Alan Huss was officially named as High Point’s new head coach at a press conference on Monday at the Qubein Center. While most of the ceremony was simply an introduction and welcome from AD Dan Hauser and President Nido Qubein, Huss did give a sneak peek into how he envisions his Panthers playing, especially on offense.

Coach Huss mentioned how High Point would closely mirror the offense ran at Creighton. He stressed his new team would play “incredibly fast, incredibly free, and analytically driven.” With that in mind, let’s dive into how the Blue Jays have played offense under long-time coach, Greg McDermott.

McDermott’s offense at Creighton is known for its fast-paced, high-scoring style that emphasizes ball movement, spacing, and outside shooting. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key features of his offense:

1. Transition Offense

McDermott’s offense starts with a quick transition from defense to offense. The Bluejays look to push the ball up the court quickly and attack the basket before the defense can get set. This fast-paced approach is designed to catch the defense off-guard and create easy scoring opportunities. A staple of Creighton’s recent transition offense has been feeding the big man sealing inside, or if that is unavailable finding the trailer and let him shoot or further dissect the scrambling defense.

Huss discussed yesterday how he wants his offense push and score within the first 6 seconds of possession. High Point did look to push the pace more last year but it seems they’ll be kicking it into overdrive moving forward.

2. Ball and Player Movement

Once the Bluejays are in their half-court offense, they look to move the ball quickly and efficiently. The offense is predicated on constant movement, both with and without the ball. The players are encouraged to pass the ball quickly and find the open man. This style of play creates a lot of open looks from the perimeter and opportunities to attack the basket.

3. Spacing the Floor

In order to create open looks and driving lanes, McDermott emphasizes spacing on the court. Players are encouraged to spread out and then maintain proper spacing. This floor spacing makes it increasingly difficult for the defense to double-team or collapse on a particular player, and it creates more room for the offense to operate. This also allows for drives to the rim and the ability to kick out to the open shooter if closed down on.

4. Outside Shooting

A consistent hallmark of Creighton’s offense has been its emphasis on outside shooting. The Bluejays are known for their sharpshooting from beyond the arc, and they have consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in three-point shooting percentage. In over half of the 13 seasons under McDermott, Creighton has attempted more than 42% of their total shots for the year from beyond the arc.

5. Use of Screens

Another key feature of McDermott’s offense is the use of the pick-and-roll. This is a staple for many offenses, but recent Blue Jays teams have executed it particularly well. Using the pick-and-roll allows them to create even more space and attack the basket.

The Creighton offense has even been described at times as basketball’s “Veer”. Their offense relies not only on on-ball screens but then immediately an off-ball screen as well. This action is used to either free up a shooter or create a defensive mismatch.

6. Analytically Driven

Coach Huss used this exact term to discuss what he envisions his offense being. The Blue Jays offense comes almost entirely from at the rim or from beyond the arc. Only 26.7% of shot attempts this past year came from mid-range. The mid-range statistically is the least valuable shot on the floor so this jives with Huss’s desire to be analytical in their offense.

It will take some time for Huss to get players in that fits this scheme but once he does expect one of the most efficient and exciting offenses in the Big South. Until then, there are some players on the roster who could definitely benefit from this style of play. Zack Austin could especially thrive as the primary player utilizing his size, athleticism, and shooting prowess . While Austin remains in the portal perhaps he could be willing to stay under Coach Huss.

Stay tuned for more High Point news and possible fits under Coach Alan Huss.