Zone offence - Huggins dive and fill

Zone offence
Huggins dive and fill

Bob Huggins

See the Atkins North Carolina T-game.

The action

1 and 2 are the guards, 3-4-5 are at the high post and blocks. On a pass to 2, 4 steps out to the short corner, 5 dives to the ballside low post, 3 fills the high post.

Guards need to be spaced but able to reverse the ball and shoot it. 4 has to be ready to shoot from the short corner. They want high post 3 to get underneath a guard then inside pivot on a catch to keep the guard behind him (they love to throw the ball in the high post, there is no help in the middle of the floor). 3 should not go any further than he has to go to get the ball.

On ball reversal, 5 goes to the short corner, 3 dives to the low post, and 4 fills the high post. The action is always low post to short corner, high post to low post (dive), short corner to high post (fill). 3-4-5 are interchangeable, playing each position on both sides.

Swing the ball, but don't go too fast, let them get to their spots.

72% of missed shots rebound opposite, so Huggins' father would have the low and high post rebound opposite.

Try to distort the zone, go where they ain't.

You can't let them gap you all the time, get on somebody.

Atkins - rotation positions are wing, low post, and high post, or wing, short corner, midpost.

2-1-2 entry

Huggins runs out of a 2-1-2 or 1-4 entry set. For a 2-1-2, start 5 at the high post, 3 and 4 move out to the wings. 5 dives and 3 fills on the pass to 4.

On ball reversal to 1, 5 goes to the short corner, or you can run him out behind the arc if he can shoot. 3 dives, 4 fills.

Atkins - 5 crosses the lane on the pass to 2, 3 and 5 can x-cut if 2 passes back to 4. On the pass to 1, 4 goes down to the block then comes high. Against an odd-front zone, usually reverse the ball by passing.

If 5 has the ball and 3 is really good, some teams will front him with the middle defender. The call is "buddies", 3 screens X5, they look for a lob to 4 at the front of the rim.

Sometimes teams try to take away the high-post cut by sticking a guard in the lane to jam it up. If the cutter is a shooter or a guard, you can bring him all the way behind the arc at the top.

On a pass to the high post, 1 spaces away, 4 crosses the lane to the other block, 3 replaces 4 (and 2 moves down in vision).

Throw it in the high post whenever possible, then look at the block (or skip it to a shooter).

On a pass to 1, 4 steps out to the short corner, 5 dives, 3 fills.

It's the same action anytime the ball is reversed, e.g., through the high post, or thrown into the low post then fanned opposite.

(Option - dive the high post on a pass into the low post, without waiting for reversal)

Teams will start playing 3-4-5 man to man because of the action, so Huggins starts ballscreening with the player filling the high post, turn (reverse) the ball a couple of times first.

Atkins - use high ballscreens to reverse the ball against an even-front or match-up zone.

Action on ball reversal.

1-4 entry set

2 or 3 will play the other guard spot.

On a pass to 2, 5 goes short corner, 4 dives, 3 fills, 1 spaces away. 2 is the other guard.

On an entry pass to 4, 5 dives and posts, the easiest illegal screen is to act like you are posting, keep a defender on your back.

On a pass to 3, 5 steps out, 4 dives, 2 fills, 1 spaces. 3 is the other guard.

This page was made with Basketball playbook from Jes-Soft