Standing Out as an Undersized Guard
Advice from a 6-Foot-Nothing Professional Basketball Player
Ever had anyone tell you, “Cream always rises”?
Well, you can take comfort in the fact that they’re right. In basketball, as in life, the best will separate themselves from the rest over time. The ones who achieve success in sports — awards, accolades, records, scholarships and eventually contracts — are the ones who are most talented and have put in the most work.
So you’re talented, you work your tail off, you have the fundamentals and you’re still getting better. You can rest assured you will definitely “rise” just like they said. But. It doesn’t sound as reassuring in this basketball life you chose where the cream seems to be 6'9" high-flying dunkers, 6'6" combo-guards, 7'0" shot-blockers and 6'7" swingmen who are garnering all the attention, does it? Can I even be successful in a sport if I’m not one of these guys? How do I get noticed and get some recognition if I’m just a regular-sized guard? Well, it is an uphill battle, but if you want it, it is possible.
Here are some things to remember, and how to get there…
I was a late bloomer, always the smallest of all my friends and teammates. But I had two things going for me: Some talent, and I always knew I wanted it more than they did. There was always this motivation: don’t be the token small guy, be the best one on the floor and be noticed. In college, being out in public, random people would stop my tall teammates. “Wow, you must be a basketball player right?!” — with no acknowledgment to the average-sized athlete. How could something so trivial bug me? Because I want to be the best, I want to be noticed, even if I’m the smallest ball player in the room. So for us average-sized players, it just takes a little extra.
TIP 1: Decide if you want it and put the work in…
If you value other things more than basketball, that’s OK. But don’t let yourself envy other’s results or use excuses if you’re not where you want to be because you didn’t put the hours in. If it DOES mean that much to you, no regrets. Don’t leave anything on the table. Put the work in, and then put some more in. If you’re not working, someone else, somewhere else, is.
TIP 2: Find YOUR Game, what you’re good at, and then do A LOT of it
Don’t try to do things outside of your comfort zone just for the sake of “standing out”. If you’re a scorer, don’t be a gun. Shoot a good percentage from the field, try and hold yourself to over 50%. If you’re a playmaker, get assists. It doesn’t always have to be out of your sets. There’s nothing as valuable as a guard who can make something out of nothing or getting a teammate an open shot because they can beat their man and attract help defense. Are you a defender? Take pride in locking down their best guard and get steals and easy points. Whatever the best aspect of your game is, focus on that. Stay in your lane and do it better than everyone else on your team and your opponent’s.
EX: People love noticing three-pointers and that definitely stands out. I’m a heck of a shooter, but I don’t really excel at catch and shoot 3’s. Would they help? SURE. I’ve just never seemed to shoot a great percentage, maybe low 30s. So I don’t force the issue on trying to make it happen. I’m going to try and make 5 mid range pull ups (a shot I’m much more comfortable with) a game rather than say, 3 or 4 three-pointers.
TIP 3: Be Contagious
What does this have to do with basketball? Nothing. And Everything. Let’s drop certain skill sets or talents from consideration in helping you stand out. Be a LEADER, not just vocally, but be the player on the court who your teammates follow, by your actions. Play so hard that they have no choice but to do the same. Fly around on defense, take a charge, save a ball, get some extra rebounds, joke with the refs, clap for you teammates when they make a good play, get the crowd into it, have some personality out there. Basketball is fun. If you really enjoy it, you’ll be amazed how many people notice, and follow suit. And that is something that will set you apart and catch college coach’s eyes, regardless of size or numbers.
If you’re looking for more guidance on specific drills to improve any aspect of your game, from shooting, passing and dribbling to rebounding, defending and conditioning, try out the Hustle app — it’s free!
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