The Trojans were back on the court at 8:30 AM this morning rounding out their first weekend of practice. The team continues to play at a very high energy level, and a chemistry is beginning to develop. Strong, tenacious defense has been the common theme throughout the first three days of practice and the players have been embracing Coach O'Neill's demands for a more physical playing style.
Today's practice started off with the review of offensive sets, before stretching out and getting loose. The team then warmed up by starting with the uptempo 5-man weave drill and split up into 3-man groups for shooting drills on the 6 baskets in the practice court.
The team then went through the offensive sets at live speed, both from out-of-bounds and in the half-court. Team defensive drills followed, practicing on help-side defense, focusing on forcing the opposition away from the middle of the court.
After a 10 minute break, the Trojans stepped back onto the court and began working on transition offense. Play was started with a 5 on 3 advantage, with two defenders coming from the backcourt to simulate a break opportunity. Players would look for a quick score or back up into their early offense with an emphasis on getting the ball down low. Practice then closed with a cool down and free-throw shooting.
The team headed downstairs to the weight room to get a quick lift in before calling it a day.
According to Athletic Trainer David Borchardt Freshman forward Evan Smith sat out of practice today with a sprained left knee which he suffered in Saturday's practice. Junior guard Donte Smith sat out the second half of today's practice for precautionary reasons with a sprained left ankle that he hurt in Friday's practice.
The team will have Monday off and resume practice on Tuesday at 3:00pm. Practice is once again open to the public.
