How to Score Against a Zone Defense by Getting the Ball Inside

Oakland University head coach Greg Kampe has been at the school for over 20 years and has led the program to over 600 career wins. He is a four-time Summit League Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. In this video, Kampe shares how his teams beat zone defenses. You will see how he gets his players to understand the why behind attacking zones as well as a few quick hitters he likes to use against zone defenses.

How to Score Against a Zone Defense with Quick Hitters

Kampe emphasizes using false motion in his quick hitters against a zone. False motion creates some deception and allows for the attacking of the middle of the zone. Continually attacking the middle wears your opponents down leading to easy layups and close-range shots.

Kampe uses high-ball screen sets to force defenses to act. The result is a 2-on-1 situation which allows the offense to control tempo and pace. Incorporating high-ball screens also creates lanes for your best passer to find open teammates.

Attacking a Matchup Zone

Teams that play the matchup zone well are tough to beat. Players have a hard time understanding matchup zone and how to beat it. Coach Kampe uses a double post set to create a mismatch for a slashing guard to score in the paint.

Dribble Drive vs. Zone

Coach Kampe likes the dribble handoff in order to create a false action and set up his team’s best penetrator for a ball screen to attack the basket. If the defense stops the dribble penetration, a team’s best shooter is left open for a 3-point attempt. Kampe likes to create these 2-on-1 opportunities to exploit zone defenses.

Favorite Drills

Kampe’s presentation closes with some of his favorite drills. The Closeout Drill teaches players to closeout with high hands using short choppy steps to complete the closeout. The ball is passed around the perimeter while players complete the closeouts.

Coach Kampe has been around the game for a long time and has built a solid program at Oakland. His teams are known for their dominating offenses and it is his false action sets that will be able to provide your team with the fuel it needs to score against your best opponents. Learn How to Score Against a Zone Defense with this DVD today.