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Saturday, March 4, 2023

Video Breakdown: 1/16 Matchup in the Massachusetts State Tournament

Learn from the "Truth Machine." As per previous film breakdowns, I stick to a thirteen clip limit. 

1. "Basketball is a game of matchups." Catholic Memorial immediately finds their 6'7" center in the post.  


2. Every possession matters. Winchester falls behind 11-0, but takes advantage of a defensive mistake to get an icebreaking three. The defenders didn't switch or stay.
  


3. Ball containment, there is no substitute. Explosive drive off of a "load step/negative step." 



4. There are no small plays. The defender does "enough" to stop the back door cut which helps result in a stop. We never know when multiple efforts will change a game. 



5. Current basketball in one play. The dribble gets an edge and the help ends up freeing up an open three. 



6. Crafty BOB pindown, double screen slip gets defense tangled up. 


7. "Thinking in Bets" by Annie Duke discusses probability in decision-making. The big guy is working hard and the guards like a 22 footer better. The shot is not close. It's easier in hindsight. 



8. Develop versatile finishes. Learn to attack from either side and finish from either side off one or two feet. 



9.  A dribble handoff is coming and the defense isn't fully alert AND the driver again uses the load step to accelerate to the basket. 



10.BOB set up with the low box popping. I see this and immediately think, "America's Play" with the inbounder popping to the corner. The defense seems alert to it and fights hard to disrupt the play which ends with a bad pass. 




11.Key sequence... SLOB, ATO for Winchester. They run Iverson Action into a high ball screen and get a Corner 3 as the defender loses his man. Good action from the driver. "Great offense is multiple actions."



12.Another key play as the defense again gets confused as to whether to switch or stay. As a result they are forced into a longer closeout and Winchester nails a three.
 

13."Threes are wild." Winchester made more threes than twos in this game (12 vs 10). It's hard for defenses to adjust and have shorter closeouts and you have to give 'shotmaking' credit, too.
 

Winchester achieved that rarest of all birds, the 16 takes out number 1 and did it by outplaying the top seed.