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Winning Dead Ball Situations: Three Jump Ball Plays

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Take advantage of jump balls this season to attack and keep your opponent off balance. Follow along as Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reveals three jump ball plays used frequently by the Spartans. By consistently winning the battle of deadball situations, Coach Izzo believes programs can add three or four victories to their win total each season.

Jump Ball Play 1

This first jump ball play is one that Coach Izzo looks to use every game. It’s a play to implement if you’re almost certain to win the tip.

Put your second biggest player facing the jumper. Meanwhile, your best athlete should be parallel to the jumper and the point guard is on the opposite side from your best athlete. Your remaining player will get back deep just in case of a lost jump and transition the other way.

This play is as basic as it gets, but the mentality is to score in every dead ball situation. Every time the clock is stopped, you want to attack right out of it. In this scenario, as the ball is tossed, your best athlete will branch out towards the near sideline, the point guard will branch out toward his near sideline, and the back defender will hold down the fort in the back.

When the second biggest player gets possession of the tip, he will turn and pass it hard with two hands to one of the streaking athletic players. From here, they can look to do a lob play on the fast break for a layup. The minute the ball is tossed, you are gone. As for the lob itself, throw the ball to the block, not to the rim. This really helps with timing.

Play 2

This is a play to use when you believe you’re not going to win the tip. This time put your best shooter parallel to the jumper when starting. The point guard will start way back and hold down the fort.

Now, tip BACKWARDS. In this scenario, you’ll be aiming for a three-pointer or post up right off the tip. The two sideline players will branch out like before. The point guard will get possession off the tip and take it to the left side of the court while the two bigs sprint down to the right side and set a double screen for the best shooter. The shooter will come off of it, one screener will slip, and the other will move to space. From here, the shooter comes around to catch the pass and release a shot.

Play 2 Plus

Once in a while your opponent will start reading what you do. If that happens, start by tipping it backwards. Everything is the same as Play 2 from the onset. However, when the shooter comes off the double screen and it’s not there, he should continue to curl around. Meanwhile, the other shooter moves down to the low block now and the bigs screen down for him. From here, he comes off the double screen and has a variety of options to choose from.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Tom Izzo: Winning Dead Ball Situations.” To check out more videos featuring special situations and inbound plays, simply visit our basketball library.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach Newsletter, Issue #59, jump balls, Michigan State Basketball, special situations & inbounds plays, Tom Izzo

3 Winning Out of Bounds Plays from Tom Izzo

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Follow along as Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reveals three of his program’s top under-the-basket inbounds plays. The plays are designed to give teams many different options in tight situations. They can also be adjusted to go up against both man and zone defenses. Look to add these proven special situation plays to your playbook today!

Special

The Set-up: Get your best shooter to take the ball out under the basket. Get your best screener to start on the ballside low block. Get your next best screener to set up on the opposite lowside block. Meanwhile, the remaining two players are stacked at the free throw line with the point guard in the back. It’s a triangle-like look. You can run this effectively against a man or zone defense.

The Action: Look to enter the ball to your big popping out to the side. Next, the first free throw line guy comes down and sets up a double screen with the opposite low block guy. The point guard pops out up top. The big can now pass to the point guard up top. Next, the big now comes down and sets a screen on the low block.

The Finish: The best shooter can now go either way. If the defense goes over the top on the big, he can step through to the ball and look for the ball down low. If the shooter goes around the double screen, the top screener can do the same thing and flash down low. If he goes off the double screen, you can also have the two screeners screen across for the big, who comes across underneath where you can hit him down low for a layup.

Special Special

This is a terrific play when you want a three-pointer, especially with time winding down at the end of a quarter or half. Everything is basically the same as before except now we put our two bigs on the same side. In other words, put one big as the bottom player in the free throw line stack. This play is also ideal against man and zone defenses.

Next, the (down low) big pops out and gets the ball. Now the big in the stack pops out to the same side wing as the big with the ball. He passes to the point guard up top. Next, the two bigs screen the nearest players on that same side as the inbounder comes around and sets up beyond the three-point arc for a shot on the wing.

SLOB Play – One

The Set-up: Set up two big men facing the sideline inbounder at just about the free throw line. Get another player behind them on the opposite wing. Also, get another player set up on the nearside low block.

The Action: Start by having the low block guy flash and receive the ball. The passer now sprints either over or under (he can go either way) the flasher with the ball. The two big guys at the free throw line make a double screen away for the wing player. Next there’s a pass to the wing player who curls around the screens and gets to the top of the key for a quick shot.

