Elizabethtown College – Flex Offense [ARTICLE]

by Bob Schlosser - Head Men's Basketball Coach / Associate Director of Athletics

www.etownbluejays.com

Over the years the Flex offense has fluctuated in popularity among both high school and college coaches. We at Elizabethtown College have run the flex with a great deal of success for the past twenty-one years. As a head high school coach for eleven years our teams also ran exclusively the flex offense. We have been able to adjust the offense to our personnel, depending on what our strengths are. We can emphasize either inside or perimeter play, depending which fits our team best each season.The one main difference in our flex versus the traditional flex is that we do not down screen after the flex cut, we "flair" to the corner (Diagram 1,2 & 3).
Diagram 1, 2, 3

We have found the down screen will clog up the lane. After the 5 sets the flex screen and 4 flairs, 5 comes up the lane line to receive the ball from the 1. He must start to read his defender. If he is closely guarded as he catches the ball, he will pull thru to the basket. If there is defensive help, it would come from the 4 man in the corner and 5 would then "drive & kick." When he comes up the line if his defender plays off him, he may shoot the elbow jumper. If he is denied the ball he will cut hard backdoor (Diagram 4 & 5).

We do many breakdown drills for this situation. We emphasize inside foot as their pivot foot so as to be able to "pull thru" or they may "square in the air" (jump stop) into their stance and face the basket in position. We also have them get in a triple threat position at the elbow every time. Some of our breakdown drills would be: 1 on 1 pull thru (Diagram 6) with and without a defender, backdoor drills (Diagram 7), and drive and kick drill (Diagram 8). We will do all drills with and without a defense.
Diagram 6, 7, 8

We are always concerned with re-balancing the offense if the counter does not result in a shot. On the backdoor if the backdoor cutter does not receive the pass, he goes out to the corner and is replaced by the man who is presently in the corner (Diagram 9).

When we drive and kick if the corner does not shoot the ball we double-screen away; our rule is that whenever the ball is passed off the elbow, we double away (Diagram 10 & 11). This will get us back into our spots to run the offense.

In regard to the stagger away screens, as the ball is passed off the elbow, the corners' options are to shoot, pass inside, pass to the man coming off the stagger screen or skip to the opposite elbow to then run the flex cut (Diagram 12 & 13).

We have devised many breakdown drills for each facet of our flex offense. When drilling the stagger screen we will breakdown having 5 offensive and 3 defensive players. The drill starts with a pass to the ball-side corner, the 3 defenders guard the 3 offensive players on the baseline in a 2 out 3 in set. We must emphasize the screeners to actually screen the defender of the off-side wing player. Another effective drill is our 3 on 3 cutter drill where we focus on using the flex screen and effectively running the flex cut.

Our points of emphasis when executing the offense are: "be quick, don't hurry," ball-fakes, change speeds as you cut, pass away from the defense.

We have many entries into our offense that are "quick-hitters" before we start the continuity and this is where we can emphasize either perimeter or post play.

Our players realize that our opponents know what we run but we have counters for each situation and if we EXECUTE we will get a quality shot.

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About the Author...

Bob Schlosser enters his 21st season as head men's basketball coach at Elizabethtown College in 2010-11 with 309 wins and three conference championships to his credit.

He was hired as the school's 11th men's basketball coach in May 1990, and in turn, Elizabethtown got one of the most respected and talented scholastic coaches in Pennsylvania.

Prior to taking over at Elizabethtown, Schlosser was the pilot of the highly successful Allentown Central Catholic High School boys' basketball program. From 1981 through the conclusion of the 1989-90 season, he led the Vikings to a nine-year record of 204-73. The Schlosser-led success culminated in PIAA Class AAA State Championships in 1984 and 1986, and a runner-up finish in 1989.

During his tenure, E-town's men's basketball program has soared to new heights. His .599 career winning percentage is the best of any head coach in program history that's been at the school for more than two seasons. In 1992-93, he was named MAC Northwest Section Coach of the Year after guiding the Blue Jays to their best record in almost 30 years. He was named MAC Commonwealth League Coach of the Year in 1998-99 after leading the Blue Jays to a second-place league finish and a first-round MAC playoff victory. He earned the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year award in 2000-01 after the Blue Jays' 20-6 season, and repeated as the conference's Coach of the Year following E-town's 29-3 effort in 2001-02.

Including the Blue Jays' 2010 Commonwealth Conference Tournament appearance, Schlosser has now coached E-town in 32 postseason games over the past two decades. From 2002 to 2004, he guided E-town to an unprecedented three consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and three straight Commonwealth Conference titles. The Blue Jays' 2001-02 team finished as the NCAA Division III national runner-up.

Over the summer, Schlosser serves as a lecturer and coach at numerous clinics and camps.