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[QUOTE="VaBeachOrFan, post: 127177, member: 1274"]
The two teams are similar in their unselfish play, passing up a good shot for a better one.  That's what first caught my attention about the 09-10 team and made it so endearing.  Both teams had aggressive defenders who had the talent, size and mindset to play the Zone to its full potential, but there seem to be slight differences.

The Wes-and-Andy team's version of defense forced bad shots, assuming the opposing team could get off any shots at all.  They prevented passes and they were experts in turning the shot clock into a weapon (my favorite alleged quote from the 09-10 team was by the Albany player who said "Coach, I can't even [U]see[/U] the high post!")  Meanwhile, AO and Rick played a beautiful 2-man game underneath, boosting both their shooting percentages into the stratosphere.

This year's team signature is their "Steal and Deal" defense.  They pick you clean and leave  your bones to dry in the sun.  They have the depth to press, and the talent to shred the press.  They might not be as intimidating underneath, but on defense they're a charge waiting to happen and that pays dividends, too.   The big difference (potentially) is in shooting, but I'm still waiting for them to get warmed up before making that assessment.  Instead of Rautins, Wes, and a too-erratic Scoop and Triche, this year's team could have solid 3-pt strokers in James, Dion, Scoop, Triche, and KJ -- and CJ's mid-range jumper looks to be reliable, too.  That's some heavy artillery that 09-10 never approached!

I don't think they have that much more gellin' to do to surpass 09-10, and here I thought 2 years ago we might never see a team as good as that one for quite a while.  It's nice to be wrong.-VBOF
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