basketball homework

50 Basketball Dribbling Drills (Develop an Amazing Handle)

“Coach, I can’t train at home. I don’t have a basketball ring” or “Coach, there’s not enough space to train at home”.

These are excuses I hear all too often and it’s not necessarily the player’s fault. As coaches and parents, we need to teach our players that they can work on their game no matter where they are.

That’s why I’ve compiled this list of exactly 50 stationary basketball dribbling drills that your players can use to work on their game anywhere as long as they have a small area to use and a basketball.

Stationary 1 Basketball Dribbling Drills

1. Ball Slaps Continuously slap the basketball from one hand to the other. This is a great drill to start with to get your hands ready for the workout.

2. Straight Arm Finger Taps While making sure to keep your elbows locked, tap the basketball quickly back and forth straight out in front of you. When you become good at this drill start moving the ball up and down.

3. Wraps – Around Ankle Wrap the ball around your lower leg/ankles without letting the basketball touch the ground.

4. Wraps – Around Waist Wrap the ball in a circle motion around your waist.

5. Wraps – Around Head Wrap the ball in a circle motion around your head.

6. Wraps – Around the world Involves combining the wraps around the ankles, waist, and head into one drill. Start by wrapping the ball around your head, then bringing it down and around your waist, and finally around your ankles. Then back up to your waist, then head, then waist again, etc.

7. Wraps – Figure 8 Around Legs Wrap the ball in a figure 8 motion around your legs.

8. Wraps – Around Right Leg Starting with your right leg in front and your left leg back, wrap the ball around only your right leg.

9. Wraps – Around Left Leg Starting with your left leg in front and your right leg back, wrap the ball around only your left leg.

10. Wraps – Double Leg, Single Leg Start with your legs together. Step your right leg forward and circle your right leg with the basketball. Then immediately step back with your right leg so that your feet are together and circle both legs. Then step out with your left leg and circle it before stepping back together and wrapping the ball around them both. Continue this process.

11. Drops Start in a squat position with both hands and the basketball in front of you. The aim is to drop the ball between your legs (only a few inches off the ground), let it bounce once, then take both hands behind your legs before catching it. Then dropping the ball again from behind and taking both hands back to the front and catch it. Repeat.

12. Straddle Flip Similar to drops but instead start with one hand in front and one hand behind while holding the ball between your legs. The aim is to quickly flip the ball up and inch or two, swap hand positions from front to back, and catch the ball before it hits the ground.

13. Machine Gun Kneel down onto the ground and alternate both hands to keep the ball as low as possible to the ground. The ball should stay in the same spot.

14. Spider Dribble Start with your knees shoulder width apart and bent. The ball should stay underneath you the entire time of the drill. Dribble the ball with your right hand, then your left hand, then reach your right hand around behind your knee for a dribble, and then your left hand behind your knee for a dribble, and then back to your right hand in front. Continue this.

15. Pound Dribble – Ankle Height – Right Hand Dribbling the basketball a couple of inches off the ground with your right hand.

16. Pound Dribble – Ankle Height – Left Hand Dribbling the basketball a couple of inches off the ground with your left hand.

17. Pound Dribble – Waist High – Right Hand Making sure to be in stance, pound the ball as hard as you can into the ground at around waist hight with only your right hand.

18. Pound Dribble – Waist High – Left Hand Making sure to be in stance, pound the ball as hard as you can into the ground at around waist hight with only your left hand.

19. Pound Dribble – Shoulder Height – Right Hand This is used to get the player out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball as hard as you can while dribbling at around shoulder height with only your right hand.

20. Pound Dribble – Shoulder Height – Left Hand This is used to get the player out of their comfort zone. Pound the ball as hard as you can while dribbling at around shoulder height with only your left hand.

21. Dribble around Right Leg – Right Hand Start in a wide stance. Keeping the ball low to the ground, dribble the ball in a circle around your right leg with only your right hand.

22. Dribble around Left Leg – Left Hand Start in a wide stance. Keeping the ball low to the ground, dribble the ball in a circle around your left leg with only your left hand.

23. Dribble Figure Eight Again starting in a wide stance. Dribble the ball in a figure 8 motion around both legs using both hands.

24. Kills – Right Hand This drill involves dribbling from ankle to shoulder height. Start by dribbling the ball at your ankles and gradually dribbling the ball higher on each bounce. When you get to as high as you can ‘kill’ the basketball by stopping it a few inches off the ground and dribbling back up to your shoulder.

25. Kills – Left Hand This drill involves dribbling from ankle to shoulder height. Start by dribbling the ball at your ankles and gradually dribbling the ball higher on each bounce. When you get to as high as you can ‘kill’ the basketball by stopping it a few inches off the ground and dribbling back up to your shoulder.

26. Crossover Dribble Cross the ball continuously in front of your body. Make sure you’re crossing over wide.

27. Behind the Back Dribble Cross the ball continuously in behind your body. Make sure you’re crossing over wide.

28. Scissors – Alternating Between the Legs Start with your right foot forward and left foot back. Cross the ball between your legs and jump to switch the positioning of your feet so you can immediately cross the ball back to the other side. Every time you go through the legs you should be switching feet.

29. 3-Dribble Crossover. Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it over in front of your body. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you’re pounding the ball hard.

30. 3-Dribble Through the Legs. Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it over through your legs. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you’re pounding the ball hard.

31. 3-Dribble Behind the Back Pound the ball 3 times before crossing it behind your back. Then pound the ball 3 times before crossing it back. Repeat this process making sure that you’re pounding the ball hard.

32. Triples – Crossover, Through the Legs, Behind the Back The drill must be performed in this sequence: crossover, between the legs, behind the back, through the legs. Continue this sequence.

33. Front V-Dribble – Right Hand Using only your right hand, dribble the ball from side to side in the shape of a ‘v’ in front of your body.

34. Front V-Dribble – Left Hand Using only your left hand, dribble the ball from side to side in the shape of a ‘v’ in front of your body.

35. Side V-Dribble – Right Hand Using only your right hand, dribble the ball backwards and forwards beside your body in the shape of a ‘v’.

36. Side V-Dribble – Left Hand Using only your left hand, dribble the ball backwards and forwards beside your body in the shape of a ‘v’.

37. Freestyle Using all the moves in your arsenal, while staying in a stationary position, combine as many moves together as you can. Be creative and work on your handle!

Stationary 2 Basketball Dribbling Drills

38. Double Pound at Ankle Height Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at ankle height.

39. Double Pound at Waist Height Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at waist height.

40. Double Pound at Shoulders Height Dribble both basketballs as hard as you can at shoulder height.

41. Double Pound Alternating With the balls at a comfortable height, alternate the dribbling of each basketball.

42. One High/ One Low Dribble one of the the basketballs at ankle height and one of them at shoulder height.

43. Double Wall Dribbling Dribble both basketballs against the wall simultaneously at shoulder height.

44. 3 Dribble Double Crossover Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross the balls over at the same time. Then perform another 3 dribbles before crossing over again.

