I recently saw a clip of Chicago Bulls coach (and 2x NCAA Championship coach at the University of Florida) Billy Donovan.

He was giving a clinic on offense. In the clinic, he showed some of the high level actions he’s used at the D1 & NBA level:

• Ball screens

• Hand offs

• Zoom action

• Multiple off ball screening actions

What I found interesting wasn’t what he showed, but what he said. . .

Coach Donovan said that if he was coaching kids, the #1 skill he would focus on would be attacking closeouts. And that's a big reason we include close out drills in our Youth Coaching System!

3 Reasons You Should Work On Attacking Closeouts Every Practice

• If you can attack closeouts, it doesn’t matter what offense you run. You can play in any system.

• If you can attack closeouts, you don’t need one of the actions listed above to create space for you - you are able to do it yourself (we’ve advocated the benefits of this before).

• If you can attack closeouts, you can turn small advantages into big advantages.

In today’s game, you hear a lot of talk about .5 basketball. This idea, popularized by the Spurs, means that players should shoot, pass, or dribble within .5 seconds of catching the ball.

Many players fail to realize that the most open they are going to be is generally when they first receive the ball. By catching and holding, they allow the defender to close out without consequence.

However, if you teach players to scan before they receive the ball, they will have a plan of attack when the ball hits their hands:

• If the defender is closing out short, they are ready to shoot.

• If the defender is closing out hard, they are ready to attack on the catch.

1 Simple Drill To Work On Punishing Closeouts

Coach Jim Huber agrees with Billy Donovan. That’s why attacking closeouts (and conversely, closing out well on defense) is a core element of The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber.

1v1 Closeout is a drill you can and should use regularly within your practices.

• Line players up on the blocks and wings

• The defensive players (1 & 3) are on defense

• The offensive players (2 & 4) are on the wing

• 1 starts the drill by passing to 2

• 1 closes out on 2

• 1 & 2 play 1 v 1 on the right side of the court. Repeat on the other side of the floor.

At first, you might want to use guided defense. Have the defense close out long or short and let the offensive player work on reading the closeout.

Then you could go live. Other constraints could include a shot clock, dribble limits, or limiting the action to a section of the court.

The Mental-Physical Upward Spiral Of Skill Development

Being ready to attack a closeout makes you quicker. By having a plan, you are mentally one step ahead of your defender, which also gives you a physical advantage.

As players develop this skill, their confidence grows, making them even more effective.

Build this skill in your players and watch them blossom offensively!

For more great drills and concepts for youth players, check out:

Want to Make Youth Practices More
Fun and WIN MORE GAMES

Coach Huber's Youth Coaching System gives you all the tried and true practice plans, drills, skills and concepts you'll ever need. Inside you'll get:

• 64 Interactive Practice Plans for all levels of youth basketball

• Exactly What to Teach - Offense, Zone Offense, Defense, Press Breakers, Out of Bounds

• Age-Apropriate Skill Development - for ages 9-14

• Drill Progressions From Beginner to Advanced

• Step-By-Step Instructions

SEE THE YOUTH COACHING SYSTEM

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