Zone Offense Strategies

2-3 and 3-2 Quick Hitters

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What’s your offensive plan for attacking zone defenses this year? This week, I’m sharing several suggestions for you to consider as you plan for the upcoming season, including several of the diagrams from Coach Whitehart’s on-court clinic on Zone Offense Strategies.

On-Court Clinic with Allen Whitehart

Coach Allen Whitehart is the boys basketball coach at Milton High School (GA). Coach Whitehart is a Georgia 5A state champion and regularly develops D1 players. In this on-court clinic, he shares Xs&Os for attacking zone defenses.

One of the best zone videos I’ve watched!” - Coach John White

Xs&Os Diagrams

Smash

The OG of 2-3 zone quick hitters, Smash forces the defense to choose whether to concede a corner 3PA or a look in the paint. The play starts by shifting the zone to a side (Frame 1). As the ball is passed back around the perimeter, 2 circles around the baseline to the corner. This will most likely draw the zone’s bottom outside defender to towards the corner. Player 4 is following a few steps behind 2. Player 5 screens the middle defender, allowing 4 to find the hole in the zone and receive a pass from 3.

Smash Again

The counter to the play above. Same idea, but this time, the 2 comes back to the same corner they started on with the 4 screening the bottom outside defender. After setting that screen, the 4 screens the middle bottom defender in the zone to create a hole for 5 to slip into.

Inside Screens vs 2-3 Zone

Bill Self’s teams have been running a version of this quick hitter for years. It’ll only work once against a team, so use wisely.