Three Special Sets Billy Richmond Can Use to Kickstart Arkansas’ Offense

photo credit: Craven Whitlow

If you read Part 1 of our deep dive on Arkansas guard Billy Richmond III and thought to yourself, “This basketball talk was great, but what I could really go for is some more of those Mario Kart references,” then don’t you fret your pretty head, my friend, because I’ve got one more ready to roll for you.

You know how in Mario Kart if you hit the gas at the exact right moment before the green light, you get a nice little speed boost to start the race?

That extra giddy-up is precisely the approach Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari has to take next season to get the most out of Richmond’s strengths. In an ideal world, the Memphis native could have an entire shot diet comprised of transition attempts. Unfortunately, that’s just not realistic. There will be games where Arkansas struggles to force the live-ball turnovers necessary for those easy fast break attempts, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost for its rising sophomore.

Last season, Arkansas played at a faster pace when Richmond was on the floor. An increased pace of play where offense is initiated sooner will benefit a speedster like Richmond because it allows him to more frequently attack the rim with a live dribble before the defense is fully set. It also helps him avoid situations where he gets bogged down in the half-court and has to rely on his jumper. 

So, how does Calipari accomplish this? Here are three options.

Hit Ahead Action

In addition to his tenacious on-ball defense, Billy Richmond III offered a nice change of pace as a ball-handler for Arkansas last season. His herky-jerk handle and quick bursts of speed contrasted nicely with DJ Wagner and the silky smooth Boogie Fland.

In hit ahead action, the ball-handler pitches the basketball ahead to a player on the wing or baseline, and he attacks with space before the defense is entirely in place. Call this one pseudo-transition if you want, but it’s an action that is tailor-made for a player with Richmond’s skillset.

So much so, in fact, that our video example features a familiar face:

Off a defensive rebound, Wagner throws the ball ahead to Richmond from the opposite elbow. When Richmond catches the pass and starts penetrating, Wagner and Zvonimir Ivisic haven’t even crossed the timeline yet. Arkansas is technically playing three-on-five basketball at that point. Even being down two men, Richmond gives Arkansas an advantage by immediately attacking when he catches the pass. 

Playing at this tempo can be challenging for 40 minutes, but it would be a fantastic wrinkle to throw out there when Richmond is running with bench units.

Drag Screens

Another staple of quick offense that could level up Richmond’s game would be incorporating more drag screens when he is on the floor. A drag screen is a fancy term for a big man setting a high ball screen in transition before the defense is set. Here’s a great example from Alabama’s NCAA tournament game against Saint Mary’s.

A drag screen has the same impact as a hit ahead: Richmond uses his speed to attack the defense before they are in place. The added wrinkle here is that, because this is a screening action, Richmond has some other options for where to go with the ball. If the defense cuts off his straight line drive to the rim, that could potentially open up a roll by the screener or free up a jump shooter in the corner.

Depending on who is on the floor with Richmond, Arkansas could employ a double drag (you guessed it: two consecutive drag screens) that would provide even more options by employing a second screener. 

Wide Pindowns

In a wide pindown, a big sets an off-ball screen for a shooter or slasher facing the baseline on the wing. The shooter or slasher usually starts in the dunker spot near the rim – a previously mentioned hot zone for Richmond – and cuts up toward the wing to take the screen.

The first option, as shown in the video clip below, involves the ballhandler at the top of the key passing to the player coming off the pindown, who then uses his dribble and the space created by the screen to put pressure on the rim.

The beauty of the wide pindown early in the shot clock is that it has some similar optionality to the drag screen, but I would argue the reads are even simpler.

If the defense is over-committing to stopping the screen, Richmond would just back-cut and get his easy two points that way. If the defense commits to stopping his dribble penetration, a wide pindown flows really nicely into a pick-and-roll opportunity that takes advantage of Richmond’s passing ability. If neither of those things happen, then you have Richmond curling off a screen and driving into an open lane with a full head of steam. Whichever read a defense is conceding, I like Arkansas’ chances of putting points on the board. 

As a bonus, the UNC-Asheville example above comes out of the Horns alignment, a tactic Coach Cal frequently employed last season via an anti-Texas hand signal that many Hog fans loved to see.

While it may seem like all three options are fancy window-dressing that end in a similar result, it’s important to remember two things. First, that’s kind of intentional. Until Richmond adds a consistent long-range jump shot to his arsenal, he’s going to be a limited player. Window dressing will be necessary to keep the defense guessing about how the Hogs will get him his most effective shot.

Second, nobody is game planning for Richmond to take 15 shots a game. He could be an incredibly impactful player for Arkansas with just 5-7 really good looks per contest. It’s not hard to imagine how just the variations mentioned above could get him the right number of really good looks.

Think of it like picking up a mushroom before the final turn: You don’t need to win every lap. Just time your burst perfectly and fly past the competition when it counts.

***

For more of this style of piece with more extensive video clips, subscribe to Max’s Substack, The Pig Sty. 

***

***

More coverage of Arkansas basketball from BoAS…