Digital Chalkboard: Wake Forest Inbounds Play

Last season, in Jeff Bzdelik’s first season as coach of Wake Forest, there was not much positive to say about the offense. They sputtered to 97.6 offensive efficiency and rarely looked fluid as a team offense. This season, they are showing some nice signs of improvement and have raised their efficiency to one point per possession so far this season. They still have a long way to go but there have been more nice things to say about the offensive side of the ball this season.

This baseline out of bounds play midway through the second half against Maryland demonstrates the increased ability to execute on the offensive end by the Deacs. This is a nicely designed play that the three primary players run well to get an open three point shot for Chase Fischer.

Ty Walker sets the screen for Fischer and starts by cutting to the corner to act like he is the intended target on the inbounds pass. This forces Ashton Pankey to overcommit to deny the pass, taking him out of position once Walker turns to set the screen for Fischer. Travis McKie makes the first cut, coming from the left elbow all the way around the perimeter who will then be followed by Fischer using the screen from Walker.

Walker sets a great screen for Fischer, who is great at using screens to get himself open. He rubs his man off Walker to get open in the corner as he follows the cut of McKie. With Pankey unable to hedge, Fischer is able to come off the screen freely. McKie’s role is to clear out the defense to open space for Fischer, as we will see below.

Look at McKie in the below frame. His role is to take the defender responsible for the inbounds man out of the play and not allow him to hedge out on Fischer. With his cut, McKie takes his man and Mychal Parker out of the play and opened the corner for Fischer.

This was a well designed and executed inbounds set by Wake Forest. Walker set his man up nicely before the screen to allow Fischer to use the screen without a second defender hounding him and McKie made an excellent cut to occupy two defenders and open up the corner for Fischer. Fischer is the best on the team in using screens and creating space for jump shots and he showed that in this play.

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