Alabama Crimson Tide Circle Power by Adam Spinella
Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Anthony Grant may not have found the type of success he imagined or hoped for in the SEC, but Grant has his team playing with a good deal of toughness. The Alabama Crimson Tide are always good at screening, rebounding and finishing near the rim. Lots of that comes from the specific kinds of offense that Alabama runs, like this Circle Power play. With lots of screening action around the lane, the physical Tide can muscle their way around once they get defenders chasing and helping.
1 comes off a high ballscreen from 4, then hits 4 on the pick-and-pop. 5 raises to backscreen for 4, then he steps out to the perimeter. 4 passes to 5, then goes to set a downscreen away from the ball. 2 loops off over the top of 4, and 1 comes up the lane line. 5 passes or hands off the ball to 1 at the top of the key.
As 1 dribbles over towards the opposite wing, 5 seeks out 2 to screen on the block. 2 curls off to the opposite corner, and 5 posts up hard looking for the entry from the perimeter. This circle action (where 1 loops around the lane and 1 and 2 circle around the screen from 4) does a lot to force switches in the paint, which players can exploit. I have a lot of appreciation for this play, especially when it is run at full speed – it is very difficult to defend.
Coach Adam Spinella is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach at Culver Academies in Culver, IN. Spinella spent the three years prior as a Student Assistant Coach at Division III Dickinson College. The Dickinson Men’s Team advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and accumulated an overall record of 59-26 (.694) during the three-year span, with the 2013-2014 season ending in the Division III Elite Eight. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, Spinella has a keen interest in X’s and O’s, particularly in professional basketball, and skill development.
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