Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches around the world

Happy Sunday!

ICYMI: Last week, we released our latest Modern Game Truths collaboration with The Pro Lane on Perception Speed. Read the newsletter HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Cal Poly SLO - 4 Out, 1 on the Move {Part 1}

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Francesco Tabellini {Paris Basketball}

📢 Hudl + FastModel

🥇 Best of the Week: Horns Alignment & Stagger Screening​

📚 Interesting Reads: How to Become the Best in the World at Something

Let's dive in...

High Percentage Driving Angles

We were recently joined on the podcast, in what has quickly become one of the most popular episodes of the year, by Cal Poly SLO Head Coach Mike DeGeorge {🎧}, diving headfirst into their approach to spacing, analytics, and their efforts to play "positionless" through different alignments. Coach DeGeorge spoke about the history and iterations of their offense (which was one of the highest scoring and most efficient in D1 last season), along with the pain points of trying to implement a fast paced "read and react" type of system.

We are excited to dive even further into the Cal Poly SLO offense over the next couple of weeks, this time to video, as Cal Poly Assistant, Kyle Bossier, kindly joined us in our latest "Film Room" to break down the intricacies of the Mustangs "4 Out, 1 on the Move" offense, demonstrating the concepts and teaching the terminology that led Cal Poly to be the fastest team in the NCAA in terms of average possession length and fifth in terms of three-point rate (per KenPom).

Cal Poly's "4 Out, 1 On the Move" Offense

In the beginning of our Film Session, Coach Bossier discusses how older iterations of their offense, which saw more of a "5 Out" look, struggled with stagnation and the ability to create driving gaps large enough to consistently break the paint. Through those struggles, they eventually transitioned to a 4 Out alignment, which created better gaps but allowed the defense to keep size near the rim if they kept their offensive big primarily in one of the two "dunker spots". This led to their "4 Out, 1 on the Move" spacing and concept, where one player is always cutting or "on the move", solving both issues and allowing them to play with true positional versatility.

Today's video focuses heavily on the spacing cuts Cal Poly SLO uses to consistently maintain a 4 Out look while seamlessly moving a fifth player in and out of the dunker spot, keeping the defense off balance and the rim open. It is through these spacing cuts that Cal Poly SLO unlocks what they are truly after: high percentage driving angles.

Today, through the lens of Cal Poly SLO’s space-clearing cuts, we will highlight how these actions unlock their ability to play through stampede catches and create the proper pace and angles for effective ballscreens.

Stampede Catches

Similar to ballscreen motion, anytime Cal Poly SLO finds themselves in a three-man side alignment, they task the middle player, anticipating the ball reversal, with making what they call a “Squeeze” cut...

Through the use of the Squeeze cut Cal Poly SLO can transform the shape of their spacing from 5 Out back into their desired 4 Out spacing, creating early gaps for teammates to attack into on the catch...

A major tenet of Cal Poly SLO’s offensive identity is catching on the move, prioritizing stampede drives over isolating a one-on-one matchup, even when favorable. When the timing of the Squeeze cut, the ball reversal, and the stampede align, it creates a full-speed slot drive that puts the defense in crisis.

This principle extends well beyond their Squeeze cut. All of Cal Poly SLO’s cutting actions to clear the fifth player off the perimeter are designed to open gaps, allowing their players to "think stampede" on every catch, with the confidence that there will be enough space to turn the corner.

Screening Angles & Pace

If the stampede isn’t available off the catch, Cal Poly SLO’s positionless approach gives the receiver the option to pass and follow into a ballscreen with the nearest teammate, even if it is guard to guard. Operating in the wake of the prior space-clearing cut, SLO is able to achieve two consistent outcomes through their screening actions: downhill angles and pace.

Screening Angles

By achieving their 4 Out spacing, Cal Poly SLO creates roughly 20 feet of space between each player on the floor. As a result, when a player passes and follows into a ballscreen, the screener has ample time and space to sprint into the action and hunt the desired screening angle. As a rule of thumb, SLO wants screens to be uphill so the ballhandler's first dribble can be downhill.

Zooming In: As shown above, the slot player uses a "Corner Loop" cut to relocate and open up a gap if the secondary driver can't get directly to the rim on the drive they will look to play an uphill dribble handoff, which given the pace and spacing can often be more of a pitch to ballscreen. The pace and angle of this delivery means that it's extremely difficult for the defense to steer the screener who therefore can establish the exact screening angle they'd like, once again creating an advantage for a high-quality drive. And of course, you guessed it, the player receiving that handoff or pitch will be looking to stampede to create and maintain incredible half court pace.

Zooming In 2.0: Throughout Part 1 of today’s "Film Room," Coach Bossier goes into great detail on how they teach screening, helping screeners read the hips of defenders to either “Reroute and Out” or set a “Hot Stove” {🔒} screen.

Screening Pace

In today's "Film Room," Coach Bossier discusses the importance of the distance a player covers before setting a screen. If it’s only 10 to 12 feet, as in a 5 Out setup, it becomes too easy for the defense to connect and steer screeners into the screen. This allows the defense to switch or play their coverage effectively. Since Cal Poly SLO plays positionless and lacks size, they cannot afford to lose their team speed advantage by letting defenders slow down their screens with physicality. Therefore, by aiming to create 20 to 25 feet of space between players, Cal Poly SLO forces defenders to cover more ground before reaching the screen. This extra distance reduces the defense’s ability to steer screeners, allowing screeners to hunt their desired angles without impediment and keep their pace humming.

