Is there a trick to running Zone? Topic

I've never run anything except M2M or Press and have never run Zone.

I have had mixed results against Zone teams, and I definitely do not look forward to facing them as I do M2M.

Have you ever had success running Zone? How do you think you did it?

Are there recruiting tips for zone teams? Do you change your lineup when switching between 2-3 and 3-2? 

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.
6/20/2015 10:52 AM
Are you going zone at TCU Powermad?
6/20/2015 11:02 AM
Not sure yet. I usually convert teams to M2M or Press, but if I can learn how to run zone - I think it would interesting.
6/20/2015 11:03 AM
I have had some success at zone. I don't usually switch between 3-2 and 2-3 a lot, because unless you have a center with great BLK and a remarkably versatile SF, you need to recruit different players to run them both optimally. Also, so many teams are so perimeter oriented that 3-2 seems like a pretty good default most of the time. 

The biggest advantage I see of zone is the ability to take a stud defender who isn't much on offense and an elite scorer who doesn't defend well and play them both, with the former's defensive strength balancing out the later's weakness. 
6/20/2015 11:42 AM
Thanks tarvolon, these are great points, Thanks. Your schools seem to be doing just fine running Zone

6/20/2015 11:57 AM
There are two or three great threads on zone defense....do a search and bump them.
6/20/2015 12:27 PM
i love running zone. the flexibility of it. the ability to use a shorter bench because your players don't tire quite as quickly. the lower FG% it leads to by your opponents. but i will say...if you decide on zone, recruit plenty of rebounding! my Bowling Green team regularly struggles to keep our opponents off of the offensive glass. it is maddening when you hold your opponent to 40% from the field, but they grab 16 offensive rebounds and beat you anyway...
6/20/2015 1:58 PM
Cool. Rebounding.... check. Thanks andrew, I'm pretty sure I'm going to give Zone a try
6/20/2015 7:54 PM
one of the best parts of zone is the ability to still be a viable team with only 7 or 8 players. that gives you more bang for your buck in recruiting as it were - if you plan to take as many as 4 walkons every class you obviously have more money to focus on finding and signing the fewer number of recruits you need...
6/21/2015 3:23 AM
Very interesting. You'd have to have the right 7-8 players. I get dicey when I'm down to 10. But that's good news if we always have one red-shirted player unavailable. Thanks! 
6/22/2015 9:13 AM
7 is really hard, you almost have to commit to playing with a level of fatigue....8 is doable, but takes real management if you don't have a few 90 STA guys.....9 is easy
6/22/2015 9:36 AM
check this thread out:

http://www.whatifsports.com/forums/Posts.aspx?topicID=477098&page=1

I haven't skimmed it in while, but I'm pretty sure the in's and out's of both zone sets are outlined.
6/22/2015 9:43 AM
Is there a trick to running Zone? Topic

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