Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play by Gibson Pyper

Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans have been one of the toughest teams to guard in the Big Ten for the last 5 years. Attacking early in the shot clock has been a staple, but just as lethal has been the half court sets and offense that Tom Izzo has installed. We are going to look at one of the best sets he runs that he calls “Horns.” Horns is a common set in today’s NBA & NCAA although they run his Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play a bit differently, the image below shows the difference in setup.

As you can see, Izzo sets his Horns setup like a 1-4 high set, with both 2 & 3 on the wings versus the typical Horns setup in the corners. This will become clear when we look at the options of the Horns set, as he designs the guards setup on the wings for a specific reason.

Here is video of Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Horns Set:

The reason I really like this set is because it has multiple options that make it extremely difficult to guard. Some of the best sets are designed to succeed against the best defensive teams, and Michigan State matches up against one of the best defensive conferences in the Big Ten. Attacking great defensive teams you need to have 3-4 great options out of a set or formation, and this Horns set delivers with 5 options and built in counters that the Spartans can turn to when they need to look for a score.
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Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play Option 1: Backdoor cut on the wing.

We looked at how Izzo designs his “Horns” set, with both of the guards on the wings instead of in the corners. The specific reason for this is to have a built in backdoor option as the very first option of this set. This is great against pressure defenses like West Virginia that like to deny passes to the wings and this is a good way to break that pressure and have the defense second guessing how high up they want to defend. The pass goes from the point guard to the elbow, typically the better passer of the two bigs Michigan State has. After the big receives the pass at the elbow he then looks to execute a “Blind Pig” drop pass to the guard cutting on the wing to the basket. The drop pass needs to be made with the outside hand off the elbow, the left hand on the right side and the right hand on the left side (bigs facing the half court line).

Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play Option 2: Rub Screen from Point Guard (1) on Opposite Big (5).

After the guard clears, the point guard then cuts inside and sets a “Rub” screen for the big at the opposite elbow. A “Rub” screen is the term I use for when a guard fakes a cut inside and turns to screen the inside of the defender, typically for a big to cut to the rim. The key here that Tom Izzo teaches is the outside pivot when the big catches the ball at the elbow. He does not teach them a reverse pivot, he teaches them to catch the ball at the elbow and use their outside foot as pivot foot and pull the inside leg out toward the 3 point line. The type of pass is an “Outside Bounce” pass that is designed to pass the ball outside the defender leading the opposite big toward the rim.

Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play Option 3: Triple Screen for Opposite Guard (2) on Wing.

After the point guard (1) sets the rub screen on the opposite big (5) he then cuts up to the top of the key and receives the pass from the big with the ball (4). Simultaneously the guard who cut backdoor continues through and sets the first screen in the triple screen for the guard (2) to cut through to the other side. Since the 5 man was already cutting to the rim, he is in great position to set the second screen directly in the middle of the paint under the rim; after 4 passes the ball to the point guard he then sets the last screen in the triple screen just outside the paint. The reason the screens are set where they are is designed to make the defense work and have to choose how to guard it. The Big in the middle of the key (5) is so the big can make the last option work, and the Big just outside the key is to force the defender to either trail (curl read) or shoot the gap (fade read) and make a decision. This often looks like a double stagger screen since Michigan State’s timing is usually flawless when they run this set, and the initial screen by the guard who cut through is often set before the rub option is either open or not.

Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play Option 4: Flare screen for point guard (1).

The last option if the previous options are not open, is a flare screen for the point guard. This option can be called one of two ways based on scouting report and the type of point guard you have. When Keith Appling, a good athlete at the point guard position, was at Michigan State Tom Izzo would run the 3 man back off a stagger screen to the corner that led into a lob off the flare screen from 5 for him. Last year he had Denzel Valentine, a good shooter, be the point guard who came off a flare screen for a 3. This gives flexibility in the set for a “Special” or counter to the normal set. In this scenario we will say the point guard is a good shooter, and they set a flare screen for him. Typically the guard who comes off the triple screen (2), looks to catch and drive if he does not an open shot available that leads into the drift off of the flare screen from 5. After 5 sets the middle screen under the rim, he then sprints up and sets the flare screen for 1. The key is on the catch, 2 must drive to the “Nail” or the middle of the free throw line to get a better passing angle as well as attack the defense.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of one of my favorite sets from Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. If you have any additional questions or thoughts or wish to see more content like this you can find me on Twitter & YouTube @HalfCourtHoops.

Click on the pdf link to download the Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play:

Tom Izzo Michigan State Horns Set Play