Chad Dickman on Unorthodox Spacing, Randomizing Blind Flares, & Forcing Defenses to Solve the Unfamiliar | Hood College

Hood College Head Coach Chad Dickman joins us to discuss how his offense uses spacing, pace, and unorthodox ball-screen actions to force defenses into decisions they rarely get to rehearse. Dickman explains the thinking behind Hood’s early empty-side flat ball screens, the intentionally “jumbled” three-man side, and why he wants the ballhandler making decisions before the defense can settle into its preferred coverage.

We get into how Hood teaches players to flow from one action to the next without stopping to reorganize, including ghost flares, blind flares, slips, re-screens, and the occasional quadruple ball screen. Dickman details the practice work underneath that freedom: screening angles, speed, distance, live 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 breakdowns, positionless reps, and teaching players to keep attacking even when the spacing gets messy. He also explains the difference between attacking in two-man actions and stringing out three-man actions to what Hood calls the “lookout point.”  

In Start, Sub or Sit, Dickman ranks playing off two feet, deceleration, and quick finishes at the rim. The conversation moves into jump stops, reverse pivots, shooting on the move, and why high-pace offense still requires players who can stop under control. He closes with the value of years spent watching film, testing ideas, and adapting them to personnel. 

What You'll Learn

• Why Hood will intentionally load three shooters onto one side to create more room for an empty-side two-man game.
•  How “going early” forces the screener to react to the ballhandler instead of allowing the defense to organize its coverage. 
•  Why the first action does not have to produce the shot if it can compromise the defense for the next action. 
•  How Hood flows into ghost flares, blind flares, slips, re-screens, and other re-triggers without prescribing a fixed sequence. 
•  Why screening angles, speed, distance, and ballhandler paths are taught before worrying about stacking three or four actions together. 
•  How Hood prepares for two or three players arriving at the ball instead of stopping the possession to correct the spacing. 
•  Why two-man actions are played more aggressively toward the rim while three-man actions often look to reach the “lookout point.” 
•  How jump stops and reverse pivots turn paint touches into passing opportunities rather than forced finishes. 
•  Why every player gets reps handling, screening, and playing from every spot in a positionless offense. 
•  How the quadruple ball screen grew from experimenting with actions that opponents were unlikely to have practiced against. 

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