Source: Man To Man Defense With Jim Huber

Even if you play half court or quarter court defense, this should be a staple tryout drill for every coach. This is a great 1 on 1 transition drill that works on your ability to stay in front of a ball handler in the open court. You work on the shuffle, the quick turn, running, and the turn and sprint to recover.

Additionally, it's great for conditioning and evaluating mental toughness.

Setup:

• The ball hander (2) has the ball on the baseline.

• The defender (X1) is standing in front of the offensive player ready to play defense.

Instructions

• The offensive player (2) tries to beat the defender (X1) down the floor.

• The defensive player tries to stop the ball handler from advancing the ball.

  

• After the ball handler (2) makes it to the other end, they will hand off to 4, who will be facing the same defender X1, back up the court towards player 3.

• 3 is the last ball handler. X1 defends for the third and final time.

• X1 is now "out of the hole" and you rotate to the next defender. X1 is now the next ball handler.
  
  

Evaluates

• Conditioning

• Competitivenss level

• On ball defense

Nail The Most Important Day Of Your Season

The day you pick your team is the most important day of your season. That’s why running a good tryout is essential.

Use the 5 drills above and you’ll be well on your way!

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