Coach ,

The ability to pass effectively in basketball is an extremely underrated asset for any player to have.

But, like anything else in basketball, passing is something that must be drilled repetitively if a coach can expect their players to execute during the game. And few coaches know this better than the legendary Kermit Davis. 

Kermit Davis spent five seasons at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis amassed 543 wins in 28 seasons as a college basketball head coach.

Coach Davis’ ‘5 Great Passing Drills’ course pools together all of his favorite passing practice drills throughout his nearly three decades running Division 1 college basketball programs. 

Left Hand Right Hand Passing

Left Hand Right Hand Passing

One of Coach Davis’ favorite drills is also one of his most simple.

The ball will start with the player in the left corner. They will begin by driving to the basket before passing the ball to the player in the other corner with their left hand along the baseline. 

That player will receive the ball, drive to the basket, and then pass it with their left hand to the player at the top of the key. Then that player makes the same drive then passes it with their left hand to another player who is standing at the left corner, and the drill continues that way.

Then the same drill can be run in reverse with the other half of the team on the other side of the court, but with the right hand rather than the left hand.

This drill is excellent because it forces players to make passes that they’ll need to make in games, and gets them comfortable with doing so on the move with their offhand. 

Partner Passing & Footwork

Partner Passing & Footwork

Coach Davis’ next drill is full-court and starts with both partners on the baseline, at either side of the paint. The partner without the ball will run out to the elbow and receive a pass from the player on the baseline. Once they receive the pass they’ll do a shot fake and then dribble forward. 

All the while, the player who made the initial pass will be running out to around the three-point arc, will receive a pass from their partner, do a shot fake, and then repeat the same process.

The two partners will continue doing this until they reach the perimeter of the other side of the court. At that point, they’ll conduct one more pass before the player who receives it will drive for a layup. 

Pocket Passing

Pocket Passing

The third of Coach Davis’ passing drills we’ll discuss is his ‘pocket passing’ drill. 

This drill will start with a point guard at the top of the key and a defender on them. A big will come up, set a screen, and then roll toward the basket. After freeing up some space, the ball handler will then deliver a pocket pass to their big as they’re driving toward the hoop. 

This drill can also be run at different places on the court, with variations such as the big man pump faking and then delivering a pocket pass back to the guard, who would be driving toward the basket. 

Feel free to get creative with these drills, because creativity is a key component to succeeding as a passer in basketball.

Never get out coached,

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