45. 3 Dribble Through the Legs/Crossover Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross one ball over in front of you and one ball through your legs at the same time.

46. 3 Dribble Behind the Back/Crossover Pound dribble both basketballs 3 times and then cross one ball over in front of you and one ball behind your back at the same time.

47. Two Ball Figure Eight. Keeping the ball close to the ground, use your right hand to dribble one ball around your right leg and use your left hand to dribble the other ball around your left leg.

48. Double V-Dribble in Front Dribble both basketballs side to side in front of you simultaneously.

49. Double V-Dribble on Side Dribble both basketballs from back to front beside you simultaneously.

50. Kills Pound both basketballs higher and higher starting from ankle height. When you reach the shoulders ‘kill’ both balls stopping them a few inches from the ground before dribbling both balls back up.

5 Quick Basketball Dribbling Tips

• Keep your eyes up when dribbling the basketball.
• Dribble the ball as hard as you can.
• Don’t be discouraged if you mess up. It means you’re pushing yourself!
• Make sure you change which way you’re wrapping the ball.
• Perform every drill as fast as you can.

Looking for Team Basketball Drills?

Check out my complete collection on this link .

These are all fantastic basketball dribbling drills to develop your ball-handling skills.

Print these drills off or share these with your players. Depending on the age of players I’m coaching, I like to pick out a few of these drills and set them as their ‘basketball homework’. They’re great because any player can do them as long as they own a basketball.

If you don’t understand what any of the drills are, make sure you YouTube the name or ask in the comments. I’m more than happy to answer any questions on any of the drills.

basketball ball-handling drills, basketball dribbling, basketball dribbling drills

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Learn from Legendary Pete Maravich with the drills he did as a young boy growing up.  You'll learn the essential fundamentals to be a great basketball player.  And you'll even learn some of Pistol Pete's trick moves as well.  The Trick Moves are a lot of fun to practice and learn.

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Basketball Printables

• Becoming A Teacher
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Basketball is a sport played by two opposing teams consisting of five members each. Points are scored by successfully tossing the ball through the opposing team's basket, which is a net suspended on a goal ten feet off the ground.

Basketball is the only major sport that originated in the United States. It was invented by  physical education  instructor, James Naismith in December 1891.

Naismith was an instructor at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. During the cold winter months, his PE class developed a reputation for being unruly. The PE instructor was asked to come up with an activity that would keep the boys occupied, didn't require much equipment, and wasn't physically rough like football.

It is said that James Naismith came up with the rules in about an hour. The first game was played with peach baskets and a soccer ball - and it netted a grand total of one basket scored.

The game caught on quickly with the first basketball rules being published in the YMCA campus paper the following January. 

At first, the number of players varied depending on how many wanted to play and how much space was available. By 1897, five players became the official number, though pick-up games can involve as few as two players facing off be as little as one-on-one.

For the first two years, basketball was played with a soccer ball. The first basketball was introduced in 1894. It was a laced ball, 32 inches in circumference. It wasn't until 1948 that an unlaced, 30-inch version became the official ball of the sport.

The first collegiate game was played in 1896, and the NBA (National Basketball Association) was formed in 1946.

If you've got a child who is fascinated with basketball, capitalize on that interest. Help your student learn more about the sport with this set of basketball printables.

Basketball Vocabulary

Print the pdf: Basketball Vocabulary Sheet

In this activity, students will be introduced to the terminology associated with basketball. Use a dictionary or the Internet to look up each of the terms on the basketball vocabulary sheet. Then, write each word on the blank line next to its correct definition.

Some terms, such as dribble and rebound may already be familiar to your students, while others, such as airball and alley-oop may sound strange and need a bit more explanation. 

Basketball Wordsearch

Print the pdf: Basketball Word Search

Use this fun word search to review the basketball terms that your student defined with the vocabulary worksheet. Each term from the word bank can be found among the jumbled letters in the word search. 

Spend some time reviewing those terms your student doesn't remember. Illustrating them may be a fun activity for young basketball fans.

Basketball Challenge

Print the pdf: Basketball Challenge

Test your student's grasp of basketball vocabulary with this challenging worksheet. Students will circle the correct word from the multiple-choice options for each definition.

Basketball Alphabet Activity

Print the pdf: Basketball Alphabet Activity

Does your young basketball fan need to practice alphabetizing words? Make the activity more fun with this list of basketball-related words. Students will place each term from the word bank in the correct alphabetical order.

James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball Coloring Page

Print the pdf: James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball Coloring Page

Learn more about James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Print the coloring page which contains the following facts about the origins of the sport:

James Naismith was a Physical Education Instructor (born in Canada) who invented the game of basketball (1861-1939). He was born on November 6, 1939, in Ramsay Township, Ontario, Canada. At Springfield, Massachusetts, YMCA, he had a rowdy class that was stuck indoors due to the weather. Dr. Luther Gulick, head of YMCA Physical Education, ordered Naismith to come up with a new game that wouldn't take up too much room, would keep the athletes in shape, and would be fair for all players and not too rough. Thus, basketball was born. The first game was played in December 1891, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets.

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• Biography of James Naismith, Inventor of Basketball
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Basketball Printables: Coloring & Worksheets

The following basketball printables are excellent activities for kids to enjoy their favorite sport. The printable basketball pages currently available are word searches, a shaped maze, counting mazes, dot to dot printables, basketball coloring pages, preschool tracing worksheets, cryptogram puzzles and other fun worksheets for kids.

Basketball is a fun sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from preschool to grade school and beyond. Basketball printables are perfect for doing after school, at a restaurant, long car ride, or anywhere the child may have some time. Parents may print some of these worksheets and activity pages for their kids to use at home. Teachers may print them at school as part of a lesson plan in class. Just print and enjoy.

Basketball Word Search Puzzles

Basketball word searches are fun activities for kids who love basketball. Each word search puzzle has about 20 words and a message in the uncircled letters of the worksheet. It's fun for kids of all ages.

See our full selection of Printable Word Searches for Kids .

Basketball Dot to Dot Puzzle

A basketball dot to dot puzzle is a great counting activity for kids learning to recognise their numbers. This dot to dot is a small one for younger kids. It only requires number recognition and sequencing up to 22.

See our full collection of Numbers Dot to Dot Printables .

Basketball Mazes

We have fun and educational basketball mazes. The first type of basketball maze is the traditional maze with walls and false paths. The second type of maze is our counting mazes. Count by either 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, or 5s to navigate these basketball mazes. Enjoy these maze worksheets!

