Illinois's Game-Winning Play Versus Indiana

Here is the baseline out of bounds play that Illinois used to beat Indiana on Thursday, February 7th, 2013. I have no idea if this is how Coach Groce drew it up, but it sure worked quite well for them.

With this inbounds play, you'll see multiple scoring opportunities and some misdirection to confuse the defense. It could be a great play to keep in your back pocket for a late game situation, especially with playoff time approaching. Check out the video and diagrams below.





Instructions

Players start in a 1-4 low alignment. 1 and 2 should be quality shooters.

2 cuts to the elbow area to set a fake screen for 3. 3 cuts to the elbow.

5 cuts towards the corner.

After the fake screen, 2 takes a few steps towards half court, then cuts off of the screen set by 5 near the 3-point line. 4 passes the ball to 2 if this option is open.

3 takes a few steps towards the sideline then cuts backdoor. The next diagram shows how the defense reacted.

Due to the fake screen, defender 2 got caught on the screen set by 5. Defender 3 sees this and tries to stop 2 from getting the ball.

As a result, offensive player 3 was left unguarded and cut straight to the basket for a wide open lay up.

I'm assuming that 3 and 5 are told to cut to the basket if their defenders leave them.





Download 32 of our favorite basketball plays



What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...



Comments

Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First

John says:
2/14/2013 at 7:11:13 PM

Used this in high school and it didn't work the defense just stayed near the basket. Only works if they are playing tight defense.

Like
   

Ken says:
2/11/2013 at 1:02:44 PM

I'm sure that they would have had an option for that scenario...... but scouting probably told Illinois that they would be playing m2m.

Sometimes it pays to think out of the box.

Like
   

norman says:
2/11/2013 at 12:45:54 AM

what if Indiana was not defending in a man defense?

Like
   

Simon says:
2/10/2013 at 8:21:15 PM

Looking at the video, at first I thought that it wasn't drawn up that way either, particularly as the guy who scores the layup seems to be trying to get free towards the sideline and them wanders in to the open space to the basket for a 'gimme'.

However, if you look at the indounder he seems to be looking at the lane to the basket all the time and doesn't even react to any of the fake cuts making me think that that was the intended area for the pass for the play all the time. Perhaps an Illinois coach noticed Indiana had been leaving this area unguarded earlier in the game and it came back to haunt them.

I think that the defender (#4) guarding the inbound pass should have been guarding the lane towards the basket a bit better. He's just flapping his arms around and not concentrating on actively blocking the inbound pass and hardly reacts when the ball is inbounded. Perhaps it was just fortuitous that the man cutting to the basket did so just as the defender dropped into a defensive stance to block the pass and this allowed the inbound pass to come in cleanly without any pressure on the inbounder.

The two Illinois players almost screen each others' defender by coming in together and when the two Indiana players end up defending the same man it gets messy. They become tied up trying to guard the player cutting around O5's screen toward the inbounder and this gives O3 the chance to cut to the basket. D5 also lost focus at the crucial moment when his player was double teamed by the other defenders while setting his screen.

All in all, a good play with a well executed cut and reaction from the inbounder. The 'buzzer beater' gave the basket to win but the game was probably won by many other factors and plays throughout the match rather than this 1/2 second at the end.

Like
   

Jeff says:
2/9/2013 at 10:18:52 AM

I really don''''t think it was drawn up that way. I think it was a fluke, broken play

Like
   

Ken says:
2/9/2013 at 10:18:49 AM

Every coach has a philosophy about how he defends inbounds plays... mine was m2m also... but we also played a match up zone, knowing that I would want them to be taking a longer shot, I would have used that... part of MY philosophy..... Pick your own poison.... IF you think about it, it wasn't that they were playing m2m.... it was about HOW they EXECUTED it at that point of the game.

IF they would have played zone and some kid knocked down a jumper..... everyone would be saying that he should have played m2m. IF they would have executed in that situation and stopped the play.... got the W..... he would have been a genius. JMO

As coaches, we make a lot of decisions... some come out right, others ... NOT so good.
Most of the time its all about the players executing in that situation.

Like
   

Coach Frank says:
2/9/2013 at 9:57:43 AM

I read all the comments and they were all right on but the real problem is the defense should have been zone not man to man in this situation.

Like
   

Alex says:
2/8/2013 at 11:26:14 PM

Great play, but everyone here dissing Zeller should put yourself in Zeller's shoes. 0.9 seconds on the clock, only have time for a catch and shot, if he plays complete helpside, that pass can be made to his man for a pretty open shot. Offensively, I think it would be a great decision to put your best or second best shooter in that spot (probably second best), so if they are in man, the defender has no choice but to stay on you. Kind of like what Zeller did, but even more so. And I completely understand the thought of making them beat you with a terrific shot, but in D1 basketball, everyone can make a shot if not contested well enough. Personally, I think defensively they did the best thing. My only thought is possibly take the man defending the ball out of bounds and drop him on the ball side block to prevent a lob/bounce pass lay-up.

Like
   

Arv says:
2/8/2013 at 8:13:28 PM

Ouch... Great play. But definitely a let down on defense. The defender on the inbounder definitely should have been protecting that passing lane toward the basket. And the defender on 1 should have been closer to the key, help side. What a way to stun the #1 team.

Like
   

Skip says:
2/8/2013 at 6:53:58 PM

I'd like to thank Breakthrough for a GREAT opportunity. This is a terrific breakdown of the play. I agree that there should be default coverage on the basket, but it was a well designed play... let's face it, everyone thought the ball would be going to Richardson.

Like
   

Show More


































Leave a Comment
Name
:
Email (not published)
:
Three times one is equal to?  (Prevents Spam)
Answer
:
 Load New Question
Comments
:
Leave this Blank
: