Video is the truth machine. Let's see what it reveals about Andover using recent public domain game film against top-ranked BC High. As Yogi Berra said, "Sometimes you can observe a lot by just watching."
Let's examine:
- Transition defense
- Half court defense
- Half court offense
- Special situations
- Pick-and-roll coverage
- Personnel observations
Ball screen with hedge/show/fake trap. The on-ball defender and help get beaten.
Andover offense. Drive and post #52
Andover BOB. Sequential inside off-ball screens, physically set. "The bank is always open."
Andover conversion-transition defense. BC High's explosive transition exploits Andover on sequential possessions.
Andover zone offense.
Andover man defense. All strong man defense begins with ball pressure and ball containment. Some teach "nose on chest" or "crawl up into them" or "don't back down." Andover seems understandably concerned about the explosiveness of BCH.
Andover offense. They adhere to the conventional wisdom that an early open look is a good look.
Andover offense. 4 out, 1 in with aggressive dribble drive nets two free throws.
Andover offense. #52 on isolation. Infrequently passes.
Andover zone defense. This possession showed passive, flat-footed, relatively upright defense. Perhaps they were dispirited by the BC High talent.
Personal observations.
- Never overgeneralize based on a small sample size.
- Beware "recency" bias.
- Remember the Earl Weaver adage, "you're never as good as you look when you win or as bad as you look when you lose."
- Andover didn't use a lot of sets in this game and emphasized the conventional wisdom of threes and drives with some isolation for #52.
Lagniappe. Master the crossover...change of direction, explosive change of pace.