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Follow along as Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reveals three of his program’s top under-the-basket inbounds plays. The plays are designed to give teams many different options in tight situations. They can also be adjusted to go up against both man and zone defenses. Look to add these proven special situation plays to your playbook today!
The Set-up: Get your best shooter to take the ball out under the basket. Get your best screener to start on the ballside low block. Get your next best screener to set up on the opposite lowside block. Meanwhile, the remaining two players are stacked at the free throw line with the point guard in the back. It’s a triangle-like look. You can run this effectively against a man or zone defense.
The Action: Look to enter the ball to your big popping out to the side. Next, the first free throw line guy comes down and sets up a double screen with the opposite low block guy. The point guard pops out up top. The big can now pass to the point guard up top. Next, the big now comes down and sets a screen on the low block.
The Finish: The best shooter can now go either way. If the defense goes over the top on the big, he can step through to the ball and look for the ball down low. If the shooter goes around the double screen, the top screener can do the same thing and flash down low. If he goes off the double screen, you can also have the two screeners screen across for the big, who comes across underneath where you can hit him down low for a layup.
This is a terrific play when you want a three-pointer, especially with time winding down at the end of a quarter or half. Everything is basically the same as before except now we put our two bigs on the same side. In other words, put one big as the bottom player in the free throw line stack. This play is also ideal against man and zone defenses.
Next, the (down low) big pops out and gets the ball. Now the big in the stack pops out to the same side wing as the big with the ball. He passes to the point guard up top. Next, the two bigs screen the nearest players on that same side as the inbounder comes around and sets up beyond the three-point arc for a shot on the wing.
The Set-up: Set up two big men facing the sideline inbounder at just about the free throw line. Get another player behind them on the opposite wing. Also, get another player set up on the nearside low block.
The Action: Start by having the low block guy flash and receive the ball. The passer now sprints either over or under (he can go either way) the flasher with the ball. The two big guys at the free throw line make a double screen away for the wing player. Next there’s a pass to the wing player who curls around the screens and gets to the top of the key for a quick shot.
Note: You can screen a number of ways for that double screen (staggered, etc.). The first guy can also slip to the basket while the other one spaces out to the wing to give the ball handler two more options. This spacing really gives you some outside and inside options.
The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Tom Izzo’s Basketball Smorgasbord.” To check out more videos featuring out of bounds plays and other special situations, visit our basketball library.