Jeff Lebo: Attacking Zone Defenses

Jeff Lebo: Attacking Zone Defenses

* Always have some ideas on how to face the zone defense

* Make your zone attacks as simple as possible

* Employ the "hot potato" method for ball movement

Watch Live footage: Attacking Zone Defenses - Basketball -- Championship Productions, Inc.

with Dave Lebo,
former Auburn University Assistant Coach;
1988 National High School Coach of the Year

Dave Lebo, the father of head coach Jeff Lebo, is considered one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the state of Pennsylvania. He directed the boys program at Carlisle (Pa.) High School, all but two years from 1977-98 and compiled a remarkable 365-149 overall record. While at Carlisle, Dave Lebo guided his teams to four consecutive State Championships.

In this on-court clinic presentation, Coach Lebo takes you through 15 principles for attacking zone defense that he incorporated through his successful career. These principles are what he used throughout his career in building a simple zone attack to go against a 2-3 zone, as well as an attack to go against various other zones. His principles include, be unselfish, beat the zone down the floor, spacing-spread the zone, ball movement, player movement, penetrate the zone, use a shot fake and pass fake, cutters, develop an inside-outside attack, flatten the zone, overload the zone, be shot ready, screen the zone and attack the offensive glass.

Lebo moves to the court and, in a 5-on-0 demonstration, provides for you his two basic attacks versus zone defense. The Balance Attack and the Overload Attack. The Balanced Attack is used versus the 2-3 zone. Lebo covers each position's responsibilities, as well as movement according to a pass or cut. This simple and effective attack covers basic movement, post movement, use of the short corner, cutters, high post and the skip pass. Lebo also takes you through his Overload Attack versus any other zone which includes the 1-3-1, 1-2-2, 3-2, and match-ups. He finishes talking about coaches needing to have 3-5 set plays to run against a zone along with these two basic attacks and shows a set Coach Dean Smith gave him called Away.

With an increase in teams running multiple defensive systems, teams are running more zones at you. If you need to develop or improve your zone attack, Coach Dave gives you many ideas and concepts to incorporate to you program.