Matthew McCall: My Favorite Drills for the Pick & Roll

with Matt McCall,
University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) Head Men's Coach from 2017 to 2022;
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Head Men's Coach from 2015 to 2017;
2016 NCAA Tournament appearance;
2016 Southern Conference Tournament Champions;
2016 SoCon Regular Season Champions;
2016 SoCon Coach of the Year;
University of Florida Men's Assistant Coach from 2011-2015;
Florida Director of Basketball Operations from 2006 to 2008 (NCAA Champions in 2006 and 2007)

In today's game, utilizing the pick & roll is part of almost every program's offense. Coach Matt McCall knows a thing or two about the spread pick & roll. After working with Billy Donovan at Florida, he learned in the ins and outs of how to run the spread pick & roll effectively. In this video, you will get a look at the basics of how to use the spread pick & roll in transition and make it flow right into your half court offense.

Philosophy

Coach McCall discusses what makes a good spread pick & roll offense. Teaching your post players to shoot the ball with range and having the ability to pass is a great start because it will help pull the defense away from the rim. This creates openings around the rim for your screening post player to get open layups.

Meanwhile, teaching guards how to deliver a pocket pass and read screens are must-haves for running this offense. Every time down the floor, players should look for a layup or dunk, rhythm 3-pointer, and opportunities to draw fouls. These, along with second chance opportunities, are what make a successful spread pick & roll offense.

Transition and Game Situations

A good transition game is important in running the spread pick & roll. McCall reviews the three things McCall's team looks for in transition: getting the ball to someone that is ahead down the floor, getting ball handlers the ball quickly in the outlet spots, and pushing the ball to the paint.

Next, Coach McCall outlines two basic entries/actions they use to flow from transition into the spread pick & roll. In 5 Drag, the 5-man trails instead of the 4-man, and they go right into a drag screen to force defenders to go over the top of the screen. In Double to Special, both post players trail and the pace has slowed, allowing the offense to use a double drag option and open up the paint for a roller.

Half Court Offense

There are many options you can utilize in the spread pick & roll. Two that you will see in this video are:

• Special - In which post players get to the lane line extended and look to create a screening opportunity.
• Lift - Which provides multiple scoring opportunities, especially if you have a 4-man that can shoot the ball, a 5-man that is a great screen and roll player, and guards that can get downhill.

Coach McCall is a master at teaching the spread pick & roll. This video will guide you through his philosophy and simple actions you can use to run the spread pick & roll effectively. This is a must-have video if you are looking to install any pick & roll concepts in your program!

57 minutes. 2021.