title: The importance of open- and closed-skill agility for team selection of adult male basketball players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Open-skill agility qualities have yet to be described in adult male basketball players. Further, the importance of open- and closed-skill agility for team selection remains unknown. Thus, this study aimed to: 1) describe the open- and closed-skill agility of adult male basketball players; and 2) compare these properties between starting and non-starting players.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional between-group design was used. Six starting (playing time: 30.1 ± 8.8 min; age: 30.5 ± 4.8 years; height: 192.1 ± 7.7 cm; body mass: 100.5 ± 15.0 kg; VO(2max): 48.4 ± 6.6 mL∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹) and six non-starting (4.3 ± 3.6 min; 21.3 ± 5 years; 185.7 ± 7.4 cm; 94.4 ± 17.9 kg; 50.6 ± 3.9 mL∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹) state-level basketball players completed multiple trials for the Change of Direction Speed Test (CODST) and Reactive Agility Test (RAT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant between-group differences were evident for CODST movement time (starters: 1.652 ± 0.047 s; non-starters: 1.626 ± 0.040 s, P=0.68), RAT response time (starters: 307.5 ± 100.5 ms; non-starters: 426.5 ± 140.7 ms, P=0.12), and RAT decision-making time (starters: 110.7 ± 11.0 ms; non-starters: 147.3 ± 14.2 ms, P=0.08). However, starters (2.001 ± 0.051 s) possessed significantly (P=0.02) faster RAT total movement times than non-starters (2.182 ± 0.040 s).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support the utility of perceptual and cognitive components of agility performance in distinguishing starting from non-starting players in basketball. Consequently, basketball coaching and conditioning staff should incorporate sport-specific reactive training drills for all players during the annual conditioning plan.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Social Science Research, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia - a.scanlan@cqu.edu.au.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Scanlan
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Dalbo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult