Specific Physical Ability Prediction in Youth Basketball Players According to Playing Position

Jelena Ivanović; Filip Kukić; Gianpiero Greco; Nenad Koropanovski; Saša Jakovljević; Milivoj Dopsaj

doi:10.3390/ijerph19020977

Specific Physical Ability Prediction in Youth Basketball Players According to Playing Position

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 16;19(2):977. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19020977.

Authors

Jelena Ivanović^{1

2}, Filip Kukić³, Gianpiero Greco⁴, Nenad Koropanovski⁵, Saša Jakovljević⁶, Milivoj Dopsaj^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Serbian Institute for Sport and Sports Medicine, 72 Kneza Višeslava Street, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia.
² Faculty of Sport, University "Union-Nikola Tesla", Narodnih Heroja 30/I, 11070 Belgrade, Serbia.
³ Police Sports Education Center, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi 253, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Study of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy.
⁵ Department of Criminalistics, University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁶ Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, Belgrade University, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁷ Institute of Sport, Tourism and Service, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Abstract

This study investigated the hierarchical structure of physical characteristics in elite young (i.e., U17-U19) basketball players according to playing positions. In addition, their predictive value of physical characteristics was determined for the evaluation of players' physical preparedness. Sixty elite male basketball players performed 13 standardized specific field tests in order to assess the explosive power of lower limbs, speed, and change-of-direction speed. They were divided into three groups according to playing positions (guard [n = 28], forward [n = 22], center [n = 10]). The basic characteristics of the tested sample were: age = 17.36 ± 1.04 years, body height = 192.80 ± 4.49 cm, body mass = 79.83 ± 6.94 kg, and basketball experience = 9.38 ± 2.10 years for guards; age = 18.00 ± 1.00 years, body height = 201.48 ± 3.14 cm, body mass = 90.93 ± 9.85 kg, and basketball experience = 9.93 ± 2.28 years for forwards; and age = 17.60 ± 1.43 years; body height = 207.20 ± 3.29 cm, body mass = 104.00 ± 9.64 kg, and basketball experience = 9.20 ± 1.62 years for centers. For all playing positions factor analysis extracted three factors, which cumulatively explained 76.87, 88.12 and 87.63% of variance, respectively. The assessed performance measures were defined as significant (p < 0.001), with regression models of physical performance index (PP_INDEX). PP_INDEX of guards = -6.860 + (0.932 × t-test) - (1.656 × Acceleration 15 m) - (0.020 × Countermovement jump); PP_INDEX of forwards = -3.436 - (0.046 × Countermovement jump with arm swing) - (1.295 × Acceleration 15 m) + (0.582 × Control of dribbling); PP_INDEX of centers = -4.126 + (0.604 × Control of dribbling) - (1.315 × Acceleration 15 m) - (0.037 × Sargent jump). A model for the evaluation of physical performance of young basketball players has been defined. In addition, this model could be used as a reference model for selection procedures, as well as to monitor the efficacy of applied training programmes within the short, medium and long-term periodization.

Keywords: center; change of direction speed test; forward; guard; measurement; power test; speed test.

MeSH terms

Acceleration
Adolescent
Adult
Athletic Performance*
Basketball*
Body Height
Humans
Lower Extremity
Male
Young Adult