Relationship between talent identification and change of direction in young basketball players

Abstract

Study purpose. Regarding Talent identification (TID) programs, which are an integral part of the selection process for elite-level athletes, the authors detected a lack of evidence, as surprisingly little research has been conducted to elucidate the effects of Change of Direction (COD) test performance on TID in basketball. This study aimed to: i) analyze the anthropometrical measures, performance variables of COD and talents values of each basketball player, ii) conduct through a COD test, a talent identification procedure in basketball, and iii) run a correlation analysis to try to explain the relationship between COD test and basketball talent through either offensive and defensive skills. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on nineteen youth basketball players (age = 15.68 ± 1.20 years; height = 188.84 ± 5.81 cm, and weight= of 75.74 ± 8.37 kg) with at least 3 years of experience. To assess the overall performance of the selected players, a questionnaire regarding either offense or defense variable was used. In addition, players were required to perform V-Cut, 5-0-5 and Illinois Dribbling tests. Single beam photocells (Chronojump Boscosystem) were used and 3D motion capture system with a video camera set at 210 Hz (CASIO EX-ZR800) recorded the entire action. Results. Findings point out that the players’ COD test result correlates positively [505 test (Contact time, r = 0.62, p = 0.004 and COD deficit, r = 0.55, p = 0.01) and Illinois Dribbling test [velocity (r = 0.45, p = 0.04)] with offensive skills whilst it correlates negatively [Illinois Dribbling test (r = -0.46, p = 0.04)] with defensive skills. Conclusions. This study highlights the importance to perform a multidisciplinary approach considering either the coaches’ assessment and players’ COD performance to provide relevant information for TID.