Break-Advantage Drill works transition game From Nick Lusk, contributing writer

The Break-Advantage Drill pushes your players to work hard to improve their transition game. In addition, it improves players’ conditioning because it’s continuous. It also develops passing skills and emphasizes team play.

DIAGRAM 1: The basic setup of the drill includes five offensive players. It puts a coach at one end of the floor, with four defenders in a defensive set at the other end. We typically have our defense run a box zone.

DIAGRAM 2: A coach shoots the ball to initiate the drill. On a make or a miss, run the fast break into your transition offense.

In this example, 4 rebounds the ball and throws an outlet pass to 1. 3 begins streaking up the opposite side of the floor, while 2 fills the ball-side lane. 5 runs down the middle of the court. As the five offensive players break up the floor, the four defenders wait to defend. The offense is running a 5-on-4 advantage at this point.

DIAGRAM 3: Once a player takes a shot, the passer and shooter leave the court. In this example, 1 and 2 leave the floor. 3, 4 and 5 retreat to play defense. The four original defenders are now on offense, running a 4-on-3 fast break in the opposite direction.

This drill continues until the players dwindle to a 2-on-1 fast break. Due to the offensive advantage, we stress passing and spacing to show how moving off the ball creates openings.

Nick Lusk is the head girls basketball coach at Morgantown (West Virginia) High School.