For the Men's Final Four match-ups we have:
UCLA was a play in game and then made it to the final four, easily being the surprise Final Four team of this tournament.
Baylor made it’s first appearance in the final four since 1950. This year they are a very strong defensive team but go up against Houston’s defense in this Saturday’s game.
Houston has a great rebounding game, and if defense is the key factor in this tournament – Houston has a great chance of taking home the win.
Gonzaga is however, the favorite. They average 91.8 points a game. Gonzaga has never won a championship game, so this will be a historic win if they go all the way.
UConn (no.1 seed) - UConn is the most experienced program with 13 consecutive appearances in the final four and it’s 21st appearance overall.
Arizona (no.3 seed) - This will be the 1st time making it into the final four with head coach Adia Barnes.
South Carolina (no.1 seed) - Has seen a lot of success in recent years with 3 final four appearances.
Stanford (no. 1 seed) - This will be their 14th final four appearance. They have been hard to defend in the tournament having one of the best shooters in the country, Kiana Williams.
Good luck on your Brackets!
]]>Jay Wright’s coaching focuses on solid fundamentals around footwork and skill development. Some of the drills consist of The “Barkley” named after the NBA great Charles Barkley.
The “Barkley” – This Drill is about driving to the basket and creating a T-Post position. The player driving to the basket works on switching hands and flips his positioning to block his opponent with his shoulder in the low block area. The player has then established a T-post position and can scan the court for an open teammate. This drill allows for the player to extend their possession and gives them a better chance to not lose control.
Next is The “Nash”- This drill was influenced by Steve Nash – In this drill the player is trying to get by his/her defender for a layup. They practice extending the play by continuing to dribble under the basket. This allows them to scan the court to make a pass to their teammate to either cut or shoot.
Jim Boeheim’s conditioning workout was created to get his team ready for the season.
The drill consists of 6 sets and 4 columns. The team is put into 2 groups, group 1 is running while group 2 waits. As soon as group 1 finishes a set, group 2 goes. After each column is completed there is a break starting at a 1 minute rest to a 4 minute rest. Each set includes 5 exercises:
Run to the free throw line closest to you.
Run to half court
Run to the opposite baseline
Back Peddle
Side Shuffle
George Mason was a controversial tournament selection after losing its conference tournament and having a key player suspended for its first March Madness game. However, they made it anyway and defeated NCAA blue bloods Michigan State, North Carolina, and UCONN to make a shocking Final Four run. They ended up winning to become the first double-digit seed Final Four team in two decades.
VCU won a play-in game to then make it all the way to The Elite 8. It was Shakra Smart’s 2nd year coaching. VCU came in with a huge 17-point lead in the 1st half and held on to win against Kansas.
In this upset Georgetown was kicked out of the tournament by a 15 seed. FGC made it into the tournament just 6 years after becoming a D1 team. Unlike previous first round upsets, this was the first time a 15 seed made it to the Sweet 16.
Michigan state was a 2 seed but was a favorite to win it. They were one of the most popular picks on brackets around the country. Tom Izzo’s team was packed with seniors that everyone thought was a sure thing.
Virginia was favored to win by 20 points but lost by 20 instead. Only twice had a #1 seed lost on opening weekend. They also lost to a team that barely qualified for the tournament.
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For other teams to look out for check out: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2927293-ranking-college-basketballs-best-potential-2021-march-madness-cinderella-teams
You can get the full schedule here: https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-march-madness-schedule
Don’t forget to fill out your bracket! https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/ncaa-bracket-march-madness
]]>The greatest of all talk with Andrew Sharp and Ben Golliver
Buckets with Amir Blumenfeld
Jalen and Jacoby
Solving basketball - for College ball focused interviews
The Woj Pod – for NBA focused interviews
Dunc’d on
The Lowe Post Hosted by Zach Lowe
Daily Ding
Locked On - NBA
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1. Double hand Dribbling - Dribbling should be the first place you start in developing your weaker hand strength.
-First start by dribbling with your weaker hand and your stronger hand behind your back. Then add in a second ball and dribble with both hands. Be sure to keep your head up at all times. Being able to dribble confidently with both hands, allows you to go up either side of the court and makes your opponent less sure of which way you will move next.
2. Weaker Hand Passing - This drill requires a partner. You and your partner will both pass back and forth with your weaker hand, having your strong hand behind your back. Increase speed, and challenge one another, moving further apart every so often. You should pass 20-30 times each and do 3-4 sets.
3. Weak Handed Layups- You also have to develop your non dominant had by shooting. Non-Dominant layups are a great exercise to help continue to develop that weaker hand.
-Practice shaking your defender with a spin move then drive up the lane for the non-dominant hand layup. Next add in the reverse left-handed layup off the spin. Repeat 10-20 times.
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant - Great for encouraging young players and giving hard core fans insight on the player that Kobe was.
Top 3 takeaways from the book:
Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S, Grover - a book that provides great lessons on how to be great as a player and to always keep improving.
Top 3 takeaways from the book:
The Big Three: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Rebirth of the Boston Celtics by Michael Holley - A great book about teamwork and how a team won their 1st championship in over 2 decades.
Top 3 takeaways from the book:
These 3 books dive deep into the mentality and IQ of basketball and what it takes to become a great player. These can be great gifts for yourself or basketball loving family members!
]]>Sideline Sprint Shooting - In this drill, set a basketball on a chair in a spot within the 3-point arc. Start at any area on the sideline and sprint to the ball, pick it up and shoot.
Repeat X10. Count your shots made.
Full-Court Dribble to Layup or Jump shot - Start at one end of the court. Dribble the ball the full length of the court then make a layup as quick as possible.
