2015 NCAA Tournament X’s and O’s: 10 Best BLOB
The NCAA Tournament is not only a time for the top players in college basketball to stand out; but also the top coaches. The 2015 NCAA Tournament was yet another example of the brilliant X’s and O’s minds that are entrenched in the game of college basketball. I compiled the7 best baseline-out-of-bounds plays from the duration of the tournament and shared them below in the accompanying Youtube Video and diagrams. The BLOB are as follows:
1) Duke University Backscreen/Lob:
The current National Champions were able to get an And-1 opportunity for Jahlil Okafor on a lob to the rim. Duke does a good job spacing the floor and has a wing set the screen instead of another big, making it impossible for the other team to just switch the screen. Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos does a poor job jamming up Okafor and he gets a wide open look at the rim.
2) Notre Dame Stagger Curl for Shot:
Notre Dame almost pulled off the upset of the tournament in large part to their outstanding guard play. In this set they run their best player, Jerian Grant of a stagger screen to the corner. The angle of the screens and the floor spacing doesn’t make it possible for Karl Anthony Towns of Kentucky to really extend to help on the cutting Grant or else his man Bonzie Colson would have a wide open slip to the rim. Andrew Harrison does a good job trailing Grant, but giving a player of that caliber a step gives him enough space to get a shot off.
3) Michigan State Backscreen/Slip:
A great defensive play by Louisville erased an easy basket for Michigan State in their Elite 8 battle. Michigan State big man Gavin Schilling set a back screen for Travis Trice who cut towards the rim. Schilling then takes a step out towards the perimeter, drawing his defender away from the rim and slips to the rim.
4) Duke University Low Ball Screen:
Our eventual National Champions are getting another easy basket for Jahlil Okafor here. They inbound the ball to Okafor on the strong side block and the 3 players cut on the weak side as decoy movement to occupy the help. The inbounder, Quinn Cook comes inbounds and takes a handoff from Okafor and turns the corner. The screen is so that Frank Kaminsky needs to help off Okafor on the ball and Cook makes a great pass for an easy 2.
5) Wichita State 4 Low Curl:
Head Coach Greg Marshall put on a coaching clinic in their 3rd round matchup against Kansas. scoring multiple times on BLOB plays. In this set, Wichita State starts out 4 low and enters the ball to one of the bigs(Tekele Cotton) elevating on the perimeter. The other big elevates as well clearing the paint and sets a down screen for Ron Baker in the corner. The Kansas big does a poor job showing on the curl and Baker cuts all the way to rim for an easy 2.
6) Cincinnati Dribble Handoff/Weakside Stagger:
Kentucky’s first minor scare in the tournament came against the University of Cincinnati in the 3rd round. Cincinnati did a great job pulling the bigs away from the rim on this set as they inbounded the ball almost at the 3 point line. Troy Caupain came back inbounds to get a handoff from the big. On the weak side Cincy ran a stagger screen along the 3 point line that drew all the help away from the ball. Towns didn’t show on the ball screen at all and Caupain had a clear path to the rim.
7) Wisconsin Backscreen and Roll:
In the game that Kentucky finally did lose Wisconsin showed brilliant execution on this BLOB set. Wisconsin did a great job pulling the Kentucky bigs away from the rim as they used their guard Bronson Koenig to set two back screens. The Kentucky bigs had trouble chasing through the screens and an open paint led to a wide open Kaminsky layup.
If you’re looking for more plays from 2015 NCAA Tournament then click on the link to check the 2015 NCAA Tournament Playbook. This is a complete collection of the best plays implemented during the Tournament that was published right after the end of it.
Follow Coach John Zall on Twitter!!!
Coach John Zall just completed his first season as an Assistant Coach at Division II Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH. This past season Franklin Pierce University won 20 games and advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Zall arrived at Franklin Pierce after spending the past 3 seasons as the Associate Head Coach/Head JV Coach at O’Bryant High school in Roxbury, MA. During his tenure at O’Bryant the program improved from 4 wins to 12 wins and qualified for the MIAA State Tournament twice.
Coach Zall also has experience as an AAU Head Coach for the Boston Warriors. As Head Coach for the Warriors his team won the 2011 16U State Title and twice competed in AAU Nationals down in Orlando, FL. On top of being a student at Northeastern University, Zall was named Head Coach of the Men’s Club Basketball team for the 2012-13 season. During his lone season as Head Coach, Northeastern finished second in the Northeast Regional Tournament featuring colleges from throughout the East Coast. Coach Zall has also spent time as a Head Coach in the Bay State Games where his team won the Bronze Medal in 2012 and at various camps including: Five Star, Boston Celtics, NIKE, Franklin Pierce University, Hoop Group and The Elite 75.
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