The Counters . . .

[Pantherdreams]

So we've got this team in our zone. High School boys playing FIBA rules. Coach is solid, players are nice kids if not great ball players. One of the teams strengths in they are one of the most vocal (team communication)teams in the area if not the most skilled.

Normally you go do a game. Coach is loud cheerleading demanding of his kids, kids are intense, loud, passionate. Never out of control but very vocal. Defensively the kid on the ball is always shouting out what the o is doing (dribble.dribble.dribble, pass, shot etc) kids off the ball talking to the on the ball defender etc. Lots of loud chaotic pressure on defense.

I preface all this because they added a new tactic to their repetiore last night and I want to get everyone elses feelings on it before I discuss my response.

The counting . . .

After their first made basket team starts defending full court man. Player on the ball and the bench start "1 . .. Deny Hard . .. 2 DENY HARD . . . 3 DENY HARD!!!! . . ." etc. As the ball gets entered the bench start "1 . . D-up . 2 D-up .. . 3 D- up . .4 D-up" I didn't think anything (duh) thinking its their hip version of my old school D-Fence until I realised when they reached 5 on the out of bounds they kept repeating "5 DENY HARDD!!!!" and in the front court at 8 its was repeating "8 D-UP!" In the half court they went back to their regular noisy defense.

Early in the 1st quarter when the crowd noise began to match the player noise my partner called me in to have a convo . . .

How would you handle this?