H2Oya 05
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Let's go Hoyas!
Posts: 298
|
Post by H2Oya 05 on Mar 11, 2011 12:57:59 GMT -5
Ok, looking at our numbers on KenPom and on Hoyaprospectus, it seems that our number one problem all year has been our defense. Our zone has been ineffective (and I don't think we can save it at this point). However, our man to man defense has also been a liability this year. When an opposing team has one good scorer, that scorer is able to torch us. Also, we have had big problems with both fouls on our bigs and defensive rebounding. People can argue that these problems relate primarily to our personnel, however, I disagree.
Our defensive problem comes from how we handle picks. It seems that for the last few years Thompson's team has basically had a policy of switching on picks no matter where they are and no matter what match-ups it creates.
Teams have figured this out. If a team has its big come out to the perimeter and set a pick for its best dribbler, our defense switches. This means that we have a big (Sims, Vaughn, Lubbick, or even Benimon) playing perimeter defense against a guard. This leads to bad things -- fouls or easy points when the dribbler drives by our big.
This is not the only problem that it creates. Typically a defense is designed to try to prevent the ball going into the paint, but, even if the ball gets into the paint, a team has its center there to serve as a backstop. Some teams go so far as to encourage drives, so long as they are to the middle of the lane. This allows a center to block shots and provide help as needed. When we allow our big men to follow other teams' centers to the perimeter, we remove our own backstop. We have nobody inside to block shots or to rebound.
Getting back to the first issue of bigs on guards after a pick, our bigs are also out of position to rebound after the switch has been made, which allows our opponents to get more offensive rebounds.
Going into the tournament, I would propose that we could become a more effective defensive team, if we have our center stay inside and not follow our opponents' center to the perimeter and we have our guards fight through picks on the perimeter. I know that the tradeoff is that opposing guards may have a second to hit a jumpshot from the perimeter after going through a pick. At this point, it is worth the tradeoff.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by HometownHoya on Mar 11, 2011 13:20:43 GMT -5
We aren't changing our defense again. Our numbers are also skewed by OOC + 1st 5 BE games where we were not a good defensive team. One thing I would like to see more of is our matchup zone. We went to it a little in the second half and it was effective and I like it.
I beg to differ when it come to how we deal with picks. In fact we don't switch that often, more often then not we just hedge and recover...switching occurs when the man cant fight through the pick. Our major problem lately/against quality guards is that our hedge men hedge too hard. This was painfully obvious against UConn when Kemba would just split the hedge and the pick and drive for an easy bucket/foul. Our hedging players need to not allow any gap past the picker.
While you do have a good point re our defensive adjustments going into the turnament...CBB is a shooters game so I think our strategy is pretty damn effective. Maybe against a team with a strong driving guard it would be a better idea to stay home but we have more important things to work on then defense.
|
|
RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
|
Post by RDF on Mar 11, 2011 14:45:11 GMT -5
When Chris returns--the answer for the defense--press. These guys aren't a great pressure team-but they seem more engaged and will make the effort to play defense when they press, so would love to see it a lot more as we did early in season then going away from it for no reason in conference play.
|
|
sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,079 
|
Post by sleepy on Mar 11, 2011 14:49:31 GMT -5
Wrong this team can't press the more they did it the more they gave up. we don't have the size speed or depth. never mind the ability to press. if they need a press to get into a game might as well stay home next week.
|
|
sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,079
|
Post by sleepy on Mar 11, 2011 14:55:04 GMT -5
It would be nice if this team could run a little. too bad the bigs can't make a decent outlet. or find a point quickly and go. again not going to happen with this group.
|
|
RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
|
Post by RDF on Mar 11, 2011 15:04:05 GMT -5
Wrong this team can't press the more they did it the more they gave up. we don't have the size speed or depth. never mind the ability to press. if they need a press to get into a game might as well stay home next week. The pressure was very effective and used more in non conference. It completely turned the Utah State game around, and how can you honestly say it was a negative since they never applied it in BE play? Name the games they consistently applied press in conference? At this point--you look at what worked/what didn't this year and what the team responds to. I'd say press more, push the ball into the frontcourt/look for early offense, and see what happens. They are too sloppy to be an efficient, grind it out team all game. They need to manufacture some offense and get their interior offense off quick post ups. That doesn't happen walking the ball up. With Wright back-I also hope they attack pressure more then the "we got the ball over mid court after 2/3 retreat passes, YAY for us!". |
|
|
|
Post by FrazierFanatic on Mar 11, 2011 15:12:59 GMT -5
Would love to see us attack pressure more, but the problem I see is that we usually face a trap/zone type of pressure, which is best broken by flashing a big to the center in the frontcourt. This leaves us with Jv/Henry, Nate/Hollis and Jason to take it to the rim, not exactly guys who are our best ballhandlers or who have shown great ability to take it inside. Another personnel problem, I guess, although I suppose it would not hurt to try a couple of times and see what happens.
|
|
sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,079
|
Post by sleepy on Mar 11, 2011 17:07:51 GMT -5
Wrong this team can't press the more they did it the more they gave up. we don't have the size speed or depth. never mind the ability to press. if they need a press to get into a game might as well stay home next week. The pressure was very effective and used more in non conference. It completely turned the Utah State game around, and how can you honestly say it was a negative since they never applied it in BE play? Name the games they consistently applied press in conference? At this point--you look at what worked/what didn't this year and what the team responds to. I'd say press more, push the ball into the frontcourt/look for early offense, and see what happens. They are too sloppy to be an efficient, grind it out team all game. They need to manufacture some offense and get their interior offense off quick post ups. That doesn't happen walking the ball up. With Wright back-I also hope they attack pressure more then the "we got the ball over mid court after 2/3 retreat passes, YAY for us!". It wasn't that effective in non-conference games for more than a few possessions most of the time, then it became instant offense for the other team. There is a reason we stayed away from it during conference play, other teams could score on it at will. Use it for a possession or two to throw teams off now and to possibly change the speed of the game, but other than that stay away from it. And if Chris does play this week, I'm sure he will be in great shape having not played in three weeks to be effective in a press. Clearly we need to keep him on the court as long as possible, so speeding up the game too much isn't the best idea. |
|
RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
|
Post by RDF on Mar 11, 2011 17:26:18 GMT -5
Why would Wright not be in shape--are his legs broken? If anything--he should've been running--a cast on your hand doesn't prevent you from running.
Really--what games did the press get scored on at will?
|
|
superan
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,900
|
Post by superan on Mar 11, 2011 17:50:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I've felt that the press has been pretty good for us in spurts (at least when we have the Big 3 + Hollis in the game).
|
|
H2Oya 05
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Let's go Hoyas!
Posts: 298
|
Post by H2Oya 05 on Mar 18, 2011 22:54:01 GMT -5
Dear JTIII,
Switching doesn't work late in the season. Teams figure it out and draw fouls on our big men, create mismatches inside, and split the two defenders.
I hope this helps, and I really love our program and hope you coach at Georgetown for many years to come.
Sincerely,
H2oya05
|
|
|
|
Post by FrazierFanatic on Mar 18, 2011 23:01:00 GMT -5
Slow and undersized does not get it done on defense on a consistent basis. Hopefully that starts to change on October 15.
|
|
