Merry Christmas from The Basketball Movement!

Merry Christmas, everyone! We talk a lot about using holidays and weekends to outwork your opponents but maybe hang with family on this one.

At The Basketball Movement, we are serious about hoops. However, we are also well aware that there are plenty of things that are bigger than basketball. Here on The Basketball Movement blog, we have discussed doing inside work on rainy days, getting in a gym on holiday weekends, and more. That said, Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for stepping away from work, school, and play to focus on what is important.

We were thrilled to partner with Yanders Law to show the power of basketball with our Angels of the Hardwood event. It was great to show that even as basketball organizations, there are still ways to get involved in the true reason for the Christmas season.

To all of the players, parents, fans, and The Basketball Movement trainers and staff - Merry Christmas! This is an excellent time to reflect on a year’s worth of accomplishments, hardships overcome, and great things on the horizon.

Thank you to everyone that helped us to make 2019 successful. We are proud of everything that has been accomplished and proud to have worked with everyone who helped to make it happen.

Enjoy this time with family and friends and remember what Christmas is all about. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas, everyone!

James Wiseman puts NCAA on notice

Potential top NBA pick, James Wiseman walks away from Memphis and the NCAA to prepare for professional hoops.

The NCAA suffered a big blow recently with the departure of one of the top players in the country, James Wiseman. Wiseman was in the midst of a 12 game suspension by the NCAA, who determined that he and his family received $11,500 to help them relocate to Memphis from Penny Hardaway, who went on to become the head coach for Memphis.

Memphis disputed the suspension, which allowed Wiseman to play out three games total before finally hanging it up for a lengthy stretch. With a simple, but effective way to get back, Wiseman stepped away from college hoops.

Already expected to be a one-and-done player, Wiseman is now strictly focused on preparation for the NBA draft. He will likely be a top-five selection, if not number one overall.

Wiseman undoubtedly had reservations about leaving coach Hardaway and his Memphis teammates high and dry. However, he has a lucrative professional career to care about. There is little doubt that Wiseman will go on to make great money in his field, so it is understandable that he would have little interest in producing additional revenue for an organization that is not willing to pay him one penny for doing so.

The NCAA has been issued a wake-up call from a prominent one-and-done player. Zion Williamson was injured last season but came back to play later. How damaged would the NCAA have been had Williamson decided to hang it up? Would the knock on his camaraderie have held him back in the NBA draft? (Answers: very damaged and nah)

Many top draft prospects are playing overseas and likely more will go the way of Wiseman in the future. In the next two years, we will likely see reform, possibly opening up the NBA draft to 18-year-old high school grads once again.

The NCAA must seek out ways to remain relevant in basketball’s changing landscape. Most players are currently less interested in the G-League route or playing overseas than going to college, but that may change in a hurry, especially with the NBA sweetening the G-League deal all the time.

The obvious solution is to provide some compensation for the players that work so hard and generate revenue for their universities and the NCAA. A paid-for college education is great, but it isn’t for everyone and doesn’t allow players to use their skills to put their families in better situations.

(Reminder that this article is written by Wil Harrington and may not reflect all the views of The Basketball Movement!)

The coming years will hopefully see solutions to the NCAA and players’ issues that will benefit all involved, whatever those may be. Either way, The Basketball Movement will be here letting you know what’s up. We wish the best of luck to James Wiseman on his journey. The future is bright!

Angels of the Hardwood at The Basketball Movement

Yanders Law’s second annual Angels of the Hardwood event is underway right here at The Basketball Movement!

Our favorite day of the year, the Angels of the Hardwood event has been marked on the calendar for Yanders Law and The Basketball Movement for a long time. The event is finally starting with dozens of kids coming through the doors of The Basketball Movement facility.

Multiple Yanders Law players are in attendance, helping kids find the right size of brand new Nike shoes, getting shirts for everyone, and directing them to get professional photos were taken, a new Nike Elite basketball, and even courtside haircuts courtesy of our friends at CUT N EDGE barbershop.

In their new Nike Elite socks, shoes, and shirts, they will start doing simple basketball drills soon as Yanders Law coaches and The Basketball Movement trainers take them through what they do best. The lighthearted nature of the basketball portion will be a bit less intense than we usually see around here, but the inclusion and fun make it many times sweeter during the season of giving.

The gym is currently filled with the sounds of balls bouncing and kids laughing, and we couldn’t be more excited to keep the energy going!

In addition to the gear, all athletes will receive presents, goody bags filled with healthy snacks, and North Face fleece pullovers as temperatures drop outside. It is a great day of giving, but it wouldn’t be possible without ample support.

We want to give a very special shoutout to all of our sponsors:

Nike

OMS Surgery

Parkcrest Dental Group

Eastbay

Clear Creek Family Dental

Aleshire Robb & Rapp

Cox Health - Neurosurgery (Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute)

Spencer Fane

Multiple anonymous donors

We also want to thank the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, Harmony House, YMCA, and multiple area public schools for getting the word out and participating in this event. A special shoutout of course to the Yanders Law players and parents for donating presents and their precious time!

Make sure you are following along with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram during and following the event to keep up with the good we are hopefully doing for the community that has given us so much. Merry Christmas from The Basketball Movement!

Around the NBA: Too early MVP rankings

Not far into December, we have plenty of NBA basketball left, but we examine the MVP candidates in the early going.

It may be too early to crown an MVP, but it is far enough into the season to talk about the standout players for their teams. Some of the early MVP candidates have been here before, but some are new to the scene as well.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the league’s reigning MVP. He is also likely the front-runner in the race to claim the award again this year. Antetokounmpo is scoring and rebounding at elite levels, but that isn’t what sets him apart. He is a two-way star, meaning he gets it done on the defensive end as well. The icing on the cake is that his Milwaukee Bucks are tied for the NBA’s best record, 20-3.

Perhaps next in line for the prize is a player that was not in the discussion last year. Luka Doncic just missed an All-Star bid last season, his rookie year. This year, he is accelerating what was supposed to be a Dallas Mavericks rebuild, propelling his squad to 16-6, the second-best record in the Western Conference. He is nearly averaging a 30 point triple-double and has become one of the most electric players in all of basketball.

