P3 Blog

Waterboy's Refill

What’s up, ballplayers!

I’m Sam Meyerkopf and I handle all things social media here at POINT 3. So if you’ve had a tweet replied to or an Instagram post you liked (or hated), it was probably my doing. But my basketball life extends far beyond the sweat proof fabric at POINT 3, as I coach, write, and scout basketball, and right now I’m doing that from Europe.

I'm 5'7", I'm blind in my left eye so I've worn glasses my whole life, and my leaping ability is on Eddy Curry levels. During my POINT 3 intern summer we were in NYC, deep in Brooklyn, going to courts with our POINT 3 team. A large crowd of kids started wondering who the four-eyed team manager looking like he might play with all these tall ballers was.

"Waterboy, who's the waterboy?" Well we only had a few players that day and so the intern had to step in. BANG! I hit a three. BANG! I hit another three. "Wait, the waterboy can play?" This swarm of kids can't even handle it, and the conversation of this "waterboy" turned into chants, and so my hoops nickname is forever locked in on a Brooklyn court. I am the Waterboy.

Right around when Josh Childress was passing up his 6th man role with the Hawks to make a few million Euros on the Greek coast and Brandon Jennings said no to frat parties at Arizona to play near the original Coliseum, I became infatuated with European hoops and started the blog Slam and Freaknick’s Euroleague Adventures.

It wasn’t just the fact that there were a bunch of my former college favorites plying their jump shots on the old continent; it was everything about Euro Ball. Different countries competing against each other, fans with organized chants, 6'10" forwards playing point guard, teams in cities I always wanted to visit, prospects you always heard of in bits and pieces, and of course the insane, never ending amounts of basketball to research that only the nerdiest of hoops junkies would find fascinating. European basketball was like unlocking a bottomless box of basketball and I could spend days till the end of time and never find out everything. It was and still is awesome.

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After studying for a semester in Madrid and going to as many Real Madrid basketball games as I could (yes they have a basketball team too), I found myself sitting at the Euroleague Final Four in Paris in 2010. Sitting and I couldn’t leave my seat. For 40 minutes after their team lost, a couple thousand Partizan Belgrade fans stayed in their seats cheering, chanting, and celebrating their team. FORTY MINUTES after a loss they stayed! I sat mesmerized in my seat for the whole time watching. This kind of devotion was amazing, and I was officially hooked on Euro Ball.

I’ve been to three Euroleague Final Fours in four seasons and witnessed one of the most memorable shots in European Basketball History when Giorgios Printezis hit a game winner and Olympiacos upset Andrei Kirilenko’s CSKA Moscow in Istanbul. Yeah, I was there.

PRINTEZISSSSSSS! (Yes, that's me in the blue shirt)

I’ll be writing here and on my site about some of your favorite college stars who are now makin’ it rain on the old continent; looking at the differences in basketball skills training in Europe vs. the U.S.; as well as doing some scouting and trying to find the next Dirk.

Be sure to sign up for our POINT 3 e-mails so you never miss a post from me, and you can follow my personal twitter all about Euro Ball.

Happy Hooping!

Waterboy

POINT 3 Alphas: The best ways to make a positive impression with Coach

Every player that takes the game seriously knows that the pre-season is just as important as any other point in the season. As a matter a fact, some would argue that it’s the most important. If you fail to accomplish your goals in the pre-season, you’ll likely end up heading into the basketball season unprepared and unconfident.

Tryouts are right around the corner, and we tapped a few of our Alphas to lend some advice to make sure you’re doing everything you need to be doing to be ready to own the court.

Read our earlier Pre-season Prep blog posts from our POINT 3 Alphas:

#1: Tips Every Player Needs to Prepare for the Season

#2: Four Key Ways to Benefit from Voluntary Workouts

What are the best ways I can make a positive impression on the coach before tryouts start? Basically, how do I show my coach I’m hungry to make the team?

Jeff Sparrow, HNS Academy (Pottstown, PA)

Leadership has no age. Make an impression early in the pre-season and make it impossible for a Coach to leave you off the team.

If you are truly hungry about making the squad, be the first one in the gym and the last one to leave! Force your Coaches to kick you out of the gym! Underclassmen? SO WHAT!

Coach G, OHOOPS (Orlando, FL):

As a freshman joining a top-ranked program in the nation when I was in High School, I walked into the conditioning sessions with odds stacked against me and fellow classmates and upperclassmen doubting me.

I used all that to my advantage. I was always on time and ready for the coach to direct us in what we were to do. I made sure I was someone he knew he could rely on. You can't talk about being hungry or making the team, you have to actually go out and do it.

