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Attack-N-Go Drill
By John Lacitignola, Head Girls Coach, Dansville High School, Dansville, N.Y.
The "Attack N' Go" is a continuous, half-court, all-purpose drill that develops defensive and offensive skills simultaneously. Your team should run it as either a warmup to begin practice or as the first drill in a daily defensive progression series.
Offensively, "Attack N' Go" works on practicing first step moves, passing under pressure, the give-and-go, baseline drives, squaring up and power layups.
Defensively, it works on closing out, sliding to protect the baseline and trapping.
This is a very active drill that involves constant movement and will keep player waiting to a minimum.
DIAGRAM 1: Set up a line of players under the basket (inside line). The first two have basketballs. Place a player at each elbow and a line of players just below the jump ball circle (outside line).
The drill begins as 5 cuts right, stopping at the wing area just above the 3-point arc. 1 passes the ball to 5 and closes out hard. 5 does not move until 1 is up close playing defense. Stress that the defender must be very active with waving hands and proper defensive stance.
Once 1 has closed out on 5, 2 passes out to 6 on the other side and everything repeats.
DIAGRAM 2: 5 makes a quick move toward the basket using any move to get free. 1 must force 5 to the corner. Once in the corner, 5 picks up the dribble and looks to pass to 4 at the elbow.
At this point, the defender must protect the baseline and maintain active hands without reaching in.
Stress that the offensive player make the good pass, faking high and going low, utilizing proper pivot techniques to protect the ball. The quickest way to turn the ball over is to try and throw over the trap.
DIAGRAM 3: 5 passes to 4 and immediately cuts to the basket looking for a return bounce pass (1 allows 5 the free cut to the basket). 5 receives the pass and comes to a jump-stop, putting up a power layup.
Stress that the cutter should present the inside hand as a target and upon receiving the pass should square up and go up strong. 5's get their own rebound and hand-off to the next player in the inside line.
Rotation
1, the defender, moves to the elbow. 5, the offensive player, goes to the end of the inside line and 4, who is at the elbow, goes to the end of the outside line (repeat same on the other side).
Since this drill is continuous, your players must always be hustling and working hard.
Later
Once your players have a feel for the drill, add a coach under the basket with a football blocking pad who randomly defends the shooters.
You want your players to get used to the physical contact that a move of this kind invites. As a result, your players will not shy away during game situations and will concentrate on going up strong.
We have found that after implementing this drill, our players have played a lot harder underneath and, out of habit, look for the return give-and-go pass.
