Credit to Mike Waters…

[djcon57]

Overstating my point, but I think deep down he is acutely aware of the problems.

I don’t...at all.

I fully believe he trotted out that Jimmy, Buddy, Joe team expecting to win.

 

[NYCCuse826]

Well, sure.

Thats what you have coaching for right?

They recruit poorly, coach poorly, interview poorly

Its just a big joke

The recruiting does play into it. Chris Bell can't defend at all yet this board loves him. When SU was clicking and recruiting for the zone, he doesn't get a look.

 

[OrangeDW]

The recruiting does play into it. Chris Bell can't defend at all yet this board loves him. When SU was clicking and recruiting for the zone, he doesn't get a look.

He’s 6’7 and a decent athlete - coach him up. Make him defend if he wants to get on the court.

 

[Orangezoo]

He said we are being out-rebounded by 3.5 per game.

What part of the analytics don't support zone as an effective primary D anymore is so difficult to accept? It's still a a good weapon as a switching D. It's just not any good as a sole D.

 

[cusefan88]

Symir Mintz and Copeland would be a fantastic defensive trio in M2M.

 

[pearl31]

He said they tried to install a man-to-man defense in the summer and the fall.

And, the players couldn't play it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to me.

So we don't have basketball players on the team?

 

[miamicuse]

When he said this team can't play man, I have to think he meant this team can't devote practice time to playing man without losing practice time to play zone, resulting in being mediocre on both, that's what meant. They are lousy in both, slow footed and bad scheme.

 

[djcon57]

Perhaps the narrative that the 2-3 zone was so amazing during 2003 was the worst thing that could’ve happened?

Oklahoma looked like idiots against it, but beyond that we won with offense - especially in the final 4.

We went man in our two biggest regular season wins against Pitt and ND. If JB had been too stubborn to switch back then, we would’ve lost both those games by 15+ points.

Not even having a secondary defense as an option is a bad idea.

Not to mention…We were down 26-10 vs Oklahoma State in the second round. All zone.

The second we went press, we made stops. Most because OSU played like spazzes and kept going directly at McNeil, which also, by the way, shows how the game as changed. Those dudes would be pulling up for 3 now

 

[djcon57]

When he said this team can't play man, I have to think he meant this team can't devote practice time to playing man without losing practice time to play zone, resulting in being mediocre on both, that's what meant. They are lousy in both, slow footed and bad scheme.

Well we’re bad at zone. So what’s it matter

 

[RF2044]

This is where I have a problem with those who say we can’t accurately evaluate the current staff. They’re the ones coaching practice, we know it’s not really JB. So if we can’t play man, then it’s on them. Plus all the other stuff we can’t do that any MAAC team can.

... Which is precisely why it would be bonkers to hire one of the AC's.

 

[UpstateSM]

So we don't have basketball players on the team?

Lmao that excuse means that we have a roster full of kids who can only play bottom half of the SWAC or NEC basketball. Which just isn’t true and if it was true it would be on the coach for bringing those kids in.

Whatever

 

[pearl31]

Again, if the claim is a group of D1 basketball players with a D1 staff coaching them can't play passable m2m defense, the claim is nothing but more gaslighting

 

[djcon57]

Lmao that excuse means that we have a roster full of kids who can only play bottom half of the SWAC or NEC basketball. Which just isn’t true and if it was true would be on the coach for bringing those kids in.

Whatever

Reminder that we couldn’t play man to man last year either and Buddy and Cole somehow do it currently at a near nba level (granted it’s bad, but I saw Cole in actual nba games, it’s semi passable)

 

[OrangeDW]

Again, if the claim is a group of D1 basketball players with a D1 staff coaching them can't play passable m2m defense, the claim is nothing but more gaslighting

Especially when that claim is made every single year for like 15 years straight.

 

[OrangeDW]

Reminder that we couldn’t play man to man last year either and Buddy and Cole somehow do it currently at a near nba level (granted it’s bad, but I saw Cole in actual nba games, it’s semi passable)

And guys like MCW, Grant, and Dion were/are all effective defenders in man to man on playoff teams.

We would’ve been good defensively regardless of what scheme we played back in 2012-14.

