Drew Valentine: Attacking the Defense with Transition Into Early Offense

Drew Valentine is off to a hot start in his head coaching career by leading Loyola Chicago to sustained success. Part of this success is due to the modern trends he brings to their offensive system.

In this video, you will learn an offense that is predicated on spacing, ball movement and player movement through a blend of Dribble Drive concepts, ball screens and the zoom action. Coach Valentine shows you the foundation for his half-court offense and how to flow into these actions in transition along with a package of set plays.

Ball Screens - Off-The-Ball Movements

The heart of Coach Valentine’s transition offense boils down to the execution of three primary ball-screen alignments - which he calls ‘Open Side,’ ‘Single Shake’ and ‘Double-Shake.’ In this section, Valentine breaks down each in detail - where you’ll learn the essential fundamentals your players must perform to both set ball screens and to use ball screens.  

Coach Valentine shows how to combine off-the-ball movement with an open-side ball screen by using a middle pin screen. This tactic is a great way to punish help defenders and can easily flow into new actions on the second side. Valentine also shows how to play off the shake action with baseline drives or post feeds.

The Early Break - Full-Court Quick Hitters

The explanation of the offense is expanded to the full court, which Coach Valentine describes as the “Early Break” - where he demonstrates how to space the floor and advance the ball quickly with interchangeable ball handlers on the fast break.

Multiple options are demonstrated that attack defenses with quick-hitting actions within seconds of gaining possession. Coach Valentine explains and shows off a play called ‘Chop,’ which explores high-low post feed opportunities before flowing into a combination action involving a dribble handoff and ball screen. He also shows how you can quickly swing the ball into two-man actions on the second side, by using tactics such as Ghost Screens or a play he calls ‘Keep.’

Coach Valentine’s offense has different options in transition for times when a big player is trailing the play. In this situation, he shares three highly effective plays that you can flow into versus a set defense. ‘Double’ is a great way to help a talented ball handler attack while confusing the defense with multiple screeners. You will see how this can flow into ‘45 Weave’ which will break your opponent down with a mix of continuous cutting and dribble penetration.

You’ll also learn how to use multiple options off a play called, ‘Zoom Away’ - which is a quick screen away that can also flow into ball screens, handoffs, split screens, backdoor cuts and more. Coach Valentine also showcases several other options for attacking a switching defense utilizing slip screens, flare screens and twisting screens.

If all of that isn’t enough, Coach Valentine also presents detailed ideas for defending ghost screens and scoring in the last seconds of the shot clock, as well as how to score off a baseline inbounds play using the Zoom Action and ending this jam-packed presentation by sharing a play called ‘Lavine’ - which is designed to attack defenses who extend their pressure.

This video is fully loaded with a treasure trove of transition offense and early offensive plays that are explosive, while also providing you with the tactical tools you’ll need to speed up the pace of your team’s offense.

Coach Rating:5-Out-Of-5. ‘This is an excellent instructional video! Coach Valentine does a great job breaking down his offense. He provides a ton of detail and goes into teaching points and gives plenty of options. Any coach who purchases this video gets MORE than their money’s worth!’

68 minutes. 2023.