See our full collection of Printable Mazes for Kids .

Basketball Word Scramble Puzzles

Each Word Jumble page has four puzzles about basketball. Solve the first 4 jumbles of each puzzle to get the letters for the final answer of each puzzle. Note that if a word can be unscrambled into more than one word then use the word the best matches the theme of the title.

See our full collection of Printable Word Scrambles for kids.

Basketball Crypto-Families Puzzles

The Crypto-families baseball printables are lists of words that are encrypted by letter substitutions. For example all A's may be replaced with Q's, all B's with R's, etc. Each family of words uses a different letter substitution encryption. There are puzzle pages and a solution page. One puzzle page has 4 lists, but no clues to the words other than the title. The second puzzle page has three crypto-families and a list of all the words from the three lists (in alphabetical order). This will be easier for younger kids who may find the encryption difficult to solve.

Basketball Boggle Pages

These printables are based on the classic word game where you try to find as many words in the grid of letters as you can. The person with the most and/or longest unique words in their list wins the boggle game. For more details on how to play boggle: Boggle Word Game Instructions

Basketball Coloring Pages

We have a large variety of basketball coloring pages. We have basketball players doing a variety of things, referees and more. There are male and female players. There are players shooting, dribbling, dunking, passing, and so on. There are plenty of coloring sheet options.

See our full collection of Printable Kids Coloring Pages .

Basketball printables are a wonderful way for kids to enjoy their favorite sport with additional fun activities! Print the basketball pages for some after school fun, or teachers can use them as a fun addition to the lesson plan.

If you found useful printables on PrintActivities.com, please Tell A Friend .

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Coaching Youth Basketball with Limited Time (1 Practice a Week)

We just wrapped up our bonus tele-seminar for customers that ordered the Motion Offense eBook last night…

During the tele-seminar a few youth coaches asked some very good and interesting questions.  One question in particular was…

“I coach 5th grade girls.  We only practice once a week for one hour.  What would you recommend that we focus on during that short amount of time”?

Summarized in my own words, here’s Don’s answer…

In that short amount of time, I would focus on SKILLS, allow the kids some time to play, and give them homework.

To give you an example, here’s a way to work on Skills (fundamentals) and Motion Offense at the same time…

1.  First, pick a couple cuts or screens that you think would be good for your team.  For example, you could choose down-screens and away-screens.

3.  You can do the same thing with away screens, basket cuts, and any type of cut or screen.  The key is to choose a couple elements from your motion offense and turn those elements into skill building drills.  Your imagination is the only limit to the types of drills you can come up with.  It doesn’t hurt to mix things up and make the youth basketball drills fun too. 

By practicing this way, you’ll save a ton of time and get a lot more done.

Also, you’re providing drills that your players can practice on their own.  Don’t be afraid to give them some homework.  Some players will put in the work outside of practice to get better.

Let them play

After practicing skills, I would let them play at the end.  It’s up to you how much time you spend scrimmaging.  But as an example, you could work on skills for 45 minutes, then scrimmage for 15 minutes at the end.   In practice, I think kids need to play at least a little bit.

During the scrimmage, start by showing the kids general spacing.  You’ll probably want to put tape on the floor so they know the basic motion offense spots.  Then just tell them to play.  If they don’t know what to do, just say “Do you remember the down screen drill we did at the beginning of practice?  Do that.  Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won’t  That’s ok.  If it doesn’t work, do it again.” 

Now you have worked on skills, you have the beginning of a motion offense, and your kids are “learning how to play”. 

How productive do you think that hour would be if you spent nearly the entire time teaching them a set play or a patterned offense?  It takes a long time for kids to learn and remember patterns and plays.  Kids will get VERY little benefit from that!

That’s the great thing about a motion offense.  You can work on skills and motion offense at the same time.

You could even practice some man to man defense during the scrimmage.  Just have one coach responsible for making minor corrections during the scrimmage.  This coach only watches the defense and tries to improve their positioning.

This is how you get the MOST out a short amount of time.   Kids need to play, learn skills, and have fun.

If you’d like to hear the actual question and answer in audio, Right Click here and select Save As.

25 thoughts on “Coaching Youth Basketball with Limited Time (1 Practice a Week)”

thanks for the tips-just what i have here in switzerland at the international school

Thanks for this tip. I have two one-hour practices per week, per the rules of my local Recreation Department. We try to schedule extra practices at local churches, but most kids in rec ball here only get the one or two rec-approved practices each week, so this helps me out alot.

I love these tips! I’m a new youth basketball coach for my school. These have just been fundamental in setting up my practices. Thanks!

thanks for the tips. this website is awesome. I just started teaching basketball for my daughters rec team. You guys have helped me out alot. Thank you.

Thanx hey. These drills help me a lot at Regina Mundi in Zimbabwe. Dont coach full time so this makes my sessions easier.

Thanks for this information. I have been searching high and low for an answer to limited practices. I agree that kids need to have fun while learning the basics. For anyone out there, how do you deal with an assistant coach who oversteps his bounds? Thanks.

Teg –

To deal with your assistant you can…

– Sit down with him/her. Review expectations. Talk about your stance on things so you get aligned.

– Give your assistant specific responsibilities. If they over step their bounds, perhaps it’s because they don’t know their responsibilities. If your assistance is really good at defense, put them in charge of defense. Or maybe they can do stats, film, etc, etc.

Just like coaching players, you need to give your assistants clear and defined roles and responsibilities.

Document those roles and review them with your assistants. Weekly meetings will help.

You can also try daily huddles with assistants. This just takes 5-10 minutes. Each day you huddle, you ask each person — what’s your priority for the day? are you stuck on anything? what are your key metrics for the day? Some coaches will have key metrics to review daily (rebounds, shooting percentage, attendance, etc). This huddle should be done very quickly and efficiently. Everyone should stand up the whole time to keep things moving quickly.

Bottom line, set expectations and roles with your assistants. Meet with them on a fairly regular basis. You don’t have to do the huddles or exact meetings above. Those are just ideas and things for you to think about.

how to you help a player to learn the plays better and speak up if they need help

Hi Makayla,

If you are dealing with a youth players, you have to be very patient and I would only teach them 1 or 2 plays, if any. Check out this article for more on this: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/blog/index.php/should-youth-coaches-avoid-plays-and-patterned-offenses/

If you are teaching them to older players, this progression has worked for me in the past:

1. Walk though with no defense. 2. Run at full speed with no defense. 3. Run play with defense.

As for getting players to speak up, it is not in the nature of some players to say something and they never will. If you see they are having trouble remembering plays, talk to them 1 on 1 and ask them if they need help with anything. You could also provide them with a playbook, so they could memorize the plays outside of practice.

