gonna try out for my college team

[Underballer]

i have a year to train, and i think i have a good shot at making it on the team. i'm 6'0 or 6'1 and am 155 lbs. i play the guard position, but probably can play small forward depending on my team. i already have good knowledge of how to weight train and am pretty strong for my bodyweight. My deadlift is pretty impressive for my size, and my squat is decent. I don't know my vertical, but I'm getting pretty close to being able to dunk. Anyone have any tips though for how to optimally improve my basketball skills throughout the year?

[knickballer]

i have a year to train, and i think i have a good shot at making it on the team. i'm 6'0 or 6'1 and am 155 lbs. i play the guard position, but probably can play small forward depending on my team. i already have good knowledge of how to weight train and am pretty strong for my bodyweight. My deadlift is pretty impressive for my size, and my squat is decent. I don't know my vertical, but I'm getting pretty close to being able to dunk. Anyone have any tips though for how to optimally improve my basketball skills throughout the year?

What league does your school play in?

I'm assuming you have past experience playing Varsity ball and what not(usually I hear a few idiots who think they can make their college team despite never playing the game before lol)?

[Underballer]

What league does your school play in?

I'm assuming you have past experience playing Varsity ball and what not(usually I hear a few idiots who think they can make their college team despite never playing the game before lol)?

i'm from canada and yes, i played basketball in highschool. this is a community college that i'm at, and they're in the pacwest, which is the lower league for community colleges and lower division universities. i do need to put in a lot of work into my game skill wise though, and i want to be able to dunk with ease by next year.

[Go Getter]

-Forget about your vertical and workout numbers.
-Run, run, run...
-Play against guys that are much better than you. Take the hardest assignment, and concentrate on limiting mistakes.
-You can find ball handling/shooting drills on youtube.
-Wall sits....
-Eat well...
-I recommend circuit training, plyometrics, and yoga.
-Before you hone any particular skill you have to be able to guard your man, memorize the offense, and limit turnovers.
-Run, run, run, run, run, run......

[Dictator]

Run.... my dude... Run

[Ai2death]

Skip as well as run, it will help speed up your foot speed

[Underballer]

kk, thx for the tips. what do you guys mean by run though? are we talking about running for endurance, or running(sprinting) for speed?

[01amberfirewv]

kk, thx for the tips. what do you guys mean by run though? are we talking about running for endurance, or running(sprinting) for speed?

Sprints, lots of sprints for endurance and speed.

[TheSilentKiller]

kk, thx for the tips. what do you guys mean by run though? are we talking about running for endurance, or running(sprinting) for speed?

Both

[Rake2204]

-Forget about your vertical and workout numbers.
-Run, run, run...
-Play against guys that are much better than you. Take the hardest assignment, and concentrate on limiting mistakes.
-You can find ball handling/shooting drills on youtube.
-Wall sits....
-Eat well...
-I recommend circuit training, plyometrics, and yoga.
-Before you hone any particular skill you have to be able to guard your man, memorize the offense, and limit turnovers.
-Run, run, run, run, run, run......

Good stuff here. One of the biggest reasons I didn't want to play college basketball (though it's not like I had a bevy of programs knocking at my door) was the conditioning aspect. Underballer, you're going to want to try to kick your game, speed, and pace up a notch within the next year. Playing against the best competition you can find is a start (as Go Getter suggested). You'll want to be to the point where you can play at a fast pace level for an extended period of time at a high skill level (not to oversimplify things).

If you're looking for a conditioning frame of reference, I've had a couple of friends whose colleges required they run two miles in twelve minutes. I don't think that's an insane pace but like I said, it's a frame of reference for where teams will likely want you to be from a conditioning standpoint.

[Go Getter]

Conditioning is going to be key for you as a guy not exactly on the radar. It speaks volumes [to the coach] about your commitment to the game.

I would lay back on the bench and the squats and use machines. It seems like you're not a buff guy that is used to working out heavy and I think circuit training is excellent for hitting every muscle group, keeping your form correct, and limiting injury. Also, you can't beat good old fashioned push ups and pull ups.

Again:

1.) Run
2.) Plyometrics
3.) Core training
4.) Leg training
5.) Push ups, pull ups

Good luck man. Whatever you do have fun with it be confident and that will show through your play. If you operate with a chip on your shoulder and/or fearful that tends to show up too*

[Underballer]

Good stuff here. One of the biggest reasons I didn't want to play college basketball (though it's not like I had a bevy of programs knocking at my door) was the conditioning aspect. Underballer, you're going to want to try to kick your game, speed, and pace up a notch within the next year. Playing against the best competition you can find is a start (as Go Getter suggested). You'll want to be to the point where you can play at a fast pace level for an extended period of time at a high skill level (not to oversimplify things).

If you're looking for a conditioning frame of reference, I've had a couple of friends whose colleges required they run two miles in twelve minutes. I don't think that's an insane pace but like I said, it's a frame of reference for where teams will likely want you to be from a conditioning standpoint.

ah, i see. will definitely look to improve my conditioning. and yes, i will always keep trying to play as high of a level of basketball as i can as often as i can. also, should i try to bulk up a bit? anyone think that i will get knocked around too much, being 6'1 and only 155 lbs?

[Thorpesaurous]

I was a college walk on, and while I won't presume to tell you how to workout, because everyone's got a different body and does things differently, I can tell one thing I'd do is go to the coach's office, introduce yourself, and let him know you intend to try out as a walk-on. Ask him if there's anything specific he would want you to work on. He'll probably tell you to simply be in the best shape of your life, but that lone introduction can mean a lot.

[Thorpesaurous]

Running hills and bleacher steps are a great idea too.