Donnie Rhett Koonce is an ophthalmic assistant at Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates, PA, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Outside of work, Donnie Rhett Koonce enjoys leading an active lifestyle. He played collegiate club basketball between 2012 and 2015, and continues to play the game when not supporting research projects involving various retinal diseases.
When it comes to running a defensive scheme in basketball, the first decision that must be made is between man-to-man defense and zone defense. Both types of defense have innumerable variations, such as on-ball man defense and 2-3 zone defense. Generally speaking, however, man and zone defense operate on different strategies.
Man-to-man defense is somewhat self-explanatory. Each player receives a defensive assignment and does their best to stay with the opposing player over the course of all defensive possessions. Players are often matched up by position, such as a center guarding the opposing team’s center, but coaches can adjust assignments as they see fit. Furthermore, certain offensive actions, or built-in aspects of a man-to-man defensive scheme, will frequently see defenders switching off of their primary assignment and guarding other players.
Zone defense, on the other hand, involves players being assigned specific areas on the floor to guard. Any time an opposing player enters this area, they become the defender’s assignment. Zone defenses can be modified in various ways, such as setting up more zones around the perimeter to guard against three-point shooting, or packing the paint to force outside jump shots.
Both types of defense have strengths and weaknesses, and it is not uncommon for teams to implement both man-to-man and zone defense over the course of the same game.
Donnie Rhett Koonce 