One thing I do is break the kids up into smaller groups to work with coaches and a parent. 3 groups…one coach does ball handling, one coach does shooting the other does something else like teaching screens or pivot drills. Shooting and ball handling are always the staple. If you have an hour, warm up and then run 3 stations for 10-13 minutes and rotate…this will eat up 45 minutes of practice then you can scrimmage or work on team concepts.

I have a 3rd grade basketball team and i need to have a practice plan. I have about 1 hour. so i need to have a conditioning plan for 10 minutes then have a shooting plan , rebounding , defense. then throw in a fun time PLEASE HELP

Joe – Check out these two links for sample practice plans and suggestions to optimize short 1 hour practices. http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/teach-youth.html http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/samplepractice1.html http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/blog/index.php/coaching-youth-basketball-with-limited-time-1-practice-a-week/

Joe, don’t worry about conditioning. Running drills and games will provide enough conditioning for the kids.

Here are some things you can focus on: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/teach-youth.html .

Here is a sample practice plan: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/samplepractice1.html

I coach 5th & 6th grade basketball with 4th graders as well. I have a hard time getting the motion offense concept across to these girls so we went with A play that has many options. do you have any suggestions on how to get them to think on their own offensively other than needing that play ….. I’ve tried explaining …….. drawing ….. using slow motion…. it is like they just do not get the concept….. a few do but quite a few do not. I am looking at this for next year we only have 2 games left. Thanks

Angela – Before I can address your question I need to know.. Have you read this book? http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/motionoffense.html

You have to be efficient in your teaching. Simple in your tactics, and solely focused on developing your players. The drills you choose much have multiple skills to them and be designed to teach your overall system of play. Dribbling drills have to incorporate some other skill (Passing, shooting, Defense) and should be part of your overall system.

COachingat the youth level means that you have to teach the game. Its not about the offense or defense you run, but about how you make your players better. Do not waste time on zone defense or complex offenses. Instead teach the basics of man to man and a motion offense. Make your system simple. For example on offense a pass and 1. basket cut, 2.ballscreen, 3. screen away. Then I would teach the different reads for each particular action and how you would defend the action defensively.

Lastly do not waste time on conditioning UNLESS it involves skill stuff. Full court passing and finsihing or 3 man weave would work great. If you have limited time you have to make the ultimate use of your facility. Station work would help, but if you dont have help then you cannot do this. Teach in sound bites and do not waste time making big speeches. I hope this helps and you find something useful out of this.

I am a first time coach to (10) – 7 & 8 year old girls. We only practice twice a week for 1 hour at a time. Your site is great but the more I read the more I get confused and make it more complicated than I know it should be. Any help with a practice plan to teach the basic skills and game time would be great! Thanks!

There are some practice plans at the bottom of this page: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/teach-youth.html

Keep it simple. 30 year veteran coaches still learn new things each year. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect. Be patient and keep learning a little bit at a time. Coaching is an evolutionary process. Good luck!

This blog hits it right on the head. All coaches wish they had more practice time with their team.

With only 1 practice a week, you can really hone in on the fundameentals and acrimmaging without worrying about cluttering up the kids minds.

I’m starting my first practice with my 1st – 3rd Graders Tonight .I really ope this info will help these young kids and My Coaching skills as this is My first Time Coaching !

I am a parent of a six year old that decided to play basketball for the first time this year. His team only does one practice a week for an hour. I have been reading on all the things that needed to be done to develop youth players. Is there anything extra that I could do with him outside of practice, seeing how it is only myself and my son practicing and not the whole team?

I wouldn’t worry too much. My daughter just started with basketball this year and she’ll be 8 years old in a few weeks. You could argue that a 6 year old should even be playing basketball yet. But I know they do. So just keep it fun. Focus on things that go “with” gravity. In other words, dribbling, passing, and maybe some basic footwork. Shooting is tough to do properly at this age (goes against gravity). http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/coaching/youth-basketball-sizes.html

The best thing you can do is help your child foster a love for sports and exercise. And put him in lots of different age appropriate sports so he develops an athletic foundation (balance, coordination, fundamental movements skills, agility, spatial awareness, etc). http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fitness/4-sports-for-youth.html

I purchased your Motion Offense PDF, however, the league that I am coaching my daughter’s team in allows full court pressure the entire game. After a scrimmage with another team, I am wondering if it is a better idea to work on press breaker plays and run a 2-3 zone to conserve my team’s energy. We are a sixth grade girls team with only seven players. This league that we are now in is from a bigger city and I am assuming has teams with a lot of girls who are more experienced running full court pressure. Do you agree with my assessment? Can you recommend press breaker plays that will work against both zone and man full court pressure? How do I transition from the press breaker plays into my offense? Do I go into my offense at all (We run a 3-2 offense using a 1-3-1 set)?

Steve –

As 6th graders, the most important thing is to focus on fundamentals skills. That will help them down the road more than you know. And if you have skilled players that can dribble, beat defenders, create separation, pass, shoot, finish…. it won’t matter what press you see, what offense you run, or what zone defense you see. Your players will beat the press and score against any defense. Develop skilled players, give them plenty of spacing, get ball movement in all directions via dribble and/or pass… and they will score a lot of points. This applies to your press breaker, man offense, zone offense, transition offense, man offense. Skills, great spacing, and ball movement. It really is that simple. It took me years to figure that out or at least finally believe the more experienced coaches that have told me that.

Here’s the press breaker I used. It’s based on spacing. When facing man to man, we just clear out. http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/press-breaker.html

Our press break spots work backwards from our transition offense. So basically players end up going to about the same spots whether we are in press break or transition. Ideally your press break, transition offense, and half court offense should flow together seamlessly with no starts or stops.

I would not run 2-3 zone very much unless you have really good man to man principles. At 6th grade, I doubt they have developed those principles yet. Read about the subject here: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html

Hello there! I am very nervous to starting as head coach for 7th to 10th graders at community for the first time! Yes, you read me right, I have never coached before and will do all of your advices! My son is 7th grade and shortest player on the team, 5’1 3/4″, and youngest, 11 yrs old! And tallest guy is 6′ 3″, he is 13 hrs old. Wow! Can’t wait to see how I can handle the coaching! Wish me luck! And thanks for all of informations here!

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• 2022-23 Purdue Basketball Homework: Ethan Morton

The junior-to-be will have a much bigger role going forward.

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It is no secret that Purdue is going to look to its junior class for leadership. 2022-23 is a bit of a transition year, especially with no scholarship seniors currently on the roster. The news that Eric Hunter Jr. is now in the transfer portal has placed a bit of a pause on plans too. It seems very likely he will likely take advantage of his fifth COVID year after previously saying he wouldn’t, but will it be elsewhere. Yes, he can return to Purdue, but much of it seems contingent on how the portal works in regards to Nijel Pack.

