Mike Hopkins: 2-3 Zone Defense - Scouting Adjustments and Breakdown Drills

As someone who runs the 2-3 exclusively at the varsity level, this is the best video I have seen on the 2-3 Zone. If you want to run the Syracuse 2-3 or just want to learn more about zone defense, this is the video to start with. If you install these breakdown drills and rep it some, you could go play games with this DVD by itself. Then if you like it, I would go to Coach Boeheim's videos. This will give you a better understanding for his video's without the time or cost commitment of those. I would recommend those as well, but I would start here first.

Championship Productions replies:
Coach, Thank you for offering your feedback on this video. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a helpful review for other coaches! -- Championship Productions

Loved it! Got the players and coaches involved from the get go. More hands on than Coach Boeheim. Made it easy to understand and you feel like your ready to try it out with your team.

This is by far one of the best videos for teaching the 'Cuse 2-3 zone, you really get some really good details on how the system work. A must have if you run this style of 23, players stay active at all times. System is easy to implement.

This DVD is a 5 star product... No questions asked!

There is no better DVD to teach you a sound defensive scheme, especially in the 2-3 base realm. I've been coaching BBall on the boys and girls HS level for well over a decade. I used to hate running a 2-3 defense because it has always been easy for me to pick it apart with our offense. This DVD expanded my knowledge of creating a dominant 2-3 defense that is active to take away many options for opposing offenses. Our boys nicknamed it the "Spider Web" because they played with a string type harmony when you watch it on film.

Last year we took over a boys HS varsity team that was below .500 record wise the season before and ranked 89th of 140 teams in their class in defensive scoring. We installed Coach Hopkins' principals as our 2-3 Base. This scheme jumped our overall record to 20-5 (a school record for wins) and a 17th overall scoring defense ranking in the state at 46.5 ppg (a school record for defensive scoring). Our JV also tripled their wins from the year before and cut their ppg allowed by 13 points.

This DVD provides you a great base schematically to understand how players need to move in a successful 2-3 defense. The fundamental drills then train your players perfectly in the base movements they need to execute without confusing them. Execution is the main key, as this DVD gives you the simplistic tools to do that. Then you can scheme beyond the base philosophies for how aggressive or passive you want the defense to be.

It is the single best resource I've ever had from Champ. Pro. when it comes to coaching basketball. If you want to run a 2-3 defense successfully, then watch this video!

Gained little to nothing from the video. Showed some drills but not how they fed to their 1-3 and it didn't explain it's differences between a bump and matchup.

Championship Productions replies:
Coach, Thank you for offering your feedback on this video. We're sorry to hear this one didn’t meet your expectations. We hope that you will continue to consider us for your future purchases. Thanks -- Championship Productions

This was a very good breakdown of the 'Cuse 2-3. I might even go as far as to say it is better than Boeheim's. He does an excellent job discussing techniques, slides, and some adjustments that Syracuse has made over the years (and I'm sure Mike is currently making at Washington). One thing that is woefully missing from nearly every zone DVD is defending common sets like stack action.

Championship Productions replies:
Coach, Thank you for offering your feedback on this video. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a helpful review for other coaches! -- Championship Productions

Even though i am not a big fun of the Syracuse 2-3 zone i bought this DVD in order to increase my knowledge of the game. Very good presentation and many breakdown drills that will help you run this defense.So if you want to play 2-3 zone then there is no doubt that you should go for this DVD.

The best 2-3 video I have watched. Coach Hopkins' passion and detail are outstanding. One of my best videos

For anyone who has purchased any of the other Syracuse DVD's this one is a great companion piece that shows the little twists that makes the cuse zone special. Excellent buy and has me debating to going back to a zone defense this year!

This is an exceptional and generous presentation.
If you use this in tandem with Jim Boeheim's Complete Guide to the Match-Up 2-3, it will be especially helpful. The breakdown drills are very good and the little nuances Coach Hopkins details are very valuable.

I do not have this dvd but I was at the clinic that it was made. He was unbelievable on the floor with the jobs of every position plus he gave there rules for the trap. I'm assuming that this dvd was his whole session allotted for that weekend and it would be well worth the buy for anyone. Just the wrinkles in there 2-3 is a great game changer as some coaches will not know how to scheme around it.

Coach Hopkin's video has been extremely helpful as our JV and Varsity basketball teams install the Syracuse-style 2-3 defense. It really added a layer of clarity following my review of Coach Boeheim's video (also excellent). I was looking for a defense that is active, takes away shooters, and allows for multiple trapping locations.

This is what the Jim Boeheim DVD should be, glad his assistant gives a quality clinic presentation! This is a nice set of tricks and adjustments that you can add to your 2-3, I love the little footwork adjustments and space cheats described in the video plus Coach Hopkins gives you a nice breakdown of how they actually defend some pretty common and effective actions against the zone. This one to me will please an experienced coach who wants to take their 2-3 to the next level pas the basics.

As always, I am looking for ideas when I buy these DVD's. This DVD has given me plenty of ideas to think over not only defensively, which is what this DVD is about, but with game prep and offensive maneuvers.