Get your rebound, then dribble to the other end and shoot a jump shot as quick as possible.
Repeat this 3X to complete 6 shooting attempts total. Calculate how many you missed, and repeat to try to improve the number of shots made.
1V1 fast Dribble - One player is the ball handler, the other is the defender. The ball handler will start a few steps in front of the defender. Defender starts on the baseline on the inside of offensive player.
The coach or Ball handler says GO. The offensive player is trying to beat the defender to the opposite basket for a layup. The defender is trying to cut the ball handler off before reaching the basket.
Players switch and complete the drill again- Repeat 3X of each player being the ball handler.
The High to low dribble – 30 seconds of transitioning back and forth from high to low dribbling. Make sure you have power behind every dribble. This drill helps you develop your control over the ball.
Over the Line dribbling – 30 seconds of dribbling back and forth over a line on the court or draw a line with chalk on the sidewalk or driveway if you are at home. Practice going up and back over the line or sideways dribbling over the line with high and low dribbling to still work on that control of the ball with movement.
Free style handling - 30 seconds of free for all dribbling, practicing different moves like the cross over, high to low dribble, between the legs, even incorporate harder moves you may want to work on like behind the back etc. With this drill you want to make sure to move your feet, step up, step back, and make sure to have your shoulders and feet squared and you are staying low.
Sleep:
wakes up at 5:00am gets about 8-9 hours of sleep each night. With his daily naps he averages about 12 hours a day of sleep total. Lebron makes it a point to turn off all electronic devices 30-45 minutes before he goes to sleep.
Training:
Lebron's training outside of the court includes cardio and sprints, strength and conditioning workouts, and yoga or Pilates to help with recovery and flexibility.
Diet:
Lebron sticks to clean eating. His strict diet includes avoiding sugars, fried food, and artificial beverages.
For more on Lebron’s daily routine: https://www.balancethegrind.com.au/daily-routines/lebron-james-daily-routine/
Sleep:
Steph also tries to stick to an 8 hour sleep schedule as well and puts a stop to screen time about a half an hour before he goes to sleep. He wakes up around 8:00am typically and makes it a point to nap at least once a day as well.
Diet:
Steph's diet includes a high calorie intake to keep his energy up. While Steph watches what he eats, and for the most part sticks to eating the right foods, he doesn’t stick to a very strict diet. Fortunately for Steph, his wife is a cook with several published cook books, and she cooks the majority of his meals to help keep him on track.
Training:
Aside from basketball and recovery training he does Neurocognitive training to strengthen his hand-eye coordination and decision-making speed.
Steph also makes sure to incorporate family time into his routine daily.
For more on Steph’s daily routine: https://owaves.com/day-plans/day-life-stephen-curry/
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Off the dribble shooting
10 shots - dribble twice with right hand then shoot
10 shots - dribble once with left hand then shoot
10 shots – dribble twice with left hand then shoot
10 shots - Crossover dribble then shoot
10 shots - Dribble between the legs then shoot
10 shots - Move then shoot
Repeat X2
Defender threat shooting
Repeat 10-15 times.
Breakaway shooting
**It is important to focus on your foot work, dribbling, and speed throughout this drill.
Repeat X10
Free throw shooting
Repeat X3
Shoot smart!
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It is important even when training solo to stay consistent. You want to train several times a week and keep yourself accountable.
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ANDY:
Andy Robinson is the owner and Director at A ROB Academy. Andy grew up in Schenectady, NY and moved back to NYC where he was born when he was 8 years old. He started playing basketball in the 5th grade and continued all throughout childhood. He received a scholarship to play D1 basketball for the University at Buffalo then went on to play professionally for 4 years. After getting injured, tearing both Achilles, he wanted to keep doing what he loved so he decided to go into coaching. Andy’s goal was to teach fundamentals and the IQ of the sport to players ranging from elementary school aged players to the pro-level.
Andy has 15 years’ coaching experience, where he has coached summer camps and directed basketball development and AAU programs. He is also a Full-time PE and Health teacher. Andy started working with private clients and collaborating with other companies and programs which led him to start A Rob Academy.
Andy hopes from his trainings that players leave with the understanding that they’re getting the best quality of coaching and development anywhere. At A Rob Academy we hope players leave being the best version they can be with the knowledge of the sport.
Andy’s message to his players: “Never coast through anything. If it is something you really want, go after it and try your best. Don’t ever be too afraid to fail because the biggest regret you will have is that you didn’t try hard enough and knowing you should and could have.”
FLYNN:
Flynn Pyykkonen started playing basketball when she was 9 years old. Flynn played throughout high school and on nationally ranked teams in AAU. She also played D1 on a scholarship at The University at Buffalo. Flynn has been coaching for 2 years. She focuses her training on helping players develop confidence and consistency in mid-range to 3-point shooting as well as continuing to have passion for the game.
Outside of coaching, Flynn is the CEO and founder of Makeup By Flynn, a hair and makeup team within television, film, celebrity styles, fashion, events, and bridal.
Flynn’s message to her players: “Being part of a team is essential in life. We have to work together in order to be successful.”
GREGORY:
Gregory Gamble played high school, college, and semi-pro basketball. He has been coaching for 7 years. Gregory wants players to get the skill development that makes a player great with his training sessions. Outside of coaching, Gregory works in higher education.
Gregory’s message to players: “Always get back up and do the ordinary, extraordinarily well. “
]]>Ariella Brill (a player for Coach Andy) speaks out on her feelings about the inequality in sports between Men and Women.
]]>(Andy is a huge supporter for girls in Sports which I really appreciate).
]]>Sincerely,
A ROB ACADEMY
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