Mike Hopkins University of Washington 2-3 Zone Defense Ball up top: Guards first thing every possession: slap hands Guards responsibilities: o No shot o No drive from top o No pass into high post Will offset guards at times due to scouting report Forwards responsibility: o No 3-point shot on wing Center s responsibility: o No lobs Top to wing pass: Forwards ( Here / Outside / Back ) o No shot o Overload (outside hand to take away corner pass) o Back in (if no one in the corner) We anticipate that someone is always going to be in the corner. We will adjust with scouting. Guard (ball-side) o Down and then up (under/up) o Angle of closeout o Stance on-ball: square Forward takes away the shot Guard takes away the drive.
Ball on wing: Center: o Above block o Showing chest o Building a wall above the box o At the center of his two responsibilities: High post Short corner Off-ball guard: o On top of high post flash o Body is angled towards his closeout at the top of key Not facing the ball Discouraging high post pass Seeing both Pass from wing to top: Guard o This is why the angle of your body as you sit on high post is so important. o If TOK guard shoots it, automatic sub Unless your name is Gerry McNamara Or Dion Waiters Or Jason Hart o Can get hurt with quick pass right back to wing Short corner trap: As the ball-side forward and the center double-team the short corner, the weakside forward moves to the center of the lane to take the dive.
The weakside guard must be thinking out and be ready to take any skip made to the weakside (no 3 s). o Must drill this. There s a tendency for this guy to hang out at the nail and watch the ball skip over his head o Must be prepared to take away the Hammer zone play teams will run. Analytics: Coach Boeheim didn t realize it, but he was on the analytics train decades before it became popular o No layups o No fouls o No clean 3 s What shots are we allowing and what shots aren t we? High Post: If ball goes in, x5 steps up to play (doesn t need to rush at it) o Angle of his closeout is HUGE. o Don t let him get middle o Take away obvious passing angle o Goalie in soccer Forward takes away the hi/lo Weakside guard must be ready to split 2. Center can stay back if it s a non-shooter. Notes: Don t get sucked in Ball goes in, we go out! (weakside guard ends up standing in paint and getting killed on weakside skip passes). Washington s PG (Matisse Thybulle) set the UW single-season record with 101 steals by understanding this. o Pass o Bounce Zone is always evolving.
We used to closeout the normal way, but we changed as an adjustment to teams constantly overloading us and the value/power of the 3-pointer. Can tweak as a result of scouting o Kansas: Graham isn t beating us 3 points on 1-8 shooting Played back versus Vick (he has 28) No lobs to Azubuike A zone can make a good team look bad. Hardest thing to do is to rebound. I know you hear that on TV all the time, but it s true. Victims never win. We play 20 minutes 5 versus 7 almost every day. We break down each position every day o Guards o Forwards o Center Best zone game ever = 2013 Sweet 16 win over Indiana Versus 5-out: Identify the guy you re willing to allow to beat you. Teams can get comfortable against your zone. Good time to mix in your different traps. Traps: Short corner (see above) Wing trap o Weakside forward must come over to take away high post 25 trap (rush at handler) o Forwards come up to deny wing pass o Speed up tempo
Versus loop action: 2 options o Play up and force him back to your partner (don t let him use the screen). o Get under and take away penetration. We NEVER get screened. o Don t say The 5-man didn t talk! Be street smart Anticipate what s coming Let s say the guard DID get screened o Forward doesn t rush at the ball Don t want to give up strong-side 3 o Center stunts but doesn t rush at ball Doesn t want to give up dump-down Versus a ball screen going middle: On-ball guard goes under and then comes up to meet the ball on the other side. o Can t let him turn the corner. Weakside guard plays in the passing lane. o Not letting the ball go to the overload.