Have defended JB for decades...

[007]

You don’t have to full court press. You can 3/4 press and fall back to a zone to eat shot clock and make their guards expend some energy moving the ball up the court.

With the new shot clock, we should always do that with the zone, but I digress.

Could not agree more on this point!

A ¾ court 2-2-1 soft press is the perfect complement to the half court 2-3. It would reduce the shot clock and you are very unlikely to give up free looks if you only extend the front of 2-2-1 over half court.
I've never understood why JB does not try this, especially given how high the wings already play in his 2-3.

 

[Bayside44]

Could not agree more on this point!

A ¾ court 2-2-1 soft press is the perfect complement to the half court 2-3. It would reduce the shot clock and you are very unlikely to give up free looks if you only extend the front of 2-2-1 over half court.
I've never understood why JB does not try this, especially given how high the wings already play in his 2-3.

JB has gone over this a bunch. Doesn't believe in the expending energy argument. Guys hit 3s against us at the end of the clock constantly, he understands shooting and ball handling have gotten a lot better over the decade.

 

[dollarbill44]

Could not agree more on this point!

A ¾ court 2-2-1 soft press is the perfect complement to the half court 2-3. It would reduce the shot clock and you are very unlikely to give up free looks if you only extend the front of 2-2-1 over half court.
I've never understood why JB does not try this, especially given how high the wings already play in his 2-3.

The simple answer is he hasn't tried it because he hasn't tried it. He doesn't seem willing to try anything new.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Well from 2013 - present it has been a real struggle outside of a couple weeks in March twice in that span of 7+ years. Amazing how in the eyes of some a couple improbable March runs can erase 7-years of annual 13+ losses with barely any ACCT wins, along with historical losses to teams like Old Dominion or St Bonaventure in the Dome.

2013 was not improbable. That was a good team. Stop lumping then into the trash. They were a 4 seed and top ten in the country most of the year.

 

[Caboose]

2013 was not improbable. That was a good team. Stop lumping then into the trash. They were a 4 seed and top ten in the country most of the year.

I agree on that however how many losses did they have? And if I recall correctly wasn't that the year gtown blew us out by like 30+?

 

[Cusefan0307]

I agree on that however how many losses did they have? And if I recall correctly wasn't that the year gtown blew us out by like 30+?

It wasn’t 30. It was 23. We went 30-10 and were the top 10 of KenPom and finished 8-6 against top 25 teams in a loaded Big East including winning on the National Champs floor. I don’t consider that fluky at all.

 

[JrodCuse]

This is where I was after the OK St game. The writing was there on the wall. Sure, we’ll win a few games we shouldn’t, but we’re gonna lose bunch more this year. I’ve kind of numbed out to Syracuse b-ball, which is crazy. I was more upset the Heat lost to the Grizzlies last night than I was that SU lost to Georgetown...

Usually our teams are hyper athletic and can at least out athlete the other team. Now, we can what... Maybe out 3 point shoot them?

 

[Scooch]

I agree on that however how many losses did they have? And if I recall correctly wasn't that the year gtown blew us out by like 30+?

The real decline began in the 2014-15 season. 2012-13 edition was a strong team, as was the 2013-14 edition, despite the swoon at the end of the year. Rak Christmas carried the '14-15 team, and it's been downhill since then.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The real decline began in the 2014-15 season. 2012-13 edition was a strong team, as was the 2013-14 edition, despite the swoon at the end of the year. Rak Christmas carried the '14-15 team, and it's been downhill since then.

Anything significant happen in 2014-15?

It's not like our projected starting PG left school early for the NBA, or our 5 star recruit blew out his knee.

 

[Killdozer]

Re: pressing — JB just made a point of saying we are a bad pressing team. In the radio show, I think... Quite a bit of emphasis on how it’s going to be a negative for us this year. Trying to “wear them out,” I dunno. Maybe. But at what expense? A lot of easy buckets the other way before they get worn out and then we have an even bigger hill to climb. I thought we stayed in it better than I expected. Thought we were on the verge of losing by 20 at different points.

I’m all for “change,” but I don’t see how the personnel fits that now. Buddy is the reason why it was even a ten point game in the second half, and he would not have been ideal for pressing.

It's not just pressing....Try a different defense, oh wait JB only knows one defense. Never mind JB said that the zone is the BEST because it limits the fouls on big men.

 

[Alsacs]

Anything significant happen in 2014-15?

It's not like our projected starting PG left school early for the NBA, or our 5 star recruit blew out his knee.

It's not like JB didn't recruit Chino in 2013-2014 and a second year player can't even be an option after said 5 star recruit blew out his knee.
Or 2013-2014 team only having 4 guards Cooney/Ennis/Gbinije/Patterson and maybe tell the freaking staff to recruit another guard for depth besides just Kaleb Joseph.
Our staff managed the roster poorly.

Why don't you blame Jeremi Grant leaving as well. JB has done a poor job on this stuff.

 

[Cusefan0307]

It's not like JB didn't recruit Chino in 2013-2014 and a second year player can't even be an option after said 5 star recruit blew out his knee.
Or 2013-2014 team only having 4 guards Cooney/Ennis/Gbinije/Patterson and maybe tell the freaking staff to recruit another guard for depth besides just Kaleb Joseph.
Our staff managed the roster poorly.

