Michigan State “Shirt” Play Adam Spinella

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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December 8, 2014

Michigan State “Shirt” Play Adam Spinella

Tom Izzo has been running this Michigan State Chin action this season for both Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson, two very versatile players for the Spartans. Both are good enough passers and ball handlers that they are trusted to make the right plays, and with guards that can shoot the ball surrounding them, some ball screen actions with them are lethal. Izzo ran this several times against Notre Dame in their overtime loss in the Big Ten-ACC challenge, likely trying to target Pat Connaughton on the defensive end. The back screen- ball screen combo has always been difficult to defend, but the versatility of the Spartans makes them a great team to run this set.

Dawson is the 4 and Valentine is the 2 in this set. Travis Trice (1) dribbles down and hands the ball off to Forbes (3) on the wing. While this happens, the trailing Dawson (4) sets a down screen for Valentine (2) on the weak side.

As the ball swings over to Valentine off the downscreen, 5 (Schilling) sets a back screen for Forbes to cut to the opposite corner. Like any other Chin set, this turns into a back screen followed by a ball screen, as Valentine comes off the ball screen to attack. The lane is open, with shooters Forbes and Trice in the corners. Schilling rolls and looks for the lob, while Dawson fills up from the corner for the throwback.

Often the Michigan State Spartans would flash Dawson to the elbow if Valentine could not get a scoring action off the ball screen. Dawson would then look for the shot, the hi-lo pass or swing the ball back to Forbes for a two-man game, usually a ball screen.

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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