As far as returning players go, there are four juniors that will be at the forefront. I have already talked about three of them in this series, so let’s go to the fourth one.

Ethan Morton – Jr. in 2022-23

2020-21 Stats: 23 games, 0 starts. 8.7 mpg, 0.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 25% FG%, 28.6% 3FG, 0% FT% (No free throw attempts)

2021-22 Stats: 37 games, 0 starts. 14.8 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 47.7% FG%, 44.1% 3FG, 68.4% FT%

Morton’s career has been interesting so far. In a way, I kind of wish he had redshirted in 2020-21. He had a bout with mono and ultimately did not do a whole lot in limited playing time. He was only 5 of 20 from the field, 4 of 14 from three, and scored just 14 points. He did show flashes though, as he had 20 assists. He scored only six points in Big Ten play, but he did hit a pretty big three in the win at Indiana. Only once in conference play did he play more than 10 minutes, and he did not play at all in either postseason game.

The year could end up being a pseudo-redshirt year, however. Because of the COVID rules he will be able to have a fifth year on the back end of his career in 2024-25 if he so chooses. That becomes the best of both worlds. Purdue would still get four productive years out of him AND he got 23 games of competition in his “redshirt” year. Brandon Newman, Zach Edey, and Mason Gillis are the only other players currently on the roster that have the COVID year possibility left.

If you consider this past season Morton’s redshirt freshman season as a result it was pretty good. His minutes took a huge jump and while his scoring wasn’t particularly high, he was a solid contributor with his passing and defense. At 6’6” he is a bigger guard for us, and that helps a lot on both ends. His near 5:2 Assist to Turnover ratio (50 assists, 17 turnovers) is stellar. He was great at taking care of the basketball, and it would be interesting to see how many hockey assists (basically where his pass set up another pass for an assist) he had. His best game was probably in the NCAA Tournament win over Texas, where he had eight points, hit a pair of threes, had two blocks, and played solid defense in 22 minutes.

Morton comes into 2022-23 as the returning leader in steals with 22 and assists with 50 (both assuming Hunter does not come back). The departures also mean that Purdue is going to rely on him a lot more. I expect a big minutes jump for him, and I would not be surprised if he began the season as a starter. His versatility is what will keep him on the floor. He can be a ball handler that facilitates the offense and he can play on the wing. He can defend at least three positions as well.

I want to see him continue to evolve as one of Purdue’s better defenders. His three-point shooting will also be key. He proved he can knock down open looks within the offense this year, but he wasn’t called on to do it at a volume level. He was only 15 of 34, but with more minutes and a larger role I can see his attempts triple. Since he hit at a team best 44.1% clip that can be very good in the long run.

Ethan is a typical run, rebound, defend, and hit open looks guy. He has a very good basketball IQ and is good at picking his spots. I can see him being the “most improved” player on the roster with a big jump in all statistical categories. He needs to use said basketball IQ to play within the offense and contribute in the spots he finds. His ceiling is probably Dakota Mathias. Dakota also made a big jump in his junior season across the board. He saw his minutes increase by 12 per game, scoring by 4 points, assists by 1.5, and three-point percentage hit 45%. All of those are reasonable expectations for Ethan.

In This Stream

2022-23 purdue basketball homework series.

• 2022-23 Purdue Basketball Homework: Matt Painter
• 2022-23 Purdue Basketball Homework: Brandon Newman

More From Hammer and Rails

• Five Star Defensive Back, Tarrion Grant Reclassifies to 2024
• Purdue Baseball Drops to 3rd in the Conference
• Sasha Stefanovic to Join Men of Mackey in TBT
• Purdue Basketball 2024-2025 Offseason Homework - Trey Kaufman-Renn
• Purdue Basketball 2024-2025 Homework Assignments
• Boiler Alert - What Can Caleb Furst Do to Rebound?

Purdue Basketball 2024-2025 Offseason Homework - Trey Kaufman-Renn

S ometimes, sharing the spotlight on a national stage can be difficult. Despite basketball being a team game, some stars shine brighter than others at times and demand the spotlight. Now, it’s time for a new star to shine. Trey Kaufmann-Renn looks poised to break out during his junior season and become a consistently dominant force for an already stacked Purdue squad. Here’s how:

Become the Low Block Assassin

This is the best part of TKR’s game, hands down. His footwork down low can be described as poetry in motion, especially when he does a backdown fake to the baseline and spin to the lane. That move was Trevion Williams’ bread and butter and now Trey has kept it thriving. Here’s the rub though: Trey can only dominate the low block as long as it isn’t clogged. Last season, there was a 7’ 4 monster normally in or near the lane and for most of the season, it seemed clunky when Trey would get the ball in the low post. The other side of that coin is that Zach Edey demanded attention from his defender at all times and thus leaving Trey 1 on 1. I’m not sure such advantages will be there this season. Either way, look for Trey Kaufmann-Renn to establish himself as a silky-smooth low post presence that can beat you in several different ways.

Make Opponents Respect Your Outside Shot

The ability to hit 3’s at a decent clip can expand TKR’s game immensely. Last season, Trey shot 8/24 from deep. A 33.3% clip is more than respectable, albeit not at a high volume. Again, it helps when Zach Edey demands attention down low and TKR can sneak out to a wing for an open 3. This year, I would imagine that the idea of Trey sneaking out would be mostly squashed but if it does happen, he needs to make opposing teams pay for it. If TKR is in with Caleb Furst, Will Berg, or one of the big freshmen, it could be similar to last season. An effective shot from deep could make TKR’s game much more lethal and would also help his teammates by drawing the attention of the defender.

Be Prepared for a More Minutes

We live in a completely different world than just 5 weeks ago. Zach Edey graduating and Mason Gillis transferring will make minutes be redistributed throughout the team. Trey should pick up a good portion of those minutes as he will be the top dog in the Purdue front court. Despite starting every game last season, TKR essentially split the 4 spot with Mason Gillis. Now, it will be Trey’s spot and depending on how ready the young guys are, TKR could get some looks at the 5 as well. Now, a lot of this will boil down to conditioning as well. I think I speak for pretty much everyone when I say that Purdue’s conditioning last year was a big component in their success. Zach Edey was able to play 40 minutes a game when needed, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer were much better conditioned and did not hit a freshman wall, and guys like Myles Colvin and Cam Heide were motors that didn’t need to slow down. Conditioning can make a team elite and it certainly can make TKR elite in a bigger role next year.