Not surprisingly, James Harden is in the MVP mix once again. He had a good argument to take the honor last year and is doing his best to contend again. His squad is a good, if slightly underachieving, 15-7 so far as they continue to bring Russell Westbrook up to speed.

Harden is averaging an absurd 39 points per contest, on the back of his also absurd 14.6 free throw attempts per game (per basketballreference.com). The fact that this historic scoring alone doesn’t vault him to the top of the MVP ladder speaks the wealth of individual brilliance on display in today’s NBA game.

We mentioned the Bucks being tied for the NBA’s best record; they are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers out west, who have looked strong all season (short as it may be to this point). The Lakers have two stars, but so far, LeBron James has shone the brightest.

In his 17th NBA season, James is leading the NBA in assists (10.7 per basketballreference.com) and still scoring efficiently while being the on-and-off-court leader for one of the league’s most visible markets.

Another new name in the MVP race is the league’s reigning Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. The Raps are the reigning champions from last season, but that was undeniably Kawhi Leonard’s team. This year, Toronto is back in contention in the Eastern Conference after Siakam taking another giant step forward, with career-high numbers across the board.

Joining Siakam in the top-heavy Eastern Conference are players with similar success, if not quite as eye-popping numbers. Jimmy Butler has turned Miami into an ECF contender again, along with Joel Embiid for the Sixers, Kemba Walker of the Celtics, and Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers. Look up Sabonis if you aren’t familiar. Dude can ball.

In the Western Conference, you can’t talk about LeBron and the Lakers without mentioning Anthony Davis. While LeBron leads in many ways, the offense still runs through Davis, who remains as dominant as anyone when healthy.

The Nuggets team success propels Nikola Jokic into the conversation, even though he is having a relatively down year to this point. Karl-Anthony Towns’ individual brilliance is shining as always, though Minnesota’s win total will exclude him from serious MVP talks, same with Devin Booker of the surprising-but-still-not-good Phoenix Suns. Paul George has been brilliant in his small sample size. The Clippers are good and will likely only get better, but games played will likely hamper any shot at the MVP award for him or the restful Kawhi Leonard.

That is quite a few names to mention, but it is so early in the season that the MVP award is still anyone’s to claim. These are your leaders so far, but things are certainly subject to change. For more coverage Around the NBA as well as the whole world of basketball, keep it locked to The Basketball Movement.

Evolution of a Hooper - Out now!

ICYMI: Robert Yanders’ Evolution of a Hooper program is available for coaches, trainers, players, and parents.

The Evolution of a Hooper is up and running for anyone around the sport of basketball that has a desire to improve. Click this link to go directly to Patreon, which is home to the Evolution. The on-court curriculum is in abundance in the form of drills that coaches, trainers, and players can benefit from.

These drills have been created and perfected over years by The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders. This curriculum has been a trade secret of Rob’s that has gone into elevating the play of NBA players down through college, high school, and younger athletes. New drills are uploaded each week to The Evolution. To have access to all of these is an incredible value for the price, but it doesn’t stop there.

The off-court curriculum is included as well, focusing on many aspects of life that are important for ensuring a balanced approach to the sport. “The person is the player,” Yanders says. Making sure that your circle of friends, goals, and approach in all you do is optimized will translate to the court as well.

A “Midwife” section in the curriculum is made specifically for parents that want to help their athletes by doing all the right things and letting coaches and players take the reigns at the right moments. This is not a lesson in parenting, but how to be the best parent that you can be in terms of maximizing your impact related to your athlete’s performance.

Rob Yanders’ Evolution of a Hooper will continue to grow and will soon be linked with a documentary that explains where Rob has come from in the sport. Yanders’ journey through life has been directly linked to the sport of basketball through each step and we want to show how important it is to him that you get the most out of him as a coach and out of this product. His desire to improve those around him shines through absolutely.

Weekly drill uploads alone would make this online program worth it, but the abundance of other materials is what sets the Evolution of a Hooper apart. Give it a shot this shopping season - for yourself or the coach/athlete in your life. You will not regret it.

If you or your athlete want to maximize potential as a hooper, this is a must-have resource. Click here to give it a try, or go download the Patreon app for Apple or Android and search for The Evolution of a Hooper.

NCAA: Men's and women's update 11-2019

Several undefeated teams are left standing early in the 2019-20 NCAA hoops season.

Few teams are more than seven games into their 2019-20 NCAA regular seasons, but we still have some teams separating themselves from the field and/or remaining undefeated. For the most part, any pre-season power rankings are holding mostly true, though several top teams have faced “lesser” opponents to this point.

On the men’s side of things, Michigan State was lauded as a popular number one pick. So far so good for the Spartans, who have looked good despite dropping their first game to Kentucky. The Wildcats are 5-1, largely thanks to Ashton Hagans, whose two-way prowess is putting him on the radar as a quality NBA guard.

Duke boasts a 6-0 record, having kicked off their season with a nice win against Kansas. The Jayhawks have picked it up since, winning their next three and playing at an elite level.

Some other noteworthy undefeated teams are Louisville, Oregon, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Ohio State, Maryland, Texas Tech, Arizona, Tennessee, and reigning NCAA champs, Virginia. The Utah State Aggies have been a pleasant surprise, going 7-0 themselves, including a nice win over LSU in the Jamaica classic. The VCU Rams and Auburn Tigers are 5-0 to start the season as well.

Locally, the Missouri State Bears are 3-4, though they have had some tough calls and very close games. They dropped those four games by a combined nine points.

NCAA women’s update

Like things on the men’s side, many of the pre-season speculations is holding true in the early going for the women. Oregon is the team to beat, with Baylor looking strong as they have for the last several years. Stanford, South Carolina, and of course UCONN are off to brilliant starts as well.

Plenty of talent returned from deep tourney runs for the five teams mentioned above. Multiple undefeated teams remain, including six from the ACC - Florida State, Louisville, NC State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. The Big 12 is sporting six undefeated squads as well: Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Texas Tech, and the aforementioned Baylor Bears.

The Missouri State Lady Bears are 5-1, with their lone loss coming at the hands of seventh-ranked Oregon State. They will battle major conference opponents for rankings all year long. We’ll be rooting for them!