1. Actions speak louder than words in most situations. Outwork everyone.
2. Bond with last year's players (if they are a strong unit and in favor with the coach).
3. Introduce yourself to the coach. Let him know you will be trying out, and that you’re looking forward to playing for him/her this season.

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Mark Adams, Mark Adams Basketball

Remember coaches don't always choose the 12 best players. They often choose the 12 players that have the potential to make for the best TEAM!

1. Be positive and enthusiastic.
2. Encourage your teammates.

Doing these things at voluntary workouts can make a huge impression on coaches.

Darnell Ford, My Sky Elite (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

Players that communicate, box out, dive on the floor for loose balls, take charges, etc. will always get the attention of the coaches!

A great player once said "hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard" so work your butt off until your number is called and continue to work even harder after!

Read our earlier Pre-season Prep blog posts from our POINT 3 Alphas:

#1: Tips Every Player Needs to Prepare for the Season

#2: Four Key Ways to Benefit from Voluntary Workouts

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POINT 3 and Bball Breakdown Training Tips Video: Off-Foot Finishes at the Rim

If you're serious about your game, you're ready to put in the work to get better, no matter what level you play at. That's the sign of a true ballplayer.

Our Alpha basketball skill trainers do an amazing job working with youth, high school, college, and pro players throughout the year, helping them hone their game so they're ready to own the court when the game is on the line.

We've wanted to bring our Alpha A-game to a wider audience for a long time, so we're pumped to bring you this video with Bball Breakdown, one of the biggest and most popular sports channels on Youtube.

POINT 3 Alpha Tony Freccero from Triple Threat Academy met up with Coach Nick from Bball Breakdown to go through some drills. You can watch the first installment below!

Subscribe to our e-mails to get future updates on our Alpha training videos!

POINT 3 Alphas: Four Key Ways to Benefit from Voluntary Workouts

Every player that takes the game seriously knows that the pre-season is just as important as any other point in the season. As a matter a fact, some would argue that it’s the most important. If you fail to accomplish your goals in the pre-season, you’ll likely end up heading into the basketball season unprepared and unconfident.

Tryouts are right around the corner, and we want to make sure you’re doing everything you need to be doing to prepare. We tapped a few of our Alphas to lend some advice on pre-season training.

What kind of impact will attending voluntary activities have on making the actual basketball team, and how can I make sure I leave a great impression?

Mark Adams, Mark Adams Basketball

Don't just attend voluntary workouts. Use them as an opportunity to make a case as to why you should make the team. (#1) Coaches love players that consistently work hard, compete and have a good attitude. Try to win every sprint, race, and every drill.

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Darnell Ford, My Sky Elite (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

Attending voluntary activities is vital. It’s a great opportunity to work closely with your coaches since these workouts are typically during other sports seasons.

(#2) Prepare yourself not just showing up but by being prepared to actually put in real work to get better and take full advantage of the opportunity.

These workouts give you a chance to show your coaches how dedicated you are to improving your game and doing your part to help with the team’s success.

Jeff Sparrow, HNS Academy (Pottstown, PA)

Don’t be the player who follows others. (#3) Be the guy who asks questions, pushes others and finishes first.

Coach G, OHOOPS (Orlando, FL)

Voluntary activities show a coach or coaching staff who's willing to go the extra mile. If you are one of the "bubble guys" in which a coach has a few very similar players trying out, this could be the "edge" you need to make the team and prove your value.

Player roles become a big factor in a complete team. Not everyone can be the super star, the point guard, the 6th man, but if you figure out what the team needs most, and during these voluntary activities prove your worth, you've just established an advantage going into tryouts.

(#4) Avoid doing things that will end up making you look bad or get injured. If you can’t dunk, don’t try. If running a stadium, don't try to prove your vertical leap by jumping four rows at once. Know what the coaches are looking for and focus on delivering it.

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Behind the Product: BASE LT compression base layer shirt

by Michael Luscher

In a new series, POINT 3 Founder and CEO takes us "Behind the Product" to give us the backstory to POINT 3's world class performance basketball apparel.

BASE LT is my favorite POINT 3 top, designed for the ballplayer who knows it takes two things above all else to improve on the court – REPS and SWEAT. BASE LT will keep your body dry and cool for as many reps as you can handle.

The story behind BASE LT actually starts even before the launch of POINT 3. In doing our research on the basketball apparel market, we noticed one glaring weakness in the wardrobe of many ballplayers – the tight fit, ribbed cotton tank top.

In the summer of 2009, we interviewed over 300 ballplayers and more than 62% of them were rocking them on-court! There is no worse fabric to wear when sweating – it sticks to your body, gets heavier with each game you play, and looks terrible.

