Warmup from South America. I heard fans asking "what is that?" Woburn ran the half court Argentina passing drill pregame. It looked snappy. In the original (full-court version), players had fistfights NOT to be on the corner diagonals.
Drill starts just after 1:30.
You wouldn't know from the final score, but both teams struggled...in different ways...during the first half.
Windex. Our high school's center was out with illness and Woburn owned the glass, but shot poorly, leading 19-10 at halftime in what should have been a twenty-plus point lead. They missed at least ten layups in the first half. Everyone can't practice layups enough.
Change it up. The Tanners varied their pressure between full court man with face guarding/full denial and 2-2-1 three quarter trap ("classic" UCLA press). In the first half, they generated few turnovers but disrupted early offense (in a shot clock state).
Gift Horse sense. Our club shot 4 for 13 at the line, and converted only one point from four 1-and-1 opportunities. Of sixteen possible points, free throw shooting yielded four.
"Technique beats tactics," says Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Woburn ran multiple offenses, many with the same theme (pound it inside):
- High low actions attacked Melrose's lack of height
- Horns high ball screens exposed pick-and-roll defense without size
- "Two-man game" (wing-post inside-outside action)
- Flex (infrequently) generated one open elbow jumper on the down screen.
Woburn coaches Steve Sullivan and Bill Cantillon have shown strategic excellence over years. Despite two lanky freshmen in their rotation, Woburn finishing struggled in the paint (in the first half) amidst plenty of chances.
What about BOB?
Woburn used another variation of "baseline overload" as a primary BOB. They got open shots.
Melrose scored on their version of "America's Play" on a corner 3. We've all see variations.
"Impact the game." How will one team wear down the other? The Woburn defense dictated the tempo and outcome. Consistent ball pressure and intensity in the second half forced turnovers breaking the game open.
Man or zone? Melrose switched to 2-3 zone in the second half. Woburn outscored Melrose 23-2 in the third quarter. Nothing went well for one team while the other prospered. When they assumed a twenty point lead, Woburn discontinued the press.
Big four questions from Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment:
- What went well? Not a lot. Melrose's backup freshman center Chloe Gentile had three blocks and a handful of rebounds demonstrating some potential and Kira Mate' scored six points in nine minutes of second half action.
- What went poorly? Press break struggled. Woburn prevented ball penetration, ball reversal, and points.
- What could we do differently/better? Handle pressure, attack the basket
- What are the enduring lessons? Against intense man pressure, screens and backdoor cuts often create separation
Lagniappe: Remind players "the ball is a camera." If you want to be seen (to receive passes) relocate into passing lanes.
Lagniappe 2: Defending the Flex Cut