UCLA Cut

What it is

• The UCLA Cut is one of the oldest and most reliable actions in basketball, named after John Wooden's UCLA teams that popularized it.
• The ball handler (guard) starts at the top of the key or wing.
• A high-post player (traditionally a forward or skilled big) catches a pass at the elbow or high post (free-throw line extended or above).

How it works

• The cut must happen immediately after the pass — hesitation kills the action.
• The high-post player catches, pivots to face, and waits to read the cutter before making a decision.
• The cutter goes ball-side, running off the high-post player's near hip, forcing the defender to fight through or go under the screen.
• UCLA into DHO (Dribble Handoff): If the cutter does not receive the layup pass, they continue through the lane to the opposite block.
• The high-post player, having not passed, dribbles toward the wing where a second guard is positioned.

Reads and counters

• Read 1 — Layup / Dump-off If the cutter's defender gets caught on the high post player or trails, the high-post player delivers a quick pass for a layup.
• This is the primary read and the action's entire purpose.
• Read 2 — Kick Back If the defense collapses on the cutter (help rotates), the high-post player kicks the ball back out to the perimeter — either to a wing who relocated or to a guard filling behind the cutter.
• Read 3 — Skip Pass If two defenders commit to the high post and cutter, a skip pass to the weak-side corner or wing creates a wide-open three-pointer.
• This is the "punishment" read for over-helping defenses.

Bilingual terms

Learn before and after

These graph neighbors help place UCLA Cut in the larger basketball map.

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