So we set out to solve this problem by designing a compression top that had the same fit and feel so many of those ballplayers we interviewed liked, but we improved it in a couple of ways:

1. Fit – we used a 4-way stretch compression fabric so the garment fits close to the body but moves with you on court, making it the perfect base layer.

2. Wicking – sweat is our enemy! So we literally searched 3 different continents to find the right fabric that not only has inherent moisture wicking capabilities, but is strong enough to hold up to any style of play

3. Air Flow – we found an aerated mesh (with little holes) that allowed heat to escape where ballplayers sweat most, keeping you cool on the court.

Our current BASE LT, released just in time for the 2014-15 basketball season, is actually an improvement on this! More than our original BASE (v1.0), BASE LT performs all the same functions but uses a lightweight fabric, which you almost forget you’re wearing on the court, and the pinhole mesh gives greater wicking capabilities to the body fabric.

Now available in all new colorways, you can rock BASE LT on its own (if you’ve got the pipes for it) or under that dope graphic cotton T you just picked up. No need to thank us when after 500 jumpers, that cotton T isn’t sticking to your body.

We're not the only people in love with BASE - here's a review from Weartesters.com on our product:

Hope you enjoy the BASE LT as much as we do!

POINT 3 Alphas: Tips Every Player Needs to Prepare for the Season

by Jaimie Canterbury

The season has finally returned! Well the pre-season at least. That counts right?

Every player that takes the game seriously knows that the pre-season is just as important as any other point in the season. You work, you sweat, you prepare. If you fail to accomplish your goals in the pre-season, you’ll likely end up heading into the basketball season unprepared and unconfident.

Tryouts are right around the corner, and we want to make sure you’re doing everything you need to be doing to prepare.

We tapped a few of our Alpha basketball trainers to give some advice on pre-season training. We will be posting these answers throughout the next few weeks!

1. What is the purpose of “voluntary” team workouts and what should I be doing to prepare for them?

Coach G, OHoops (Orlando, FL)

Voluntary workouts are for coaches to see which players are really committed to the program. Showing up is sometimes half the battle in voluntary team workouts because so many others will end up showing their “true colors” by not showing up.

Speaking from experience, when I was a freshman I remember being called out by the Varsity coach in front of over 200 players on the first day of tryouts. "Trytten showed up to every workout this off-season, and because of that I now know who he is."

Weights, track, open gyms: all of these are vital parts of the game in becoming a power house program, building up a team, and really figuring out from a coaches perspective what the upcoming season is going to be like. Prepare yourself to succeed in each of these environments and your coach will feel good about you going into tryouts.

Be sure to follow Coach G on Twitter and check out the OHoops Instagram page as well!

T.J. Jones, NBN Basketball (Conway, AR)

Voluntary workouts are an opportunity for teammates to get in the gym and work on their game to get ready for the upcoming season.

To prepare for voluntary workouts you want to make sure you are in shape and have been working on your game. Working on skills such as ball handling, passing, shooting, and defensive techniques will not only help you get ready, but it will also show the other players and coaches you are serious about getting better and helping the team win.

You can check out more from Coach TJ on Twitter and Instagram!

Darnell Ford, My Sky Elite (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

Voluntary team workouts are extremely important because they allow you to work on specific aspects of your game that you maybe struggled with and/or need to continue to improve on. 


Prepare yourself by knowing what areas of the game you need to improve on, and focus on improving in those areas.

Look at more from Coach Ford on Twitter and Facebook!

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Our next post from our Alphas will be coming later this week. To make sure you are up-to-date on all things POINT 3, be sure to sign up for our e-mail list!

Experience the Difference with our Team Uniforms!

We are extremely proud that more than 150 AAU, youth program, and high school basketball teams around the country are now playing in our performance basketball DRYV Uniform Jerseys, Shorts, and Reversibles. Here are just a few of the programs benefitting from the advantage provided by our patented DRYV Moisture Control Technology.

If your team is looking for an edge on the court, contact one of our team sales representatives now and you'll receive a 20% discount on all first-time orders placed before the end of September!

'Cause you don't want this happening to your guys in the game's critical moments, do you?

Contact us now!

The Three Reasons Team USA Captured the FIBA World Cup

POINT 3's Social Media specialist Sam Meyerkopf was at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Here are his final thoughts from Spain!

by Sam Meyerkopf

Team USA captured the gold after a dominating performance throughout the tournament, including in the final against Serbia. The much-anticipated matchup between USA and Spain never materialized, but the U.S. didn’t leave anything to chance.

Why wasn’t anyone able to match Team USA on the court?

1. Energy is a Skill

Team USA won the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup by getting out on the fast break and dominating the offensive glass. The player who excelled the most in these categories was Kenneth Faried. A missed shot was merely an opportunity for a tip-in dunk, a steal was almost a guaranteed two points for the US if Faried got some momentum running the floor.

