The Complete Guide to Man-to-Man Defense

with Kevin O'Neill,
former University of Arizona Interim Head Coach

Coach O'Neill's three cornerstones of man-to-man defense are; no easy baskets, no open threes and contested twos. O'Neill is a "run back" guy in terms of defensive transition, meaning three players sprint back on defense as soon as the shot is taken. Half court defense starts by forcing the ball to a side. At this point there is a strong side and a weak side. Weak side players are positioned in the middle of the floor for help. O'Neill believes that a team's defensive effectiveness is measured by their ability to scramble and pick up. To illustrate this, the 5-on-4 drill puts pressure on the defense by being at a one man disadvantage. This drill is done in the half court and full court, including the switch and change call. The 5-on-5 full court forces both teams to defend the basket and not give up easy shots. O'Neill teaches the keys to half court man-to-man defense, focusing on stance and trapping. Pick and roll defense includes the blitz, a hard double team on the ball handing guard. An important point is to give the offense just one way to go, especially on the ball screens. Show-High-Low is a technique for defending the on ball screen on top of the floor.

58 minutes. 2008.

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