Mizzou Adjusts in Second Half, Shuts Down UMKC

I only caught the second half of this game between Mizzou and Univ. Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) with practices in full swing. The score was tied at half but Mizzou's signature pressure defense combined with adjustments to their half-court M2M absolutely shut down UMKC in the second half. I've posted before about how Roy Williams of UNC talks about adjustments being so key to winning games.

Credit to UMKC, they must've played extremely well in the first half for the score to be tied. I didn't watch the first half, but I'm sure they executed the way they wanted, especially against a solid defensive team like Mizzou. But you had to know that Mizzou would come out of half-time and make adjustments, specifically to counter UMKC's offense once they've seen it for a whole half. Mizzou adjusted, UMKC stuck with the same set offense, and it was game over at that point. Here is a couple of sequences of the same play essentially run back-to-back, and Mizzou defends it perfectly both times.



If you run the same set play over and over, the defense will make adjustments and shut you down. I think the play is actually a good one, it takes advantage of a couple of things having the baseline backdoor and the flat upscreen. But every set play has the disadvantage that the more you run it, the more the defense has scouted it, and the more they will know how to defend it.

Just for kicks, here is the basic formation of UMKC's set play,


Like I said, it is a smart play. But it's not a motion offense, so the options are easily defined and a defense can scout it and know how to defend it. Clearly the threats are backdoor, and the drive from the top. In both video sequences, Mizzou does a great job shutting down the backdoor and the drive.

Adjustments, your gameplan is only as good as the first 6 minutes of the game, then it's all about the adjustments.

Do you want your team to play defense like Mizzou? Then check out Mike Anderson's DVD on 40 minutes of hell. I'd like think our teams play defense with the same intensity as coach Anderson's Mizzou team plays. Don't forget to check out the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk about this and your favorite basketball topics.