When POINT 3 asked Faried how he was able to always play with so much energy he said, “I just love to play basketball!”

2. The Emergence of the NBA’s Next Stars

Kyrie Irving – The MVP of the Tournament looked like the quickest player in the world in Spain. Not only that, but he went 6/6 from three in the Finals! LeBron’s new counterpart certainly looked like he’s ready for bigger NBA battles.

Klay Thompson – Steph Curry is supposed to be the best shooter in the world and on his team but Thompson took that title away during the World Cup. He was absolutely amazing at getting his shot off. Give him an inch and the ball has already swished through the net.

Anthony Davis – The tall forward/center with guard like skills is still only 21 years old and just percolating with so much talent, you never know when he’s about to go off! Davis had moments of brilliance in the tournament and now will look to translate that into NBA success.

DeMarcus Cousins – Cousins was physically dominant in the paint, on both offense and defense. He wasn’t rattled mentally and was a huge part of the USA’s game plan, especially when Anthony Davis got in foul trouble, like the in the championship game. After the championship game Coach K said Cousins was one of the main reasons they won they game.

3. Second-Half Dominance

The USA won every game in a second half rout. Even if a team was able to stay with them in the first half, they’d come out of the locker room ready to blow the doors off.

As Coach Kazlouskas of Lithuania put it after his team’s loss to the US:

“When you're playing US team, you cannot lose control for one minute."

#DRYVTour 2014: Checkin’ in with our Alphas

by Jaimie Canterbury

During the #DRYVTour we had the opportunity to stop in and visit with a few of our Alpha basketball skills trainers. These guys are some of the best trainers in the country, and when we show up they always have something new and interesting for us to see!

Gilbert Abraham, Akin Athletics

On one trip back to Atlanta we stopped in Dillon S.C. to attend POINT 3 Alpha Gilbert Abraham’s workout. Gilbert is hard nosed, and by no means is he for the weak-hearted. His workouts are intense!

When we stopped in, Gilbert was running one group training for about 30 kids, followed by an elite session with three top prospects. He ran them hard!

Off the court Gilbert is the nicest guy ever. On the court he’ll eat you for lunch if you show any sign of weakness! His kids respond to him well, though.

You can follow Gilbert on Twitter, Instagram, or visit his web site for more info!

Mark Adams, Mark Adams Basketball

We were up in the Raleigh, NC, area for the NC Championship tourney, and we stopped in with one of our most active Alphas, Mark Adams. Mark trains everyone from NBA players down to juniors, and he travels around the country (and even the world!) leading workouts.

Mark's son Riley was playing in the NC Championship tourney, but after Riley’s team lost in the tournament, he and his dad got right back to work. Riley was working out with another promising young point guard, Juan Munoz, and the two promising guards worked on everything from advanced dribble moves to different layup packages and scoring angles.

Mark is very active on Twitter and Instagram, and you can find some of his gear at his web site, too

David Anderson, Foundation Basketball

During one of our DC trips we took a trip down to Richmond VA to link up with POINT 3 Alpha David Anderson. David runs a training organization called Foundation Basketball, specializing in everything from 4 year olds all the way up through pro skills training.

David and his staff held a group training session and invited us to sit in and sell gear at his gym for the day. The parents loved the gear and we got a chance to see some exciting workouts. Two of David’s rising 9^th graders who had just learned to dunk started throwing down on kids, so he put the two in a fast break drill and man was it was a sight to see.

You can check out David’s web site or follow him on Twitter as well!

Look for much more content from our Alphas in the near future!

One-Handed Ballplayer Omar Ndiaye - Who Will Give Him a Shot?

Rob Dauster of NBC Sports Talk recently shared the story of Omar Ndiaye, a one-handed high school point guard from New Mexico.

As reported in the article, Ndiaye saw the stories last spring about Zach Hodskins, another one-handed player who succeeded in his underdog story and earned a scholarship to play for Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators. That motivated him to try to get his own story out.

As Ndiaye says in the interview:

“When people first see me play, they never expect me to do anything,” Ndiaye said. “When we play new teams that we never played before, they sleep on me and think I’m not going to do anything.”

“It feels really good when people underestimate me and think that I can’t do anything and I surprise them.”

According to the article, Ndiaye doesn't have any offers yet but put together this video in hopes of getting some exposure, which then was picked up by the folks at City League Hoops:

“I feel like if I work really hard for this school year I can do it,” he said. “I have good grades, so if I had a school that was interested in me I could apply there and walk on.”

Here's hopin' that we can do our part in helping to spread the word! Good luck, Omar!