2x Big West Tournament Champions (2018, 2022);
2x NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Appearances (2018, 2022);
Led the Titans, for the first time in school history, to back-to-back Big West Tournament Championship game appearances (2017-2018 and 2018-2019);
Named one of CollegeInsiders.com's 'Top 25 Assistant Coaches In The Nation' in 2010 while an assistant at Arizona State University.It’s no secret that good things happen when you take it to the basket. Players and teams that can consistently get into the paint, create more good scoring opportunities and thrive off finishing around the rim at a high level.
Cal State Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor makes it his team’s goal to finish at the rim with a 65% or higher efficiency rate. In this highly informative video, Taylor shares some of his favorite finishing drills, shooting drills and cutting concepts that have helped his teams win two Big West Tournament Championships and earned two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Finishing Drills, Shooting Drills
With an emphasis on ‘getting better today and being better than yesterday,’ Taylor begins the video by showing his players the finer details of finishing moves with an emphasis on thinking about their footwork. In demonstrating an on-court finishing drill called ‘Parker Finishes,’ the coach has a ball and moves it around the paint calling out which finish that player must execute upon receiving the entry pass. This drill teaches players how to adjust on the fly and react to where the ball and defender could be at the time of the finish.
In the ‘Peek-A-Boo Finishing Drill,’ which begins in a 2-on-0 setup, players learn how to get into the paint, while teaching post players where they need to relocate as the drive comes in. This helps post players and guards stay on the same page as they work to get the ball to the rim and get to the free throw line.
Every good team that gets to the paint must possess the ability to knock down outside shots as well. Once your drivers get cut off, they must know how to dish to outside shooters as the defense collapses. In a drill called ‘Princeton Shooting,’players are stationed around the floor and competing against the clock to make at least 80 shots. This drill is especially effective as players must follow their shot, secure their own rebound and kick the ball out, simulating a pass coming from the paint. In the ‘Around the Horn Shooting Drill’ players must make a series of 2’s and 3’s as the ball is being passed around the perimeter. This also simulates a kick-out pass and shot opportunity and helps his teams get used to what Taylor calls the ‘3 Penetration Spots: 1) Kick-Out, 2) Kick Back, and, 3) Kick Down.’
Half Court Spacing, Improving Your Half-Court Offense
Putting the previously covered information together and showing how these skills specifically improve a team’s half-court offense make this a great video!Taylor begins this section of the video by discussing ‘Zero Cuts,’ in which players pass across the paint and cut to open space on the wing. This action creates a driving lane and allows players to pass the ball for a secondary drive-and-kick opportunity. Taylor uses 2-on-0 and 3-on-0 setups to help teach proper spacing and allow players to know where to find each of the open shooters on the court.
Finishing around the rim and getting into the paint makes an offense difficult to defend. This drill work teaches a style of play that opens up the floor for knock-down shooters or allows players to re-attack the paint and draw a foul. In this highly informative video, Taylor demonstrates how his players work on finishing around the rim and create excellent shooting opportunities. Coaches at all levels will love the finishing and shooting drills and can immediately add these into their own practices!
40 minutes. 2022.