Latah High School
Latah, Washington
January 6, 1941

Dr. Forrest C. Allen

Director of Physical Education
University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Dr. Allen:
In your book "Better Basketball" there

is a passage appearing on page 332 which -—— Pi-

causes me some concern. Speaking of 5 on 5
or as in a regular game--"Each of the defen-
sive men specifies a certain opponent for
whose movements he will be personally re-
sponsible during these regular game situations.
These defensive men are taught to slide and
trade and switch so there will be no excuse
for permitting an offensive opponent to score
because he shook his opponent loose."

After building the team up through 2 onl,
3 on 2, and so forth based on the zone prin-
ciple it seems from the above quoted state-
ments that the zone is discarded for the man
to man principle.

Would you please clarify this problem?

We have been using a zone type of defense
with fair results. We shift to put the head of
our defense in front of the ball pulling our
forwards back into the free throw area when the
ball goes into the cormers and the men near the
basket shift to meet the scoring threat.

This is our defense formation:
moO > & |
C.

FS aos ee
fe ie
. I hope I may hear from you because I am
interested in your defense as it is different
from most of those taught in the Northwest.

Yours very truly,

P?. C.. lod diol