I just took over a DII zone team with lots of potential (preseason #15).  However I have never run zone in the 20 seasons I have played HD.  I know the concept of zone but do not really know how to effectively run it in HD.  I need some tips so that I do not waste the potential of this team.

1) Is it best to always run 2-3 or should you consider switching it up to a 3-2 etc depending on the match-up?
2) What should I look for in the opposing offense that will help me determine how to run my zone?
3) What are the basic concepts to consider when running an effective zone?

If you have a moment and want to look at my DII S.Dakota team (Naismith) and give me a few thoughts, feel free.  Thanks

1) Is it best to always run 2-3 or should you consider switching it up to a 3-2 etc depending on the match-up? Stick with the 2-3 for most games but use the 3-2 when your opponent is very heavily 3-point oriented. The 3-2 can be very effective in those games. I may only use it once or twice per season but I usually like the results.

2) What should I look for in the opposing offense that will help me determine how to run my zone? As a general rule of thumb, I look at % of 3's taken/made vs total taken/made. If 3 or more opponents are taking 33%+ of their shots as 3's then I would consider the 3-2. Also, if there are only 2 long range shooters but they both are hitting 40%+ with 33%+ then I would switch.

3) What are the basic concepts to consider when running an effective zone? The Zone is built on averages. In the 2-3, the defensive skills of the 2 guards are added together and divided by 2 to determine perimeter defense. So if you had a PG with a 60 Def and a SG with a 30 Def both players would play as if they were 45s. Same is true for the SF/PF/C. So 70/60/20 would average out to each having a 50 Def. This is why they say you can hide one or two players in a Zone but not a whole roster. Managing the lineup you will have on the court together is a major key to success.

I've run the 3-2 zone exclusively the last 3 seasons in Naismith as an experiment. I've been one of the top teams in opp FG%, Fouls Per Game, and Foul Margin all 3 seasons. However, I've been near the bottom in rebounding, as well as rebounding margin. I'd say I've had varying degrees of success. As with everything else in HD, SPD and ATH make a big difference in the zone as well as IQ. My best zone teams have had high averages in all 3 of those categories.

I flipped back and forth from 2-3 to 3-2 in D3 and tried it last season at D2...it worked well for me at D3, but the verdict is still out in my mind for the 3-2 at D2...I think it can still work, but I was at a speed/athleticism disadvantage in pretty much every game with the team I inherited, so it was hard to get an accurate picture of how it would fare with an average/above average stable of D2 players.

When deciding which to run I generally look at the LP-PER ratio of the opposing team (the higher the PER rating compared to the LP, the more likely I will go 3-2), their propensity for 3-point shots and their post players, particularly the players' individual rebounding ratings. For the most part, 3-2 is something I'll do only if I have some solid rebounding PF's and C's and feel I can survive largely on their skills on the glass. If my opponent runs a power forward in the small forward slot, a SF with a PF/C type rebounding rating, or two centers at the PF-C slots, it's going to be extremely rare to see me in anything but a 2-3. Ditto if the opponent is obviously set on minus 3-point settings with his guards. The biggest thing to protect against if you run with a 3-2 is getting eaten alive in the rebounding department. One other thing to keep in mind is that the engine won't halftime adjust you out of a 3-2, so you really only want to run it if you're certain you need the extra perimeter defense...you don't want to pull out a 3-2 and see yourself halftime adjusted into a 3-2 zone (-2).

My mentality behind using the 3-2 is that I'm trying to dictate where I'm willing to lose the game -- I'm selling out so as to not open up a box score and see my opponent going 12-for-23 from 3 pt land or something. If the opponent is already trending to play the game inside, then I want to go 2-3 to utilize the extra rebounder down low and limit second-chance opportunities. Keep in mind the most recent update supposedly gives 3-pt. shooting a downtick across the board and adds emphasis to rebounding. Like you, I'm in Naismith, so I haven't experienced it yet, but the description would seem to describe a change that makes playing 3-2 for a full game less of a need.

I have had some success running three two defenses this year;  probably because the combination of Randle and Ferrell is providing me with enough rebounding to get away with it.

Name	Yr.	Pos.	A	SPD	REB	DE	BLK	LP	PE	BH	P	WE	ST	DU	FT	TOT
James Ferrell	Sr.	C	62	43	99	53	64	90	52	25	19	91	79	29	B-	706
Samuel Randle	Sr.	C	53	32	78	46	74	50	18	10	24	81	73	68	B-	607

So far been 9 - 2 running the three two and 7 - 3 running the two three.

Of course, perfectly amenable to somebody saying I should mainly stick to the two three;  haven't experimented that often with the three two before this year;  I figured if I coudl ever pull off allot of three two, THIS would be the year for it.

I'm by no means great at this game, so take my input with a grain of salt. One other thing about the 3-2 that has helped me the past 3 seasons. Recruiting wise, I can target much easier. I know that I need Bigs with good SPD, ATH, and REB. I've been able to focus my guard play on the cores that make those players positionally effective offensively.

Posted by Weena on 2/21/2011 3:22:00 PM (view original):
1) Is it best to always run 2-3 or should you consider switching it up to a 3-2 etc depending on the match-up? Stick with the 2-3 for most games but use the 3-2 when your opponent is very heavily 3-point oriented. The 3-2 can be very effective in those games. I may only use it once or twice per season but I usually like the results.

2) What should I look for in the opposing offense that will help me determine how to run my zone? As a general rule of thumb, I look at % of 3's taken/made vs total taken/made. If 3 or more opponents are taking 33%+ of their shots as 3's then I would consider the 3-2. Also, if there are only 2 long range shooters but they both are hitting 40%+ with 33%+ then I would switch.

3) What are the basic concepts to consider when running an effective zone? The Zone is built on averages. In the 2-3, the defensive skills of the 2 guards are added together and divided by 2 to determine perimeter defense. So if you had a PG with a 60 Def and a SG with a 30 Def both players would play as if they were 45s. Same is true for the SF/PF/C. So 70/60/20 would average out to each having a 50 Def. This is why they say you can hide one or two players in a Zone but not a whole roster. Managing the lineup you will have on the court together is a major key to success.

this is really good advice.  my one caveat would be, against SIMs, tend to use the 3-2 nearly always because SIM coached teams are generally reliant on shooting 3s.  having guards with REB ability is a nice plus in a zone as well.

Like any defense, a zone is only as effective as the players playing it.

I ran zone the past two seasons with a really cruddy lineup of low DEF & ATH (had a couple of guys with decent speed though).  In my experience, it was a lot like what rednu says - pick where you want to lose the game.   The times I ran 3-2, I got killed inside.  I had better luck sticking with 2-3 and then varying my Positioning between 0 and +2.

I finally got fed up with it last season but I've never been a big fan of the zone anyway.  I switched to Man and I've been pleasantly surprised at the improvement I've seen - partly because my team is maturing and partly because I added a PG who can guard people, but also partly because I'm not making choices between giving up rebounds or giving up 3-pointers.