One of the most-debated topics is what defense should we teach Junior players? Zone, Pressing, Man-to-Man? The answer is without a doubt man-to-man defense! We can promise you that in the long-run, you will develop better basketball players by playing man to man defense.
Man-to-Man Defense will help you win more games in the long run and develop better players. You may not win as many games at first, but I guarantee you’ll be more successful both as a team and as individual players if you teach man-to-man defense principles (page 3) properly to juniors.
Coaches use zones to hide weaknesses, lack of player development or to contain athletic opposition players. We understand why coaches teach zones but we believe if you work through the principles of man-to-man you will reap the reward of smarter, stronger and more versatile athletes and a far more successful team in the future. As a coach, you get to see players succeed at higher levels because of the foundation you set as a coach.