We’re excited to share another Read & React story with you right before the start of the high school basketball season. This week’s Tribe Spotlight features Rodney Briggs, head boy’s basketball coach at Lansing High School, Lansing, KS.
I was looking for an offensive system that would be a good feeder system offense and that we could use at the varsity level. I wanted to be able to adjust to personnel changes from year to year and not change offensive philosophy. I also wanted to be able to change formations. In the summer of 2008 is when I found the Read and React. I bought the tapes and learned the offense. Our first year we went 19-4. We had a very young team in 2009-10 season and went 11-10, but felt we made progress in the offense. The next season with still a fairly young team we went 18-6 (2010-11) and got to the 5A Final 4 in Kansas. We continued on that streak in 2011-12 and made it to the Final 4 again, finishing 20-5. In 2012-13, we finally made it to the championship game, but lost in a tough final game. Then in 2013-14 season we went 25-0 and won the state championship.
We have evolved and added layers over the years. The main reason is our guys have been in the offense at least since 7th grade and some since 4th grade. Our 2014 State Championship team had 5 seniors and 4 had played together since 5th grade. They had been in our system since 7th grade and functioned deep into the layers of the Read and React. It became where the players knew what each other were doing and that was because of the Read and React offense. We really were functioning at a high level in the offense.
At the varsity level we do all the layers in the enhancement area. We have never put in the X-cut though on post entries. We felt the Laker cut got what we wanted. We love the advanced post slides because our post players have had the ability to shoot on the perimeter. We love the zone offense portion of the offense and will be doing a lot of the Fantastic 4 zone actions this season. The main reason though we are successful in the offense is because our guys understand the spacing which the learn through the offense and good player movement.
The Read and React system made me a much better coach. It has helped our program become competitive with the best programs in our state. I believe it is the best way to play offense and I love the versatility of the offense. I look forward to exploring more about the offense and grow in my understanding.
Lansing High School Timeline since the Implanting the Read & React in 2008:
- 2008-09: 19-4 *State tournament lost 1st round
- 2009-10: 11-10
- 2010-11: 18-6 *Final 4
- 2011-12: 20-5 *Final 4
- 2012-13: 22-2 *Lost in Championship game
- 2013-14: 25-0 *Undefeated State Champion Class 5A – 1st in school history
- 2014-15: 13-9 *Lost in Sub-state final
- 128-36 Record since starting to use Read and React (78%)
- State Champions in 2014, Runner-Up 2013, 5 State tournaments in 7 years. Going into 8th year running the offense
- The School had only been at 4 state tournaments in school history before this run of 5 in 7 years.
