Hi there,

I'm coaching a community college team, and we're facing a long athletic team that plays a very good 1-3-1 offense.On average, the team is faster, longer and jump higher than the group of guys I'm coaching. We have some height, but mobility is a limiting factor. We typically play a 2-1-2 or 2-3, which I know is vulnerable to the 1-3-1.

Based on the scouting report their bigs aren't great individual post players, but are unselfish with the ball and from the pass from short corner to the dive cutting big men is on the money, often resulting in dunks or hard finishes at the rim. Their perimeter players are fast, relatively mediocre shooters but their point guard is a great penetrator. High post players are decent shooters, but aggressive cutters.

What would be a good defense to try? We can play a 3-2, that would watch the high post. Though leave them open to the athletic bigs crashing the offensive boards. Any ideas?

Where does the point guard drive if they fill the foul line with a post player? I would double perimeter drives point and wing from the high post and rotate forcing skip and perimeter shots.

I have diagrams or you can contact me with questions.

Wayne,

It'd be great to see any diagrams you may have. As to your question, the high post player sets a quick back screen on the point guards defender, right after the ball swings over from the wing.

My worry with doubling the perimeter is that my bigs aren't that mobile, from a 2-3 defense the weakside forwards defender will have to rush to close out.

And of course their bigs are still a very mobile threat.

If you intend to mail me, my email is tonyhawk_33@yahoo.com

Appreciate the help.

Basically, on any point drive you double and slide your wing defender off the weakest outside shooter then recover back on the pass and on a wing drive you slide the high post out to help and the weak wing to high post.

I have a better way but it is part of my system and you could only use it if you drilled the concepts daily but this worked well before I invented that.