High-post entry doubles options

From Bill Liley, head boys coach at Newton High in Iowa.

A 3-person game on the ball side forces defenders to make a decision as everyone comes together into a cluster.

Why use it

When facing man defenses, you want to create confusion and force defenders into decisions about responsibilities rather than allowing them space to just guard their own person.

Set up

Start in a 1-4 High with your guards on the wings and the forwards at the elbows. 1 has the ball on the right side of the set, creating a 3-person game on one side of the floor.

How to play

5 establishes position so it’s easy for 1 to make an elbow-entry pass. 1 passes to 5. 3 moves low toward the baseline. 2 runs toward 4 as 4 begins to move toward the perimeter [1]. On the catch, 5 pivots and sees if 3 is open on the backdoor cut. If not, 1 moves low just in front of 5 and sets a down screen for 3. 3 runs off 1’s right shoulder to come high. At this point, all three players are in close proximity to each other. 4 now has moved to the perimeter with 2 at the elbow on the weak side [2]. 5 now looks to 3 on the perimeter for an open shot. 1 cuts backdoor after the screen and may be open. 2 charges hard toward the hoop for rebounding purposes [3].

Technique

With so much action on the right side, the weak-side defenders may cheat closer to the middle. If so, 4 may be open on the opposite wing for a 3-pointer off a skip pass from 5.