This week the series breaks down keys to dribbling, ball-handling moves and provides a few drills to keep things fun for your young athletes.

Basic Information: The crossover dribble is one of the most effective ways to maintain control of the ball against heavy pressure, or, while attempting to go by your man. It is the primary tool used by the point guard while travelling up the court under defensive pressure. However, it is also a...

The following is an excerpt from the USA Basketball Youth Development Guidebook. For more information on the Guidebook,  click here . GENERAL OVERVIEW: Ball-handling and dribbling are of paramount importance. These two skills allow the basketball to be advanced legally throughout the court of...

Dribbling between the legs, though seemingly nothing more than a stylish variation on the crossover, is an effective, and oftentimes necessary tool when facing extreme pressure from a defender. Though this move can work wonderfully for any perimeter player, the point guard needs to master this...

Ball handling is important for any player on the basketball court, but it's particularly critical for point guards. As USAB.com is focusing on point guard play this week, here are some tips to strengthen this skill. This basketball drill provides repetitions of key dribbling techniques. The idea is...

You are advancing the ball with a dribble toward your basket. The two teammates ahead of you are not open. As you approach the center line, a defender is waiting for you. What should you do? Drive by, like a hot knife through butter, and create a three-on-two situation. How? Step 1: Drive directly...

Perhaps the simplest, but, most effective move there is in basketball. Requires only a minimal amount of ballhandling ability, given that the ball remains in the same hand during the move. The beauty of the stutter-step is that a good defensive player must honor the move by momentarily freezing his...

Don't let a breakaway turn into easy points. Here's a drill that works on effort and angles so that a defender can catch up with a ball-handler streaking toward the basket. The Drill Both players start at halfcourt, one with a ball. The ball-handler and defender take off at the same time. The...

Dribbling is a repetitive action in which a player uses one hand to bounce the basketball continuously, that is, without interruption, on the court. It ends the moment that continuity ends. Ending Your Dribble The dribble ends the moment you touch the ball simultaneously with both hands or fail to...

Listen up, young players. The Professor is ready to teach. Certainly, a player known exclusively for his streetball skills can't possibly have a lesson plan like this. For years, Grayson Boucher --also known as The Professor--had his playground-style highlights aired constantly on ESPN as part of...