Basketball Books

Every good youth AAU basketball coach should know his or her limits. In my case, the trademark of most of our teams is usually to play tough defense. To this end, our defensive pressure generates plentiful scoring opportunites. However, as my teams climbed into the tougher AAU tounaments and faced nationally ranked clubs I found our style was lacking and we needed a vast improvement in our ability to execute a reliable zone offense.

Consequently, I found, "Coaching Zone Offenses," by Bob Huggins is an excellent guide to help teams score against complex defenses. Coach Huggins does a good job of providing zone offenses in all shapes and sizes. The key of course...as Huggins points out is to immediately identify what type of zone defense you are facing and then to make the appropriate adjustments.

The Huggins "quick hitters" and "penetration & pitch" plays are easy to teach and valuable tools for getting quality shots during offensive opportunities. We found the low post "kick-out to wing," play a reliable offensive set against good zone defenses. Certainly, the overload and ball reversal plays that Huggins recommendes open scoring opportunites on offense as well. Coach Huggins is also a master of stacks and offers sound ideas on how to consistently crash the boards on offense.

Overall, this is a great book for coaches looking to prepare youth players for serious AAU or high school basketball competition. The narrative in this text is well written and the many diagrams are easy to understand. Recommended for coaches looking for more offensive options.

Bert Ruiz

This book is terrific. Bob Huggins (U. of Cincinnati) gives you every weapon you need to embarrass any kind of zone defense. 1. Overview of how to beat Zones. 2. Player Job descriptions and placement of personnel. 3. Terminology. 4. Techniques (and drills). 5.Entries and quick hitters. 6.Zone offensive sets.

This book is a great tool. You'll never have a problem scoring against a zone defense again. The author makes it clear WHY you setup the way he suggests, and WHY the offensive principles work. The best part is that he provides drills that make it easy to teach your team everything they need to know to be effective.

This is a must-buy. It's a great weapon.

well im a professional basketball player im my country , and i just bought several books to improve my strength , well this book just gave me a total new perspective of how i should do it. sometimes we do our weight work with other body builders and our head stay so confused for what you ear , well this book will help you understand what you really need to be in shape.

As a high school basketball coach, developing a comprehensive strength and conditioning program can be a difficult process. I searched high and low for materials that I could reference, this book offers 'far and away' the most comprhensive and practical methodology. It is very easy to understand and implement with your players. I use this for the development of pre, post and in season conditioning regimes. The court conditioning drills were used throughout our practices. I recommend this book to any coach or parent who is serious about the benefits of a practical basketball conditioning program. Great book!!

If you coach girl's basketball -- at any level -- this book will help you immensely. Coach Hatchell goes beyond discussing the simple fundamentals of coaching and X's and O's; she delves deeper into the mentality of a coach and the various nuances that can occur (though the fundamentals are important and they are covered in great detail). The Complete Guide To Coaching Girls' Basketball: Building a Great Team the Carolina Way is loaded with discussions and drills regarding fundamentals, offense and defense. The basics are here if you are just starting out as a coach or if you coach younger girl's. If you coach high school age girls and are more experienced, there is also a wealth of information. There are numerous drills, plays, and sets that will benefit the most experienced of coaches and teams. Coach Hatchell also talks at length about team and game management; a couple of areas that are often overlooked and sometimes difficult to learn. She does a masterful job discussing these areas and giving helpful ideas and tips.

The one aspect of this book that really sets it apart are the 'Ask the Coach' boxes throughout. In these, Coach Hatchell gives her answer to questions such as "What's a good drill to teach the behind-the-back dribble?" and "How do I get my kids to make good cuts in our press break?". The 'Ask the Coach' boxes are loaded throughout the book and the answers are very insightful and interesting.

The Complete Guide To Coaching Girls' Basketball: Building a Great Team the Carolina Way is a must-have addition to your coaching library. It is a well-written book that is very easy to understand and easy to follow. This is one of those coaching books you will want with you at all times -- any information you may be searching for is right in the book.

The only coaching book you may ever need! Coach Hatchell hasn't left anything aside. From the psychology of young women and how to deal with it, to the most subtle nuances of coaching, it is all in there. Well illustrated, the explanations are easy to understand and the chapters are arranged in a logical way. I wish the photos would have been in full color instead of black & white but it would have made the book more expensive. I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you are a senior coach or just stepping in the field.

Very enjoyable. Typical Peter Gent book. If you like his others, you will like this one. Conspiracies everywhere. The protagonist is a tortured, well-meaning, but not perfect, baseball coach/scout. I hope that the recruiting scandals described are not even one quarter true, but who knows?

