Basketball Friday examines concepts, a drill, and a set play. Install a defense that works for you. No "best" system exists. Score a steal today.
What considerations belong?
- Who are your defenders (size, athleticism, basketball IQ)?
- What can you teach?
- Can your players cope with more freedom or do they need more structure?
- How to measure effectiveness?
- When to change?
- Do what you do well.
- Limit what opponents do well.
- What if? (E.g. coping with foul trouble, injury, etc.)
Regardless of your system, technique beats tactics. Players will need to learn perimeter and post defense, defending closeouts and pick-and-roll, and to finish possessions with rebounding and 'safe' conversion to offense.
With my last middle school group, we mostly played man-to-man defense. I wanted to add run-and-jump principles for an alternative full court press. We never showed an aptitude for it.
I adhere to Kevin Eastman's philosophy, "do it better, do it harder, change personnel, and #$%& it ain't working" (*change tactics).
We changed from all man to a triangle and two late in the season because that covered our inability to stop dribble penetration. The guards limited open three pointers and had "protection" from shot blockers on the back line.
"Know your NOs." - Kevin Eastman
- No penetration (drives/passes)
- No middle
- No uncontested shots (challenge shots without fouling, e.g. a jump shot)
- No second shots
- No transition baskets (how many to the glass, who?)
Develop your system. Almost fifty years ago we played multiple defenses en route to a 21-4 season and a Division 1 sectional championship. In retrospect, it was likely a combination of UNC and UCLA philosophies. We lost four games by a total of seven points.
Terminology. We used the first digit to describe the defense and the second the extension of the defense.
First digit
10-20s Tight Man
30-40s 1-2-2
50-60s 1-3-1
70s 2-1-2
80s 2-2-1
Second digit
1 = 1/4 court
2 = 1/2 court
3 = 3/4 court
4 = full court
Base defenses
11 - Tight man (half court defense; denial on dead dribble)
51 - 1-3-1
71 - 2-1-2
81 - sagging man (fall back from 83)
Pressing defenses
14 - full court man
83 - 2-2-1 UCLA 3/4 court trap allowing the first pass in
54 - "Diamond" 1-2-1-1 full court trap
Red - full court man, run-and-jump. When trailing, we often but not exclusively ran the run-and-jump defense. I sometimes call it "trap and switch" to help players see the defense. 83 fell back to 81, sagging man.
Drill. I prefer to show drills that we actually use. Here's an Auriemma combo drill into rebounding battle drill.
Set Play. Coach Obradovic draws up a master stroke. T- CDR (triangle, cross-screen, down-screen, roll).
Lagniappe. Pete Carril quote:
