One-on-One Cross-Court Closeouts is a high-demand defensive drill that builds long-closeout technique, shot denial, and straight-line drive containment. Each rep forces a full sprint closeout to arrive on the catch, then a disciplined contest of either a catch-and-shoot or a two-dribble paint drive. If the drive is cut off and the ball is picked up, the defender must finish the rep with a hard late contest on a kick-back to the passer—training complete defensive finishes.

Setup & Organization

Use one half court. Place the offensive player on the left wing outside the arc. Place the defender on the right wing (foul-line extended) with a ball. A passer (coach/manager) stands at the top of the key. Lines form behind offense and defense to keep the drill moving.

Step-by-Step Progression

The defender rolls his ball to the passer at the top. As soon as the passer receives it, he fires a chest pass across to the offensive wing. The defender sprints a long cross-court closeout to arrive on the catch—chop late, hands high, no fly-by.

The offense is live on the catch with a two-dribble limit. He may take a catch-and-shoot three immediately or drive straight-line and must get two feet in the paint to score off the bounce. No mid-range pull-ups.

If the defender cuts off the drive or the ball handler picks up without a paint touch, the offense must pass back to the passer at the top. The defender then sprints to contest that shot under control to complete the rep. Rotate to opposite lines after each rep so both players play offense and defense.

Scoring

Individual defender scoring. +1 for a defensive stop (deny catch-and-shoot or prevent a paint-touch score and finish with a strong contest on the kick-back). If a defender allows a score or commits a foul, his personal tally resets to 0. Highest total at the end of the segment wins.

Coaching Points

Arrive on the catch—sprint then break down the last third; hands high without drifting past the shooter. Angle hips to take away the first step; chest on hip on the drive. Offense must be decisive: shoot on the catch or get two feet in the paint within two dribbles. Finish the rep with a violent, under-control late contest on the kick-back.

Variations

Flip sides to train both directions. Start the defender a step late (trail) for an advanced closeout. Add a :6–:8 shot clock to force pace. Require the kick-back contest on every rep, even after a catch-and-shoot fake, to hardwire “finish the play.”