A look into the defensive principles and philosophies behind 3-seed Texas Tech’s impressive run to the Final Four. Final Four Team Previews: Auburn | Virginia | Michigan State Going into this year’s tournament, it was the Virginia Cavaliers’ defense that had everyone talking. But heading into college basketball’s final weekend, all the chatter is about…
Auburn Tigers – Transition Threes
The Auburn Tigers (28-9, #5 Midwest Region) high-powered offensive attack is propelled by transition threes. Let’s look at how they manufacture them. The Auburn Tigers love the three-point shot. The Tigers are sixteenth in the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 38.2% from behind the line. Auburn’s 11.5 three-pointers made per game is tops in the…
NCAA Tournament: Mid-Major Teams Poised to Make Noise
Which mid-major team will bust brackets in this year’s NCAA Tournament? Here’s a look at four candidates poised to pull off upsets. One of my favorite things about the NCAA tournament is seeing how smaller programs stack up against schools from the power conferences. Mid-major teams don’t often get the same publicity as their much larger opponents, but each year…
Baylor Bears Zone Offense
Preview: The Baylor Bears (#9, West Region) will face the Syracuse Orange (#8, West Region) and their vaunted 2-3 Zone in the first round of NCAA play. In general, #8 versus #9 matchups offer intrigue in NCAA first round play. They feature evenly matched teams who had similar seasons and the winner gets a shot at…
Ball Screen Defense: Analyzing Effective Methods
Experimenting with a new ball screen defense in addition to your primary strategy could have huge benefits for your team. What is your team’s primary method for defending a ball screen? I recently asked that question via Twitter poll. What is your team’s primary method for defending a ball screen? (If vote is “other,” please specify.)…
The Throw & Go Handoff
The “Throw & Go” handoff can be an effective two-player action for creating an advantage. Simply put, a throw & go handoff is when a player, typically a guard, passes to another player, typically a big, on the perimeter and chases their pass for a handoff. The guard throws a pass and goes immediately into a handoff…
Perth Wildcats – Developing a Series Around Flex Action
The Perth Wildcats, the top team in Australia, uses the classic Flex action as the basis for a series with multiple options and counters. The 2018-19 Australian NBL regular season is complete. It was the most competitive season in history of the league, with plenty of unpredictable results and close games. As it stands, Perth Wildcats…
MoraBanc Andorra: Early Offense and Half Court Series
A look at the concepts and plays from coach Ibon Navarro that has his MoraBanc Andorra team scoring 90+ points per game. The end of 2018 was a great time for MoraBanc Andorra of the Spanish ACB league. The team grabbed some big wins against Real Madrid and Baskonia, and also was perfect in EuroCup play with…
Pack Line Playbook: Post Defense
Three post defense concepts – walling up, choking the post and post traps – from the Pack Line defense. The focal point of post defense within Pack Line principles is to limit deep catches. Pack Line teams want to keep the ball out of the “Post Box” altogether (see diagram below). When the ball does…
Pin Down Series: How Real Madrid Creates Open Shots
Down screen, pin down or coming off screen – whatever you call it, Real Madrid creates numerous open looks with the action. The reigning EuroLeague Champion, Real Madrid, are looking for a second title in a row. This season the squad is off to a great start in league play, currently sitting in second place just behind Fenerbahce…