Louisville Quick Hitter Lob Play

Byhoopcoach

If you want to deflate an opponent’s momentum instantly, you don’t run a long, drawn-out offense—you run a quick hitter that catches the defense completely asleep.

This Louisville Quick Hitter Lob Play is a brutal misdirection set designed to exploit over-aggressive defenses that cheat on help-side positioning. While it is diagrammed for the point guard, a smart coach adjusts personnel: put your most explosive athlete at the 1-spot, or swap your personnel assignments so your best rim-runner is the one diving out of the stack.

Initial Set

lob play animation

An effective quick hitter requires a tight, deceptive starting formation to hide the true target.

  • Player 1 (Point Guard): Starts at the top of the key with the ball.
  • Player 4 (Power Forward): Aligned tightly right next to Player 1 at the top.
  • Players 2 and 3: Positioned out on the wings, spacing the floor.
  • Player 5 (Center): Anchored directly below the 1/4 stack at the nail/high post.

Step-by-Step Play Breakdown

The Misdirection & The Trigger

  • The Action: Player 1 passes the ball to Player 4 at the top of the key.
  • The Decoy: Immediately after passing, Player 1 utilizes a hard down-screen from Player 5. Player 1 curls off the screen, selling a hard cut underneath toward the left wing.
  • The Trap: As Player 1 cuts, Player 4 swings the ball quickly to Player 3 on the right wing. This ball reversal forces the entire defense to shift their vision and focus toward the right side of the floor.

The Counter: The Back Screen Lob

  • The Action: Just as the defense thinks the play is flowing to the right wing, Player 2 flashes up from the left wing to set a brutal, blind back screen on Player 1’s defender (x1).
  • The Read: Player 1 rejects the perimeter cut, plants their foot hard, and explodes directly to the rim off Player 2’s back screen.
  • The Finish: Player 3—now holding the ball on the right wing—delivers a perfectly timed lob pass over the top of the defense to Player 1 for the alley-oop finish.

Coaching Points

  • Sell the Decoy: Player 1 cannot telegraph the lob. They must sprint off Player 5’s initial screen as if they are desperate to get the ball back on the wing. The harder they sell the cut, the deeper the defender will drop into the trap.
  • Angle of the Back Screen: Player 2 must set the back screen high enough to give Player 1 a clear runway to the rim, ensuring x1 has zero time to recover or go under.
  • Adjust Personnel: If your point guard lacks vertical explosiveness, do not scrap the play. Put your athletic wing or forward in the 1-spot for this possession to maximize the threat at the rim.

We found in the Plays Library.  The lob play is drawn up for the point guard but,  personally, I have never had a point guard who could dunk so I will be moving personnel around a bit.  Here is a link to view the animation of Louisville Quick Hitter Lob Play

 

 

Similar Posts