KevMonstah
Scout Team
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 407
- Like
- 556
Ok, I give a (long) theory.
If you start with the fact that JB is a pretty conservative coach, and I
think he is, I think it comes down to JB and SU would like to play the
game the same way they play all their games, while the opponents are a
little more willing to do something else. and most of the time, SU is
the better team, so the opponents play a little more freely.
If you look at the recent losses, and not just in the tournament, it
seems they can be described in a similar fashion:
1) the freedom and hands-off-ness of JB on calling offensive plays
comes back to hurt a bit. now, no one wants JB to turn into Bo Ryan,
and control the offense so it scores 48 on a good day, but I think
there has to be a handful of plays they can run every single time that
get a good shot, regardless of the opponent. and I'm not talking
about a backscreen for a lob against a team that can stop that.
2) the zone defense works, and keeps the opponent to 70 pts or less.
3) at the same time, SU has a terrible shooting/ballhandling/rebounding
day, to the point that SU doesn't score either, and can't shake the
opponent.
4) at this point, I think the game calls out for SU to impose their
overall talent on the opponent, and maybe JB isn't quite as willing to
make this move that say a coach of an underdog program might make.
be it jumping into a quick trap on defense, just to throw the other
team out of rhythm for a possession or two. or maybe scripting a play
that gets them a quality shot, every time, rather than running the
clock and hoping the players can find a shot, even when they seem
to lack the type of skilled driver who can break a defense down. or
maybe trusting in a less used guy off the bench, who can affect a
single thing in the game, that really bothers the other team. or
even something as simple as just continuing what is working, and not
slipping into a spread out offense, or subbing out a guy who's doing
well right then and there, for someone who maybe has more experience.
I mean, why allow a team so athletically challenged as Vermont to do
exactly what they want to with the ball, when it is so different than
what SU wants to do? why slip into slowdown mode, when you're up five?
a one possession swing there by the opponent changes the game immensely.
why not sub in a guy, even if he's third string, and he's not the best
defensive player, when the first two are doing terribly, and the one
thing he offers directly counters what works for the opponent? and the
one that kills me every time I think about it, against butler, SU had
finally gotten the lead using riley on the court, and went up 54-50; he
was subbed out, and butler hits an 11-0 run. I'll grant that he was
NOT the cause of the run, but he was having a positive affect on the
game, on a night that very little SU did was working. I get it if the
player is doing terribly, but if his being on the court causes the other
team to play in a way that isn't what they'd like to do, in a key moment,
he's got to stay in there, even if the natural reaction is to put in the
more experienced player.
I think you give a team several days to prepare, and they are a good
team to begin with, and one of the things you don't have to game for
is JB doing something unexpected, I think that helps. There are
certain things you can count on against the Orange, not the least of
which is some unknown is very likely to come up huge. If SU could
give the opponent a reason to think something might be different,
it might help.
Kev
If you start with the fact that JB is a pretty conservative coach, and I
think he is, I think it comes down to JB and SU would like to play the
game the same way they play all their games, while the opponents are a
little more willing to do something else. and most of the time, SU is
the better team, so the opponents play a little more freely.
If you look at the recent losses, and not just in the tournament, it
seems they can be described in a similar fashion:
1) the freedom and hands-off-ness of JB on calling offensive plays
comes back to hurt a bit. now, no one wants JB to turn into Bo Ryan,
and control the offense so it scores 48 on a good day, but I think
there has to be a handful of plays they can run every single time that
get a good shot, regardless of the opponent. and I'm not talking
about a backscreen for a lob against a team that can stop that.
2) the zone defense works, and keeps the opponent to 70 pts or less.
3) at the same time, SU has a terrible shooting/ballhandling/rebounding
day, to the point that SU doesn't score either, and can't shake the
opponent.
4) at this point, I think the game calls out for SU to impose their
overall talent on the opponent, and maybe JB isn't quite as willing to
make this move that say a coach of an underdog program might make.
be it jumping into a quick trap on defense, just to throw the other
team out of rhythm for a possession or two. or maybe scripting a play
that gets them a quality shot, every time, rather than running the
clock and hoping the players can find a shot, even when they seem
to lack the type of skilled driver who can break a defense down. or
maybe trusting in a less used guy off the bench, who can affect a
single thing in the game, that really bothers the other team. or
even something as simple as just continuing what is working, and not
slipping into a spread out offense, or subbing out a guy who's doing
well right then and there, for someone who maybe has more experience.
I mean, why allow a team so athletically challenged as Vermont to do
exactly what they want to with the ball, when it is so different than
what SU wants to do? why slip into slowdown mode, when you're up five?
a one possession swing there by the opponent changes the game immensely.
why not sub in a guy, even if he's third string, and he's not the best
defensive player, when the first two are doing terribly, and the one
thing he offers directly counters what works for the opponent? and the
one that kills me every time I think about it, against butler, SU had
finally gotten the lead using riley on the court, and went up 54-50; he
was subbed out, and butler hits an 11-0 run. I'll grant that he was
NOT the cause of the run, but he was having a positive affect on the
game, on a night that very little SU did was working. I get it if the
player is doing terribly, but if his being on the court causes the other
team to play in a way that isn't what they'd like to do, in a key moment,
he's got to stay in there, even if the natural reaction is to put in the
more experienced player.
I think you give a team several days to prepare, and they are a good
team to begin with, and one of the things you don't have to game for
is JB doing something unexpected, I think that helps. There are
certain things you can count on against the Orange, not the least of
which is some unknown is very likely to come up huge. If SU could
give the opponent a reason to think something might be different,
it might help.
Kev