To demonstrate this concept, lets look at how Cal Poly SLO uses an "Empty-Out" cut...

a movement that shifts the offense from a 5-Out alignment into their preferred 4-Out shape, creating space for a slot-to-slot ball screen.

Zooming In: You’ll see the initial guard receiving the ball from the trailer has the opportunity to stampede toward the middle of the floor off the wake of the Empty-Out cut. If there is no opportunity to stampede, he immediately plays to a pass and follow ballscreen with the opposite guard spot. Given the threat of the stampede and the space created by the Empty-Out cut, the screener can easily throw the ball ahead and set a screen on the bottom half of the defender without any impediment from his own defender.

Through their cutting concepts, Cal Poly SLO keeps the rim clear and shifts seamlessly between alignments, creating the space and tempo needed to attack the paint. This intentional manipulation of spacing opens driving lanes, fuels stampede catches, and gives screeners the room to arrive with purpose, keeping constant pressure on the defense throughout the possession.

This is just Part One of our two-part series with Coach Bossier. Next week, we'll dive even deeper into how Cal Poly teaches their cutters to exit, the timing behind their rescreens, and the layers they add as possessions unfold.

Please enjoy Coach Bossier's Intro for free now on SGTV!

Together with Dr. Dish

🚨This month only, Slappin’ Glass subscribers can get an exclusive $2,000 off plus FREE shipping on their purchase of a Dr. Dish CT+, All-Star+, or Rebel+. Hurry to secure your savings before 6/30 or while supplies last!​

Slappin' Glass Podcast

🎙️ Podcast Recap: Francesco Tabellini – “Canceling the Pauses”

Core Theme: Relentlessness as a Systemic Identity

Coach Francesco Tabellini (Basketball Nymburk, and now newly hired Paris Basketball HC) joined the show this week for a terrific conversation detailing how his team embodies a relentless identity by “canceling the pauses” between offense and defense—turning transition into a competitive advantage and effort into a game model. He emphasizes philosophy first, then structure, with a laser focus on execution speed, effort, and player autonomy. Here are three main learnings from the show...

1. “Cancel the Pauses” – Relentlessness as a System Identity

Tabellini’s core philosophy is built on eliminating the transition gap between offense and defense. He defines his system by speed, intention, and player ownership.

This shows up in:

• First-three-step sprints and no-catch zones in transition.
• Cutting hard even in transition to collapse defenders.
• Corner 3s always green-lit because they're system-generated.

2. "Tagging Up" is the Effort Thermometer

"Tagging Up" {🔒} is both a tactical tool and a culture check. It fuels second possessions, enables immediate pressure, and serves as a visual indicator of team buy-in.

Implementation tools:

• Assign a coach or player to track tags every possession.
• Practice design must support it with short, intense segments.
• In drills..."No tag, no point." Rebounds are rewarded.

3. "Hedge-and-Plug" as Controlled Chaos

Their ball screen coverage is a “temporary switch”—a way to be aggressive without giving up easy paint touches. At times, it trades some analytic efficiency for collective activity.

Key elements:

• Bigs hedge as far as needed to stop the ball—sometimes 3–4 steps.
• Guards focus on ball, not screen direction.
• The three support defenders react in sync; help covers the slips and skips.

To hear the entire conversation with Coach Tabellini, listen on the link below...

Together with Hudl

Hudl Powers Every Possession

If you’re already using tools like FastDraw, FastScout, or FastRecruit—you know how essential they are to your workflows. And now that they’re fully part of the Hudl ecosystem, they’re more powerful than ever. From film and play diagrams to scouting reports and custom recruiting boards, everything flows together. One system. Built for high-performance programs.

​Learn more about Hudl and their variety of products or subscribers to Slappin' Glass can also directly email Winston Jones of Hudl at winston.jones@hudl.com.

Tactical

📺 Horns Entry - Pin Aways • RIP Screen Lob​

"The 4-man rejects or curls the wide pin from the 5, in preparation to set a RIP screen that leads to a lob for the 5, following the sequential pin screen for the corner player."

✚ Pair With: A few of our favorite sets using a shooter as one of the initial Horns screener.

🔒 SG Plus Content: One of our favorite playbook breakdowns of Coach Mark Daigneault and the OKC Thunder's concepts and set designs.

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📺 Off Ball Screening - Stagger Back​

"A smart concept to take advantage of shooters capable of playing in motion, exhausting the screening action by triggering a second set of stagger screens after an initial decoy screening action."

✚ Pair With: Bringing the PG back to the ball after an initial RIP screen to the rim with a Zoom Stagger Screen DHO.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on Xavi Pascual's Off Ball Screening techniques and adjustments.

🎧 Pair With: Our podcast with Coach Xavi Pascual on In-Game Decision Making, Playing Small and Practice Flow.

Interesting Reads

📚 How to Become the Best in the World at Something​

"So trying to be the best at one thing isn’t the smartest path to success. Instead, you should put your effort into mastering a combination of skills. The solution is skill stacking..."
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📚 The Maine, the Myth, and the Legend of Cooper Flagg ​

“You could tell right away they were applying what we did,” MacKenzie says. “Week to week, they’d come back, and you could actually see the growth. Most kids don’t show that. Most kids need reminders. These two didn’t. Coop especially—he just craved it. He wanted to be coached hard.”

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📚 How to Increase Your Luck​

"Introduce People... networks are unique because they don't divide when you share them, they multiply."

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Quote of the Week

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Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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