Zone

This quick hitting play is from an old Xavier University Basketball Coaching Newsletter.

You can access their archvie at this link: Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter

Run this against a 2-3 zone as an entry into your zone attack., or as a set play to get the ball inside.

The post is not intended to say that all programs should run this play as is.

But, hopefully it sparks some ideas for either incorporating a few of these movements (or a tweak that you make to them) into what you already do.

If you are looking for other resources you can click here to see our products that relate to attacking zone defenses. There are some sample videos included in these as well: Zone Offense Resources

Play starts in a box alignment.

1 dribbles to the right.

5 screens in the defensive guard.

2 zipper cuts to the top.
 

1 passes to 2.

4 screens in the weak side guard.

3 uses the screen from 4.

2 passes to 3 as 4 looks to slip.
 

1 cuts through to the left corner off baseline screens from 5 and 4.

3 passes to 1.

4 has a possible slip after screening for 1.

On the catch by 1, 5 flashes to the high post and looks for dump down to 4.

If you are looking for other resources you can click here to see our products that relate to attacking zone defenses. There are some sample videos included in these as well: Zone Offense Resources

This 2-3 Zone Quick Hitter was contributed by Jordan Peterson to the FastModel Sports Basketball Plays and Drills Library.

Jordan is the Founder and Director of Positionless Basketball, is the Varsity Assistant at Stillwater High School (MN), and a Former Graduate Assistant at MSU-Moorhead.

You can also find out more about FastModel Play Diagramming software by clicking this link: FastDraw

These are Jordan’s comments on the play:

Bellarmine University ran this BLOB in the 2017 D2 Midewest Regional Final against Findlay.

This play has multiple scoring options and can be ran against a man defense or zone defense.

Bellarmine ran it against a 2-3 zone defense.

My belief is that anything you see someone else run should only be implemented if the movement fits your players.

I also believe that you don’t have to run the entire play. You might be able to take parts of it and put them in to improve what you already do.

1 passes to 4 who immediately passes to 2 on the wing.

5 slides to the ball side block.

After 4 passes he flashes middle looking for the ball and if he does not get it he goes to the block.

2 passes back to the top of the key.

5 and 4 flash to the elbow areas.

1 passes to 5.

4 cuts to the opposite block looking for the ball.

5 dribbles at 1 who spaces and 3 cuts to the rim trying to get behind the zone.

2 is pulled with the dribble for an option as a throw back.

Bellarmine passed back to 2 who drove and got a dump off.

Today’s post contains two quick hitting plays that you can run against a 2-3 zone defense.

Adjust these sets to fit your players and philosophy and/or take bits and pieces to combine with what you already run.

These plays are from The NCAA Best Zone Plays Playbook assembled by Wes Kosel.

It is combined with the NCAA Best Man to Man Plays as this week’s featured playbook bundle. The playbooks contains 170 basketball plays from 68 different NCAA teams.

You can find out more about the playbooks at this link: Best NCAA Man to Man and Zone Sets

If you have any questions or would like to call in or text an order, you can do so at ‪317-721-1527.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

Florida Gulf Coast Zone Flash

4 moves in to the middle of the zone.

1 dribbles left and passes to 3.

3 passes back to 1 and 4 moves to the right elbow.

1 passes to 4 causing x5 to move up and x3 to dive in front of 5.

5 then pins x3 in.

4 passes to 3 for a shot.

As x3 closes out, 5 may be open inside.

Farleigh Dickinson Zone Overload Ball Screen

2 runs to the corner and 5 sets a ball-screen for 1.

The idea is to get x2 and x4 shifted towards the ball leaving 2 in the corner for a shot.

These plays are from The NCAA Best Zone Plays Playbook assembled by Wes Kosel.

It is combined with the NCAA Best Man to Man Plays as this week’s featured playbook bundle. The playbooks contains 170 basketball plays from 68 different NCAA teams.

You can find out more about the playbooks at this link: Best NCAA Man to Man and Zone Sets

These 2 half court zone sets are from Chris Filios’s Archie Miller Dayton Flyers Playbook. Coach Miller has accepted the Job at Indiana for the upcoming season.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

My hope is that you can take bits and pieces of these plays to enhance what you already do and what suits your players.

Archie Miller Double Rip

1 dribbles to wing.

2 cuts to wing.

4 screens up.

3 sets cross screen for 5.

Archie Miller Flare Pin

1 runs a DHO with 2.

4 pins down for 3.

2 passes to 3.

1 comes off pin down from 4.

5 sets flare for 2.

These ideas to attack a 1-3-1 Zone Defense were diagrammed by Creighton Burns.

Creighton is retired from coaching after over 50 years.

He coached at both the high school and college levels as well and coached both men and women’s teams.

These actions might not fit what your players do best, but my hope is that you can take some parts of them and improve what you are doing now when you face a 1-3-1 defense.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

Elbow 1-3-1 Zone Attack

• 1 dribbles at 2

• 2 screens in the bottom man

• 3 sprints to short corner or corner to receive pass

• 2 then screens the weak side wing from helping on the block

• 5 dives to block, this most likely will not be open but it does take the middle defender out of the picture

• 4 sets a flair screen on x1

• 1 sprints diagonal of the ball

• 3 is looking to skip this out, its best to put a taller or stronger player at the 3 spot

“X” 1-3-1 Zone Attack

• 1 passes to 2

• 4 dives to block, this is a false action to get the defense moving

• 2 passes 1 and is reversed to 3

• after 2 passes he cuts to ball side block

• 3 dribbles to draw the top defender and kicks to 1 who is sliding away

• 5 screens the bottom defender

• 4 ducks in

• 2 sprints to corner for the shot

• 1 has the option of passing to 4 or 2