Second Half Hoyas

[Locker]

Once again, our offense is sluggish early, and then we get the back-door game working in the second half.

Seriously, how many times this year have we come up with huge back-door layins in the halfcourt offense at key times in the second half? Pittsburgh, both Rutgers games, St. John's, our attempted late run at BC, and who knows about the untelevised games.

I don't understand why it works so well late and not early. If we could get it going for 40 minutes we might never lose....

BTW, in the 6 years of the Esherick Era, did we even ONCE run a play off a timeout as well as we did tonight with that inbounds to Owens, rotation to AC, and then quick hit into Owens for the hoop? Just terrific basketball.

HOYA SAXA!!!!

[StoneColdHoya]

I don't think we ever ran an actual play out of a timeout with Esh, let alone running one well...

[Eurostar]

it seems that at the beginning of games, we look to run the offense too much. lot of passing around the perimeter. when rutgers had that 9-0 run in the first half, i think we took 3's like 6 straight times down the court and maybe didnt even pass the ball inside the arc. then ashanti hit a couple 3's and we cruised.

the reason we are a second half team is because players start creating for themselves, and we get some easy buckets off of drives. then from there, the offense opens up with backdoors because the defense respects our ability to take it to the hole. maybe jt3 should start encouraging the guys to take it to the basket more in the beginning of the game to open things up. we have a week of practice now to prep for west virginia, so heres to a fast start.

[Nevada Hoya]

I am anxious to see the Hoyas play this year, but without cable I think I will have to wait until the Big Dance.

[SaxaCD]

I think JT3's gameplan is very smart. What happens early is that the ball gets swung around a lot looking for open shots. Unfortunately we haven't been making enough of them lately, but it does send the defense on a chase. Once that's established, the defenders get tired from all the chasing by the second half, and they also tend to overplay the perimeter, because that's what they've seen -- which allows easier backdoor cuts, that seem to happen time and again in the second half of our games. If we were to actually make more shots early, and then run the backdoors later, I think the team could put some of these games away earlier, but that might take more familiarity with the system plus the addition of more shooters (plus the guys already here drilling and drilling on open jumpers in practice).

From what I see, it's all up from here, and that's saying a lot, because JT3 has established winning as a Hoya tradition again, and EARLY in his tenure!

[bmartin]

JTIII reads the game as it unfolds. He subs to create better matchups. Sometimes he may need quickness and goes with Reed othertimes he thinks Crawford is the better option. This is the way he subbed at Princeton also.

He seems to be more concerned about the defensive matchups than with having the best offensive team on the floor. On offense, he wants them to run the offense, but he expects players to make plays when they have an advantageous mismatch. As the game unfolds, the coaches and players identify the mismatches and look for those opportunities.

Here was his answer to a question about Bowman, from the Post Rutgers preview:
"We have the kind of team where different people take advantage of what's presented to them," Thompson said. "The past couple of games, there have been opportunities for him, and maybe his teammates have looked for him. It could be a different person tomorrow."

[Locker]

One possible answer to my own question: Roy Hibbert.

I love Roy's potential, and his defense was critical against Seton Hall. But there's also no doubt that the offense runs smoother -- and the players cut harder -- when Roy is on the bench. We also turn the ball over less.

Certainly that was the case tonight and at BC.

[SaxaCD]

That definitely seems to be a part of it -- JT3 seems to want to get Roy early run, and even design plays looking for him down low to see how he's going to do and also to force-feed his development. In the second half, he goes with mismatches and guys who can run the offense more smoothly. Hopefully the dual strategy will pay off down the road, although it's probably still too early to tell exactly what we can expect from Roy over the course of his career. It's working so far, though, and Roy has certainly had some very good moments, so I"m ok with it!

[SirSaxa]

I agree that in some games, our second half offense has looked better, but not yesterday. We were up 10-9 when Green sat with two fouls. RU went on a 9-0 run while our Hoyas tried to adjust to the loss of Green. That was our problem.

Then, around the time that Crawford and Diaw got in the game, GU went on a 19-6 run over 7:30 to close the half. That was running the offense! during that span, Cook had 8, Crawford had 7, Diaw and Owens each had a bucket. And that's why Diaw and Crawford started the second half.

[][-][ 0 `/ /-\ 5]

Anyone notice we run/follow through on more backdoor cuts in the second half? Green and shanti both had some sweet passes to a man cutting backdoor including one from green to cook

[lichoya68]

i believe with our lack of depth we actually play lighter in the first half we dont pressure on d as much and we actually play faster with the offense in the second half and thus the princeton back door cuts .. i have a theory about that and that is even tho we arent deep we are in better shape so in the second half we can pressure d more at half court and we are less tired and cut and move better than the other team and better than our first half .. any thoughts on my crazy theory never played bball well thats not true i was on the championship grad school team at gu but i was the last man and i think never scored so i dont know much about the game except as a monday morning quaterback any thoughts on the theory or is it just were asleep for times and the team and jt3 adjust well go hoyas beat west va.

[lichoya68]

ps i also think we just hustle like heck...we get crucial plays from people timely blocks like jeffs at the rac key threes really key offensive rebounds off of misses likeyou know heart attack hoyas hustle go hoyas beat the mountaineers at a filled up sold out mci come and see and cheer for em ;D

[TBird41]

lichoya68 said:

i believe with our lack of depth we actually play lighter in the first half we dont pressure on d as much and we actually play faster with the offense in the second half and thus the princeton back door cuts .. i have a theory about that and that is even tho we arent deep we are in better shape so in the second half we can pressure d more at half court and we are less tired and cut and move better than the other team and better than our first half .. any thoughts on my crazy theory never played bball well thats not true i was on the championship grad school team at gu but i was the last man and i think never scored so i dont know much about the game except as a monday morning quaterback any thoughts on the theory or is it just were asleep for times and the team and jt3 adjust well go hoyas beat west va.

I don't know your theory, b/c it seems we play defense just fine in the first half. I think that it's what people have been saying-in the first half the backdoor cuts aren't open b/c they need to be set up by the opponent overplaying on defense. This happens when the open shots are made around the perimeter (something we aren't as good at as we could be). If we get good looks and knock them down, then the back door cuts would open up earlier in the game. I think Hibbert also affects this b/c when he has the ball up by the arc, it allows his man to sag off him b/c he's not a threat to drive or shoot from out there.