Stick with us for more NCAA updates, local hoops stuff, and our Around the NBA segment as we track as much basketball movement as possible!

Around the NBA: Injuries marring early going

The 2019-20 NBA season is in full swing, but injuries to star and role players alike temper excitement somewhat.

Steph Curry unleashed, Zion Williamson taking the league by storm, the bounce-back of Gordan Hayward, Paul George and the Clippers owning the West… these are a few of the things that the NBA regular season is missing right now due to unfortunate injuries.

Despite already taking multiple “rest” days, Kawhi Leonard and his Clippers still look solid, though we have not gotten to see their potential as a juggernaut on both ends due to Paul George’s shoulder injury ahead of this season. At least PG13 is expected back tomorrow, though we will still have to wait a bit longer for another preseason injury to heal…

Zion Williamson has been a threat to his own knees for years already. Being 280lbs or so is one thing, but when you are propelling that weight higher than a human can typically go and falling just as far back to Earth each time, damage can be done. That’s what happened during the preseason, causing the exciting rookie to be sidelined until approximately December 9th. Zion should start watching the tape of the evolution of Blake Griffin now.

Many other injuries came further out even, with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Rajon Rondo, Andre Iguodala, and Andre Roberson still having yet to make a return. Rondo and Roberson are expected back soon (though OKC fans have been given no reason for optimism in the past) and Iguodala and Oladipo will still be out until December. The others may not make the regular season.

The mid-season injuries are the most jarring, as they are unexpected and we already got to see flashes of potential from many of those affected. In his Boston Celtics debut two seasons ago, Gordan Hayward broke his leg badly on the nationally televised NBA tipoff. He missed that season before returning last year only to look fearful to jump and make explosive motions.

This year, Hayward seemed to have returned to his All-Star form, scoring, rebounding, and defending at an elite level. The NBA world was saddened when he broke his hand last week, though he is only expected to miss six weeks. Hopefully, he can pick right back up where he left off.

One of the only bright spots in the Warriors’ young season was a broken hand of their own, only because it was the non-shooting hand of future hall-of-famer, Steph Curry. Curry’s hand was flattened beneath a crashing seven-footer and his injury is expected to need three months to heal. Curry is hopeful to beat that timeline, but Golden State is nowhere near contention with their stars hurt and depth exposed.

We did finally see Blake Griffin return last night from the injury he fought through in last year’s playoffs. He had a nice line, though he did appear winded. Unfortunately, the Pistons have since lost Reggie Jackson to injury, though Derrick Rose is scorching earth in his place. The Blazers’ bigs have been hit hard with lengthy absences expected following injuries to both Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins.

Nagging injuries abound as they always do, but unfortunately, the big ones do not stop with the above. The Milwaukee Bucks second-fiddle, All-Star Kris Middleton suffered a quad injury that is expected to sideline him through at least early December.

De’Aaron Fox of the Kings recently suffered an ankle injury expected to sideline him until mid-December. Sacramento already had Marvin Bagley III sitting for a month with a fractured finger. The defending champion Raptors will have to go a week or two without Kyle Lowry (thumb) and Serge Ibaka (ankle).

You’ve read this far!? That means you now fully grasp how bad the injuries have been to start the 2019-20 season. There have been other great storylines as well, with the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam angling towards a second consecutive Most Improved Player award, the battle for LA in full swing, and the Westbrook/Harden tandem actually working.

Hopefully, the injuries clear up a bit soon and we can see the greatest teams in the world back at full strength. Keep checking back here for more updates from Around the NBA!

Robert Yanders - The Evolution

The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Robert Yanders is unveiling a new program to turn the basketball world upside down.

Already three or four years in the making, Rob Yanders’ Evolution is a basketball program like no other. Throughout his own personal evolution through the sport, he has acquired the knowledge and expertise to put together an on-and-off-court curriculum that can benefit anyone around the sport of basketball.

Yanders’ personal journey has played an important part in the creation of this program. So, in conjunction with the curriculum and all else that will be included in The Evolution, Rob will be putting out a documentary from his time on the court and off. From the Salvation Army court to four European Championships, from the streets to moving his Mom in next door in a million-dollar home, you are going to want to see this.

The heart of The Evolution is the curriculum. There are on-court drills such as the one Rob previewed on his Instagram below:

With numerous drills that can greatly benefit trainers, coaches, and players alike, there is already an absurd amount of beneficial content within The Evolution. It doesn’t stop there though, with off-court curriculum to benefit players as well.

There are multiple facets to the off-court curriculum and Rob has included so much detail that we can’t possibly unpack it all here. In a nutshell, the off-court lessons will be conveyed in a computer format; individuals will be able to click around the various sections of the curriculum to expand on topics and ideas presented.

Some examples of off-court topics are: who is in your circle, urgency, putting in the “unrequired” work, preparation, being intentional, and more.

The Evolution will provide great benefits for coaches and trainers. The benefits can be passed along to players, or players can access The Evolution directly. This program is designed to aid everyone around the world of hoops. For that reason, there is even going to be a piece included for parents of athletes as well.

Rob has included a section in The Evolution that revolves around the concept of a basketball “midwife.” This portion is all about what parents of athletes can do to help their children succeed while accepting assistance and guidance from trained hoops professionals.

Check out more details below in the latest Vibin Session, where Writer Wil Harrington asks Rob to dish on as many details as he can regarding this exciting new program:

As Rob mentions in the video, The Evolution will be dropping sometime next month, so keep an eye out for upcoming details and announcements. The Basketball Movement is well known as a premier hoops training facility in the Midwest and Coach Rob is one of the top trainers in the nation. You don’t want to miss this impressive package if you are an individual fortunate enough to be involved with the game. Stay tuned!

MaxPreps previews several national top players

With high school hoops ramping up, we examine MaxPreps’ picks for top players in the nation at each position.

Thousands and thousands of high school players suit up each basketball season. Many of them are pretty darn good. To stand out in such a sea of athletes is not easy, yet every year, players rise to the top. MaxPreps is one of the authorities in high school sports, and they sift through these athletes to bring us many of the top guards, wings, and bigs in the country.