Note: You can screen a number of ways for that double screen (staggered, etc.). The first guy can also slip to the basket while the other one spaces out to the wing to give the ball handler two more options. This spacing really gives you some outside and inside options.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Tom Izzo’s Basketball Smorgasbord.” To check out more videos featuring out of bounds plays and other special situations, visit our basketball library.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach Newsletter, Issue #47, Michigan State Basketball, special situations & inbounds plays, Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo: Proven Tips & Set Plays for Deadball Situations

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

By consistently winning the battle of deadball situations, Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo believes teams can add three to four victories to their win total each season. This area is often overlooked by many coaches but can really pay major dividends for a program. Take advantage of inbound plays, jump balls, and missed free throws this season and find creative ways to attack your opponent.

In this week’s team concepts feature, Coach Izzo reveals many of his proven strategies along with two effective sideline out-of-bounds plays. Izzo truly believes that many of these tips and strategies have played a key role in his program improving from an NIT team and into a NCAA tournament mainstay.

Two Sideline Out-of-Bounds Plays: Overview

Coach Izzo uses these sideline out-of-bounds plays after timeouts and late in games. So why exactly are they such a big deal? Well, when players know they are coming out with a play, it makes them think and focus a little more. After time outs, some guys think it’s time for their shot. For Coach Izzo, it eventually got to be a confidence thing. That’s when the team started winning the close games.

It’s about the attention to detail after a time out or dead ball situation. If you do it and believe it and sell it, it will be helpful. You can come up with three or four more wins during a season and see that these things really make a difference.

The objectives here are simple: score points, punch it inside, go after a player in foul trouble, or post up. Always carry a purpose.

“One” Play

Play Set-up: With “One“, you’ll need your best swingman taking it out of bounds. Three players are stacked at the top of the key facing toward the opposite hoop. The remaining player starts down low at the near low block. Also, your point guard should be a good shooter in this situation.

Play Movements: Now anytime we can get the ball into low post, we will look to do so. First, the low block player should act lazy to the defense and then break hard to the ball. Next, the PG in the stack nearest to the ball loops around the stack and to the opposite wing. Once the ball is passed in to the former low block plater, the inbounder cuts to the hoop close to the player with the ball and looks for a handoff & drive to the hoop.

The remaining two guys in the stack then set a double screen for the far wing player. The wing player comes off the screen and the player low with the ball looks to hit him for a jump shot.

Meanwhile, the closest pick guy slips backdoor to the basket, and the furthest pick guy then spots up on the wing for a three-pointer opportunity.

Tip: This play is great for a late three-pointer at the end of the game or quarter. The options are there for inside and outside chances. Remember, timing is important here.

“Two” Play

Play Set-up: Similar to before, start three players in a stack at the top of the key with your point guard in the middle. Also like before, have another player start out at the low near block. Make sure this player is one of your top shooters.

Play Movements: First, your goal should be to get the ball to the point guard. We’re also looking to post a player and then get a quality jump shot.

In the stack, the guard pops out and receives the pass. He immediately dribbles to the opposite wing area. The passer then cuts toward the hoop and then posts up on the far side block. The two remaining stack players set a double screen for the low block guy. He comes off the screen and sprints up top for a jumper. There should also be a “slip and space tactic” with the two screeners, similar to the first play where one slips backdoor and the other creates space and gets in position for a shot.

The previous clips can be seen in Championship Productions’ DVD “Tom Izzo: Winning Dead Ball Situations.” To check out additional videos featuring special situations and inbound plays, head over to our basketball library.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: Michigan State Basketball, Set Plays, special situations & inbounds plays, Tom Izzo

Two Dynamic Quick-Hitting Zone Plays with Tom Izzo

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, November 16, 2011

In this week’s team development feature, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reveals some of his favorite zone quick-hitting plays. These special situation plays – perfect for quick baskets or change-of-pace looks – have been used with great success by Michigan State over the years. Coach Izzo first breaks down each play before getting players to run through them with a ghost defense and then eventually 5-on-5.

Overview

Remember, these are just quick-hitting plays. They aren’t actual zone plays run to get continuity. We start in a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1 set in our basic offense. For these plays, if we start in a 1-2-2, we can get into the 1-3-1 pretty quickly by flashing the left low player up to the foul line area.

Rule: Never have the point guard and high post player in a tandem.

