Italy U19 Horns Series

I'm not a big fan of horns in the traditional sense. Both posts come up and set a double ball screen, the point comes off and one post dives and one pops. I am, however, a big fan of the A frame set and running some different actions out of it like many NBA and Euroleague teams are currently doing.

Italy has been running some fun things out of horns with their U19 team. The following horns looks came from their recent games against Australia and Canada.

Basic Action
This is an action they ran a lot, and is very effective. The set starts in the typical A Set. One post screens across and the player coming off the cross screen immediately sets a flat ball screen for the point. This is something I haven't seen before and really like. Lots of teams cross screen their posts, but not into a flat ball. The cross screen makes the ball screen naked and really opens up the driving lane.

As you can see in the video, the cross screen opens up the flat ball. Because it's naked there is no help on the drive. 

Cross Screen to Flair
If the screen action wasn't there, they would screen with a flair screen. The point would pop out with the dribble. The post who set the initial cross screen would come back and flair screen the post setting the flat ball screen.

You can see them run it here. They then throw the ball back to the popping screener and play out of it. 

Post Up Set
This is a great post up set that the Italians run out of that horns look. It starts with the cross screen and flair screen. If the drive isn't there, the point guard goes right into a dribble handoff with the corner on that side. As that happens the flair screen happens.

The player who set the flair screen (5) follows the dribble handoff and sets a ball screen for the player coming off the dribble handoff. As the dribbler comes off the ball screen the screener (5) dives across the lane hard. If the driver can't turn the corner he immediately throws it across to the post on the opposite side, who came off the flair screen. That post immediately looks inside for the rolling 5. If the post entry isn't there, he passes to the corner on his side and follows with a ball screen.

Here is some video of them running the set all the way through. I think the skip across with the post dive and ball screen on a quick reversal are great actions.