The Big Blue Lowdown

Seeing how the Wildcats adapt to the Dribble-Drive Motion Offense should be one of the more interesting developments to watch this season in Lexington. The BBL gives you a closer look at this trendy offensive strategy created 12 years ago by JUCO coach Vance Walberg.

The Dribble Drive Defined
In essence, the DDM is an uptempo variation of the Bobby Knight-style motion offense with several wrinkles. The philosophy is predicated on relentless dribble penetration where a ballhandler drives the lane and then has three options. He can finish, dump the ball off in the post, or kick it back out to the wing, where another player more or less starts the same process over again.

Typically, a successful DDM offense needs four wings and one post player. It does not rely on screen and rolls or a heavy amount of cutting without the ball. It is an aggressive attacking offense that commonly results in high scoring affairs and, with the right personnel, a liberal dose of highlight reel plays.

Keys to Execution
There are three primary keys to the DDM—ballhandling, spacing and shooting ability. Because the offense is built around consistent dribble penetration, a team running it needs at least four men on the court who can be counted on to drive the lane. In particular, the DDM flourishes with a rangy athletic PG who can fearlessly take the ball to the rack.

Spacing is critical as players must be aware of where they stand on the floor in order to open driving lanes for the ballhandler. Good spacing will also allow athletic teams to crash the offensive glass hard in the DDM. As for shooting ability, the bulk of the scoring in the DDM comes from shots off of kickouts, so at the very least, a good midrange shooting game is a prerequisite for success in this offense.

Why UK Fans Should Be Excited
The speed and quickness of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe make them ideal for this offense. If you need evidence of how athletic PGs can thrive in the DDM, look at Coach Cal’s last few Memphis teams, where NBA lottery picks Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans first made their names. Look for UK’s dynamic backcourt duo to continue that legacy.

In addition to UK’s phenomenal guard talent, Darius Miller, Deandre Liggins, Darnell Dodson, John Hood and Ramon Harris, all over 6-6, make ideal combo guys who can play the 2, 3 or 4 positions in the DDM set.

Why UK Fans Have Cause for Concern
There are some major potential stumbling blocks. For one, UK’s big men are mostly back to the basket scorers. It will be tough to keep two of them on the floor at once without requiring some perimeter ballhandling.

But more concerning is UK’s search for an outside shooter. If a reliable midrange or deep threat does not emerge, opposing defenses will be able to pack up the interior and essentially shut off driving lanes, leaving UK’s guards to single-handedly create the majority of the offense—but that might not be the worst thing in the world, given these guys’ ability.

BBL Prediction
Calipari has said that no offense is better than the DDM at “unleashing” players. With a roster this rich in talent, that can only be a good sign. But we firmly expect some early struggles, particularly in conference play. By March this squad should be running the DDM as well as the Memphis teams of the recent past.