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

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world!

ICYMI: Last week Coach Jimmie Oakman joined us in the "Film Room" to look at several concepts offenses are using to maintain offensive flow out of the corner. Read the full newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

The NY Times! It was pretty surreal to be featured in the Athletic/NY Times this week! Thanks to the great college basketball writer, C.J. Moore, for the write-up detailing a little bit of our origin story.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Solving "Dead Corners" Part II - Inverted Screening​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Josh Loeffler {Loyola Maryland}

🥇Best of the Week: Horns & Burn Cuts​

Now let's dive in...

"Dead Corner" Inverted Screening

Last week with Coach Jimmie Oakman, we discussed and analyzed a variety of actions and concepts that offenses can use to maintain flow and keep the defense scrambling when dealing with "Dead Corners" {🔒}. To recap, a "Dead Corner" occurs when the offense is in a "Blender" or advantage situation, and the ball ends up in the corner where a non-shooter is positioned. This can cause the offense to stall, losing its advantage if the corner player isn't a shooting threat and quick decisions aren't made to maintain the momentum. For example, shown in the picture below, the offense has created a long closeout situation on the extra pass to the corner...

However, when the corner is occupied by a non-shooter, the lack of a shooting threat can allow defenders to avoid making a full closeout. If the corner player were a shooting threat, defenders are often forced into a long closeout, allowing the shooter to either take the shot or attack the closeout, keeping the offense in the "Blender," as illustrated below...

This is why it's crucial to provide solutions for players who struggle to demand a full closeout in the corner. By equipping them with the tools to make quick decisions, they can help maintain and build upon the offensive advantage. In last week's "Film Session" with Coach Oakman, we explored solutions based on concepts such as "Coming Out of the Corner," "In the Corner," and "To the Corner."

Today, we'll highlight another "To the Corner" concept, which refers to an action being run directly after a pass to the corner. This concept was introduced to us and discussed on our podcast with former New Zealand Breaker and current Nagasaki Velca Head Coach, Mody Maor.

Inverted Screening the Corner

For purposes of this breakdown, in what we've termed the "Swing and Screen," the slot guard swings the ball to the corner and then immediately sprints into a ballscreen for the forward. By using this inverted screen, the offense creates opportunities for defensive confusion, as the roles between guards and bigs are now switched. This can be exploited to create penetration opportunities or a bigger advantage for the offense...

Zooming In: As mentioned in the original screenshot above, the corner defender is in a "short-closeout" on the catch, and not closing the entire space. However, by sprinting into an inverted ballscreen, the offense creates defensive confusion, allowing the corner player the opportunity to turn the corner and attack the middle of the paint.

Zooming In 2.0: One key teaching point that emerged from our film study, is that upon receiving the swing pass, the corner player would always look to reject the ballscreen to the baseline first...

Zooming Way In 🔬: This reject is such a great way to keep a defense honest, especially since bigs, who are often unfamiliar with defending on the ball in a PNR, may try to cheat the action or stare the screen down. We broke this "reject read" down, with the help of The Pro Lane, in our Modern Day Truths {🔒} series.

"Chase Step-Ups"

Now, not all defenders are easily fooled. As they start to figure out flow of the offense, they may counter the potential confusion cause by the inverted screen by dropping far under the screen, daring the player to shoot or waiting for them on the other side if they try to turn the corner. Coach Maor would turn this to his advantage by running the corner player directly into a "chase step-up screen" with a guard at the top.

Using this concept, Coach Maor was able to increase the team's offensive pace, making their transition offense less reliant on a traditional numbered break. The offense could simply get out and fill positions, regardless of who was in the corner, because they knew they could play to this concept to solve the situation and maintain their flow.

To see and learn more on how Coach Maor builds off the under with the step up screen, become an SG+ Plus Member to view the full breakdown on SGTV...

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with newly hired Head Coach of Loyola Maryland MBB, Josh Loeffler! In his second appearance on the podcast, Coach Loeffler dives headfirst into the areas of late-game coaching, including psychology, preparation, and situational work, and discusses reestablishing a culture and defensive rebounding tactics during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Listen to the entire conversation here...

Together with Hudl

We're proud to partner with one of the best tech companies in the world of sports, Hudl! Every play, every stat, every breakdown. On their own, they’re essential. But all together, they’re undeniable. Hudl recently introduced their newest product, Hudl Instat – a new advanced data platform that integrates with Sportscode and every Hudl product you rely on to create an all-in-one data powerhouse. Hudl Instat’s advanced tagging and next-level stat reports help you develop your team – and its global film library helps you find the missing piece to get the most out of every second of film. Visit ​hudl.com/slappinglass​ to learn more.

Tactical

📺 Horns Entry - Rolling the Shooter​

"A few of our favorite sets when using a shooter as the initial Horns screener."

✚ Pair With: UConn doing UConn things with the Horns Entry for a shooter.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Xavi Pascual's Off Ball Screening techniques.

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📺 The Burn Cut - Creating Gaps & Attacking Helps​

"A few sets demonstrating the value of the burn cut in creating space for a shooter and attacking the low help."

✚ Pair With: Rather than pre-cutting to clear space, Virtus Bologna cuts the passer on the stunt.

🔒 SG Plus Content: The OKC Thunders use of the Burn Cut off the Pinch Post Entry.

Interesting Reads

📚 The Unlikely Origin Story of Your Favorite College Basketball Coach’s Favorite Podcast​

"Their curiosity and research seems to loosen lips. Beilein, who has always been guarded with what he shared publicly about his two-guard offense, explained the teaching points to the Slappin’ Glass guys without hesitation, then praised the questions they had asked him.

'I haven’t talked basketball to anybody like this in a bit,' Belien said near the end of the interview."

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📚 To Perform Better, Be Joyfully Deliberate​

“You want to create an environment that is going to bring out the best in the players. Have them comfortable. Have them play with freedom, freedom that you need to play with to be the best that you can be. Not feeling pressure or anything. It’s a culture you want to have.”

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📚 A Way-Too-Early Basketball Primer for the 2028 Olympics​

"Cooper Flagg vs. Victor Wembanyama for world domination? OK, we might be getting ahead of ourselves. But the threat to Team USA in 2028 is real. Here’s a look at the names who could dominate the next Games."

Quote of the Week

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Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

We're proud to partner with the leading Sports Travel company in the basketball world, Beyond Sports! Follow the link above to learn more about why more than 600 universities have trusted Beyond Sports for their team's foreign trips. Let them know Slappin' Glass sent you!

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