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Monday, February 25, 2019

Basketball: Beating Boeheim's 2-3 Zone, Persist Like the Shaolin

Persistence is power. This story from the Shaolin monks teaches power through small actions and patience. 

Syracuse has one of the best 2-3 zone defenses in basketball. How would Boeheim beat Boeheim? 



Coach Boeheim attacks the Syracuse zone. Ball reversal with "hard passes" and recognition gets an inside attack. 



Diagrammatically



Coach Nick discusses 'traditional' individual and team zone attack principles:
1) Drive into gaps to Draw 2
2) Dribble over, pass behind

a) 1-3-1 set
b) Low player in slot
c) High post player goes ball side
d) High post looks for seam to pass
e) Ball reversal distorts  zone 
f) If pass to slot low, wing cutter clears defense for high post cutter
g) If pass to high post, wing cutter moves defense and slot comes up



The diagrams show the initial options. 

Tom Izzo's Michigan State "Fist Down" offense attacks the middle of the zone. Click through to read the CoachesClipboard.net explanation. It's not kid stuff. 

Via Basketball Immersion, here's a video informing a 2-on-1 via a wing ball screen. 




Here's a diagram of how a ball screen creates a weak side 2-on-1. 
Coach Nick also discusses what works against Syracuse. 



"Gonzaga used a two guard front to force Syracuse to match up." 


With a strong post player, x5 shaded to 5 and Gonzaga got a sneaky baseline cut. We're small at the 1s, so I'm not sure we could make this pass. 


Gonzaga was unpredictable, occupied low defenders, pressuring the middle with their strong post game.