3 Must Have Shots As A Guard….

If you’re a guard aiming to play college basketball, there are three shots you need to be able to hit consistently. Mastering these will set you apart on the court. Let’s break them down.

1. Catch and Shoot Three

The first shot every college guard must master is the catch and shoot three. This shot relies on balance, rhythm, and range.

Catch and shoot threes are often created in a few ways:

• Roller-generated shots: When a big rolls into space, the defense collapses, leaving you an open pass for the shot.
• Gravity of the roller: As the roller moves, defenders lean in, opening up corners for quick catch and shoots.
• One-more passes: Also called “good to greats,” these create opportunities for quick, rhythm-based shots.

Tip: Develop the habit of dipping the basketball. Dipping gives you extra power for long-range shots and creates a smooth rhythm, allowing quick releases even under pressure.

2. Shots Off the Move

The second must-have shot is shooting off the move. This includes shots taken while moving off an action or creating your own movement.

Common actions for college guards include:

• Split action: The ball goes to the mid-post, and the shooter runs off a wide pin for a catch and shoot three.
• Double away: Two screens allow lateral movement for open threes. Especially effective if your shooter gets clipped by a big.
• Floppy action: The shooter reads the defender, plants, and catches a quick shot with space.
• Zoom action: Shooter gets free from a pin into a DHO, catching in rhythm for an open shot.

Key rules for movement shooting:

• Move on penetration: Don’t stay in the same spot as the ball moves; find open space.
• Re-spacing: After passes or cuts, immediately reposition to maximize spacing and create open threes.

3. Shooting Out of the Pick and Roll

The third shot is the most challenging: shooting out of the pick and roll. College guards must know how to read defenses and create advantages.

Important points include:

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  Force the defender to go over the screen: This opens up direct lines to the rim and creates downhill attacking angles.
• Punish defenders going under: If they go under, hit the open three using stepbacks or hesitation moves.
• Stepback: Allows you to regain balance and create separation for the shot.
• Hesi: Another tool to reset your base and fire with rhythm.

European guards often excel in this area due to early exposure to pick and roll reads against live defenders, giving them a wider arsenal to attack defenses effectively.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, if you want to play college basketball as a guard, you need to master:

• On-balance catch and shoot threes
• Shots off movement
• Shooting when the defense goes under in pick and roll situations

Which of these shots are currently in your game? Which ones are you working to improve? Share your thoughts in the comments below!