Basketball Tournament Offensive and Defensive Play

Changing your regular offense to another style for tournament play usually is not a good idea. The stress and emotion of a tournament makes it difficult to properly execute or easily learn a new offense.

Stick with your old offense; however, it is appropriate to add some new play possibilities for certain opponents. If you have ample manpower, the tourney is short, and your team has demonstrated fast-breaking style, by all means use it at every opportunity. However, understand the value of ball possession.

A successful tournament team must be a good ball-control team and able to protect a lead, late in the game, with a good delayed offense. Any weakness in ball-handling will be costly.

Play your games one at a time. Your players should never think of the final game before the first is won.

A flexing zone defense, pressing man-to-man, and shifting man-to-man defenses are good tournament defenses. However, I would not recommend that a team try to learn them just for the tournament. If you have used these during the season, then, your team is well prepared.