Many of these players will meet or beat expectations. Each season, many new names will rise up to overshadow some of these guys. But for now, here is MaxPreps top players coming into a big boys prep season:

Guards:

  1. Sharife Cooper (McEachern)

  2. Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy)

  3. Jalen Green (Prolific Prep)

  4. Cam Thomas (Oak Hill Academy)

  5. Jaden Springer (IMG Academy)

  6. Brandon Boston Jr. (Sierra Canyon)

  7. Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy)

  8. Josh Christopher (Mayfair)

  9. Reece Beekman (Scotlandville)

  10. Andre Curbelo (Long Island Lutheran)

Wings

  1. Jalen Johnson (IMG Academy)

  2. Emoni Bates (Lincoln)

  3. Jonathan Kuminga (Patrick School)

  4. Scottie Barnes (Montverde Academy)

  5. Ziaire Williams (Sierra Canyon)

  6. Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Hamilton)

  7. A.J. Griffin (Archbisop Stepinac)

  8. Marjon Beauchamp (Dream City Christian)

  9. Earl Timberlake Jr. (DeMatha)

  10. Aminu Mohammad (Greenwood)

Bigs

  1. Paolo Banchero (O’Dea)

  2. Evan Mobely (Rancho Christian)

  3. Day’Ron Sharpe (Montverde Academy)

  4. Greg Brown III (Vandegrift)

  5. Chet Holmgran (Minnehaha Academy)

  6. Isaiah Todd (Word of God Christian Academy)

  7. Walker Kessler (Woodward Academy)

  8. Mark Williams (IMG Academy)

  9. Jalen Duren (Roman Catholic)

  10. Cliff Omoruyi (Roselle Catholic)

These players should be fun to watch this season, but again, there are many more diamonds in the rough out there too that we will be hearing about soon. As always, it should be an exciting season for high school hoops.

Stay with us as we bring more local and national coverage of high school hoops in addition to NCAA updates and our Around the NBA series.

Tips: Ignoring the noise

At every level of the game, there will be plenty of outside noise that you must learn to tune out.

When we say tuning out the noise, that is meant to be taken both literally and figuratively. There will be literal noise in the form of opponents jawing at you, harsh words from the stands, and encouragement. The figurative noise can come in many forms: online chatter, the media (for the higher tiers of the sport), and other off-court words from teammates, peers, and more.

For any players worth his or her salt, the literal noise is much easier to tune out. When on the court, locking in and focusing on the task at hand should be fairly natural.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded to not get sucked into the pettiness of on-court chatter. You have no business getting dragged into chatting with your opponents. Focus on yourself and your team. When the chatter is coming from fans, you have even less business engaging the crowd. Just allow the crowd to be white noise. You will still be able to register the roar when your team is doing well at home or relish in the silence that comes with success on the road. Even words of encouragement, which are definitely not a bad thing, can be a bit distracting. Just focus on the game and wait until the end for your pats on the back.

Keep an ear open for your coach and teammates. Their words are the only ones you must focus on. Any other noise during a game is just that - noise.

Off the court, you don’t have the heat of the moment to distract you. You may be told you’re no good. You may be told you’re the best. You may be told your shot is ugly. You may hear your team is going to win it all. It is nearly impossible to tune out all of the outside noise you will hear over your playing career.

While you may not be able to control what you hear, you will always be in control of what comes next. Do you worry about how your shot looks? Do you hang your head or puff your chest? The thing to do is to remember that you are the only one that can control your destiny on the court. Do you, only take advice from those you trust the most, and focus on doing whatever it takes to improve and help your team.

No one knows you and your game better than yourself. Control what you can control and let the flow of the game take care of the rest. Ignore the haters and make sure your circle consists of honest individuals that truly want to see you succeed.

The noise will always be there, but it is up to you to filter as much as possible and don’t let the rest affect your game. If you must hear it, use it as fuel as you pursue the path that YOU determine is best. Many of the top players have unique styles that probably garnered some hate more than once on their journey. The best thing you can do is trust yourself, work hard, and silence the noise with your play.

NCAA Rankings - College basketball is nearly back

With NCAA college basketball just over a week away, we dig into the men’s preseason rankings.

We always point out the triviality of preseason rankings, but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss leading up to the tipoff of NCAA basketball! The first games of the season begin Tuesday, November 5th. No team has been quite as hyped this season as we saw Duke last year with their star freshman that have since departed for the NBA.

However, there is still plenty of buzz as always ahead of another exciting hoops season. It seems to be anyone’s race, at least for now. Vegas odds-makers like Gonzaga, while the AP and others see Michigan State as the favorite, having retained much of the roster that took them to the Final Four a season ago.

The season starts soon, but we are still a long way from March Madness. In the meantime, here are the AP top-25 rankings before seeing these squads in action:

1 - Michigan State

2 - Kentucky

3 - Kansas

4 - Duke

5 - Louisville

6 - Florida

7 - Maryland

8 - Gonzaga

9 - North Carolina

10 - Villanova

11 - Virginia

12 - Seton Hall

13 - Texas Tech

14 - Memphis

15 - Oregon

16 - Baylor

17 - Utah State

18 - Ohio State

19 - Xavier

20 - Saint Mary's (Cal)

21 - Arizona

22 - LSU

23 - Purdue

24 - Auburn

25 - VCU

Again, there is plenty to look forward to this season, and it begins early. The top four above teams will be meeting each other to open things up. November 6th, Michigan St. plays Kentucky and Duke plays Kansas in back-to-back games of the Champions Classic. The games will be played at Madison Square Garden and will be sure to start the season off with a bang.

Reigning champ Virginia is at number 11, having lost multiple starters. Memphis (number 14) will be an exciting team to keep an eye on if you are looking for the next big squad of talented young players.

Are any of the above teams ranked too high? Too low? Let us know here or start the discussion over on our social media pages as we all get pumped for the return of college hoops!

Around the NBA: 2019 season tipoff tonight

The 2019 NBA season tipoff is tonight - get your fantasy lineups set, get comfortable, and enjoy the show.

Though tonight is the official start of the 2019 NBA season, the fun really continues all week long with an impressive slate of games each day. A TNT double-header kicks things off at 7:00 PM Central starting with the defending champion Toronto Raptors taking on the young New Orleans Pelicans.

