Wayne Morgan: The Philosophy of Changing Defenses and the 2-3 Zone

with Wayne Morgan,
former Iowa State University Head Coach

As a long-time assistant at Syracuse University for Jim Boeheim, Wayne Morgan became a student of the zone defense. By putting the zone in action as a head coach, the aggressive 2-3 zone has become his trademark. In this on the floor clinic, the basic alignment of the zone is put in place. The framework of the zone will be built around the emphasis on shooters, while players are given individual roles and areas of coverage on the floor. On a corner pass, the short slide and long slide can be used as a way to front the post. Trapping is another option in this zone. The "Four trap" is a corner trap as the ball is passed from wing to corner. By breaking the zone down, Morgan is able to teach the perimeter part of the zone with great detail. He demonstrates a 3-on-2 drill that is a building block of a strong zone. The front line develops with the Bigs Breakdown drill. This is a 5-on-3 drill that forces the defenders to cover several areas on the floor and keep the ball out of the middle. Companion zones are the 1-2-2 and 1-3-1 zone defense. Both can be mixed with the 2-3 or serve as a solid defense itself.

68 minutes. 2006.

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