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Teams equipped with smaller, less athletic players often face an uphill challenge when they go up against bigger, more powerful squads. However, teams can still turn this perceived weakness into a strength by implementing specific strategies and sets on the basketball floor.
With 2010-11 Naismith National High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year Kevin Boyle leading the way, learn about different ways you can win with undersized players. Boyle provides an overview of his offense before getting into specific team drills to practice the key concepts.
For undersized teams, the goal here is to spread the floor after we get over half court. However, the first problem is getting the ball up the court against pressure. You might have a lot of trouble even getting into your sets and plays.
First, you want to stretch high and wide full court against a more athletic team. Stay out of the corners so that guys have the opportunity to fade to the corners and drive when necessary. Second, look to keep 15 to 18-foot spacing between guards and 15 to 18-foot spacing between the wings.
With this first motion offense, we have a few simple rules: 1) If you pass below, you cut through, 2) If there is no post player on the ballside, aim for an inside cut looking for a layup or quick cut behind the defender, 3) When the passer cuts, the opposite guard fills in for him and the opposite wing fills in for the opposite guard, 4) If you pass the ball out, replace yourself, and 5) If you pass across, cut to the rim hard and fill the wing’s spot on the same side. Or, after passing across, look to get a little flare screen with the wing player screening for the cutter. You can also pass across and then screen down.
With these rules, you learn about spacing, cutting, and some simple rules to teach kids how to space the floor (especially against teams that are bigger, longer, and more athletic). The goal here is that we want to create good space for backdoors and gap dribbles.
If you feed the post, look to make a banana cut to the elbow with space, have players fill, and then pass it back out for the three-point attempt. It really makes a difference if you take the opponent’s big man away from the basket by having a high post instead of a low post. Remember, we aren’t screening a lot with this set because we’re relying on cutting.
Get two lines of players, one at the top of the key and near half court and the other on the ballside wing. Players on the wing will sprint off the screen and V-cut toward the pass. Look to create spacing.
Players will catch the pass, rip it, dribble hard towards the paint, jump stop, and then dish out to a flaring wing player in the corner. After players pass the ball, they should backpedal beyond the three-point line (for defensive balance).
The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Kevin Boyle: How to Win with Undersized Players.” To check out more videos featuring set plays and drills, click here.
A team that controls the transition game will keep opponents on their toes and have a major edge in coming away with victories. In this week’s team development feature, learn different ways to improve your transition game and take your offense to a new level.
Sinclair (OH) head men’s basketball coach Jeff Price breaks down his transition offense for you before showcasing a few drills that emphasize key areas. With an emphasis placed on playing fast-paced basketball, this offense should go a long way towards improving your team’s scoring ability. This versatile system can also be used to transition into any half-court offense.
Here’s how we start out. The point guard gets the ball and pushes it up the floor as hard as he can go. We also have a 2 or 3 in the strongside corner (so we can advance the ball as fast as we can with the pass). Meanwhile, our other 2 or 3 player is in the weakside corner looking to balance the floor. The 1, 2, and 3 players are all interchangeable.
Also, 4 and 5 are interchangeable, but have much different roles. The first person down without the ball is going rim-to-rim (also known as a “rim runner”), looking to go to the strongside and post up. The “trailer” will trail and stay even with the ball as it gets advanced up the floor. Once the point guard passes to the corner, our first look is a shot in the corner and to get a shot as fast as possible. This puts a lot of pressure on the defense.
Our second look is a good post-up above the block and trying to get a 1-on-1 isolation in transition. If we don’t get this, we can reverse the ball back to the point guard. Our trailer is now into the play and the ball goes to him. Next, the big comes to the middle of the floor at the free throw line, our opposite wing player now moves to the weakside block, and the strongside off-guard does a V-cut to get open and pops out. The ball goes to him.