Without Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, the Raps will be a much different, but still entertaining team. Unfortunately, their opponents the Pelicans will be without star rookie Zion Williamson, who is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks after successful arthroscopic knee surgery. The Pelicans are to be featured again Friday in a matchup with Dallas, so it is a shame they are missing their biggest draw.

If nothing else, grab a coffee during the opening game so you can stay up for a premier matchup to follow at 9:30 PM Central. This one does feature Kawhi Leonard, in his new Los Angeles Clippers home, though he won’t be playing alongside fellow newcomer, Paul George. PG13 is expected to miss 10 to 20 games with a shoulder injury. Injuries suck.

Facing the Clippers is their Staples Center rival, the LA Lakers. LeBron James was a Laker last season, but expectations weren’t near as high as they are now that he is playing alongside Anthony Davis. With more specialists in place this year instead of a bizarre mix of Magic Johnson’s “playmakers,” Davis and James should be primed to push the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference standings.

Tomorrow night, we get a great game out of the East, with the Celtics traveling to Philly to face Joel Embiid, former teammate Al Horford, and Ben Simmons, who is projected to hit a few triples this season. Wild. The late game to come after features the stacked Nuggets and consistent firepower of the Portland Trailblazers. Look for our friends Monte Morris and Anthony Tolliver in that one!

Another TNT double-header is in store per usual on Thursday, highlighted by the reigning NBA MVP. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks will get a strong challenge early against the Houston Rockets. Finally, we will get a true glimpse of what the James Harden and Russell Westbrook tandem looks like. Only one thing is certain there, it’s going to be entertaining.

Following the Buck and Rockets, we get the Clippers again, who face another big test in the Golden State Warriors. No Durant, no Thompson (likely out for the regular season), no lofty expectations. However, it isn’t a stretch to think that Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and new acquisition D’Angelo Russell can’t still hang with the very best. It will be another highly intriguing game.

Lakers again Friday taking on the Jazz, a three-game slate Saturday that will bring first looks at Jimmy Butler’s Heat and RJ Barrett’s Knicks, and then Sunday to catch your breath. This is a good week.

The Basketball Movement loves… well you know. Basketball. The NBA is the highest level of the sport in the world. We are lucky to have worked with many of these guys and love working with others interested in taking the sport all the way to this level. It is a great opportunity for athletes of all ages to watch and learn what it takes to be the best. Also, it’s a helluva lot of fun.

We hope you tune in too! Drop by anytime to talk basketball, because you know we’ll be watching. Stay tuned here as well for coverage and be sure you’re following along on Twitter. Enjoy the season!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Three

Day three of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is all about the games - time to showcase what got these guys invited in the first place.

Starting with light stretching and shooting, today’s focus quickly turns to the games this morning. Day two was great; a full morning of drills and workouts culminated in a night of ferocious competition. Today should prove to be even better, as the teams fight to be the best.

Some extra incentive has been placed on these games by Rob Yanders, saying that the coach of the winning team will receive a nice little bonus… Hey, if you don’t perform in the real world and come together, unfortunately, coaches don’t always get to stick around long. This is a fun little twist that puts a competitive spin on things for all involved.

Check out the below, as Yanders highlighted some of the top performers from last night in our NBA Division:

If you couldn’t make it out last night, we highly recommend catching some of the games this morning, which are slated to run consecutively until around noon (EDIT: STRETCHING AND WARMUPS STARTED AROUND 9:00 AM, SO THE GAMES WILL BE BUMPED APPROX. AN HOUR BACK FROM THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE). Once again: These games are open to the public! We highly recommend this to any area fan of HS basketball. Think Bass Pro Tournament of Champions with evenly distributed talent, an urban atmosphere, and blue-color work ethic and intensity. Just be here. See for yourself.

At the time this is being written, there are still a few more courtside, luxury leather seats available, first-come-first-served!

We’ll be coming at you with highlights and a weekend recap that will have Rob Yanders selections for his All-Camp guys. Stay tuned and hopefully, we see you soon!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day Two

On the first day of The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp, we should have known better than to tell you to wait for day two for competitive fire.

Alright, alright, so the “getting to know you” portion of day one lasted about 30 minutes and the ferocious competition may have started a bit earlier than normal. That may or may not have been intentional on the part of Rob Yanders, whose opening remarks for the camp included the question “Who you got beef with? Who do you want to go at?” This was adamantly answered by a few camp-goers, who got their wish in the form of some king of the court after warmups.

This set the tone for not just the rest of the night, but the rest of the camp. Everyone got in on 1v1, 3v3, and some 4v4 king of the court, an impromptu “show your stuff” dunk free-for-all broke out, and we started several in-camp rivalries already.

If night one was any indication, day two is going to be tuff.

The morning portion will consist of warmups and stretching, followed by positional station work and drills on the court. Lunch is going to be provided at the gym for the players and a guest speaker will be joining us right after.

Things have been moved up a bit from our schedule released a few days ago.

Teams and game times for the evening games will be posted at 4:00 and then games will be played on both courts simultaneously on the hour the rest of the night starting at 5:00 and wrapping things up between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. These games are open to the public, so feel free to stop by at any point! We have luxury leather seating courtside and bleachers for overflow.

So far so good for heated action as usual at The Basketball Movement. The competition is already at the level we were hoping for and it will only go up from here. These are going to be fierce games between high-level competitors, so we highly recommend you make it out if you are a basketball fan. We are sporting talent from all over the country, plenty from St. Louis, and a good amount of local talent from the Springfield-metro area, so come out and support your hometown guys!

Keep it locked to our social media channels, primarily Twitter and Instagram to stay on top of the action throughout the day. Hope to see you tonight!

The Basketball Movement Invitational 2019: Day One

The time has finally come for The Basketball Movement Invitational. Tonight is day one, where we start focusing nervous energy into focus and determination.

At The Basketball Movement Invitational, day one is all about setting expectations, making the players feel special, and honing in on what will be an intense weekend. Once the expectations are set and the focus is at laser level, the spark will ignite the competitive fire that the next couple of days will be all about.

