Many coaches shunning zone defense

[Larks]

Man-to-man style favored by most teams
Friday, January 23, 2009 11:49 AM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Even though basketball is a five-on-five sport, philosophically, one-on-one is the most effective way to defend in the high school game.

At least that's the consensus among a handful of veteran boys coaches, most of whom believe that teaching hard-nosed, man-to-man defense stimulates a more aggressive mind-set.

"I prefer playing man because it creates and internalizes a sense of accountability with each kid," Brookhaven coach Hali Robinson said.

"In a zone, you can always blame somebody else for not holding up their end and allowing someone to score. In a man, the onus and responsibility of shutting down one specific player is placed directly on each kid's shoulders, and it presents a direct challenge. Kids tend to respond better to those circumstances."

Although some teams play zones and matchup zones quite effectively, perception alone plays a factor in some coaches opting to be known as a man-to-man program.

"Some people regard playing zone as a sign of weakness or merely a gimmick to stop another team's strength," Ready coach Andy Clark said. "If you plan on playing some zone, you'd better be certain to get across the point to the kids why you're doing it that it's just a different way of attacking people."

Getting that point across isn't always easy.

"There are a lot of good reasons for playing zone," Canal Winchester coach Kent Riggs said, citing disadvantageous interior matchups and a lack of quickness on the perimeter.

"A lot of times, though, kids aren't as aggressive and tend to stand around in a zone," Riggs said. "Sometimes they use that opportunity to rest and just let the opponents shoot jump shots. The difficult part as a coach is drilling it in their heads that they have to work just as hard in a zone as they do in a man."

Sharpshooters often salivate at the sight of a zone. If defenders don't rotate quickly enough, good ball movement can produce open shots.

Dublin Scioto coach Tony Bisutti, whose teams historically have played stellar defense, has grappled with the philosophy of man versus zone.

"As much as you want to mix things up and keep opponents off balance, it's important to create an identity and a personality that you want your team to be known for," he said. "I played quite a bit of zone in the past, but half-court man has become our identity. Even some of our zones have man principles. There's more than one way to skin a cat, but it all starts with attitude."

Under former coach Gary Walters, Newark featured its own trademark defense that, in essence, was a matchup zone with certain players guarding others. The defense was installed throughout the system, and Walters' players excelled at being in the right spots at the right moments.

In recent years, Newark coach Jeff Quackenbush, who played for Walters, has drifted away from that defense.

"Slowing the tempo is the biggest reason to play zone, and the past few years I've had the kind of personnel where I didn't want to force that style of game," Quackenbush said.

"As well as kids shoot the three-pointer now, it's really hard to play a steady diet of zone, or they'll shoot you right out of it. Also, coaches are too smart and well-prepared these days. They'll find a way to break you down eventually. Playing zone can help you at opportune moments, but over the long haul of a game, (man-to-man) is still the way to go."

Clark said he evaluates personnel and matchups before preparing a defensive game plan. Keeping opponents guessing is a top priority.

"There are specific reasons why certain defenses work better than others," he said. "For example, we always play zone against Watterson because we have so much respect for their motion offense. They're so unpredictable in their movement and are never in set spots on the floor."

Worthington Kilbourne coach Tom Souder prefers to play man-to-man, but said he will try anything to slow down opposing offenses.

"The way I look at it, no matter what defense you're playing, it's still team defense," he said. "The man doesn't score. The ball does. You've got to be able to guard people, but you've also got to give them something different to think about. If you're too predictable, they'll find a way to get the ball in the basket."

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