Tony Miller’s top concepts from #FastModelMadness23 featuring stack series, triple stagger sets, middle ball screen action and more.
Is there any day better than the first Thursday of March Madness?? Day one of the men’s NCAA Tournament provided us with a little bit of everything—upsets, blowouts, possible impactful injuries, and, most importantly, some great XsOs! Here are few that caught my eye.
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Kansas Jayhawks – End of Clock Middle Ball Screen
I mentioned yesterday on Twitter that college coaches are getting creative at getting into middle ball screen actions. Gone are the days of 4 low sets ending with your 5 coming out for a high ball screen (those are easier to trap and easier for help defense to prepare for). Nowadays, Ghost screens, Spain action and other traditional actions are being used as pre-actions to that middle ball screen finish.
The ghost screen from Grady Dick for Dajuan Harris draws a switch from the defense. That action is immediately followed by a back screen (similar to Spain). The 5 sets a ball screen for Harris to drive the paint. The big dives hard and Dick loops back to the top of the key. Dick’s defender tags on the hard roll, which leaves the throw back pass open, ending in a 3PA.
Howard was well-prepared for the play, but you can see how it even draws help from the corner Howard defender.
College of Charleston Cougars – Triple Stagger
In need of a quick score? A lot of teams will clear a side and let their point guard get down hill to score (if possible). In order to keep help defense preoccupied (and create a back-up scoring opportunity), teams will do something on the other side of the floor. Charleston used a triple stagger in their game against SDSU to get a layup.
Duke Blue Devils – Stack Series
If you’re an AQTO+ member, you received Jon Scheyer’s FastDraw Playbook last week, which included several sets out of the Blue Devils’ stack series. Here’s one of their go-to’s for Kyle Filipowski. After some movement/passes to draw the defense to one side, Jeremy Roach will set a guard-to-big back screen for the 7-foot freshman for a lob over the top of the defense.
#FastModelMadness23 Is Just Getting Started
Want more XsOs? Follow #FastModelMadness23 and check out my Inside March Madness series all month long:
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Dr. Tony Miller is the men’s assistant basketball coach at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. In addition, he serves as the director of BJU’s sport management degree program.
