Defence - 2-3 Tubby Smith

Defences
2-3 Tubby Smith

Tubby Smith

Play inside-out with any zone. The point guard is usually at the defensive left elbow, most teams are right-handed, he can pressure the ball. Pick the ball up at least one full step above the arc. Pressure the inside shoulder, force away from the middle, fan to the sideline, keep the ballhandler on one side. There is one guy out on the ball (not two), the other four are supporting. Defenders have hands up (not out), elbows bent, thumbs in their ears. The first thing to do in a zone is talk.

Guards X1 and X2 each have a quarter of the court, midline to foul-line extended or maybe one step below. They will usually hand off a dribbler to the other guard, except maybe a shooter. They can pick up the ball at halfcourt, usually in a tandem with one guard up, the other back. Here X1 picks up the ball, X2 is in a position to take away a direct pass or a flash to the high post.

X1 can follow and take a pass to 2, who is above the foul-line extended (guards should cover as much ground as they can), or X2 could take the first pass.

Victorino Cunha (FIBA Assist, issue 1) - X1 and X2 can wait above the foul line then slide on a lateral pass to 2 or 3. In the tandem, X2 would go out to guard the ball on a pass to 2 or 3.

Jim Boeheim - X3 comes up as if he going to play the ball then moves back down.

coachesclipboard.net - on ball reversal it sometimes helps if the low defender comes out on the pass to the wing then drops back down.

Here 2 gets a pass below the foul line, wing X3 comes out to take the ball, X1 comes back to the elbow, takes away any flash to the elbow, hands up, makes sure they throw a lob pass not a direct pass. X2 and X4 have their butts to the baseline.

Close out with hands up, take away a direct pass to the basket.

Cunha - Or X2 covers the ballside elbow, X1 drops to cover weakside. On a pass to 3 (weakside below the foul line), X2 would take the ball.

X5 always plays between the ball and the basket, and fronts a low-post attacker with the ball at the wing (X5 has to get around him on a shot). X4 takes away a lob inside (backside help).

On a pass back to 1, X1 would close out on his inside shoulder.

Weakside rebounding is key.

With a ballside overload, X1 counts bodies and bumps down X3, who finds the next closest man, 5 in the corner. X2 is responsible for any flash, X4 takes away any lob or skip pass.

Cunha - if 5 cuts and gets a pass from 2, X5 goes out to pressure the ball, X4 overplays the post on the ballside, X3 double teams the ball if 2 is not a shooter, or overplays 2 if he is a good shooter.

Jim Boeheim - centre X5 calls out "bump, shooter" when a shooter runs the baseline to the corner.

X3 closes out baseline side on a pass to the corner, forcing 4 to the middle. X1 goes back to the elbow, play inside-out. The zone forces people to score from outside.

If 4 drives baseline, X5 traps with X3, X1 comes down to get in front of 5.

Boeheim - automatically trap baseline penetration, X4 moves over to cover 5, X2 takes the backside.

On a skip pass to 3, X2 takes it if he can to keep the bigs inside, but here X4 takes the pass. X2 and X4 must talk.

Boeheim - X2 bumps X4 down.

Anytime the ball goes below wing players X4 or X3 it's an automatic trap. X3 protects the basket, X1 must get low enough to see the ball and the furthest man from him, attacker 2.

X2 still covers the elbow but looks to steal a pass to 3. On a pass back out to 3, X2 may have to take him, and X1 covers the elbow, taking away any flash.

Also trap anytime the ball goes within one step of the paint. Here X5 and X1 trap on a pass to the high post, X2 gets back to ball line.

If there is nobody in the post, X5 will move up and find somebody, e.g., at the high post, slide up and guard him.

On a pass into the low post, trap with the closest defender on top, force a lob or bounce pass.

Cunha - A flash cut by 4 from the weakside can be covered by weakside wing X3, or by weakside guard X1 and X3 is responsible for 2. If 4 receives the ball in the high post, X5 must pressure him.

Boeheim - the centre is responsible for the ball any time it goes to the high post.

Here 2 got a pass above the foul line and X1 took the ball. When 2 dribbles from the wing to corner, X1 passes him off to wing X3. Coming back out, X3 would hand 2 off to X1, who bumps X3 back inside ready to play inside-out (teams will dribble out then run somebody underneath to the corner).

22 (trap the first pass)

Trapping the first pass is usually done out of a tandem. X1 drops back and is a natural interceptor, but is still responsible for the elbow. X1 and X2 exchange sides in the zone. X4 looks to come across to take anyone coming to the ballside baseline, but is still responsible for the skip pass.

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