The big man follows the ball and slides to the low block. Once this happens, the weakside guard now moves up and makes a backscreen for the trailer/forward for a lob going right to the rim. If we don’t get that, the screener pops out, we got bigs on both blocks, the ball gets reversed to our point guard, and then we go right into our man-to-man offense.
Note: We’ve only spent seven seconds getting into our offense running transition.
The goal with this offense is that we want to get our guys down the floor as fast as possible and get into scoring position. Here in this drill, we want to use a coach as a passer and simulate the 2 or 3 running the floor and catching the ball and making a shot or making a move.
First, start with jumpers right off the pass. Players will start at mid-court, pass to the coach at the top of the key, get the ball back in the corner, and immediately turn and shoot (right off the pass). This is a great drill to get loose and mimics game situations. Remember to always have shot-ready hands. This drill also simulates staying wide and outside the three-point line. Don’t forget that once you make the pass, you should be sprinting. It shouldn’t be a 3/4 sprint.
Next, to simulate game-type shots even further, let’s have players move into sweep through jump shots to the short corner. Be sure to square up when you shoot.
Finally, set up in a free throw situation. Look to run off a make or miss. If it’s a make, have the 4 or 5 get the ball out of bounds. Take the ball out below the backboard and get the ball out quick. The point guard must make himself available and call for the ball. Meanwhile, 2 and 3 will release to space the floor.
Breakdown: Release the ball to a wing jumper. Be sure to crash the boards. We want either a solid three-point shot or a 15-foot jumper. Then switch to sweep through jumpers with one dribble to the baseline to close out the drill.
Goal: Touch 60 percent of all missed shots. Always look to get to your rebounding spots.
The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Comprehensive Guide to Transition Offense” featuring Jeff Price. To check out more transition offense and fast break videos, simply visit our basketball library.
Looking to add a few wrinkles to the basketball playbook this season? With defensive techniques becoming more complex and diverse, it’s key that coaches are equipped with a variety of creative set plays they can call upon for any offensive situation. Be sure to read the following offensive plays designed to attack man-to-man defenses. Check out a diagram of each play to see how they should be conducted before watching the play simulated live by a real team on the basketball court.
Submitted by Eddie Sutton, Former Head Coach at Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Oklahoma
The Set-up: The point guard starts up top with the ball. The player you want shooting should be on the right wing. Your two best rebounders should be on the left-hand side of the court, with one on the left block and another on the left wing.
The Action: The point guard dribbles to the right-hand side of the floor. The low block player on the strong side pops up and screens for the strong-side wing player. The player on the wing uses the screen and breaks toward the basket but continues to cut along the baseline and then cuts around staggered screens set by the two weakside players. He pops up behind the opposite three-point line.
The Finish: The PG throws a skip pass to the player coming off the double screen and proceeds to shoot the three-pointer. The two low screeners should also be in good position to crash the boards.
Submitted by Greg Goodwin, Former Girls’ Head Coach at Absegami High School, Absecon, New Jersey
The Set-up: 1 starts up top with the ball. 3 and 4 are on opposite elbows and 5 and 2 are on opposite low blocks (5 and 3 weakside).
The Action: 1 dribbles to a spot just about opposite of 5. 2 screen across hoping for a switch by the defenders. 1 looks for 5 coming across the baseline for a possible post-up scoring opportunity.
The Finish: If 5 doesn’t get the ball, 3 and 4 set staggered screens for 2, who comes to the top of the key looking for a jumper or drive to the hoop. If 2 doesn’t have the outside shot, 1 and 3 set down screens for 4 and 5.
The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Over 60 Plays to Attack Man-to-Man Defenses” by Winning Hoops. To check out more plays and drills in the Winning Hoops collection, visit our exclusive basketball library.
Now in the midst of his fourth season as head men’s basketball coach at Williams College (MA), Mike Maker has certainly made his presence felt at the Division III level. A longtime Div. I assistant for programs like West Virginia and Creighton, Maker has produced an overall record of 90-17 in his short tenure at Williams, leading the program to a pair of Final Four appearances, and earning NESCAC Coach of the Year honors in 2010.
