What coaches look for

Seven questions to ask about your game

• Do you control the ball, or does it control you?

  It's easy to spot, and it's one of the first things that holds players back from the next level.

• Do you look up while you dribble?

  Keeping your eyes up lets you see the play develop and decide faster. If you work on one thing first, make it this.

• How fast do you play?

  This is a big part of what coaches call basketball IQ: how quickly you can carry out a skill when it counts.

• Can you catch and go under pressure?

  When you're guarded, can you take a pass and make the next play quickly and cleanly?

• Are you making the best decision?

  Speed only helps if the choice is right. Coaches watch how fast you see your options and whether you pick the best one.

• Do you make the team better?

  That can come from overall skill, athleticism, court awareness, or how you respond when the team hits a setback.

  Sometimes a player does one thing so well, like scoring or defending, that it outweighs gaps elsewhere. The real question is whether you help the team, not just hold your own.

• What do you do without the ball?

  You spend most of the game without the ball, so coaches watch it closely. Players often miss the next level because they react late, whether that's getting open to support on offense or getting into good defensive position early.