Metro St. Louis All School Rankings and the Letter B 12/19/2021

 I wanted to put out an expanded Metro St. Louis All School rankings to go with the top 25 but I had some thoughts about the letter B this morning.

Basketball is the first word I think of for the letter B.  It is a complex game and it has a lot of elements.  There so many ways to contribute on a BB team but I think most players, and definitely their parents, often measure their sons and daughters on how many points they scored.  When the Baskets don't fall, the players get down and the parents start questioning.  It seems to me, it all starts and ends with the letter B.

So here are my thoughts on the letter B:

BEEF - Shooting form can get out of whack, even when you practice every day.  When a player struggles, I think about BEEF which is an acronym for Balance, Elbow, Elevate and Follow-through.  If a player is struggling with their shot, it is usually the elbow that throws off their shot.  Elbow in, boom.  Elbow out, bust.  Get in the gym and take some shots.  Start at five feet.  Move to ten feet, then fifteen, and then to twenty.  If you aren't making all your shots, move back to the shorter distance.  Do the same in shoot-around and game warm-ups.  I also see players taking lazy threes in warm-ups and then trying to knock down three-point jumpers in the game when they have not taken any in warmups.

BELIEVE - if you miss your first shot, and stop shooting, you aren't going to make the next one either.  You have to believe that if you keep shooting, they will start to fall.  Doubt takes too much energy.  It eats at you until you can't seem to do anything right.  If the three isn't falling, go to the basket, but never give up believing you can score.

BUCKETS - I gave this one away already.  If the three isn't falling, go to the basket, and maybe you will get the traditional basket and one for three points.  Players have fallen in love with the three, but when that ain't working, the dribble drive is a great way to get your game and your confidence going.  What's the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

BOARDS - If you aren't scoring, you can contribute in many other ways.  Defense, Steals, Assists to name a few, but the big one is Boards.  If you clean up the boards, you are helping your team, and if you are gobbling up offensive Boards, you have a chance for garbage Buckets.  Of course, minimizing fouls, turnovers and defensive mistakes, and Being a good Bench cheerleader when things aren't going your way all help too.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself and contribute in other ways.  

That's all I have for the letter B.  You probably have some more that I have missed.

Here's my Metro St. Louis All School rankings.  138 teams in the area (about one hour drive from St. Louis).  If I missed you, DM or respond to the tweet and I will add your team.