What sorts of sets do you think would be best at getting our guards going downhill in the paint? And what are we doing wrong with our current plays?
This isn’t related to your question but every game I would run the first play specifically for the starting 5. Just to get them engaged right away. Preferably you have something designed for a layup or something in the paint. But get the 5 involved and engaged right away.
What I see is UNC doesn’t really run any kind of PG-big ball screen early in the possession. The screen is usually for RJ or Seth and then UNC does that reverse the ball around the perimeter thing they've down for 50 years that's quite honestly outdated unless you're going to run good action off that. And good action isn't simply a back screen lob IMO.
Alabama usually runs some kind of action for their primary ball handler. It isn't overly complicated to run a 1-5 drag screen and get the PG going towards the basket, or at least towards the paint. From there, Alabama can run action off the ball or if the ballhandler has an advantage, their corner shooters can either stay in the corner, or relocate to the wing. That depends on the angles that are created from the downhill drive.
If you can have some success with that, it IMMEDIATELY opens up your offense. Because if teams overcommit, then you can clear one side and slip screen that look too.
This isn’t an effective freelance team because Cadeau, RJ, and Seth need the ball in their hands and need to dribble it to score in the half court. So in the halfcourt there needs to be some basic action to help the primary ball handler get into the paint IMO.
Right now, this offense is more designed for Cadeau to beat his man 1 on 1 and kicking it out to RJ after he relocates usually towards the corner. Well Cadeau isn’t always winning his matchup and that’s a lot to put on him. Give him some help.
Alabama has a fair amount of structure to their 5 out. Especially compared to UNC. There’s too much depending on winning 1 on 1 right now. It’s like when an Offensive Coordinator in football needs their WRs to win 1 on 1 all the time as opposed to scheme and design helping.
At least that’s how I see it.
