Uconn's Ridiculous Playbook

A breakdown of some of my favorite plays from the back-to-back champs.

I have been creating and breaking down playbooks since 2012. Over that time I have created over 1,000 playbooks and studied the best offenses I could find.

This year’s 2024 National Champs have the most intricate, efficient, and creative sets I have ever seen when studying film.

Mike D’Antoni was known for creative offense, but his playbook is basic compared to Uconn’s. Other contenders for the best college playbook would be Mark Pope’s BYU playbook from 19-20 (90 Plays), Bill Self’s offensive revolution at Kansas (93 Plays), Baylor’s 20-21 Playbook (100 Plays).

By far the closest playbook that compares to Uconn’s this season was the 2021-22 Purdue Playbook with Matt Painter running a ridiculous 142 plays.

This season, Uconn’s playbook was 150 plays, and most of them were intricate, creative, and complex run with perfection.

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I created playbooks that include Uconn’s sets - the full playbook has every set from this season and the 2024 NCAA Tournament Playbook as around 60 plays from them. When you order any playbooks or clinics, I am offering a 25% discount when you use the code: HCHoops25.

2024 Uconn National Champions Playbook

2024 NCAA Tournament Playbook

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Series

Every playbook has “Series” or the formation or setup in which the plays are run out of, such as Horns or Thru. The most obvious examples of these are baseline/sideline out-of-bounds, and end-of-game/special situations.

BOB

The basic setup of most baseline out of bounds plays for Uconn is 1-4 low, a common setup for BOB.

Although on some of their plays it morphs into whatever they are running, as an example here the initial plan was likely to start 1-4 low and lift up but the play just starts with all 4 lifting up.

Triple Double

By far my favorite play that creates so much chaos is what I called “Triple Double” starting off with a triple screen for the player on the weakside.

This player comes off the first two screens and then curls into the lane looking for a layup. Right after he clears the first player screening (in this example #5 Castle) comes right off the next double screen.

This triggers another read for the second player to curl or backdoor cut to the rim as well as screen for the second screener.

Here as Newton comes off the triple screen and curls the first screen, it opens up a slip opportunity for the second screener.

If you defend all of the basket actions, then it can turn into a double screen for the second screener to look for a catch and shoot 3.

Video of the Play:

Double Gut

Here Uconn runs a double screen variation with the 5 & 4 screening for a guard to cut to the wing.

The first option is usually not there, and this flows beautifully into a gut dribble hand off for the inbounder as 5 rolls to the rim and the screener 4 lifts to replace - very tough action to guard.

Video of the Play:

SOB

Slice Chicago

Uconn didn’t have a consistent sideline out of bounds play they ran, but they went to this “Slice Chicago” action in both the regular season and NCAA Tournament.

After the initial slice screen it flows into a pindown and then a dribble hand of (Chicago action) for a guard to attack off of. Here they go into split cuts out of 5-Out when the initial action is denied.

They also ran this in the regular season, ending up finding a slip here when the defense gets caught on the high side.

Video of the Play:

Chin

The basic setup of Chin is typically a big at the elbow with 4 guards on the perimeter in the slots and on the wings. Uconn uses this same alignment but with their 4 man (Karaban) at the elbow to be the player setting the backscreen.

Chin Option

The cutter off the backscreen then comes off a wide pindown screen from their 5 man for a shot on the wing. Uconn does run a variation of this where the cutter has the option to go off either side, but they primarily looked for this action.

Video of the Play:

Chin Option Rip

With Uconn’s staff being the king of counters to their normal plays, they hit Marquette here with a quick backscreen instead of a pindown for a layup.

Video of the Play:

Chin Strong

The next option for the shooter who comes off the backscreen is to stay on the same side and come off a stagger screen.

Here Spencer comes off the backscreen and then comes off a double screen looking fora shot

Since stagger screens are the staple of Uconn’s offense this becomes a lethal action for them to run as they have the look for a shot, or dump off to the bigs for easy finishes.

