UConn's 3-out 2-in Offense Against Louisville

The new number one ranked UConn Huskies on the road to take on number seven ranked Louisville. I wasn't surprised that UConn won the game, despite being on the road. UConn is probably the most balanced team in the country. They may not have the pure speed of a UNC, the pressure defense of a Duke, but the Huskies can beat anyone because they can play any game, fast or slow.

I really like UConn's half-court 3-out 2-in offense. Their ability to beak Louisville's press was the primary reason why they won the game, but I think that UConn's half-court offense is their biggest asset because they utilize the talent of their players as Coach Jim Calhoun is known for developing great players. They move the ball from side to side and attack the gaps in the offense. Here are some sequences along with a Dick Vitale breakdown,




Attacking the Gaps:

A lot of drive and kick, DDM principles at work. They incorporate good spacing, ball movement, and court awareness into everything they do. They're patient, and wait for the defense to become compromised, then they attack the gaps,



Summary:

Besides the turnovers, I felt that UConn's ability to execute in the half-court was the difference in the game, especially late when UConn was sitting on the lead. As I mentioned in another post, Louisville may have the best full-court defense in college basketball, but right now, they have some problems scoring in the half-court. What that means is that they can beat the mediocre to bad teams, but against good teams that can handle Louisville's pressure defense like UConn, it's going to be a problem. They're going to have to learn to execute better in the halfcourt or they won't go all the way in March.

If you want to learn more about UConn's 3-out 2-in motion offense, take a look at Jim Calhoun's DVD on the 3-out 2-in Motion Offense. To discuss this and other basketball coaching topics, head over to the X's and O's of Basketball Forum.