Rebounding and Defense

Here’s yet another pair of aspects of Purdue basketball that will change with the moving on of Zach Edey: rebounding and defense. A lot of times, the defensive strategy for Purdue basketball was simply guard your man and if needed, flush him down to the lane and make him shoot over 88 inches of Canadien terror (that doesn’t even count when his arms are up). When the shot inevitably misses, it was Zach Edey to scoop up the rebound as well. Now, it will fall on others to bring in the 12 rebounds per game that Zach reeled in. A lot of those will go to the tall guys on the court, one being TKR. This is where defense and rebounding will go hand in hand though as Trey needs to position himself in a good spot to grab a board while still defending his man. That’s not the easiest thing to do but having guys like Zach Edey and Trevion Williams showing you the ropes as well as Brandon Brantley, I have full confidence in Trey. If he can stay in front of his assignment on defense, he will be fairly successful.

Altogether, there are several parts of Trey Kaufman-Renn’s game that he can continue to develop to help him take another leap next season. It could be as simple as stepping into the big shoes that the seniors left. We saw flashes of greatness last season like his 23/4/2 performance against Illinois or his combined 29/15/5 in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. If he can round out his game and strive for a little bit more consistency, we could see Trey as another great member of the Purdue back court, a commodity that seems to keep coming.

Leistikow: Iowa women's basketball transfer? Plus WNBA buzz for Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin

Typically on Mother’s Day weekend, the amount of Iowa women’s basketball news and intrigue is subdued. Outgoing players might be completing finals and graduating, returning players are getting a much-needed break and coaches are either trying to catch their breath or dive back into recruiting.

But this has been anything but a typical year for the Hawkeye women’s team, and this weekend's news cycle is brimming with developments and excitement reflective of a squad that reached back-to-back NCAA championship games.

Let’s dive into some of that now, ahead of your Sunday brunch plans with mom. (You did make that restaurant reservation, didn't you?)

Could Iowa add a surprise transfer portal center?

That is certainly the hope within Iowa circles, but it won’t be easy. The Register can confirm that the Hawkeyes are firmly in the mix with 6-foot-4 Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda, a former five-star prospect in the Class of 2021.

Dauda entered the transfer portal in late April and would have two years of eligibility at her new school. She averaged 10.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game as a redshirt sophomore. Dauda has the size and frontcourt athleticism that Iowa sorely lacked in the national championship game against South Carolina. She led Arkansas in shooting (45.5%), blocks (74) and offensive rebounds (79) last season and even had a 10-block game against Alabama. She also scored 16 points against LSU and 19 against South Carolina, proving she has the ability to compete against the best in the sport.

A few questions are natural here.

How good are Iowa’s chances? Well, the coaching staff is confident about bringing her in for a visit to Iowa City, and that’s a great starting point. We saw that getting Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen on campus was critical, as she picked Iowa immediately after her visit despite surging interest from LSU and Maryland. But while Iowa has a chance, South Carolina looks like the team to beat for Dauda. Generating women’s basketball-specific donations to Iowa’s SWARM Collective could be a major factor.

How would she fit at Iowa? Awesomely. And if the Hawkeyes are in pursuit, they probably have done their homework on character fit, too. Dauda could become an instant-impact starter at Iowa’s “5” spot, allowing Hannah Stuelke to fully slide back to her more natural “4” (power forward) position. A time-share of Dauda and incoming freshman Ava Heiden (a top-40 prospect out of Oregon) sounds like a dream over the next two years for head coach Lisa Bluder, especially since Stuelke has two more years of eligibility as well. Throw seniors Olsen and Sydney Affolter into a 2024-25 starting lineup with possibly Taylor McCabe or Kylie Feuerbach, plus Stuelke and Dauda with Heiden and her fellow talented freshmen coming off the bench, and Iowa might be right back in the Final Four conversation.

How can Iowa make the scholarships work? Don’t worry about that at all. Iowa wouldn’t be pursuing Dauda if it couldn’t offer her a full scholarship. While Iowa is full with 15 scholarships already, it’s common in today’s NIL era (the same thing football is currently dealing with) for a player to be moved to walk-on status and have that tuition, room and board covered by the outside collective. Remember, NCAA legislation in recent years allows programs to feed walk-ons, too, so it can become just a clerical thing to be walk-on vs. scholarship. The only restriction by the NCAA is that a maximum of 15 players can travel to games, and scholarship forward Ava Jones (recovering from serious injuries when she was struck by a car in the summer of 2022) didn’t travel with the team last year.

What’s the timetable? A recruiting window reopens on Monday, so hopefully for Iowa, the wheels move quickly next week. The race (and possibly a bidding war) is certainly coming to acquire Dauda, a highly talented player with upside. If Iowa gets her, it feels like another season-ticket sellout could be imminent at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Iowa schedule comes into focus

As On3 Sports first reported , the Hawkeyes have added home dates with Northern Illinois, Toledo and Washington State to their nonconference schedule. Toledo (27-6 last season) on Nov. 13 and Washington State (21-15 while playing in the rugged Pac-12) on Nov. 24 especially add heft to the Hawkeyes’ schedule, which also includes Virginia Tech (in Charlotte), Kansas (in Sioux Falls), Tennessee (in Brooklyn) plus the in-state gauntlet of Drake (road), Iowa State (home) and Northern Iowa (home).

This news comes on top of the recent release of Iowa’s 18 Big Ten opponents , which will include one home-and-home opponent (Nebraska) and 16 single games against everyone else in the new 18-team Big Ten. Iowa being able to host USC (a potential preseason No. 1 or 2) and UCLA, plus conference heavyweights Indiana and Maryland, adds to the robust home schedule that should keep season ticketholders happy.

Bluder certainly isn’t dialing anything back in the post-Caitlin Clark era when it comes to scheduling.

Early returns on Caitlin Clark in the WNBA

While she may not get direct credit for it, there’s no doubt that Clark’s star power is one of the reasons that the WNBA for the first time will institute charter flights for teams, which previously flew commercial. The WNBA is committing $50 million over the next two seasons to make that happen. There’s no doubt the league expects an influx of popularity and cash in the coming years.

“At airports, it's like a madhouse,” Phoenix Mercury player Natasha Cloud said. “You see Caitlin Clark walking through airports, people following her, people trying to touch her, get pictures with her. It's just a safety measure, through and through. You would never have an NBA team walk through an airport.”

Meantime, we learned this week that 17 Fever games will air on Des Moines’ ABC affiliate (WOI) this season.

On the court, Clark’s two preseason games have been solid but unspectacular. Watching her team play, it’s clear why they’ve had the No. 1 pick in each of the last two drafts. Her Indiana team is a raw and very unfinished product, and Clark is already getting a ton of physical defensive attention. That should allow her passing to thrive as much as anything in her early pro games. Clark scored 21 points in her first game (a loss), then posted 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists in Thursday’s game (a win). Clark's teammates have been complimentary of her ability to push the floor and the team and have been especially impressed with her passing.

