Scott Drew - Baylor Defensive Playbook (Man to man, 1-1-3, 1-3-1)

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Scott Drew - Baylor Defensive Playbook (Man to man, 1-1-3, 1-3-1) by Farshad Alemi only $15

Armed with a position-fluid roster, Baylor allows 0.75 points per play, the best mark in the country, according to Synergy Sports. Since the stat was first tracked by Synergy in the 2005-06 season, only four teams have produced superior figures.1 It’s no coincidence that Drew implemented a no-middle defense this season, after Big 12 foe Texas Tech employed a similar scheme on its way to the 2019 national championship game. Over his career, Drew has demonstrated a willingness to experiment with different defenses, but in recent years he has typically opted for around a 50-50 split of man-zone defense. This season it’s been nearly all man, which Drew has run on 98 percent of defensive plays, according to Synergy Sports. The results have been devastating for opposing offenses.

Baylor puts the clamps down in a stifling man defense! This season, 214 of the 353 Division I teams have an overall offensive rating of at least 100. In 19 of its 25 games, Baylor’s defense has held its opponents to an offensive rating of less than 90. Against a set Baylor defense, opponents are flailing. In the half court, only Memphis and Virginia are allowing fewer points per possession than Baylor, which ranked 125th in the metric last season. It matters little what play call is dialed up: The Bears rank between the 80th and 100th percentiles in defensive efficiency against plays in transition, screens, isos, handoffs, jumpshots, post-ups and runners, according to Synergy Sports.

The thrust of the no-middle scheme, which was wonderfully outlined by hoopvision68, is to keep the ball away from the paint by applying dogged on-ball pressure. Drew’s team often forces action toward the baseline by literally positioning their feet parallel to center court or by hugging the hip of the opponent, goading ballhandlers into attacking what appears to be an open lane to the rim. Of course, this is by design, and the avenue quickly closes with help defense or, if the ballhandler hesitates, a hard double team. What was a passage to the basket often devolves into a low-percentage look, a forced crosscourt pass or a blocked shot.