Building a Switching, No-Middle Man-To-Man Defense

with Craig Doty,
Houston Christian University Head Coach;
Emporia State Head Men's Basketball Coach from 2018 to 2024;
Graceland University Head Coach from 2016 to 2018;
2018 NAIA National Championship;
2018 Don Meyer Award;
2018 NAIA Coach of the Year;
2018 IBCA Coach of the YEar;
2018 Heart of America Tournament Champions;
Rock Valley College Head Coach from 2012 to 2016;
2x NJCAA Division III National Champions (2014, 2016);
2x Spalding NJCAA Division III Coach of the Year (2014, 2016);
2016 NABC National JuCo (all levels) Coach of the Year;
2015 NJCAA National Runner-up;
4x Don Klaas NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year;
played college basketball for Morningside (guard)

In today’s basketball world, defensive strategies have been forced to evolve as modern offensive attacks have become even more precise and lethal. 

In this exceptional instructional coaching video presentation,Emporia State University’s Coach Craig Doty and staff showcase how their team has developed a No-Middle, Switching Man-To-Man Defense and used it to neutralize some of the best offenses his team has encountered.

Coaches who are lovers of defensive basketball are in for a treat; Coach Doty offers up a full suite of defensive drills that he uses to build the foundational habits needed for switching on screens, defending the post, pressuring the ball and much more.

Secrets of Switching

One of the primary benefits to a switching defense is that you are less likely to give up an immediate advantage through screening actions. Coach Doty begins by showing you methods for teaching players how to utilize physicality to control the offensive opponents while switching on ball screens and dribble handoffs.

Over time, offenses have developed counters to many switching defensive schemes. In this section of the presentation, Coach Doty also discusses how to neutralize ghost screens without getting confused.

Drills To Teach No-Middle, Switching Man-To-Man DefenseA tradeoff to switching schemes that coaches now face that must be addressed are the mismatches that can develop during a defensive possession. Coach Doty unveils how Emporia State has built their defensive system to minimize these perceived advantages in the post, by using two highly effective drills, the ‘Shell Closeouts Drill’ and the ‘Circle-The-Wagon Drill,’ to teach defenders how to prevent post feeds by utilizing a full-front denial technique.

Additionally, Coach Doty covers how to defend skip passes while loading up the paint with help side defenders using ‘X-out’ rotations.

There will be times when a post player manages to catch an entry pass. Coach Doty demonstrates how you can use a ‘Go’ defensive call to force the ball out of that player’s hands by utilizing a double-team. Doty also offers defensive ideas for countering specific offensive strategies and how to improve your defensive rebounding.

Improving Perimeter Defense

The other potential mismatch that can result with this Switching Man-To-Man Defensive system occurs when a slower defender is switched to guarding on the perimeter. Coach Doty and his staff showcase specific on-the-ball techniques for these situations, as well as how to build a system of help to support the slow-footed defender. Coach Doty also showcases 1-on-1 build-up drills that teach your players how to chest the basketball to force a drive wide, take charges, and how to ‘wall-up’ to physically pressure the ball. This includes teaching techniques that show how smaller players can hold their ground against a dribble backdown. 

Additional drills that Coach Doty utilizes, such as ‘Scramble 3-on-3 Drill’ show how to train your players to stunt in the gaps and rotate on drives without overhelping.

This high-quality defensive video is jam-packed with valuable insight, secret strategies and all the critical details you’ll need to install a switching defense system that locks down your opponent’s offense, regardless of how explosive they may have been!

74 minutes. 2023.