Video of the Play:

Delay

I did an entire breakdown on the Delay Series in the NBA and how teams use it for both set plays and their flow offense and Uconn took that directly from NBA Playbooks into theirs. Delay is essentially another way to say “5-Out” where the ball is entered to (typically) a big in the middle of the floor.

Flare Slip

The most common action that teams will run is “Flare /Slip” where the ballside player in the corner sets a flare screen on the wing.

This is a great way to attack teams that switch 1-4 alot, and Uconn went to this with their smaller lineup and had Castle handle it - since teams sagged off him the most.

Video of the Play:

Scissor Up

Starting off with a screen to free up the big flashing, both guards “Scissor” cut off the big in the middle of the floor - a common pressure release.

Then after the pass to the wing the guard ballside sets an upscreen to look to get a quick score. But again, this is all decoy action as the big fakes coming off a cross screen low then flashes to the middle of the floor again.

This ends in “Chicago” action with a little twirl on the wing freeing up a guard to get downhill even easier and making his defender chase. Nasty stuff.

Video of the Play:

Exit

This could technically be a “Diamond” series setup since this starts with a player low in the middle and the Floppy/Diamond setup but the first time I saw it I labeled it “Exit” and here we are.

Chicago

The Exit series starts with the player in the middle of the lane coming off a screen to the wing and then after the pass to the wing usually has a flare screen for the player handling the ball.

I use the term “Chicago” for a pindown into a dribble hand off as seen here. One of the hardest actions to guard since it creates a single tag and gets a player coming off downhill.

Video of the Play:

Chicago Dribble Veer

Uconn being the mad scientist’s they are decide to combo this action into “Dribble” action or a hand back and then go into a weave.

In combination with this weave the big then sets a ballscreen and then goes immediately to set a wide pindown screen for the guard in the corner.

Not only do you have to worry about all the initial action but you can’t rest once your player moves since they will always go into another action.

Video of the Play:

Horns

Horns is by far the most common setup for plays and actions in basketball playbooks these days, and its a setup I use the most with my teams in high school. The basic setup is a guard with the ball, two bigs at the elbows and two guards or wings in the corners.

Quick Flare

Uconn takes an NBA concept out of 5-Out and starts off with a ballscreen on one side into a flare screen at the elbows. Then once that clears the guard passes the ball to the wing and then comes off a flare screen in the middle of the floor.

The best part about Uconn running this is again they put their own spin and tweak to this action not running it once, but running it twice back-to-back.

Putting the defender through the blender of having to fight over the top of the screen opens up driving opportunities and gets players in the lane for Uconn consistently.

Video of the Play:

Quick Flare Wide

Another tweak that Uconn made specifically for the NCAA Tournament is to run this out of 5-Out and then have the big who set the flare screen set a “Wide” screen or pindown for the wing.

Video of the Play:

Quick Flare Wide Lob

Then, once you think you know what they are going to run after they hit you for a 3 early in the game - both examples against Northwestern here - the counter lob is open. Setting the same wide screen, Uconn uses a shooter here to set a backscreen that opens up the lob.

Video of the Play:

Skip

By far my favorite play that Uconn runs is taken from a concept I first saw from the Golen State Warriors when teams were sagging off Draymond Green or Looney.

This “Skip” hand off takes advantage of the low tag help sitting in the lane, for example Edey from Purdue in the title game. Out of Horns the first option is a guard/guard ballscreen that can open up downhill driving lanes or blown switch opportunities.

After the initial ballscreen, the options start to open up. The first look is to hand off to the first guard that comes off a flare screen or fake that and keep it to give it to the opposite corner coming off the screen into the hand off.

If teams try to switch this screening action, that’s when the slip actions open up - here a slip of the first screen when the guards both jump out.

Then a slip of the second screen when all of Northwestern is caught in no-mans land, what a ridiculous play.

Video of the Play:

Slice

Slice action is not anything new, essentially swinging the ball from one side to the other and then a guard sets a screen across the grain of the defense looking for a quick layup.