1-3-1 Special

The 1-3-1 Special can be done two different ways, especially if you have a good point guard shooter or a good 4-man shooter. We will enter the ball to the right-side wing. If we want the shot for our point guard, we call out “Special For Me” and the player taps his chest. The point guard will then run down to the block and post up.

The flash player will now pop out at the top of the key lane extended. The opposite wing player will now rotate up almost lane extended. Next, as the wing player with the ball is looking in down low for the PG, he will then reverse it around the key and the PG will cut baseline and into the opposite corner.

The remaining low-post player will set a screen down low for the PG (if the player fights over the pick, he should step into the middle man in the lane). The PG then receives the pass in the corner and hits the shot.

Adjustments

If the PG isn’t a great shooter, he should make the pass to the wing and then step away to the opposite side of the key. Now, the 4-man (or flasher) will run baseline for the corner shot.

As for the low-block screener, his job is to read the bottom guy in the zone because the zone has been shifted. If he steps out, then you must step into that middle guy. You can look to receive a pass from the guy up top, so be aware. Otherwise, we can hit the 4 in the corner, or the 4 can receive the pass and then pass it down to the low-block player for a layup.

Key: Look to get a quality shot off within 10 seconds.

1-3-1 Double

Here’s another quick-hitter called 1-3-1 Double. To begin, the sleeper player starts out down low on the right block. The PG then passes to the right wing player. The PG goes through and posts up down low on the block. The player in the middle now pops out to the top of the key and the wing player with the ball dribbles down to the corner to shift the entire zone.

Next, the opposite-side wing player will now come down and set a double pick with the other low post player. The player with the ball passes back to the player up top, and then the PG down low cuts baseline and right off the double screen to the opposite wing. Finally, the top screener flashes to the top of the lane, and the low screener goes for the lob. You have three solid options here.

Note: Most zones try to get you to pass the ball around the perimeter, so if the ball gets into the middle of a zone defense, we are in business.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Tom Izzo’s Basketball Smorgasboard of Drills and Basketball Wisdom.” Check out our entire Tom Izzo/Michigan State DVD catalog by clicking here.

Filed in Basketball • Tags: BasketballCoach eNewsletter, Michigan State Basketball, Quick Hitters, Tom Izzo, Zone Offense

All-Access Pass: Behind the Scenes with Tom Izzo and Michigan State Men’s Basketball

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, April 20, 2011

In this week’s edition of All-Access, we take you to East Lansing, Michigan for an exclusive look inside a Michigan State men’s basketball practice. Watch as head coach Tom Izzo – who led the Spartans to a 2000 National Championship and six final fours — walks through a variety of team drills for you and details specific roles, player instruction, overall strategies and general team tips.

First, Izzo leads his team through a standard warm-up that Michigan State uses nearly every day and incorporates many different facets of the game. Next, the coaching legend provides explicit instruction to his players as they work their way through their “Daily Dozen” practice drills. With this behind-the-scenes look, see what kind of ideas, drills and coaching tactics you can pick up on and implement with your team. Most drills can be used across all levels of basketball and are easily adaptable.

Warm-Up

In this particular warm-up session, Coach Izzo has guards working at one end and forwards/centers at the other. First, the guards start with pound dribbles. After practicing in-place, players will go from the baseline to half court as one repetition and even work their way up to using two balls at the same time. Additional warm-up work for the guards includes baseball passes, plus drills focusing on hop-steps, pivoting and passing.

Meanwhile for the big men, players will explode to the rim for quick monster rebounds before passing to an outlet. Then, the drill graduates to tip-rebounding, which is essentially trying to tap rebounds into the basket while in the air and never returning to the floor. Finally, a dummy will be put in the paint so that players have to work their way around contact while looking to finish the play.

Daily Dozen

In the “Daily Dozen”, players start out with right and left-handed layups. Note that even at the college level, the fundamentals of basketball are still used on a daily basis. Reverse layups are incorporated next before it’s time for hanging layups, where players try to avoid the charge and finish the short-range basket in the lane. And finally, the team breaks out into a 3-man break drill. The drill starts with a rebound on one end of the floor and finishes on the opposite end with all participants making a layup or jumper. Consider using this drill to add some variety to your own daily warm-ups.

The following clips can be seen in their entirety on Championship Productions’ DVD “All-Access Basketball Practice” with Tom Izzo. Check out our extensive All-Access catalog by clicking here.