In the latest edition of Coaches Corner, Championship Productions editor Adam Warner sits down with the Ephs’ head coach. Maker details some of his all-time favorite drills, reveals why he made the switch to Div. III hoops, and also dishes out advice for players and fellow coaches around the country.
AW: Your squad is currently 13-3 and about to enter into the bulk of its conference schedule. Talk about the current campaign so far. How would you assess the season right now?
MM: “It’s been an interesting year. We’ve had a lot of hurdles placed in front of us in regards to injuries, but I think our men have handled it well. We’ve had three setbacks and each time the next game we have bounced back. They are resilient. I’m confident in the guys and hopefully we are as close to being healthy as we have been all season and ready to make a run late in the season.”
Who do you see as your toughest foes to beat in order to capture that elusive national championship?
“For us it’s about getting better each day. It’s not about what team we play. That’s been our theme for the last few weeks. We value each day and see it as an opportunity to compete in practice and get better. We have one of the most challenging schedules in the country. In my opinion, we play in the best conference in all of Division III — one with deep talent — and we need to be at our best.”
Can you take readers through a typical week of practice? How does the format change from the preseason or early season?
“Each year is different. We accumulate a lot of information from previous seasons. It’s my fourth year here and we haven’t done the same thing this year as previous years. This week, it’s about us. We play Skidmore tonight at home. This week, we’ve done a lot of film work, making lots of corrections, and working on getting better quality shots. Our three-point shooting isn’t close to what we are accustomed to, so we are working hard offensively to get better.”
How would you describe a typical Mike Maker practice?
“I’ve had a lot of mentors and I’ve learned a lot from each of them. My practices are similar to Coach (John) Beilein’s at West Virginia or Michigan. We try to learn a lot from him and have adopted a lot of his concepts. Our team tries to be very skilled-oriented and we work hard on the offensive end of the floor — concepts like dribbling, passing, five guys playing as one, and shooting a high percentage from the field.
We want to be aggressive offensively and score in the 80s, shoot 50 percent from the field, and make more free throws than our opponents attempt. We’ve been doing that except for the last few weeks and we hope to get that confidence and rhythm back. Defensively, we’ve been good by the numbers. It’s been solid this year. We don’t try to steal, rather, we try to keep people in front of us, protect the basket, and keep teams off the foul line.”
What’s the key to motivating players throughout a long season – especially during tough stretches?
“My job is easy. I have highly motivated players and great assistants. I think I’ve surrounding myself with quality people who are motivated – -especially when it comes to community, the classroom, and basketball. We have a rich basketball tradition here. It doesn’t supersede the academic experience, but it’s important. We have 15 players that don’t put themselves above the team agenda. Our assistants add so much to the team and are great role models for our players. We try to embrace each day and try to get better.”
Talk about some of your favorite all-time drills. Why are they so effective?
“I learned a number of them under Coach Beilein at West Virginia. Our drills reflect our offensive schemes. For instance, we do a lot of layups, driving layups, and backdoor layups from various angles. We use our dominant hand around the rim, no matter which side of the rim we are at. We take a lot of shots in practice from behind the arc in various ways. It could be two guys and one ball, team shooting, and a lot of shooting off the catch.”
Can you recall a favorite drill of your players?
“It’s the Moneyball shooting drill. It’s highly competitive and game-like and involves shot fakes, drives, starting and stopping your dribble without traveling, and passing to teammates. Each player takes four shots. One shot is worth three points, and the rest are worth one point. It really simulates late-game situations, too.”
After roughly 17 years as a coach at the Division I level, why did you decide to make the switch to Division III?
