Skill advancement

Hi I am coaching U14 boys this season having come from a few years coaching U12. Our association wants our kids taught 5 out motion, man to man D across the board but other than that we can add what we like. My questions are:
1. My boys know basic motion, pass, cut, replace, ball reversal, dribble pentration and ran it quite well. What do I now teach to advance their skills with motion, eg. screens? If so, what is the best way to start?
2. What would you think the best full court press would be to teach this age group?
Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

ozcoach wrote:1. My boys know basic motion, pass, cut, replace, ball reversal, dribble pentration and ran it quite well. What do I now teach to advance their skills with motion, eg. screens? If so, what is the best way to start?

Screens are definitely a great option on the 5 out. Instead of rambling on, I found a link that has a few videos that will get you started. http://www.championshipproductions.com/news/2012/04/18/the-5-out-motion-offense-overview-and-key-rules/

ozcoach wrote:2. What would you think the best full court press would be to teach this age group?
Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

Personally, I don't like full court zone presses unless I'm trying to slow down the pace of the game. Most zone full court zone presses I've seen emphasize trapping and often times are easy to beat. I'm more of a fan of a full court M2M press with a 3/4 front on your man. We emphasize pressure more than traps, but will trap if that presents itself. We're looking to make the dribbler pick up the ball and deny the next pass away. Quite honestly, I only use this if I sense weakness. I rarely press against good teams, especially teams that have good point guards, not worth it.

You might want to consider having the option of a 3-2 half court trapping defense. I use this if I sense weakness, not against teams with good point guards. This can be extremely successful against more inexperienced teams, because you can score several baskets before they call time out to figure out what's going on. We used it this past weekend at the beginning of a game and had the score up 13-0 in a matter of minutes. Instead of rambling, here's a link:
http://www.2badcats.com/cyclones/plays/3-2-half-court-trap-defense.aspx

One last thought: Carve out time in practice to work on your press breakers. I wouldn't make it complicated, just something the kids can do over and over until they know it. It will help tremendously when you run into teams that like to press.

Less complicated link on the 5 out motion that gives some other options. You might have to spread the guys on the blocks wider, but you can still use some of the screen concepts though.

http://www.jes-basketball.com/playbook/plamotionoptions.html