No matter what we do whether it is a scramble situation or we are in our correct shell help defensive positions we must, on every defensive possession, COMMUNICATE-CONTEST-BLOCKOUT.

 

Ultimately we cannot evolve into a good defensive team unless we take pride and emphasize the details, not just teach them, because at Babson we reinforce that “details matter, every day every play!” If we are not emphasizing these baseline defensive concepts then we are not playing defense.

 

In terms of teaching points for “Babson Closeout Blockout” please refer to the diagram.

1.       Coach passes to the offensive player furthest away (#4) and the closest defender to the coach (X1)  sprints out and breaks down into a long recovery closeout with two hands up, communicating “ball, ball, ball,” then pressuring the ball until #4 passes.

2.       As offensive player #4 passes to #3, defender X1 sprints to help and defender X2 now executes a long recovery closeout on offensive player #3; again emphasizing same technique on closeout and pressuring the ball.

3.       The same actions repeat on the slot to slot pass from offensive player #3 to #2 and the same points of emphasis must be reinforced defensively by X1, X2 and X3: talk, 2 hands up, drive shooter off the arc, pressure the ball until pass is made, and sprint to help on the flight of the ball.

4.       On the slot to wing pass from offensive player #2 to #1 we repeat our actions and teaching points of emphasis. In all passing situations the defenders sprint to their correct shell positions and communicate by saying, “help, help, help.”

5.       Offensive player #1 skip passes to #4 and all sprint to help while defender X1 closes out on shooter #4 and contests the field goal attempt. All four defenders must blockout and when they secure the defensive rebound we have the rebounder outlet to a coach to add one more fundamental to the drill and to execute the outlet vs. pressure.

 

We also will run the same drill formation and on the skip pass have offensive players #2, #3 set a stagger for #1 and play live vs. stagger actions. By playing the stagger live we can address pop cuts curl cuts, screener slips, #1 rejecting the stagger to basket cut and then have #2 use the single screen by #3.