Athleticism as Predictors of Basketball Performance

INTRODUCTION: Rebounds per game are indicative of performance in basketball. Teams gain or maintain possession of the ball through rebounding. The purpose of this study was to identify the contribution of specific components of athleticism to rebound performance. METHODS: Average rebounds per game was used for performance from most recent competitive seasons. Aspects of athleticism were identified through a combination of seven performance tests: maximum vertical jump, reactive strength index, seated medicine ball chest pass, flying 10-yard sprint, isometric mid-thigh pull, 2-minute hurdle jump, and a reactive/cognitive agility test. RESULTS: Participants (n=14) from the Men’s varsity Basketball team (mean age: 20.07 ± 1.38 years; height: 75.42 ± 2.26 in; weight: 192.55 ± 26.05 lbs) averaged [3.82 ± 1.89] rebounds per game. There was no significant effect of specific aspects of athleticism on rebound performance: [F(2,10) = 0.3352, p=0.723.]. DISCUSSION: The results of this study suggest that athleticism is not related to rebound performance in basketball. Past research suggests a correlation between athleticism and cognition on basketball performance (Mangine et al., 2014). Future research should further examine how individual aspects of athleticism may relate to performance. Limitations for this study include self-reported rebound data and data collection across different seasons.