Disrupting Offenses with Pressure Defense

with Brad Underwood,
University of Illinois Head Coach;
2026 Final Four;
2x Elite Eight (2024, 2026);
2x Big Ten Tournament Champions (2021, 2024);
2023 NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award;
2022 Big Ten Regular Season Champions;
Oklahoma State University Head Coach from 2016 to 2017;
Stephen F. Austin University Head Coach from 2013 to 2016;
2014 Joe B. Hall Award Recipient (Nation's top first-year coach);
3x Southland Conference Regular Season Champions (2014 - 2016);
3x Southland Conference Tournament Champions (2014 - 2016);
3x Southland Conference Coach of the Year (2014 - 2016);
South Carolina Associate Head Coach from 2012 to 2013;
Kansas State Associate Head Coach from 2011 to 2012;
Daytona Beach Community College Head Coach from 2003 to 2006;
Western Illinois Assistant Coach from 1992 to 2003;
Dodge City Community College Head Coach from 1988 to 1992;
Hardin-Simmons University GA from 1986 to 1987;
played college basketball for Kansas State, Independence CC & Hardin-Simmons (guard)

In the era of passive packline defense, Brad Underwood charges in a different direction to get different results. Using his on the line-up the line half court pressure defense Coach Underwood's teams have been national leaders in steals and turnovers forced per possession over the last two years (2014-15).

Coach Underwood teaches you the principles and technique for positioning, maintaining denial through various offensive actions, and keeping pressure on the opponent while defending ball screens. Even less athletic players can excel in this defense by forming habits that encourage proper technique and the toughness to play with great effort every day.

Basics of On-Ball Defense

The goal of this pressure defensive system is to prevent your opponents from getting into the offense they want to run and force them to make catches further away from the basket. Coach Underwood begins his systematic approach to shrinking the court by describing the rules and responsibilities for each individual defender, and then explains how the defense moves as a unit as the ball is passed around. He details the pick up point and technique for ball pressure so your opponent is uncomfortable through the entire possession, and shows how off-ball defenders play "on the line and up the line" to deny passes.

Pressure vs Common Offensive Actions

Offensive players will very rarely just stand in place. Coach Underwood shows you how they maintain their pressure through the variety of actions your opponents will try to use against you. See how he trains his players to move and adjust their denial positions every time the ball moves Many of the concepts are broken down into a 2-on-2, 3-on-3, or 4-on-4 drill that you can use to focus on the action.

You will learn the technique for denying back cuts and basket cuts, playing post defense, stopping dribble penetration with a "plug" and sprinting to the mid-line to play help defense. Coach Underwood demonstrates how you can jump the gaps and disrupt screening actions such as screen aways, down screens, and baseline screens by playing up the line.

In order to tie his defense all together, Coach Underwood introduces the shell drill where he emphasizes communication, jumping to the ball, and sprinting to help. Players are encouraged to "do their work early" and have constant movement. Next, players work on handling the "down screen" where they jump to the ball and go third person. And they work on combination actions which makes it very game-like.

Defending Ball Screens

Opponents will try to use ball screens to scale down your pressure. Coach Underwood details strategies for attacking multiple types of ball screens to maintain their disruptive intensity. Learn how to trap the dribbler in the corner by "downing" or keep the offense on the sideline with a hard hedge by forcing players to their weak hand on side ball screens. You can adjust your rotations with "X-Action" to quickly cover screeners popping into space for an open shot. Coach Underwood also explains how to defend three different high ball screen actions by forcing dribblers to their weak hand and hedging.

The red, white and blue communication to defend on-ball screens is a brilliant tool that can be adapted into any defensive arsenal.

This comprehensive video is the "total package" for teams who want to utilize ball pressure and technique to get their players playing with maximum effort and energy.

"Love this title! This is the complete opposite of the Pack Line Defense. It seems like everyone is on the Pack Line bandwagon because of Virginia's success. However, there are a lot of high school teams out there who are clearly more athletic and longer. This high pressure half court man-to-man defense is perfect for teams who have the edge regularly in the athleticism department." - Customer Review

100 minutes. 2016.