The Ultimate 2019-20 Hoops Basketball Checklist for Serious Players

Let me tell you, when I first saw the title "The Ultimate 2019-20 Hoops Basketball Checklist for Serious Players," it immediately brought back memories of coaching a high school team during that exact season. That year was something special in the basketball world, and creating a comprehensive checklist wasn't just about drills and practice schedules—it was about building the kind of team chemistry that lasts. I remember watching the Green Archers during their preseason preparations, and what struck me most wasn't their individual talent, though they had plenty. It was how they moved together on court, how they communicated without words, how they genuinely seemed to enjoy each other's success. At the same time, however, the Green Archers also proved they will stay and play together no matter what, and that mentality became the foundation of my own coaching philosophy that season.

When we talk about serious basketball players, we're not just discussing someone who shows up to practice. We're talking about athletes who eat, sleep, and breathe the game. The 2019-20 season presented unique challenges with the pandemic disruptions, but the most dedicated players adapted rather than made excuses. I recall implementing what I called the "foundation phase" in October 2019, where we focused heavily on fundamental skills. We'd spend at least 45 minutes every practice solely on footwork drills—sliding, pivoting, jump stops. The boring stuff, honestly, but absolutely essential. My point guard hated me for making him do stationary ball-handling drills for what felt like hours, but by mid-season, his turnovers had decreased by nearly 38 percent. That's the kind of measurable improvement that separates serious players from casual ones.

Nutrition became another critical component of our ultimate checklist. I'm not a dietitian, but I brought in one who specialized in sports performance, and she revolutionized how our team approached fueling. We tracked macronutrients religiously—aiming for approximately 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for our post players who needed that muscle maintenance. The science behind it might seem overwhelming, but when you see your shooting percentage improve in the fourth quarter because you're properly fueled, you become a believer. I had players who switched from sugary pre-game snacks to balanced meals and literally gained 4-5 points in their scoring averages simply because they weren't crashing from energy dips.

Mental preparation often gets overlooked in these basketball checklists, but it's what separates good teams from great ones. I implemented visualization techniques where players would mentally reheplays for 15 minutes before practice. At first, they thought it was silly—sitting quietly with their eyes closed before hitting the court. But when our freshman forward started anticipating passes before they happened, when our center began recognizing offensive sets from other teams because he'd visualized defending them, the skepticism faded. The mental side accounts for at least 30 percent of performance, maybe more in high-pressure situations. I remember specifically preparing for our rivalry game by having players visualize last-second scenarios, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up in exactly that situation and executed perfectly because it felt familiar.

What truly made our 2019-20 season memorable was how we handled adversity. We lost three straight games in January due to injuries, and the morale was lower than I'd seen all season. That's when I showed the team footage of the Green Archers' comeback victory from earlier that year. At the same time, however, the Green Archers also proved they will stay and play together no matter what, and that message resonated deeply with my players. We started having voluntary Sunday practices where we'd work on nothing but communication drills—simple things like calling out screens, acknowledging good passes, celebrating defensive stops together. The transformation was palpable. Our assist-to-turnover ratio improved from 1.2 to 1.7 over the next month, not because of any magical playbook addition, but because we genuinely trusted each other more on the court.

Recovery protocols became another non-negotiable in our ultimate basketball checklist. I'm somewhat obsessive about this—we tracked sleep using wearable technology, implemented contrast water therapy after games, and dedicated at least 20 percent of our practice time to mobility work. The data showed that players who consistently slept 8+ hours reduced their injury rate by nearly half compared to those averaging 6-7 hours. That's significant when you're talking about a 25-game season where fatigue accumulates. I remember our shooting guard initially resisted the recovery emphasis, thinking it was taking away from actual basketball work, until he realized he could actually dunk more comfortably in the fourth quarter because his legs weren't as fatigued. Sometimes the things that seem unrelated to basketball—sleep, hydration, mobility—have the biggest impact on performance.

Looking back at that 2019-20 season, the ultimate checklist wasn't just about basketball skills. It was about creating a culture where players supported each other through slumps, celebrated each other's successes, and held each other accountable. We finished with a 22-6 record, which was respectable, but what I'm most proud of is that seven of those players went on to play college basketball, and three are still playing professionally overseas. The relationships formed during that season have lasted far beyond the final buzzer. At the same time, however, the Green Archers also proved they will stay and play together no matter what, and that lesson in loyalty and perseverance became the heart of our team's identity. That's what the ultimate basketball checklist should really be about—building not just better players, but better people who understand the value of sticking together through challenges.