I was reading Luke Winn's feature on SI and it was talking about the Buna offense that both Northwestern State and UT-Arlington run. I've never heard about this offense before. Can you explain it? - Ben Allaire
Thanks for pointing this out. I was not aware anybody was using this old school offense anymore.
The Buna offense was named after the high school in Texas where it first originated by a coach named Cotton Robinson. The best way to describe the Buna is that it is the opposite of motion. So, motion offense takes advantage of versatility, all players with similar skills, and taking the best open shot opportunity no matter who has the ball.
The Buna offense takes advantage of players with special skills (specifically low post). The idea is to spread the floor into basically a 4-out 1-in look and reverse the ball until you either get a good low post opportunity or an open perimeter shot from a double-down on the post or ball movement.
The closest parallel I can think of for the Buna offense is Bo Ryan's Swing offense except in the swing all 5 players exchange positions (motion) whereas in the Buna the players move from perimeter to perimeter or post to post only.
We hear a lot about how Michigan's John Beilein needs "the right kind of players" for his offense. What type of player are we talking about, and does he have them yet? – Extra P
Michigan's unique offense requires very specific players indeed. The offense he runs is a single high-post, Princeton-styled offense. So they are usually either in a 4-out 1-in or a 5-out look.
From those sets, they will usually run some form of continuity or motion with a lot of shuffle and flare screens to free up 3-point shooters or go backdoor. The best of Coach Beilein's teams (mostly at West Virginia) were when he had great 3-point shooters, Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansey.
I haven't watched enough Michigan games (only 1) but along with slashing guard Manny Harris, as others have pointed out there are a compliment of Stuart Douglass, David Merritt, Kelvin Grady, Anthony Wright, CJ Lee, and Zack Novak, all guys that are capable of knocking down the 3-pointer. Again, as others have pointed out, Michigan is good enough in a weaker Big 10. But the big question is, are any of these guys a Pittsnogle or a Gansey, capable of hitting big shot after big shot in tournament play? We'll have to wait and see.
North Carolina has been one of the best, if not the best, rebounding teams in the nation. How do they perform so well on the offensive glass? Is it technique, talent, philosophy, or what? - Adam Jacobi
I haven't compared the stats myself but I think certainly it has something to do with the players that Coach Roy Williams has recruited the past several years, with forwards like Tyler Hansbrough or Sean May.
If you look at the top teams in terms of rebounding margin, UNC, NM St., Kansas St. UCLA, Kansas, and Stanford; you notice a pattern. Hansbrough, Beasley, Love, Arthur+Jackson, and the Lopez twins (NM St. being the aberation). So while you may find a diamond in the rough with a Jon Brockman of Washington or Arthur+Jackson of Kansas most of the best rebounders tend to be of the 5-star recruit variety. As the saying goes, you can't coach height and size.
We just watched Memphis demolish UMass despite the presence of DDM guru Vance Walberg on the Minuteman bench. Why does Memphis do so well with the DDM offense – is it just the superior players Coach Cal recruits, or do they simply run the system better? – anonymous
I think it's important to make the point that UMass is in its first year under a new head coach Derrick Kellogg along with assistant coach Vance Walberg. They appear to have some of the quick penetrating guards already in place, but I think most people recognize that they are building for the future.
Memphis under Coach John Calipari has had several years now to develop the players for the DDM and also to bring the kind of talent required, last year with Derrick Rose and this year with Tyreke Evans. Given time, if UMass is able to attract the kinds of recruits like Memphis, they should be a very exciting team to watch with the DDM. In the short term, expect a lot of teams to play zone defense or a packline against both the Minutemen and Tigers and force them to beat you over the top.
How would you defend the Georgetown back cut? – Jameson Fleming
The back cut is so effective because it takes advantage of a defender's tendency to watch the ball. Fundamental man-to-man principles require a defender to be what coaches call in a "ball-you-man" position. In other words, you must be able to see both the ball and your man and react accordingly.
The problem is, most players like to watch the ball (we all do, we do it when we watch basketball on TV, we watch the ball and don't notice the guy cutting backdoor). Therefore the best way to defend it is to go back to basics. Make sure players are in "ball-you-man" position. Drills like the shell drill should be used in practice to reinforce this fundamental concept. And while it all sounds elementary, it basically is used at all levels; grade school through to the NBA to practice and reinforce "ball-you-man". Most coaches even invent ways to remember like the "pistols", pointing 1 pistol at your man and the other pistol at the ball.
Thanks again, coach! Readers, remember to send your questions in to Coach Bru at stormingthefloor@gmail.com, and if you blog, include your address so we can link you. And go even more in depth at Coach Bru's own website: Xs and Os of Basketball
Uh. Jon Brockman was a five star recruit choosing UW over Duke and UCLA