My only regret is that he hasn't written more novels

I read The Conquering Heroes by Peter Gent several years ago and was reminded of it when I recently read The Franchise by Gent. This book is a very interesting story of some of the behind the scenes of major college basketball. As in most of his books, the seedy underside is explored in great detail here from recruiting scandal to protection of a star player who committed a major crime. I enjoyed this book as much as I did North Dallas 40, although it didn't get near the accolades that 40 did. If you can find it used, it's worth your time.

This book is a must read. "Cougars of Any Color" documents how the University of Houston broke down the racial sports barriers prevalent throughout the South. Reading this book made me proud to be not only a supporter of The University of Houston, but of the accomplishment of three brave athletes, their teammates, and their coaches. A great book.

The University of Houston should be proud of it's contribution to collegiate sports. "Cougars of Any Color" tells a story of courage and determination by UH to dismantle segregated athletics. This book has very thorough documentation and first person accounts and is a quick read.

This is an exceptional book that really helps a new/young varsity coach organize their program. The points are well thought out and well written for easy communication. Most beneficial is the long term development model that introduces "another way" to train the young athletes with their long term development at heart.

An excellent read that I have referenced a number of times, and will continue to do so.

Cross Over truly sets the standard of where American youth athlete development needs to cultivate. Brian McCormick has compiled one of the most comprehensive and detailed models for youth development, specifically focusing on basketball. Researched and clearly presented, Cross Over is the essential guide for all youth coaches, parents, trainers, and administrators to follow. McCormick encompasses training techniques, specific drill sequences, a stage by stage model for development, coaches' education, and expert knowledge and research into this one book. Thank you, for finally bringing to the forefront and presenting the problem (and answer) of youth athletics and development, and for sincerely trying to make the system better!

An enjoyable read for basketball fans, this factoid book also gives readers insight into the daily operation of a family farm. The story of a young man's dreams of playing "hoops" while struggling with family responsibilities is fascinating. The basketball tips and the portrayal of life on a farm ring true. Chapter 14, The Contest, made me laugh out loud.

Strong male characters lead the reader quickly into thirteen-year-old Joe's choices, decisions, and mistakes as he moves through life's surprises and disappointments in corn fileds, cow pastures, pig pens, and on a gravel basketball court. Readers will also enjoy meeting Joe's parents, Captain, Cuda, Sassy, and Scottie in this reassuring view of growing up.

I love this strong girl jock character and her bewildering mystery -- who is sending those envelopes of money every year on the anniversary of her mother's tragic death? The action keeps you turning the pages and the characters stick with you long after you finish the book. This was a hit with my basketball playing nieces.

Casey is driven to succeed: not only on her new basketball team, but to find the hit-and-run driver who killed her mother nine years ago and changed their lives forever. Every year on the anniversary of her mother's death, someone sends Casey a valuable gift: can the perp be someone Casey loves? A moving story of discovery and revenge.

THIS BOOK DEFENSE WIN IS THE BEST BASKETBALL BOOK I HAVE EVER READ ANY COACH THAT WANTS TO WIN AT ANY LEVEL SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. IT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING ABOUT WINNING DEFENSE, YOU WILL WIN AT ANY LEVEL, WHEN USING THESE GREAT DRILLS AND SET-UP THAT THE MASTER-MIND AUTHOR bill haubrich HAS PUT IN THIS AMAZING BOOK. THE PATRICES DRILLS AND GAME SET-UP THAT THIS GREAT BOOK GIVES YOU WILL WIN!

This was an outstanding book for anyone who wishes to coach defense at the highest level. The book does an effective job atbreaking down every aspect of team man to man defense. A must read for any coach serious about winning with defense.

Ian Browne, who so ably chronicles the Red Sox for mlb.com, has provided us with a wonderful inside look at one of the most compelling stories from the team's 2007 season. In describing the acquisition and first season of Japanese pitching star Daisuke Matsuzaka, he gives us a clear picture of the business decision making process that brought Dice-K to the team and then thoughtfully interweaves vignettes focusing on cultural diversity, team-building, and the road to a World Series championship. The book is far more than an expanded internet column. Even for those of us who follow the Red Sox all season, this book is a nail-biter. It should provide reading pleasure to both baseball lovers and others interested in the interfaces among business, sports, and intercultural challenges.

There are some players who produce seasons that transcend mere success or failure, and Daisuke Matsuzaka was one of them in 2007. Fortunately, Ian Browne was able to expertly chronicle what became a rivoting story within a story. The book is thorough, insightful and entertaining, more than doing justice to a year-long drama no baseball fan will soon forget.