The players are getting hooked up with gear, getting professional headshots, hearing opening remarks from The Basketball Movement’s FOunder and Lead Trainer Rob Yanders, and then doing some light stretching and shooting. The players will get a takeaway dinner at the conclusion of the night.

As this is being written, the players are lined up for their pictures. Taping stations have been set up and those players that need them are utilizing them before we hit the floor. Music is pumping, there are plenty of introductions being made, and everyone is anxiously anticipating the official start to the weekend of basketball.

The nervous energy will fade fast, as these are already established players that know exactly what to do when they hit the court. Our drills and stations won’t be so much for teaching new concepts as sharpening existing skills and making sure that bad habits aren’t lingering in anyone’s fundamentals.

Tonight will be good for meeting new people but come tomorrow night, they will be broken up into teams and clash in a big way.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and right here as we keep you up to date on one of the biggest camps and showcases in the area for high school boys’ talent.

The Basketball Movement Invitational schedule

The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is finally here - check out the schedule of events to make sure and keep up with the action.

Finally upon us, The Basketball Movement Invitational Camp is underway Friday the fourth and will run through the weekend. As we have mentioned, there will be traditional camp elements as far as skill development, conditioning, etc. but also a showcase of the elite talent possessed by the young men.

Games will be taking place Saturday night and Sunday morning. These games are open to the public - if you want to see top-tier high school boys basketball in action, we have you more than covered.

There are courtside, leather seats available on a first-come-first-served basis. Remember to please respect the facility during your visit - no stepping on the courts without basketball-exclusive shoes, keep your feet off the chairs, and so on. Thank you!

Here is the schedule of events for our campers:

EDIT: THINGS HAVE BEEN BUMPED UP AN HOUR FOR DAY 2. BREAK FOR LUNCH IS 11:00, PLAYERS WILL RETURN FOR TEAM LISTING AT 4:00 AND GAMES WILL START AT 5:00 PM

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This event gets bigger and better each year, so make sure to stop by to get in on the action. If nothing else, just drop in to say hey and check out everything we have been doing with the facility. We are proud of what The Basketball Movement has been doing and love that you are along for the ride. We hope to see you this weekend!

Around the NBA: 2019-20 Preview

Already less than a month away, it is time to start the annual tradition of not-so-patiently waiting for the NBA season.

As per the new norm, it has been a wild offseason for the NBA. Somehow, the 2019-20 regular season is already less than a month out, with tipoff taking place October 22nd. Now that your calendar is marked, it is time to start the speculation as to how the season ahead will shake out for each of the 30 NBA teams and their endlessly entertaining casts of characters.

The Basketball Movement already broke down the major offseason moves for you, so we don’t need to go over every detail of which player went to which new team. That said, the player movement is the most interesting piece of the NBA landscape for the upcoming 2019-20 season, so it is woven throughout this preview. We’ll start with the Western Conference and reigning NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.

Western Conference

Kawhi was ninth in MVP voting for the regular season, but let the world know he is one of the greatest in the Playoffs. As Toronto feared, they lost him in the offseason, but not to a loaded roster as we have seen with so many stars recently. Leonard joined a solid if unspectacular Los Angeles Clippers team, instantly propelling them to contender status. Pushing them over the edge though, was a trade that sent Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and picks away for OKC Thunder forward, Paul George.

The Clips became instant favorites for a top-two finish in the West and will have an elite defense to complement a solid offensive attack. They will be a force in the West, but won’t have to look far for stiff competition, as the LA Lakers made some moves of their own.

Retaining Kyle Kuzma and a guy named LeBron James for their core, the Lakers shipped the rest of their young cast to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis. If James continues to hold up and Davis stays healthy, they have the potential to be an all-time-great tandem.

Those young players headed to the Pelicans (Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart) will join more than just former All-Star Jrue Holiday, but this year’s number one draft pick. Zion Williamson enters the league as perhaps the most touted prospect since King James. The expectations are monumental, but if he can stay in shape and his knees can withstand a year of constant ferocious dunks, he may very well meet them.

After trading away Paul George, Oklahoma City knew it was time to shift into a rebuilding phase. Russell Westbrook, after being drafted by Seattle and spending his whole career in OKC, was traded to Houston, reuniting him with former Thunder buddy and MVP hopeful, James Harden. The deal included Chris Paul, who is still currently in Oklahoma City, though the fit is curious for OKC’s new direction. It will be interesting to see if Paul and Gallinari are still in Thunder blue by the start of 2020.

Though a shakeup in standings may be coming, we have no reason to doubt the Western Conference will still feature a fantastic Golden State Warriors squad. Though they traded away an incredible player in Kevin Durant, they did receive an Eastern Conference All-Star in return in D’Angelo Russell, who will look to fill big shoes as Klay Thompson recovers from his Finals injury. Aside from Russell and Thompson, the Warriors still have two more All-Stars in Draymond Green and Steph Curry, who will likely be looking at an MVP-caliber season as the top dog once again. Do not count out these Warriors.

No strangers to the NBA Playoffs, but coming in with even more firepower this season, look for the Utah Jazz to make plenty of noise during their quest for a title. Subtle offseason additions of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdonović should act as fantastic complements to their core of 2x DPOY Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Joe Ingles.

A few teams with quiet offseasons in the West that should nevertheless return strong years are the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, and ever-present San Antonio Spurs. The West is as deep as it has been in a while and should have plenty of wins floating around the bottom of the bracket as well between the Kings, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Mavericks, which now have Kristaps Porzingis back to pair with Luca Doncic. Phoenix will not be a good basketball team. Sorry, Phoenix.

Eastern Conference

Much as Kawhi Leonard changes the landscape of the Western Conference, so does he change the East. The reigning NBA Champion Toronto Raptors will be a much different team without their Finals MVP and two-way superstar. With the rest of their core intact (Lowry, Gasol, Siakam, Ibaka, VanVleet) and solid additions in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson (if he finally takes a step forward), they will be a playoff team. Whether or not they can be a contender again hinges on the continued development of last year’s Most improved Player, Pascal Siakam, who is now “the guy.”