“I didn’t look at it as a Division III job, but as a premier job at any level. With its academic reputation and rich basketball tradition, Williams is like Duke of Division III. I grew up an hour south of Stanford in California, so if I can’t be the coach there or at Duke, I can’t imagine a better place to coach than Williams. I believe I’m surrounded by highly-motivated student athletes who use basketball as a vehicle to get the best education in the world. I think I learn as much from my players as they learn from me.”
What’s unique about coaching at the Division III level?
“Well, coming from Division I, you can’t start practice until November 1 in the NESCAC, and you’re not allowed to do individual fall or spring workouts – and I love to teach. Yet, the model is a healthy one in regards to fostering a positive overall experience for individual student athletes. There’s not an overemphasis on athletics.”
What do you look for in the ultimate basketball player?
“I want someone who is highly passionate about basketball, has a high basketball IQ, a good teammate, and has a certain toughness about them. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack with the parameters we have here academically, but I enjoy the challenge of finding young men that fit the cores values of our institution, can thrive here, and fit into what we’re trying to do as a basketball program. I look for skilled players that put the team first; young men with good vision that share the ball.”
What’s some of the best advice you can give to an aspiring coach or new coach in basketball?
“Put the kids first. I’ve learned from my coaches that you’re teachers first. It’s a wonderful profession to mold young people and learn life lessons through sport. Basketball is a great vehicle for that. Also, learn how to handle success with humility and how to handle adversity when life throws you a curveball. This is a great venue to do that as an educator.”
What do you consider your greatest achievement as coach to date?
“I’ve been really lucky. I have one of the best jobs in the country and I feel blessed. I’ve had some high and low moments personally, but I think the best one in basketball was actually as a sibling and watching my brother (Wyatt) cut down the nets on the 1985 Villanova championship team.”
To check out Maker’s exclusive Championship Productions DVD, click here. To read more Q&A’s featuring some of the nation’s top coaches and instructors, click here.
With Rutgers University head men’s basketball coach Mike Rice as your guide, learn how to maximize your zone offense efficiency and train your players how to become instinctive to attacking zone defenses. The goal here is that after mastering these drills, your players should become better players against zone. Plus, they’ll be able to read defenses better and react to them, making them complete players for any system.
Efficient passing is a necessity when it comes to attacking the zone. As a team, you want to attack the paint, collapse the defense, and then finish the play from there. While this is a great passing drill for anything really, it is especially helpful for reading the defense. For coach Rice, if Rutgers is about to play a zone team, this is the drill that the squad starts out practice with. It gets players to keep their heads up, make ball fakes, play low, and understand who is open.
Four players start out on the blocks and elbows and three other players begin in the middle of the paint. One defender is closing out to the ball, and the other two players play how they want but must get in the passing lanes. The only rule is that the defense has to play the ball and be active. Coach Rice often implements the rule that after eight passes, if the defense deflects the ball, they put a point on the board.
Start with three lines of players around the arc. The drill begins with a pass to an adjacent player, he makes a shot fake or ball fake, and then immediately gets into a gap. Coach Rice will often use coaches or even chairs so that players can effectively get into the gaps.
Next, players will kick out the ball to an adjacent player. From there, players can either fade and pivot or go behind their teammate from there. Once the ball gets to that third player, he/she will shoot it. A coach will also have a ball on the side and will pass to the middle player for a shot. The only person that doesn’t get a shot here is the player who started the drill.
Tips for Zone Offense: Don’t be lined up exactly where the defense lines up. Remember, a possession in basketball comes down to whether your guys can make better decisions than the opposing players. You do this through drills so it eventually becomes instinctive.
The drill eventually moves into “Next Pass Shooting.” Any of the three offensive players can start out the drill this time. But this time, there’s only one penetration, then a shot fake, a next pass, another pass, and shot. According to Coach Rice, sometimes we over-penetrate, so we need to practice making the drive and short kick.
The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Mike Rice: Zone Offense and Zone Concepts.” To check out more videos focusing on zone basketball, simply head over to our basketball library.
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