with Sharman White,
Pace Academy (GA) Head Coach;
former Georgia State University Assistant Coach;
2016 National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Boys' Basketball Coach of the Year;
2015 & 2019 USA Basketball Men's U16 National Team Assistant Coach (both Gold Medals);
former Miller Grove (GA) HS Boys Head Coach;
7x Georgia Class AAAA State Championships (including 6 straight from '09-'14);2014 USA Today All-USA Coach of the Year
This video featuring coach Sharman White gives a comprehensive breakdown of the principles behind a match-up zone defense and makes a strong case why every coach should have this particular type of defense in their coaching arsenal.
Coach White starts with a basic 3-2 set and shows you how to adjust the set to account for the talents of your own team and the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team. The theme is to give both the basic rules and rotations for the defense, but also highlight areas where you can change things to account for individual game situations.
Match-Up Zone Breakdown
By starting with a position by position breakdown, Coach White illustrates how the match-up zone is built from the ground up. He describes the characteristics needed by players in each position in the zone and then covers their individual responsibilities when the ball is in their area and at various points on the floor.
White explains that "The best zones have man-to-man principles and the best man defenses include zone principles." The match-up zone works to combine the best of both defenses to put pressure on the ball and also confuse the offense. Key concepts covered by White include:
- How to position and rotate players off the ball
- Key ways players need to communicate to know where their defensive help is at all times
- How to adjust for both overload attacks and ball screens
The match-up zone is a versatile defense that allows teams to be as aggressive as they want in the front court. You will learn how to force and trap out of the defense to further enhance the effectiveness of your team's defensive pressure.
Game Situations
Special attention is given to rebounding responsibilities in the match-up zone as well as how to defend baseline out-of-bounds plays. The thorough breakdown and coverage of both principles and practices of the match-up zone gives you a one-stop reference for how to teach and implement one of the more difficult defenses to play against.
Throughout this video, Coach White encourages and answers questions from coaches in attendance as to how to defend specific situations and attacks. This provides a great opportunity for you to see how the defense can be tweaked around its core principles.
No doubt about it, this video is a must-have primer on a unique and effective defensive strategy!
71 minutes. 2019.