Strong Boston

The complexities start for Uconn after that initial action. Instead of flowing into normal stagger action, they go into what I call “Boston” (but should call Wildcat) where the first player curls into the lane and the second player comes off the screen.

Strong Dribble

After the initial Slice/Stagger options they will run the 4 man off the screen and then flip it back to the guard.

After flipping it back to the guard, this continues into another stagger screen on the opposite side with boston action again.

Then it all ends in random flow after hitting the big when none of the early options are available.

Video of the Play:

Strong Dribble Back

Not only all of that initial action you have to guard but now you are waiting for them to continue and guard another stagger screen.

This is when Uconn hits you with the “Back” option or another screen for the player who flipped it back to the point guard.

Video of the Play:

Strong

Strong or stagger action has been a staple of Uconn’s offense for a few years, whether it is the basic continuity or setting up special actions.

Here are clips from the 19-20 season.

2 Chase

This year’s Uconn team uses this Strong action to setup multiple plays - around 12 counters and actions out of it. One of the basic plays has been flowing into a double ballscreen with the guard being the first screener and the big second screener.

Video of the Play:

2 Chase Back

A counter that Uconn runs for shooters is to set the double ballscreen and then rescreen back for the guard who screened first.

Video of the Play:

2 Chase Back Kings

Uconn’s staff clearly watches and studies the NBA, as seen from this ridiculous set starting off with the same action as above but instead of using the screen off the back action and rejecting it into the lane.

This sets up the “Kings” action where the player who cuts into the lane then sets a cross screen and comes off a downscreen looking for a shot.

Video of the Play:

Thru

Sending a player Thru is a very common way to disguise action - especially if it’s a part of your core motion offense.

UCLA Novak

Uconn sets this up by running the player through and then having a guard come off a UCLA screen to the rim. This forces the big’s defender to honor the cut and sag off more in the lane.

Uconn combines this action with “Novak” action - a Beilein staple - or screening down in the opposite slot at the same time an empty ballscreen is being set. This can cause problems for the tag man and will either leave the roll open or the shooter coming off open.

Video of the Play:

UCLA Slice

Uconn runs another variation off the UCLA cut where the guard cutting off then becomes the screener - similar to Slice action.

Like Uconn tends to do they make this play awesome by having the guard turn and set a stagger screen that is decoy action and then comes off a downscreen from the big in the middle of the floor.

Video of the Play:

Wide

The NBA runs “Wide” as a core concept in their early and flow 5-Out Offense so it makes sense Uconn uses this as well, but the plays they tweaked out of it are amazing.

Dribble Back Flare Slip

Uconn here flips it back (dribble action) and then the big sets the same back screen for the guard to curl toward the elbow.

This is where this set becomes ridiculous, the guard sets a backscreen in the middle of the floor then lifts out to the wing and at the same time the corner sets a flare screen and slips to the rim for a layup. No words.

Video of the Play:

Reject Gut Dribble

Most teams run this action with the guard coming off the Wide screen and then having action after, but Uconn sends their big into the lane and screens down for a guard coming off the hand off.

Then the pass is made to the big replacing and flows into weave action and then 5-Out flow offense from there.

Video of the Play:

Reject Gut Horns Ghost

Uconn then sends the 4 man backdoor here and sends a guard up the gut to get the hand off and sends the corner through opposite.

Then it goes into Horns action where the 4 man Karaban sets a ghost screen and then goes off a flare screen empty.

Video of the Play:

Reject Gut Horns Rip

Uconn runs two quick hitting backscreen actions out of this Reject setup starting with the same starting action into Horns.

Then it goes into a backscreen for the guard.

Reject Rip

They also send a guard backdoor off the reject and then use their best shooter as a backscreener to the rim.

Video of the Play:

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I really hope you enjoyed this breakdown, I cannot express enough how awesome Uconn’s playbook is. If you wish to express your support - it is greatly appreciated!

Enjoy!

Coach Pyper