 

[Scooch]

Reminder that we couldn’t play man to man last year either and Buddy and Cole somehow do it currently at a near nba level (granted it’s bad, but I saw Cole in actual nba games, it’s semi passable)

Yup. Every guy we’ve sent to the NBA since Carmelo has played almost entirely zone in college… and then played almost entirely man in the league.

 

[Scooch]

Not to mention…We were down 26-10 vs Oklahoma State in the second round. All zone.

The second we went press, we made stops. Most because OSU played like spazzes and kept going directly at McNeil, which also, by the way, shows how the game as changed. Those dudes would be pulling up for 3 now

The point about the 2003 OSU game is so so so good. Shows just how much the game has changed, while our approach has not.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Well we’re bad at zone. So what’s it matter

I think this is the biggest issue I have with his coaching philosophy & attitude and I’m pretty sure I’ve made this post several times, but when you have to sacrifice so many things and need special parts just to be, at best, competitive with other defensive schemes that don’t need all of that, then what’s the point?

359 other D1 teams have looked at the zone as the only defense and said nah, I’m good. It’s not like some other coach couldn’t teach it. There are hundreds of games to watch. If it was truly effective & implementable with regular ol basketball players it would absolutely be adopted by more than a just handful of teams mostly coached by his former assistants.

 

[Scooch]

I think this is the biggest issue I have with his coaching philosophy & attitude and I’m pretty sure I’ve made this post several times, but when you have to sacrifice so many things and need special parts just to be, at best, competitive with other defensive schemes that don’t need all of that, then what’s the point?

359 other D1 teams have looked at the zone as the only defense and said nah, I’m good. It’s not like some other coach couldn’t teach it. There are hundreds of games to watch. If it was truly effective & implementable with regular ol basketball players it would absolutely be adopted by more than a just handful of teams mostly coached by his former assistants.

Well when you think you’re the smartest guy in every room you’re in…

 

[Jake]

He said they tried to install a man-to-man defense in the summer and the fall.

And, the players couldn't play it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to me.

Dino said we tried to install a run game, but the players couldn’t play it.

Is this also an acceptable answer?

I’ve been a defender of the zone for a very long time. Still think it’s 75% players that make the defense, not the choice of defense.

But his answers have become contradictory to himself.

 

[Scooch]

Dino said we tried to install a run game, but the players couldn’t play it.

Is this also an acceptable answer?

I’ve been a defender of the zone for a very long time. Still think it’s 75% players that make the defense, not the choice of defense.

But his answers have become contradictory to himself.

I went to a friend’s sons highs school game last week. Both teams played man. Apparently those kids are all far more talented than our team.

I also went to a Fairfield-Manhattan MAAC game last week. Both teams played man. Apparently those low D1 players are all far more talented than our team.

Or maybe… and just hear me out here… maybe JB is full of crap?

 

[Millhouse]

He said they tried to install a man-to-man defense in the summer and the fall.

And, the players couldn't play it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to me.

It is reasonable to expect highly paid coaches to be able to teach decent athletes how to play a very ordinary and common defense that players are capable of playing everywhere but here

 

[Millhouse]

Dino said we tried to install a run game, but the players couldn’t play it.

Is this also an acceptable answer?

I’ve been a defender of the zone for a very long time. Still think it’s 75% players that make the defense, not the choice of defense.

But his answers have become contradictory to himself.

The results were there for years. The game changed. I hope my little kids face a lot of zone in school the next 6-9 years

 

[Oakland]

It might seem reasonable on the surface to some, but I don't buy it. I think it's closer to the truth that JB does not see the advantages in devoting the necessary practice time to be good at man. That's different from claiming that the players just aren't good enough defenders. Of course, talent is a factor that impacts just how "good" they could be. But it is intellectually dishonest to make a blanket statement that he tried and the players weren't good enough to play man.

They play MTM a lot in practice, because that is the type of defense that the Offense needs to practice against.

 

[OrangeDW]

They play MTM a lot in practice, because that is the type of defense that the Offense needs to practice against.

Do they actually coach it though? Emphasize things? Correct things?

Or do they just “play it” while all of the coaching focus is on the offense?