15 Defense is one that we can play when we are up against an exceptional post player or something that we use against a poor passing post player to apply pressure. It is important to understand that the base of our 15 is identical to our 10 Defense in that we expect great pressure on the basketball, we want to be up-the-line and on-the-line in the passing lane, and we expect good helpside defense.The diagram shows the ball on the wing and being fed in the post. First, let us talk about low post defense. We want to challenge the poster and make her work for positioning. We do NOT want to allow her to seal us up, in, down or back. As the ball goes into the post, the low post defender wants to establish position immediately behind the low post at an angle in which she takes away the baseline side.
The closest helpside defender (C) is moving on the “air-time of the pass” and attacking the top side of the low post. Her goal is to attack the ball, tip any pass that the post tries to make if she fans the ball out to the opposite side. The top helpside player (A) sinks to the line of the ball to take away anything in the opposite low post. The rule for defenders on the ballside (B and D) is to deny the pass back to their players.
NOTE: Should #5 step off the lane to catch the ball, we will not trap. We are only trapping the ball when it is in the low post. When the ball is passed out, we want to move on the “air-time of the pass” and recover as quickly as possible.
