BASKETBALL’s Most Under Used Players in the Tournaments

Point guards only have to go to the  top of the circle  and wing PLAYERS only have to go to the wings to start their offenses, while big post centers have to go from block to block or rim to rim.

Therefore, they should be rewarded with a few entry passes more than once in a while.

The saying that “You Can’t Coach Height” is defintely wrong. It is “you can’t grow height”. but you sure as heck SHOULD COACH IT IF YOU HAVE IT.

The most under utilized players in the tournament have been good LOW BLOCK post players. When the ball goes to the low block on entry passes to good post players it usually will force a team to double down and double team the post block player if the team is playing man to man defense. This will open up three point shooters for kick outs for open 3 pointers.

Watching the 2 B semi-finals today AND OTHER TOURNAMENT GAMES over the years, good post players are hardly used offensively with entry passes. Some more than others, but not enough for me as a coach.

If you tell players make 3 or 4 passes and if you can’t get it inside to the block, then usually that is just exactly what you get. 3 or 4 passes and then somebody jacks up a shot.

Many times in both games 3’s were taken before the post block players could get to the offensive block so that they could at least have a possibility of an offensive rebound and put back.

I used a simple rule. Our post low block players touched the ball once before we took any shot unless it was a layup and we had better make the layup.

Many low post players don’t seal properly, don’t show were they want to receive the ball on the pass and don’t signal when they want the ball. They do not know how to position themselves when being fronted, without getting caught pushing off for a foul.

ALSO, MANY TEAMS DO NOT USE A GOOD OFFENSIVE SET THAT MAKES IT EXTREMLY HARD TO DOUBLE TEAM THE LOW BLOCK POST PLAYER WITHOUT GIVING UP OPEN THREES OR OPEN LAYUPS ON THE DOUBLE DOWNS.

We would always send a defender (the same player) everytime our opponent took a shot and then we would get 5 or 6 easy baskets from just a defensive rebound and a full-coiurt pass. If we didn’t get that as our fast break, we then waited for our post players to get posted.

If big post players do not get rewarded, they do get tired running rim to rim, they get frustrated, stop rebounding, don’t go to the offensive board, commit fouls because the are tired and frustrated and I don’t blame them.

Reminds me of the story about a college D1 player who had not received an entry pass for the first 10 minutes of a gamE. When he finally got one accidently in the next few seconds he immediatley called a time out. As he was going over to the bench area for the time out his coach asked him, “Why did you call a timeout”. The low block post player replied, “Coach I know the ball is round when I get it off the defensive board and then pass it to a teammate. I was shocked I got an entry pass and I just wanted to check and see if the BALL IS STILL ROUND ON THE OFFENSIVE END’. DO YOU THINK HIS COACH GOT THE MESSAGE??????

Offensive perimeter players should always catch the ball in the half-court around the 3 point line, and pivot turn and face the basket so as to look inside for the low post payer on the block, I did not see this done hardly at all and then by accident this afternoon in those 2 games in which each team had at least l good low post block player. A couple of the teams had 2 good low block post players.

If a perimeter player took a shot unless it was a layup, before our post low block players touched the ball once, there was a sub at the table for the next dead ball. That player who broke the simple rule sat on the bench until the next time a player broke the rule. Usually they didn;t get back in the game too fast until they were needed to give a player a rest, sub for an injury or sub for a player in foul trouble..

Basketball is really a simple game. I always believed in the KISS System…”keep a system simple”…..teams that do not use their skilled post players should add an s for the kisss system and use the KEEP A SYSTEM SUPER SIMPLE”. WHAT IS HARD ABOUT HAVING THE POST PLAYER TOUCH THE BALL ONCE BEFORE YOU TAKE A SHOT UNLESS IT IS A LAYUP?????????

Coaches get what they DEMAND…DEMAND NOT, GET NOT.

Trivia Question: Name the last real truly DOMINATE back to basket, low block post man that really dominated the basketball scene in Eastern Maine in any class.

A player that had to be tripled teamed to be truly stopped. A player who was an excellent foul shooter, could read the defenses when he was double or tripled teamed to get the ball to his teammates for open shots.

Hint: It has been awhile.