College head coaches Jim Boeheim and John Chaney were advocates of the match-up zone defense.
This creates one of the advantages for the match-up zone, as it may confuse the opponent as to what defense you are actually playing.
When asked to describe Chaney's match-up zone, Saint Joseph's Hawks coach Phil Martelli replied: "In college basketball, there's the Pete Carril Princeton offense, the John Chaney Match up Zone defense, then everything else.
Additionally, it has the capability to disrupt the offense's customary setup, pushing them out of their comfort zone.
Through the match-up approach, you have the flexibility to present a 2-1-2 formation, potentially prompting the offense to adopt a 1-3-1 or a 3-out, 2-in configuration.