Fighting Illini Basketball Horns Set Plays by Wes Kosel

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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Basketball Plays | Basketball Set Plays | Horns Set Plays

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July 25, 2014

Fighting Illini Basketball Horns Set Plays by Wes Kosel

Attached are 2 Horns set plays from Illinois Head Coach John Groce and the Fighting Illini Basketball team. In my previous post, I provided to box set plays from Coach Groce. In these Horns set plays, Groce does a good job spreading the floor to open up passing options to his post players. One of the disadvantages of using Horns is that often a player is “stuck” in the corner without moving. This is the case in the first play. Although this is not always ideal, it can be used as an advantage by placing a player that you would like to hide in the corner spot. In addition, if the opposing team has a highly talented defender that you want to remove from the play, put his man in the corner. This will take the defender out of the play entirely or cause the coach to switch who he is guarding.

John Groce Fighting Illini Basketball Horns Set Plays – Horns Post Flare

1 dribbles off of a screen from 5 as 3 moves from the corner to the opposite low post. As 1 clears the screen, his first look is to turn the corner and attack the basket. If 1 doesn’t have anything, his next option is to pass to 5 flaring off of a screen from 4. If 5 isn’t open, 4 moves to the wing to set a ball-screen for 1. 1 drives middle as 4 rolls to the basket. 1 can also pass to 3 cutting off of a down screen from 5.

John Groce Fighting Illini Basketball Horns Set Plays – Horns Post Cross

1 dribbles toward 5 as if he is going to receive the screen from him, but 5 instead cuts hard to the opposite short corner. 4 follows in behind 5 to set the ball-screen for 1. 1 drives to the top of the key as 4 rolls to the basket. 5 clears out to the corner to create space for 4. If 4’s defender is fronting the post, 1 can pass to 3 who looks inside to 4 sealing his defender.

Wes Kosel is an assistant coach for men’s basketball under Head Coach Doug Novak at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kosel joined the staff at Bethel after serving two seasons at Texas Lutheran University and one season at Haskell Indian Nations University. Kosel has an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from the University of Kansas, and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Houston. The Bartlesville, OK native is also a NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and taught weight training and aerobic fitness courses while coaching at Texas Lutheran. He has coached AAU programs, volunteered with elementary and middle school basketball teams, and has worked basketball camps for various programs including the Houston Rockets, University of Houston, Texas State, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.