Why don't you blame Jeremi Grant leaving as well. JB has done a poor job on this stuff.

FWIW Kaleb was handpicked by Hop from what I recall instead of Jaquan Newton.

 

[FrancoPizza]

It wasn’t 30. It was 23.

Oh is that all it was?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Oh is that all it was?

What’s the point? If people are going to Poo Poo a 30 win season with a 2nd place BE finish and FF then what are everyone’s expectations?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Why don't you blame Jeremi Grant leaving as well.

Because Grant had already played 2 seasons, and I don't expect anyone to stay for 3-4 years anymore.

But I do expect to get 2 years from everyone. The staff does too.

 

[FrancoPizza]

What’s the point? If people are going to Poo Poo a 30 win season with a 2nd place BE finish and FF then what are everyone’s expectations?

I'm not saying we should poo poo the entire season, but there's absolutely no sugarcoating that loss - and our offensive ineptitude - to the Hoyas at home.

 

[Alsacs]

FWIW Kaleb was handpicked by Hop from what I recall instead of Jaquan Newton.

That was a mistake no doubt. Along with Brunson being too small stuff.
I am more ticked off this staff gets short of quality way too much recently.

Even if Ennis came back we should have taken another guard in that Joseph class because he we need 4 quality guards at all times.
Instead it seems like we are lucky if we can find 3 in the same year.

I can't stand excuse making when the stuff that occurred could be prevented with more proactive thought/actions.
Our problems are more our own fault than anything.

 

[Alsacs]

I'm not saying we should poo poo the entire season, but there's absolutely no sugarcoating that loss - and our offensive ineptitude - to the Hoyas at home.

We lost to UConn 2 times in 2002-2003. I don't give a chit. We were a good team and won the NC.
The Hoyas beat us 2 times. We beat them in the BET and made the Final Four. They lost to a 15 seed. They won a couple of battles. We won the war.

That 2012-2013 team was elite. We were a NC contender. MCW was special. We had Southerland for shooting, Fair for mid range, Triche to be the second lead guard. Xmax/BMK at C. It was elite.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I'm not saying we should poo poo the entire season, but there's absolutely no sugarcoating that loss - and our offensive ineptitude - to the Hoyas at home.

We lost to Rutgers in 2003. Who the fluck cares. What does it matter? Do the losses bother you that much more than the wins? We beat them a week later anyway.

 

[Alsacs]

Because Grant had already played 2 seasons, and I don't expect anyone to stay for 3-4 years anymore.

But I do expect to get 2 years from everyone. The staff does too.

From January 2014 onward Tyler Ennis was in the lottery and at worst first round of NBA mock drafts.
We knew he was gone. JB being caught off guard was more him not realizing this wasn't the 90's anymore. Kids want to be OAD. Coming back another year wasn't going to make Ennis from the 17th pick to the top 5.
Our HC instead gives other coaches negative recruiting to use against him when he says what he did about Chad Ford with Ennis and Chris McCollough.

 

[FrancoPizza]

We lost to UConn 2 times in 2002-2003. I don't give a chit. We were a good team and won the NC.
The Hoyas beat us 2 times. We beat them in the BET and made the Final Four. They lost to a 15 seed. They won a couple of battles. We won the war.

That 2012-2013 team was elite. We were a NC contender. MCW was special. We had Southerland for shooting, Fair for mid range, Triche to be the second lead guard. Xmax/BMK at C. It was elite.

The defense was elite and carried that team. The offense is what did them in. When they couldn't turn teams over they struggled in the halfcourt. And only 1 reliable outside shooter in dirty.

 

[ebucklewis]

The defense was elite and carried that team. The offense is what did them in. When they couldn't turn teams over they struggled in the halfcourt. And only 1 reliable outside shooter in dirty.

Are we really complaining about a final four team now?

 

[NineOneSeven]

This team is obviously a bad pressing team because we lack athletic guards and a shot blocker.

The advantage to pressing is NOT that we expect to deny them at the rim or force a million turnovers (looking at you, Gonzaga and Virginia). The advantage IS that you have a good chance to make them shoot earlier than they normally would. Even if they make it, it's better they make it in 10 seconds than in 20+ seconds when you need as much time as possible to try to overcome a deficit.

 

[Alsacs]

This team is obviously a bad pressing team because we lack athletic guards and a shot blocker.

The advantage to pressing is NOT that we expect to deny them at the rim or force a million turnovers (looking at you, Gonzaga and Virginia). The advantage IS that you have a good chance to make them shoot earlier than they normally would. Even if they make it, it's better they make it in 10 seconds than in 20+ seconds when you need as much time as possible to try to overcome a deficit.

Villanova uses their press to specifically shorten the shot clock for its opponent and because a lot teams are stupid and they can get some cheap turnovers from the dumb teams.
They don't press full court. It's press the inbounds slow down the opponent and get the ball into a secondary ball handler and disrupt an offense.
It's good strategy.

 

[blizz]

The simple answer is he hasn't tried it because he hasn't tried it. He doesn't seem willing to try anything new.