Indiana opens the regular season Tuesday at the Connecticut Sun (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2), then will have its home opener Thursday vs the New York Liberty (6 p.m., Amazon Prime Video).

Will Kate Martin make the Las Vegas Aces roster?

Things certainly are trending that way, which is an incredible development. The deadline for WNBA teams to solidify their 12-player rosters is Monday, and the Aces have already trimmed their group to 12. But certainly, fluctuation can occur via any last-minute acquisitions, so this isn't a done deal.

If Martin does make it, what a story that would be. The six-year Hawkeye didn't average more than 7.7 points or 4.9 rebounds per game in any of her first five college seasons. She almost didn’t return for a sixth season in Iowa City, but Clark helped convince her to come back for one more ride with the Hawkeyes. And it was in Martin’s sixth year that her value on and off the court became especially apparent.

She was always known as a great leader, but her powerful team-oriented quotes and her ability to help Clark manage her emotions showed up in a big way. Martin, an undersized 6-foot forward, showed increased scoring ability in her final college season, boosting her averages to 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while connecting on a career-high 51 3-pointers. Martin’s fourth-quarter takeover in the national semifinals against UConn helped push Iowa over the top. Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon seems to really appreciate Martin’s value on so many levels.

And as much attention as the Indiana Fever are getting from new WNBA fans from Iowa, the Aces might actually be “Iowa’s team.” Former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson, the 2019 national player of the year, is solidly in the fold for the two-time reigning WNBA champions. And Kiah Stokes, a Marion native and daughter of former Hawkeye Greg Stokes, is a 10th-year WNBA veteran on the Las Vegas roster.

The Aces' season opener will follow the Fever's: 9 p.m. CT Tuesday vs. Phoenix on ESPN2.

In other words, block off your Tuesday night. The excitement for women's basketball in the state of Iowa is poised to continue.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 29 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad's text-message group (free for subscribers) at  HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts .  Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter .

SC State graduating basketball player achieves 4.0 GPA in electrical engineering technology

Dallas James plans to remain at SC State for his master’s degree in transportation and play another year for the Bulldogs.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – What do 4.0 and 7 feet have in common?

The answer is Dallas James , a South Carolina State University engineering technology student graduating with a perfect grade point average – a record he achieved while playing all four years as a 7-foot center for the Bulldogs basketball team.

“It wasn’t exactly difficult. It was a lot of work, but it wasn’t difficult because it was what I wanted to do,” James said. “I don’t like going anywhere and not giving it my absolute best and full focus. So, it was really easy to choose basketball and to choose school over any other distractions that might have come my way.

“I didn’t refuse to have fun, but school and basketball always came first, and I’m happy I chose what I did,” he said.

A native of La Palma, California, in the Los Angeles area, James got the bug for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in elementary school. He credits Steve Alfi, an advanced math teacher at Gahr High School with sealing is interests in computerization and engineering. 

“It was a lot like the professors here, where you know a smaller number of professors and you know them really well,” James said. “He spent a lot of extra time making sure everybody understood everything. He would make sure you knew your weaknesses, make sure you knew your strengths and make sure you knew how to improve over the summer.”

As a high academic achiever, James spent his senior year of high school at City Honors International Preparatory Academy, which did not have a basketball program, so the school’s students played at nearby Inglewood High School.

He planned to study computer engineering, but since SC State did not yet offer the field as a major, he entered his freshman year in computer science.

“There wasn’t enough hands-on work for what I want to do compared to all the coding,” he said. “I looked into other majors and discovered that electrical engineering was actually more of what I was hoping I would get out of computer engineering with data processing, signal processing and understanding circuits and electricity with an emphasis on physics.”

What is it about STEM fields that appeal so much to James? Magic.

“Magic doesn’t really exist in the world, but through knowledge we can make magical things happen,” he said. “When you’re a child, the TV is just a magic box, and you just accept that.

“Then you come to understand all the development that goes into making the TV and all the maintenance that goes into taking care of it from power generation all the way down to all the various parts on the motherboard that allow it to function as it does,” he said. “Everything comes together in one product, and that’s just for consumer electronics.

“There’s so much more that goes into everyday life that if understood allows us to be more efficient and allows society to function as it does today. When I am out working and fulfilling my occupational obligations, I’d like those obligations to improve society,” James said.

That’s where the next phase of his education comes in. James elected to stay at SC State of a master’s degree in intelligent transportation systems.

“Transportation engineering is the intersection of electrical engineering and civil engineering,” he said. “It includes everything from how highways are managed to promote the optimal flow of traffic to how trains are routed. It’s everything about how persons move through society.”

James cited Orangeburg’s non-computerized streetlights to illustrate how transportation engineering can improve efficiency.

“Having a computer control something versus a singular mechanical relay makes it a lot easier to adjust because computers are more flexible, and you can do that from far away,” he said. “If there’s a fault, it’s more efficient to switch a computer than to go over and replace an entire mechanical relay that’s analog and to make sure that it works. You just have a bunch of computers that do the same thing quicker.

“That same logic applies to transportation. It’s really interesting to see how that works, especially with the advent of machine learning,” he said. “Even computerized streetlights make mistakes. Even computerized trains make mistakes. It’s rare that they make lethal mistakes, but there are still opportunities for efficiency.

“Having machine learning increase better signal processing capability is going to be part of improving transportation, and I would love to be a part of that,” James said.

Because the NCAA awarded athletes an extra year of eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was at its height during his freshman year, James will continue to play for the Bulldogs next season.

“I’ve been working, but I still feel like I have more to give to the game,” he said. “I’m very excited to be able to continue that here at SC State under Coach Erik Martin .”

Again, he expects to easily manage his athletics and graduate school obligations.

“It was very rare for school and basketball to have a conflict with each other because they’re part of the same organization,” he said. “There’s a lot of free time even while you’re traveling for basketball that I spend completing my homework and various other obligations.

“It was nice to have a balance because no matter what, I was doing something productive,” James said.

That’s a mature perspective for college-age student.

 “You can thank my parents (Jerome James and Cyndi Lynne Jackson) for that,” he said. “Before I was ever handed a basketball, I was handed flashcards.”   Still, basketball was a bit of a given. James always knew he would be tall, since his father is 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Jerome James spent 11 years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, the Seattle Supersonics and the New York Nicks after his collegiate playing career at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in the mid-1990s.

Back then, FAMU and SC State were in the same athletics conference. That brought the younger James a connection to his dad when Bulldogs alumnus Raheem Waller rejoined the SC State coaching staff during James’ sophomore year.

“I’ll definitely never forget Coach Waller,” he said. “Coach Waller played against my dad when he was in the MEAC before FAMU left, and it’s been nice having him here because it’s almost like having your uncle. That’s the type of person he is – just how he takes care of his players. That’s what he is to me.”

