Aggressive help: defense in the paint versus superior height.

Some high school coaches always seem to get lucky when it comes to inheriting size. Other coaches have to be content with point guards, or shooting guards, or small forwards, or an occasional power forward.

There is no court of appeal. You have to take what is given to you and make the best of it, hoping that speed and quickness can compensate for a lack of height.

This situation can easily demoralize a team, but only if you allow it to happen - allow the taller opponents to get the good positions and easy shots.

What you have to remember is that (1) aggressive low-post play and good help defense can be the wild card in your defense, and that (2) while lack of size is not always fatal, you cannot put all your trust in speed and quickness every time down the floor.

Sure, you can aggressively press or trap before the big people get to touch the ball, but even big teams have athletes who can handle the ball and beat the press upon which you are heavily relying to counter your opponents' height advantage.

One of our favorite ways to defense superior size is by playing an aggressive man-to-man defense inside the paint. I place two of my taller and most athletic players on the blocks as low defenders, and have the player with the longer arms and most spring cover the best scorer.

This defender must set up in a full denial (fronting) position facing the ball with her back and butt as well as arms and hands "feeling" the player behind her.

Being able to see the ball and the possible pass will enable the defender to deflect or intercept the entry pass, taking away the direct pass and allowing only the lob pass.

This kind of strongside, low-post defense calls for a player with a strong upper and lower body in order to hold her defensive position and to reach in or go after incoming passes. Good leapers will usually be able to hold their own on the low blocks.

The weakside low-post defender must be prepared to help out on any lob pass to the strongside post. She must be able to anticipate well and time her move.

She does not necessarily have to steal the pass. A good strong move may cause a deflection or mishandled reception and turn-over, thwarting the entry pass from the wing or point.

Check Diag. 1, which shows a weakside low-post defender coming across the lane to help out on the lob pass to the strongside low post. If the pass cannot be deflected or intercepted, the help defender must secure her position and remain stationary as the offensive post receives the pass and turns to shoot.

Sometimes, just a hand in the face will be enough to alter the shot. Intelligent low-post defenders who play good solid help defense can create turn-overs on deflections, offensive fouls, and traveling calls.

If the ball is successfully entered over the low-post defender, the help defender, after sliding over to the ball-side, must assume a strong defensive and rebounding position on the shooter.

Caution: Such help-out techniques can put the weakside offensive post in excellent position for a rebound or a dump pass from her teammates.

This possibility makes it essential for the defensive guards to make a weakside rotation, as shown in Diag. 2. The weakside guard, X-3, must rotate down to the weakside low post at precisely the same time that the weakside post defender (X-2) moves across the lane to back up the strongside post. X-3's rotation to the weakside post is critical in obtaining defensive and rebounding position.

Note 1: The weakside guards are taught to cheat toward the paint to ensure good defensive and rebounding position on the weakside. The ballside guards must harass the entry pass, especially when the passer's dribble has been spent. This can make for off-the-mark entry passes that may give your smaller low-post defenders the edge they need to be successful.

Note 2: There has to be a certain level of trust between teammates. When help-bound defenders know that their vacated position will be covered by a teammate, you can be sure they will retain an aggressive defensive attitude. Note on Diag. 2 how X-3 fills in for X-2 and how X-4 fills in for X-3.

This type of defense has been successful for our team because it is practiced every day, paying close attention to the details. This allow us to maximize our size and speed, not only in pressing and trapping but in our half-court set as well.