Lakewood runs the ball screen game as their primary offense, initiating from the top of the key on most trips with #3 Marcus Webb as the primary ball handler. Their preferred action is a high ball screen with #32 (Caleb Turner) rolling hard to the rim on every rep.
They look to attack the nail on the catch — Webb's first read is always the rim, not the pull-up. When that's denied he finds the corner shooter (#11 Jordan Ellis), who runs away off the screen almost every time.
When the ball screen game isn't producing, Lakewood transitions into a 5-out motion where all five players operate beyond the arc. They move the ball with purpose, but they don't hurt you from three out of this look.
The motion is really a reset mechanism, not an attack. Watch for them to use it after timeouts and before re-initiating ball screen action late in quarters.
After timeouts and in late-clock situations in close games, Lakewood runs a recognizable Horns set — two bigs at the elbows, guards at the corners, ball handler at the top. They look first to the elbow handoff for a mid-range jumper by #32 Turner — his most comfortable shot — and second to a skip pass to the corner for a corner 3 by #11 Ellis.
Lakewood plays man-to-man for the large majority of the game. Their coverage is aggressive on-ball and they hedge hard on ball screens — they do not switch. Their guards fight over screens, which creates backdoor opportunities when they over-pursue.
They are very disciplined in their help rotation but slow to recover when the ball reverses quickly. Findlay hurt them from the corners on quick reversal again and again.
Watch 5:12 · 11:26 · 22:40Lakewood uses a 2-3 zone as a change-up, typically: after timeouts to disrupt rhythm, when protecting a lead late, and when Parks is in foul trouble. Their 2-3 has a significant gap at the high-post — they leave the elbow area open on ball reversal.
They do not deny the high-post entry in the 2-3. Any player who can catch and shoot from the elbow should be your go-to against their zone.
Lakewood does not press frequently — they applied full-court pressure only 11 times across 3 games analyzed. When they do press, they run a 1-2-1-1 trap press initiated at half-court.
Their primary trap trigger is the sideline near mid-court. They do not gamble in the backcourt — the press is designed to disrupt tempo, not generate turnovers.
Transition is where Lakewood hurts you most. They sprint the floor relentlessly and Webb pushes immediately on every made basket, miss, and turnover — their early offense gets to a shot before most defenses are set.
When they have a numbers advantage, they finish the play. They are extremely dangerous when you turn the ball over in your own half.
Transition chances charted on 63 of 287 possessions across three games.Nearly half of everything they take comes in the paint, and they convert there at a high rate. Turner at the rim is their most efficient source of scoring. Protect the paint above all else — every rim attempt Turner gets is nearly automatic.
Shot locations charted across all 287 possessions.Their right corner is their most dangerous spot on the floor outside the paint — it's Ellis's landing spot off almost every ball screen. This is the single most important spot to close out on.
Mid-range is where their offense stalls. If you can force them into pull-ups between the paint and the arc you are winning the shot quality battle. Do not give up the paint or corner three to protect the mid-range.