The Switching 2-3 Zone Defense
Description
The Switching 2-3 Zone Defense
Dan Hibson took over a high school girls varsity basketball team in California that had not won a league game in a decade. Coach Hibson took that team, Hillsdale HS in San Mateo, California, to back-to-back playoff appearances using a switching zone defense as the foundation of his program. In this video, Coach Hibson shares with you the principles and techniques of his proven system.
The 2-3 Switching Zone Defense combines the aggressive pressure of man-to-man defense while giving you the basket protection of a zone defense. Coach Hibson introduces the defense on the whiteboard sharing his breakdown drills. He then shares a software simulation to show the strategy of the defense and how it works and then offers on-court demonstration with players.
Chalk Talk
On the whiteboard, Coach Hibson shows you the drills, in sequence, needed to install the Switching Zone defense. He also reviews why the defense is so successful. The points of emphasis that he shares are:
- Force out-of-rhythm outside shots
- Double team the high post
- Double team the short corner
- Triple team the low post
- Deny any passes from the wing or corner to the post
- Stop drives from the wing or corner to the post
- Guards and forwards are interchangeable and play both positions defensively
- Most steals will come from corner-to-low post passes and skip passes
On the Court Drills
The problem that zone defenses face is the inability to protect both the post and the 3-point line simultaneously. Coach Hibson spent a great deal of time coming up with a simple but effective solution. He maps out the drills in sequential order that help the zone defense defend the post and the 3-point line. Each drill builds on the previous one to help players understand rotations and make decisions quickly. The drills include:
- 3-on-3 Closeout Drill
- 5-on-3 We Can Hustle Drill (W=wing, C=clog, H=high post)
- 5-on-5 Skip and Switch Drill
- 7-on-5 High Post-Low Post Drill
Coach Hibson does an outstanding job of explaining individual skills and how the defense works. Regardless of whether you are a zone or man coach, you will be able to use this defense to your advantage.
In the final segment of the video, you will see the Switching Zone defense in action against the most common offensive alignments. You will see firsthand how the defense clogs the middle of the floor and how it prevents rhythm jump shots. Yes, a zone defense can apply pressure by defending the post and the 3-point line.
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