SECONDARY ENTRIES

DOUBLE
The double ballscreen helps player 1 gain a yard of separation from his defender before receiving a screen from 5.

TWIST
The twist ballscreen helps player 1 gain a yard of separation from X1, as he leans to the sideline, before receiving a screen from 5. The twist is great against the ice. 

BIG 2 BIG
The big 2 big screen allows us to interchange the 5 and the 4. This gives us diversity against specific gameplans. For example, we could pick and pop the 4 in the middle of the floor vs the drop. 

VIDEO EXAMPLES
1. Double
2. Twist

BALLSCREEN COUNTERS

We use the acronym S.T.O.P.S to refer to the ways defense can defend us. Once we can counter all of the S.T.O.P.S, we will be prepared for any defense. 

SWITCH

Against the switch we look to attack the mismatch. We can either attack the slower x5 from the perimeter or the smaller x1 in the post. The players have the freedom to decide which matchup to attack. If attacking the mismatch goes stale, we go to our "rabbit" set. 

TRAP / HEDGE

Against the trap & hedge we look to draw two to the ball and find the open man. Against a trap, we flash from the weakside corner. Against the hedge the ballhandler should get on top of the hedge and look for the gator pass. We can always flip, slip or chase the screen.

gator pass 

OVER

Against the over, we look to extend the 2v1. The ballhandler must probe with his dribble and allow the roller to roll. He can look for the pocket pass early, the wrap around late, or finish on the other side of the rim. We utilize the pick and pop if we have players who fit that skillset. 

PASSIVE "UNDER"

When the defense goes under, we look to set the screen lower or to rescreen. The screener should look to set the screen lower and prevent the defender from going under. If they do go under, we "check" the screen and set it the other way. If the shot clock is under 15 seconds, we can look to shoot over the top. The roll man crashes the glass hard. 

SIDELINE "ICE"

Against the Ice we look for ways to create space and/or get the ball back to the middle. We can do this by moving our spacing into a step up. The ballhandler has the option to snake it, or run a normal screen and roll. The ballhandler can always dribble away from the screen and chase it, as it is very difficult to ice a dribble hand off. 

FILM EXAMPLES
1. Gaels System Tape

TRANSITION OFFENSE

DEFENSIVE REBOUNDING

We are a zone rebounding team. Our general goal is to form a "5" on a dice inside the paint. Since very few teams send all of their players to the glass, we well have between 1-3 extra bodies. 

Very simply, if a players mark goes to the glass, he must box that player out. If a players mark does not go to the glass, he must show up to the paint and fill in open vacancies in our "dice" formation. This will most likely be at the elbows or the blocks. 

BOX OUT TECHNIQUE
"Stick and Sit." Get your forearm into their chest. Sit your butt into their quads. Stop their momentum and than go get the ball. 

X OUT BOX-OUT

If a player gets beat off the dribble, and their man shoots, they have to boxout the defender closest to the rim on the weakside. 

BALLSCREEN BOX OUT
If a shot occurs immediately after a ballscreen, the defender responsible for tagging the roller must than box out the roller and keep him off of the glass. 

TRANSITION OFFENSE

TRANSITIONS AFTER A MISS

Any guard can lead the break 

Any guard can fill either wing 

Either big can fill the rocket or trail 

TRANSITIONS AFTER A MAKE 

We run a "numbered" break 

2 Always fills right lane

3 Always fills left lane

4 Takes it out to the 1 (who cuts across the FT line) 

5 Fills the Rocket 

*The specifics of transition can vary year to year based on personnel. Depending on our strengths... 

• the 4 and 5 being interchangeable
• the 2 and 3 being interchangeable
• outlet to the 1, or multiple players lead the break 

The spacing will always remain the same. We stretch the defense horizontally and vertically. The "rocket" runs the middle of the floor. The "jets" run the wings and the "trailer" fills in behind. 

VIDEO EXAMPLES

1. North Carolina Break

2. Excellent Transition Spacing

ATTACKING CLOSEOUTS

COACHING POINTS
A closeout situation is a great example of a "big advantage." Not only is the defender out of position, but his momentum is running away from the hoop. To capitalize on this opportunity players should be thinking "shot first" and look to utilize "zero second decision making."

"SHOT FIRST"
By thinking "shot first" the player will get his feet into an optimal shooting stance. If the defender closes harder than he anticipated, he can than shot fake and widen his stance into a driving position. Executed the other way, thinking drive first, players will often catch the ball with a wide stance and than not be able to get their feet back under them for a shot, when their defender does not closeout. 

"ZERO SECOND DECISION MAKING"
If the player is able to make a decision whether to shoot or drive before the ball arrives to him, he gains the extra advantage of being able to counter the defense if they close out on him hard. In this situation they can utilize the "go and catch." Which means "go" meet the ball, before it gets to you, and "catch" it on the run. 

VIDEO EXAMPLES

1. Closeout Breakdown

FIRST STEP

COACHING POINTS
Its all about keeping the game simple here. Often times, players are overly focused on dribble moves. What it really comes down to is changing speeds, keeping your eyes up and having an explosive first step. 

As coaches, it is advantageous to teach players the bio-mechanics of an optimal first step. From there, they should be encouraged to simplify the game by simply changing speeds before executing their attack. This will not only simplify things, it will help players keep their eyes up, seeing the floor beyond their individual defender.

If players already have quality dribble moves, an explosive first step will help them improve. If players learn how to change speeds first, and than are able to build on it, that is great too. 

Here are the bio-mechanical keys to an explosive first step..

1. "DROP" YOUR HIPS FROM LOW TO LOWER
The player should "drop" his hips from low to lower. The wider the stance, the better. Feet staggered, with a back foot and a front foot. Players can stick both feet in the ground at the same time, or they can plant the back foot (the negative step) first, for higher velocity. In either event, the hips have to "drop" in order to create elastic energy. 

2. TOTAL RELAXATION
"A relaxed muscle is an explosive muscle." Visualize a rubber band. When it is pulled tight, it cant go much tighter. When it is relaxed, it can stretch much further. 

Put more scientifically, to optimize the stretch-shortening cycle, a player needs to maintain relaxation. As the hips drop to the floor, eccentric contraction is creating elastic energy within the body. This elastic energy, upon release, creates explosive movement. (Plyometrics.) The more relaxed the muscles are, the greater the eccentric contraction. The greater the eccentric contraction the greater the elastic energy. 

3. FALL INTO THE FIRST STEP
"Falling" is an important que, as it triggers a lot of bio-mechanically friendly positions. First, it gets your body into a "track start" position, which is the most explosive position for creating power in a straight line. This position not only creates power, it naturally protects the ball by placing your shoulder between the ball and the defender. Sometimes players will lunge to far into their first step. Now they are pulling with their hamstring instead of pushing with their glutes. The motor should be in the rear. 

Second, falling into the first step creates a better shin angle. On the back foot (the negative step) the shin should be able to get somewhere between a 45-60 degree angle, depending on athletic ability. An optimal shin angle will activate the posterior chain and lead to optimal power into the first step. Sometimes a player will misunderstand this que and their shoulders will actually collapse forward. The shin angle and the torso angle should be the same. 

VIDEO EXAMPLES
1. Micah Lancaster Drop Step 
2. Jared Harper Iso's
3. Trevor Hudgins Iso's