Speaking of “the guy,” the Eastern Conference does still boast the reigning league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Milwaukee Bucks also retained All-Star Kris Middleton and former All-Star Brook Lopez, though they did have to see Malcolm Brogdon walk. Offseason acquisitions, Robin Lopez and Thanasis Antetokounmpo mean the Bucks will sport two sets of brothers on their roster. That probably won’t have much on-court relevance, but it will be an interesting tidbit to tell your spouse while you try to keep them interested.

We already mentioned the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors, so Kevin Durant is now officially in the Eastern Conference for the first time with the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, Durant is injured and likely to miss this full season. He signed in Brooklyn not long after Kyrie Irving, who left a gaping, but short-lived hole in the roster of the Boston Celtics.

Clearly having planned ahead, the Celtics were quick to swoop up a free agent point guard of their own in Kemba Walker. Statistically, Walker is not much of a downgrade and they can still operate under a scoring point guard in their system. Kemba’s so-so defense can be compensated for by Marcus Smart and athletic wings, lessening the blow of losing the NBA Champion Irving.

More difficult to replace for the Celtics will be the post play of Al Horford, who departed for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Horford will take pressure off the oft-injured Joel Embiid to stay on the floor, and give them another solid presence on both ends of the floor. The player movement doesn’t stop there, as the Sixers’ closer, Jimmy Butler left to be the top dog in Miami for the Heat.

Dwyane Wade is retired, but there have been hints that the door back is not completely closed. Whether he returns or not, this will be Jimmy Butler’s team. Butler, who had previously stated all he cares about is winning, will be looking at many fewer victories this season with his new, less talented squad.

The only team not mentioned so far that will look to take a notable step forward as a playoff contender is the Indiana Pacers with the return of Victor Oladipo, who was injured last season. There will be other improved organizations, though they will have plenty to prove before we can confidently look at them as legit playoff teams. One is the Atlanta Hawks with young guys like Trae Young, John Collins, and rookie Cam Reddish.

The Magic may be just good enough to manage another first-round exit; same with the Pistons. John Wall is not expected to be back this season for the Wizards, meaning they will remain a Bradley Beal show, likely right outside of the playoff race. The Bulls and Knicks enter the season with improved rosters (mostly a healthy Lauri Markkanen for Chicago and RJ Barrett for NY), but probably not enough to make a splash of any kind. The Cavaliers enter the season with a solid trade chip, Kevin Love, but not much else. Top-to-bottom, the Western Conference is back to being the powerhouse.

So many storylines unfold over the course of an NBA season. Will Westbrook and Harden gel? Will Durant or Klay make a surprise playoff return? What is the real reason behind Carmelo Anthony not being able to crack a 12 man roster? Jimmy Butler left Karl-Anthony Towns for being lazy and is now paired with Hassan Whiteside… what? Will LeBron and AD rule Los Angeles or will it be the Klaw and PG13?

We are excited for the action to begin and we can’t believe it is so close. The NBA hosts the most elite basketball in the world and if you can’t tell, The Basketball Movement is all about it. Good luck also to our good friends that are suiting up this season looking to make a splash on their teams or in the league as a whole. Show ‘em what you can do. We will be watching!

Team USA falters in FIBA World Cup

Already seen as one of the weakest international rosters in almost 20 years, team USA will be playing in the 7th place game of the FIBA World Cup.

Dropping an exhibition game to Spain was not shocking for the men of Team USA ahead of the FIBA World Cup. What the United States is certainly not used to, was losing in the tournament, which it did against France… and then Serbia as well.

Even including Jayson Tatum, who has missed the last four contests with an ankle sprain, Team USA’s roster was much lighter on star-power than usual for international showings. It is still a potent team, featuring explosive guards and solid young talent. However, their lack of cohesion and stagnant offensive stretches caught up with them as they fell in the first non-exhibition match in years against France. The USA had a 58 game win-streak prior to the loss.

Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert put on a clinic against the USA in the quarterfinals with 21 points, 16 boards, and three blocks, which came in clutch moments. The world has certainly caught up with the USA, especially when they don’t show up with their “A” team.

France features just two other NBA players in addition to Gobert in Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. Then, adding insult to injury, Team USA turned around and lost again, this time to Nikola Jokic and Serbia. They fell far behind early and never recovered. They are now set to play Poland in the 7th place game. Team USA will be heavy favorites in that one, but that apparently doesn’t mean much. This will be the worst-ever finish for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, win or lose.

France lost their following game, surprised by Argentina, which is doing well to remain relevant despite the retirement of star, Manu Ginobili. Argentina will face perennial contender Spain in the Final.

One interesting note is how the Utah Jazz have been represented in this tournament. Donovan Mitchell has been the scoring leader for Team USA, Rudy Gobert France’s driving force, Joe Ingles for a surprising Australia squad, and Ricky Rubio for Spain, though Ricky is now off to the Phoenix Suns.

It should be a good Final, but most fans are accustomed to seeing Team USA in contention. Perhaps Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics will produce a more competitive USA Men’s squad. We will see!

Notable NCAA coaching changes per ESPN.com

ESPN.com has tracked notable NCAA Men’s Basketball coaching changes made so far ahead of the 2019-20 season.

As always, there has been a slew of coaching changes made on the NCAA Men’s Basketball landscape ahead of the season. Unfortunately, coaching is viewed as a bit of a revolving-door occupation. If a school (or organization) deems that a coach isn’t leading in the direction desired for a team, they are often quickly dispatched.

This is true for all levels of the game. ESPN.com has released a list of coaching changes for big schools, which we have placed below. ESPN.com is responsible for all tracking and verbiage you see on this list. You can view the list in its original home, by viewing the page here. All team links remain intact and will also redirect you to ESPN.com pages.

Some highly recognizable names appear on this list, even on the “Out” side of things. A few of those are Avery Johnson (Alabama), John Beilein (Michigan), Chris Mullin (St. Johns), Mike Dunleavy Sr. (Tulane), Steve Alford (UCLA), and former Missouri State Coach Barry Hinson (Southern Illinois).

A few recognizable names taking new jobs: Juwan Howard (Michigan), Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska), Steve Alford (Nevada), and Lyndsey Hunter (Mississippi Valley State).