James is among approximately 250 students who will receive degrees from SC State on Friday, May 10. Open to the public, the Spring Commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

What’s next for Michigan basketball under Dusty May? Resetting roster after spring transfer portal

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Not to make it sound too dire, but when Dusty May was hired at Michigan, he took over an eight-win program with a decimated roster, a star-crossed history in the transfer portal and major needs on the NIL front.

Six weeks later, Michigan has a real, honest-to-goodness basketball team. Eight players have come on board since May was hired, including two high school recruits and six transfers. May and his staff started with a big pool of players they recruited or scouted in the past, narrowed it to the best fits and pitched a perfect game with the prospects who visited campus.

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“We’re eight-for-eight for guys coming on a visit,” assistant coach Akeem Miskdeen said.

With so many scholarships to fill, May realized he couldn’t waste time chasing players who wouldn’t end up at Michigan. He started by requesting transcripts from every player Michigan was recruiting, ensuring there wouldn’t be any surprises like Michigan had in previous years with Caleb Love and Terrence Shannon. He made calls to donors so Michigan could offer the most competitive NIL package possible, although Miskdeen said the players on Michigan’s radar cared more about a different number.

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“Minutes,” Miskdeen said. “If you’re in the transfer portal, you’re going to ask about minutes.”

Fortunately, Michigan has a lot of those to offer. May and his assistants were honest about what they envisioned for each player’s role and how they saw each transfer fitting into the roster. The priorities were to add a pass-first point guard, a low-post presence and players who can shoot and defend on the wing. May was confident Michigan would end up with good players in those roles, but even he was surprised by the success rate on the players Michigan targeted.

“We tried to really see who fit us from the beginning,” May said. “Usually the ones that fit us like us better than ones that don’t. We just tried to streamline it by doing our homework early, getting the right information and attacking those guys.”

Here’s a closer look at Michigan’s roster additions:

One of the first items on May’s list was a point guard who could get the ball to the right players in the right spots, shoot off the catch and the dribble and play physical defense on the perimeter. Michigan found that player in Tre Donaldson , who averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 assists in roughly 20 minutes per game as a sophomore at Auburn .

“We watched Tre play, and we just thought he fit,” May said. “He can shoot off ball screens. He can shoot off the catch. He’s a willing passer. We felt like the ball came out of his hands at the right time, whether it was hitting the roll or spraying out for a 3.”

Donaldson had an assist on 28.4 percent of his teammates’ baskets when he was on the floor, which was fourth in the SEC, according to Kenpom. He can become a better finisher at the rim, Miskdeen said, but he fits Michigan’s style as a 6-foot-3 guard who shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range last season.

“When we plugged in his numbers in a typical 28- or 29-minute game, he was very efficient,” May said. “His numbers were very conducive to winning.”

May said he likes having multiple ballhandlers on the floor, which could create opportunities for incoming freshmen Durral Brooks, Lorenzo Cason and Justin Pippen, a 6-4 combo guard from California and the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen.

“Justin Pippen was a guy I fell in love with the first time I watched him play because of how we like to coach,” May said. “He’s got a great pace and feel. He looked like the son of a Hall of Fame basketball player.”

Michigan survey results: How optimistic are fans about future under Sherrone Moore, Dusty May?

Michigan added a scorer who can get to the foul line in Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle, a defensive stopper in North Texas transfer Rubin Jones and a pure shooter in Alabama transfer Sam Walters .

Gayle averaged 13.5 points last year as a sophomore at Ohio State but shot just 28.5 percent from 3-point range, which makes him an outlier among the players Michigan targeted. But Gayle was a 43-percent 3-point shooter as a freshman, and May believes he’s a better shooter than last year’s numbers show. Gayle also can get to the foul line, which fills a need for Michigan.

“I watched him play a few times randomly throughout the season, and I liked his game,” May said. “I think he’s got a unique ability to get downhill and draw fouls.”

May coached against Jones last season when FAU faced North Texas and thought he was the best perimeter defender in the American Athletic Conference, despite playing the second half of the season with a torn hamstring. A 6-5, Jones is a “chameleon,” May said, who can be a second ballhandler and play any of the perimeter positions.

“He is a throwback player,” May said. “He doesn’t care about anything other than winning.”

Walters is a catch-and-shoot threat at 6-10 who averaged 5.4 points in a little more than 12 minutes per game as a freshman at Alabama. He’s originally from Florida, and May has been watching him play since he was in eighth or ninth grade. Once Walters entered the portal, the coaches at Alabama provided an assist in helping him land at Michigan.

“Our staff was close with their staff,” May said. “Anytime a player leaves and he did a nice job and he’s a good person, the staff usually tries to help them. They say great things about him. I think they helped us because they thought we would be a good fit for him.”

Justin Pippen, son of Scottie Pippen, commits to Michigan

The final piece of Michigan’s portal plan was a big one: Vlad Goldin, the 7-1 center who averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season at FAU. The Wolverines already had a commitment from Danny Wolf , a 7-footer who averaged 14.1 points and shot 47 percent from 3 last year at Yale, and May is confident there will be room for both.

“We play up-tempo, a lot of possessions, so it’s difficult for our players to play 32 to 35 minutes a game if we’re playing the style that we like to play,” May said. “Vlad will probably hover around the mid-20s if he’s playing at his best. That left us probably playing Danny at 14 minutes a game at the five when Vlad’s not in.”

Goldin is a more traditional back-to-the-basket scorer, whereas Wolf will allow Michigan to run more five-out offense. May envisions having both on the floor at times.

“The question was, does it fit defensively with another 7-footer or 7-foot-1 guy?” May said. “After watching Danny, we felt like he moves his feet well. He’s got good mobility for a 7-footer, and he embraces contact. With a summer of really strong, consistent weight work and speed work with our new strength coach, he’ll be ready to go.”

Will Tschetter , Nimari Burnett and Jace Howard are set to return from last year’s team, which leaves Michigan with one open scholarship. Burnett, a starter who averaged 9.6 points last season, gives Michigan another shooter and ballhandler in the backcourt, and Tschetter and Howard add depth on the wing. Tschetter and Burnett could have commanded NIL offers in the portal, Miskdeen said, and Michigan’s coaches recruited them the way they recruited the players who joined from outside.

“We’re all in this together,” Miskdeen said. “This is Dusty May’s team. All you guys are his recruits. They had to decide to come back, right? Some of those guys like Nimari, Will, they could have gone to some places. We were fortunate enough for them to stay.”

(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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Austin Meek covers Michigan football and basketball for The Athletic. He previously covered college sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal and served as sports columnist at The Register-Guard in Eugene, Oregon. Follow Austin on Twitter @ byaustinmeek