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Message: [QUOTE="husky429, post: 4814890, member: 6696"] I really don't know much about the girls game, but for the boys, it's SUCH a disservice to run the 2-3 zone constantly the way they do. By varsity basketball, you have at least 3 guys most years who can penetrate and shoot over a zone. It's helpful in stints, but the teams who use a 2-3 zone as their base defense are getting their asses kicked most nights and just using it to not get blown out. As a varsity coach, you need as many kids as possible who can help baseline, stunt on the perimeter, communicate switches, hedge, etc. 2-3 extra years of learning those skills in middle school puts them WAY ahead of many of their peers when they reach freshman basketball. It's excruciating trying to teach help defense--what should have been a habit years ago! My first year coaching JV basketball, I took a group who only one a single game as freshman running a 2-3, and with the exact same kids went something like 13-4. I didn't do a single thing different on offense. I barely ran any plays, just 4-out pass and screen away and a basic zone offense. I told the kids 100% of your playing time is based on how you defend in man-to-man and we practiced defense constantly. They went 19-5 as seniors playing varsity, I believe. Side note: My zone offense is awesome. If anyone wants me to draw it up, shoot me a DM and I'll send it. [/QUOTE]