Tom Herrion: Stifling Your Opponent with Multiple Changing Defenses

One of the most effective ways to disrupt offenses is to keep changing defenses. The ability to switch your defensive look between man and zone pressure, while utilizing various ball screen coverages in the half-court, is essential to creating an uncomfortable feeling in your opponent.

Marshall University Head Coach Tom Herrion has been running multiple changing defenses with great success. Now you can learn the "how, when, and why" of changing defenses that has contributed to Marshall's success. By identifying six key opportunities to change defenses during a game, Coach Herrion has kept his opponents on edge and out of rhythm.

The main goal is to "never allow your opponents to play the way they practice."

Coach Herrion uses on-court examples to walk you through four different pressing defenses designed to get the ball away from the opposing team's best ball handler. Using "lock" and "squeeze" concepts, he shows how to take the point guard out of play and force your opponent's post players to bring the ball up court in transition. He finishes with his "Greyhound Drill," a full-court strategy that emphasizes transition offense while immediately getting into full-court pressure on a made basket.

Coach Herrion uses two zone defenses to keep his opponents off balance. Both zone plays force opponents into trapping zones at half court. Get a detailed look at how to effectively use a 1-2-2 containing press to get two different traps and a 2-1-2 pressing attack. Discover how most teams will try to beat the 2-1-2 press and how you can shut them down by applying heavy heat on the ball.

If your opponents are lucky enough to break your pressing defenses, Coach Herrion details three different ball screen defenses you can use against your opponent's best ball handler and shooter. He also gives you an in-depth look at how his teams use "downing/icing the screen" effectively to force opponents away from the basket.

Give your defense the opportunity to control the game. With Tom Herrion's multiple changing defenses, you will stifle your opponent and never allow them to find an offensive flow.

Produced at the Spring 2013 Myrtle Beach (SC) clinic.

57 minutes (plus 13 minutes of bonus footage). 2013.