“Power Conferences”

School: Out / In

Alabama: Avery Johnson / Nate Oats
Arkansas: Mike Anderson / Eric Musselman
California: Wyking Jones / Mark Fox
Cincinnati: Mick Cronin / John Brannen
George Washington: Maurice Joseph / Jamion Christian
Michigan: John Beilein / Juwan Howard
Nebraska: Tim Miles / Fred Hoiberg
Nevada: Eric Musselman / Steve Alford
Saint Joseph's: Phil Martelli / Billy Lange
St. John's: Chris Mullin / Mike Anderson
Temple: Fran Dunphy / Aaron McKie
Texas A&M: Billy Kennedy / Buzz Williams
Tulane: Mike Dunleavy Sr. / Ron Hunter
UCLA: Steve Alford / Mick Cronin
UNLV: Marvin Menzies / T.J. Otzelberger
Vanderbilt: Bryce Drew / Jerry Stackhouse
Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams / Mike Young
Washington State: Ernie Kent / Kyle Smith

“Traditional one-bid” Conferences”

School: Out / In

Appalachian State: Jim Fox / Dustin Kerns
Belmont: Rick Byrd / Casey Alexander
Buffalo: Nate Oats / Jim Whitesell
BYU: Dave Rose / Mark Pope
Cal Poly: Joe Callero / John Smith
Cleveland State: Dennis Felton / Dennis Gates
Elon: Matt Matheny / Mike Schrage
Fairfield: Sydney Johnson / Jay Young
Georgia State: Ron Hunter / Rob Lanier
Holy Cross: Bill Carmody / Brett Nelson
Howard: Kevin Nickelberry / Kenny Blakeney
Idaho: Don Verlin / Zac Claus (interim)
IUPUI: Jason Gardner / Byron Rimm II (interim)
Idaho State: Bill Evans / Ryan Looney
Kennesaw State: Al Skinner / Amir Abdur-Rahim
Lipscomb: Casey Alexander / Lennie Acuff
Maryland-Eastern Shore: Clifford Reed Jr. (interim) / Jason Crafton
Mercer: Bob Hoffman / Greg Gary
Mississippi Valley State: Andre Payne / Lindsey Hunter
Montana State: Brian Fish / Danny Sprinkle
Morgan State: Todd Bozeman / Kevin Broadus
Niagara: Chris Casey / Patrick Beilein
North Dakota: Brian Jones / Paul Sather
Northern Arizona: Jack Murphy / Shane Burcar (interim)
Northern Kentucky: John Brannen / Darrin Horn
Ohio: Saul Phillips / Jeff Boals
Presbyterian: Dustin Kerns / Quinton Farrell
San Francisco: Kyle Smith / Todd Golden
Siena: Jamion Christian / Carmen Maciariello
South Dakota State: T.J. Otzelberger / Eric Henderson
Southeastern Louisiana: Jay Ladner / David Kiefer
Southern Illinois: Barry Hinson / Bryan Mullins
Southern Miss: Doc Sadler / Jay Ladner
SIU-Edwardsville: Jon Harris / Brian Barone
Stetson: Corey Williams / Donnie Jones
Stony Brook: Jeff Boals / Geno Ford
Tennessee Tech: Steve Payne / John Pelphrey
Troy: Phil Cunningham / Scott Cross
UMKC: Kareem Richardson / Billy Donlon
Utah Valley: Mark Pope / Mark Madsen
William & Mary: Tony Shaver / Dane Fischer
Wofford: Mike Young / Jay McAuley

Push limits with Rob Yanders and The Basketball Movement

What limits you from being the best player you can possibly be? The Basketball Movement can help you push those limits.

Every individual has limits, whether perceived or literal. A literal limit may be that you are considered undersized for the sport of basketball; you can’t change when you are done growing. A perceived limit is that your small stature means you can’t guard bigger players, get up for rebounds, and so on. Those are perceived limits because you can do something to change that. We can help.

“When they say you can’t, they show you their limits, not yours.”
— Kevin Keenoo

One of the biggest lessons that I (Site Blogger, @WilHarrington) learned growing up came on the basketball court. My teacher was Robert Yanders.

I’d been working out with Rob on and off for a year or so and was just 13 or 14 years old. I had started bringing a teammate along and it was definitely elevating our skill level. The breakthrough for me though was all about pushing limits and the power of mind over matter.

We were nearing the end of one of Rob’s trademark grueling workouts, got to shed our weighted vests, and got on the line to do some running. He wanted us to do a simple down-and-back, but put a very limited amount of time on the clock. He blew his whistle and my friend and I took off, touched the line to head back, and didn’t quite make it before the buzzer sounded.

We thought Rob was simply going to have us try again. However, he stepped over to the scorer’s table and took a second off the clock. Was this punishment? We lined up again, made our attempt… and missed the mark. We were completely exhausted at this point. What did Rob do? Let us grab a drink to come back and try again? Let us hit the restroom to vomit in peace? Of course, he took another second off the clock.

My friend and I never made eye contact, but we clearly had the same thought flash in our minds. “This guy is crazy. This is an all-out sprint because if we don’t do it this time, we’ll be doing this until we leave in wheelchairs.”

“Ready,” Rob shouted with his whistle in his mouth. “Go!”

Adrenaline propelled our tired legs and carried us like we were running for our lives. There was nothing but teeth-gritting, sweat flying, and the blur of two desperate white boys moving faster than they had ever moved. We went down and back, both touching the final baseline with a second or two to spare.

This lesson didn’t change the fact that I was five-foot-eight and just interested in playing the sport for fun. I never had NCAA aspirations or professional delusions. But what I learned that day shaped me as an athlete in general and as a person. It showed me that my limits were in my hands and I could push them as far as I wanted.

The confidence I gained from that day in the gym that would become The Basketball Movement helped me to push my high school self to two All-State baseball selections, contribute to a basketball team that took 3rd in state, be an All-District cross country runner (hell, even All-District choir for that matter), and the courage to date the girl that would become my wife.

That all may seem like a real leap to draw from a down-and-back run. Those who have trusted Rob Yanders to help them as I have can attest to what I’m saying though.

Assuming you are not already the best in the world, you must try to push your limits to see what you can really do. Not only on the court but in all aspects of life. For those interested - reach out. The Basketball Movement was built for this. We’re ready if you are.