Jim Larranaga Miami Hurricanes Curl Slob Play

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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Sideline out of bounds

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October 13, 2014

Jim Larranaga Miami Hurricanes Curl Slob Play
by Adam Spinella

The reason college teams do not run a lot of sideline out of bounds sets is because usually college teams dribble in the full court, as the ball doesn’t automatically advance after a timeout is called. In those rare situations where a team calls a timeout at halfcourt or there is a deflection and a side inbounds play, college coaches still need to be prepared with what to run.
Jim Larranaga’s Miami Hurricanes ran this play against Georgia Tech in the 2011-2012 season (the year before they exploded to top five in the nation), a very good misdirection lob at the rim. Here was the situation:

With less than 1 second remaining on the shot clock, the Miami Hurricanes inbounded the ball from the normal side-out position and looked for a lob at the rim.

Durand Scott (1) takes the ball out. Rion Brown (2) is on the opposite block, Malcolm Grant (3) is on the opposite wing, Kenny Kadji (4) is at the top of the key and Reggie Johnson (5) is at the ball-side elbow. The action is simple – 3 comes towards the ball off a screen from 4, while 2 curls around the baseline side of 5 and then over towards the hoop. Scott threw a perfect lob to the far side of the rim, completely unoccupied. This play worked especially well for the Miami Hurricanes because Kadji (4) is a good three-point shooter, and since he stayed on the three point line after screening for Grant, his defender stayed with him, opening up the paint for a curl.

It’s a very simple curl play with a well-executed pass. Coaches don’t need to get too flashy – getting a unique formation like this throws the defense off enough; the play itself can be simple and still effective.

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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