Robert Jones: The Attacker's Playbook For Shredding Zone Defenses

with Robert Jones,
Norfolk State University Head Coach;
2024 CollegeInsider.com (CIT) Postseason Tournament Champions;
2025 Norfolk State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee;
4x MEAC Regular Season Champions (2019, 2022, 2024, 2025);
3x MEAC Tournament Champions/NCAA Tournament Qualifiers (2021, 2022, 2025);
3x MEAC Coach of the Year (2019, 2022, 2024);
2022 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award;
2019 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award;
2021 Northern Division Co-Champs regular season;
.750 win percentage in MEAC (5th in the nation among coaches with at least 100 games coached);
played college basketball for SUNY New Paltz

Looking for innovative ways to beat a zone defense? Who better to ask than a coach with extensive experience in using zone defenses with their own team? Robert Jones draws from his own history of running the Floppy Defense to share some of his best offensive zone plays, 

These plays can be used versus the 2-3 zone, 3-2 zone, or 1-3-1 zone. Viewers receive 14 tough-to-defense options to help carve up a zone defense – with emphasis on ball movement, player movement, and screening.

Attacking 2-3 Zone Defense

Jones begins by addressing effective methods for attacking 2-3 zone defenses – including how to attack a 2-3 zone by utilizing ball screens with four set plays that will get you high-percentage scoring looks.

Next, the 3x MEAC Coach of the Year, shows viewers how to use the 5-Game to distort the zone defense and keep them on their heels with a flurry of perimeter movement before utilizing a random ball screen. Jones loves the use of the outside ball screen and points out why it’s harder for zones to counter this type of action.  Jones then showcases two highly effective plays that utilize an angle screen with ‘Pitt Dribble’ and ‘24.’ Next up, the coach shows off ‘Virginia’; it is a great way to set up your best shooter by combining ball screens with flares on the weak side. This play punishes those defenders who over-help!

Jones also gives viewers four additional plays that attack a 2-3 zone defense in a variety of ways. ‘Runner’ combines player movement and off-the-ball screens to pin defenders away from their areas of coverage. ‘Pitt’ uses cutting actions to spread out defenders for an open weakside flash. ‘Zone Through’ utilizes a great shooter to bait the zone into giving up an opening in the high post. ‘Chop’ uses a similar concept to punish the interior of the zone.

Plays vs 3-2 and 1-3-1 Defenses

Having plays that are effective against multiple types of zone defenses provides coaches with some reliable options over the course of a season or when opponents switch tactics during games.

Jones showcases multi-purpose plays that can be used to attack both 2-3 and 3-2 zones. ‘Flash’ is a great play for getting the ball into the high post, while ‘Huskie’ utilizes spacing out of a high ball screen to put a lot of pressure on the low defenders in the zone. ‘High’ is another play that can be used versus a 3-2 or 1-3-1 zone and this play quickly overloads the zone to confuse the defenders by forcing them into quick decisions based on where the ball is passed.

Jones offers viewers three additional plays that can be used in special situations. ‘Double-Flat’ is an excellent way to attack the 1-3-1 with a high ball screen, while ‘Flat’ is a terrific option to use at the end of any shot clock and quickly attacks zones with ball screens and cuts. Lastly, ‘Kansas’ is a baseline inbound play that creates multiple scoring options with highly effective screen-the-screener action.

Robert Jones has used each of these zone plays with his championship teams in recent seasons and there is guaranteed to be something in this video that will fit your team. If you are looking to expand your playbook and effectively attack stubborn zone defenses, then this video is a must-watch!

68 minutes. 2022.