Four of Alabama Coach Nate Oats’ Favorite Basketball Drills

• By Grant Young

Implementing new basketball drills mid-season can be a game-changer for a team looking to fine-tune its performance. 

As the season progresses, teams often fall into predictable patterns, and players might become complacent with their routines. Introducing fresh drills can invigorate practices and re-engage players, emphasizing skills that may need reinforcement or introducing new strategies tailored to upcoming opponents. 

One major benefit of mid-season drills is the opportunity to address specific weaknesses. Coaches can analyze game footage to identify areas where the team struggles, whether it's defensive rotations, offensive spacing, or free-throw shooting. New drills can be designed to target these issues directly, allowing players to practice and improve in a focused way. 

By practicing different offensive and defensive schemes, players become more versatile and adaptable, essential qualities in a competitive environment. 

One coach who knows the vital importance of mid-season drills of Alabama head men’s basketball coach Nate Oats, who has turned his program into one of the most elite teams in the country. 

In 2024, Coach Oats led Alabama to its first Final Four appearance in school history. Prior to arriving in Tuscaloosa, Oats spent four seasons at the helm of the University of Buffalo where he took the men’s basketball program to unprecedented heights. While there, Oats led the Bulls to a 96-43 (.691) record, three MAC tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.

In his ‘Nate Oats - Coaching School - Play Fast’ course, Coach Oats details several plays that he loves to employ in the middle of a season. We have pulled four that you can use to immediate benefit. 

3 on 2 Shooting Drill

One drill that Coach Oats swears by is the 3 on 2 shooting drill, which starts with one offensive player on each wing, one in either corner and two defensive players stacked up to each other in the paint. 

The player that’s higher up in the key starts the drill by passing the ball to any of the three offensive players. This prompts both defenders to run out and close on their man. Once the offense receives the ball, they only get to make two passes before a shot must be taken. 

If the team on defense gets a stop or the offense misses their shot, they go on offense. The key here is to make quick decisions and good, fast passes so that the offense can get an open look. 

1 on 1 Transition

Another drill that Oates is a fan of is this 1 on 1 transition drill, which starts with one player being tossed a ball as they’re crossing half court, with the person defending them standing at around the three point line. The player on offense only gets a maximum of four dribbles, at which point they need to get a shot up.

If the defender doesn’t get a stop then they keep remaining out there until they do, at which point they’ll head to the offense line while the player who missed the shot goes to defense. 

Coach Oats noted how it’s extremely difficult to defend in this drill if players are just standing flat-footed at the three point line, which is why he urges players to take steps forward and engage the offensive player before they reach that point. 

Texas 333 Drill

Coach Oats is also a fan of what he calls the Texas 333 drill, which begins with a 3 on 2 drill with a person trailing the action that will join in if the transition stalls for whatever reason. After this first part of the drill ends, the team who started on defense will go on offense and do a full court transition as part of a 3 on 3.

The most important aspect of this drill is that the shot clock is only 7 seconds, which will force players to think and play fast. This sort of instinctual play is crucial for success in transition, and is something that Coach Oats stresses in all practices (especially in mid-season) to get players out of their heads and playing more freely on the court. 

Martelli Drill

Another drill that Coach Oats swears by is what he calls the Martelli drill, which can be done as a 5 on 5, 4 on 4, or 3 on 3 and offensive players along the baseline with the defensive players at around the wing. 

The drill begins with the coach calling out a player’s name on defense while throwing the ball to a player on offense. This prompts the defensive player whose name was called to run and touch the baseline, which will put his team at a disadvantage. 

This drill forces the offense to play fast so they can capitalize on that advantage, while it teaches the defense to adapt to having to play with one less player.