Head coach Jeff Bzdelik brings his proven system to CU
After hired to help turn around the CU men’s basketball team last spring, coach Jeff Bzdelik brings a system to Colorado that helped the Air Force Falcons to an NCAA Tournament birth and an NIT final four appearance.
“In essence, it’s just sound basketball,” Bzdelik said.
“The offense is five players creating great spacing for each other and reading the defense to create scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates,” Bzdelik said. “For that to work, you need a coordinated effort from all five players on the court.”
Bzdelik said effort is important, but having the right players in the system is essential for the offense.
“It’s similar to a Princeton Offense,” said former CU women’s basketball coach Ceal Barry. “When you have the personnel, it’s a great offense. Using Richard Roby in the center on offense the way Bzdelik did against Regis makes the offense tough to guard.”
The key to the offense’s success is well-rounded players, Bzdelik said. In order for the offense to work, you must have players that can pass, dribble and shoot. Players with high basketball IQ who care more about team play than individual play are also important, he said.
“There is no set center, there is no set power forward,” Bzdelik said. “All positions are interchangeable and that really is what makes the offense difficult for opponents to defend.”
The complicated interchangeable nature of the offense makes it difficult to defend and, in turn, makes it difficult to learn, Bzdelik said.
Bzdelik’s team is working every day to understand the system and become more comfortable playing fluid basketball within the offense. Film study has been a major learning tool.
Though his system has been proven to be effective, Bzdelik said it’s the players that make the system work.
“We’re working on not being robotic,” senior guard Marcus Hall said. “Most of the time, we just try and do the right things and do what coach says, instead of just playing out of it. That’s been the biggest thing so far, not just getting to the right spots, but free-ballin’ out of it.”
Bzdelik’s system is designed to work against man-to-man defense. In their two pre-season victories, Colorado saw almost exclusively zone defense.
Senior guard Richard Roby said the team has to be able to read the defense and know how every position on the court functions.
“You have to know all the positions,” Roby said. “That’s what makes it harder. You have to know every spot. You never know when you’re going to be in that spot, it’s just whoever gets there. It’s all about reading defenders.”
Colorado will tip-off its regular season Friday against New Mexico. Last year, New Mexico beat the Buffs by 41 points, so CU’s first game will be a major test for the offense.
“I love it here at CU,” Bzdelik said. “All I ask is that my players get a little bit better each day. This situation is a challenging one, but I’m excited about it.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brad Cochi at bradley.cochi@thecampuspress.com
