Gonzaga

[Dave85]

Exactly. The question I ask before we play anyone is: how's their zone offense?

Zag's bigs are good, but how about outside of what they are used to? Few has coached vs our zone before, but the players haven't seen it.

Side note: loved when the Middle Tenn player hit that contested 3 from straightaway in the first half. I turned to my wife and said "that's the best thing that can happen to a shooting team vs us. Gets their hopes up. Coach will have them keep shooting"

That and they did not have any choice. Anyone driving into the lane was quickly triple teams. Teams like Pitt and Louisville know how to pass around our zone. Hopefully, the Zags will not be able to figure it out or least until it doesn't matter. I think what our zone is going to do is our overall 3-point defense is going to help a lot against the Zags. I think we will defend the 3 better than Utah.

The Zags inside outside game with their bigs may give us some trouble.

 

[Dave85]

Exactly. The question I ask before we play anyone is: how's their zone offense?

Zag's bigs are good, but how about outside of what they are used to? Few has coached vs our zone before, but the players haven't seen it.

Side note: loved when the Middle Tenn player hit that contested 3 from straightaway in the first half. I turned to my wife and said "that's the best thing that can happen to a shooting team vs us. Gets their hopes up. Coach will have them keep shooting"

That and they did not have any choice. Anyone driving into the lane was quickly triple teams. Teams like Pitt and Louisville know how to pass around our zone. Hopefully, the Zags will not be able to figure it out or least until it doesn't matter. I think what our zone is going to do is our overall 3-point defense is going to help a lot against the Zags. I think we will defend the 3 better than Utah.

The Zags inside outside game with their bigs may give us some trouble.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

I pretty much agree with your post. Lydon is stronger than he looks. It will be very interesting to see how Lydon does against their bigs. He's played pretty good yesterday on defense. My hope is Lydon and Coleman will hopefully compete good enough against Zags bigs for us to win. It's going to be a tough game but we have a chance.

You can't stop Rico, you can only hope to contain him! Yesterday was the first time all year I saw both TL and DC actually move another team's bigs out of the way. They literally did the pushing around yesterday. That bodes well for next week. Not that they will push the Zags around, but they seem ready to play physical down low, and that was missing through most of the season.

 

[Brooky03]

That is a horrible comparison in my opinion. That Michigan team was 10x more athletic than this Gonzaga team. We will be able to recover much easier this game because their speed and athleticism is lesser than ours. Michigan was more athletic than us.

I don't agree that Michigan was more athletic than that Syracuse team. More athletic than this Gonzaga team? Yes, I agree with that. That Syracuse team was also playing zone at one of the highest levels I've ever seen. This year's team is playing it well, but not nearly at that level, imo.

We'll see if the athleticism difference makes an impact. I suspect our athleticism will help us more on offense than defense. We've been beat by athletically overmatched teams before who passed well, rebounded, and avoided turnovers.

 

[Dave85]

You can't stop Rico, you can only hope to contain him! Yesterday was the first time all year I saw both TL and DC actually move another's team bigs out of the way. They literally did the pushing around yesterday. That bodes well for next week. Not that they will push the Zags around, but they seem ready to play physical down low, and that was missing through most of the season.

I agree. Their bigs are a big worry for us.

 

[Cuse House]

I don't agree that Michigan was more athletic than that Syracuse team. More athletic than this Gonzaga team? Yes, I agree with that. That Syracuse team was also playing zone at one of the highest levels I've ever seen. This year's team is playing it well, but not nearly at that level, imo.

We'll see if the athleticism difference makes an impact. I suspect our athleticism will help us more on offense than defense. We've been beat by athletically overmatched teams before who passed well, rebounded, and avoided turnovers.

Let's put it this way, Michigan was at least as athletic as we were. But I see your point, skill is as important as athleticism. I have just seen it time and time again where we play a better team who is less athletic and our zone just eats them up. If we go back to that same tourney, Indiana overall was a better basketball team but they got destroyed by our zone because our guards were more athletic. Not saying it will be that type of game, but I am not sure Gonzaga's guards know what they are getting into.

 

[Brooky03]

Let's put it this way, Michigan was at least as athletic as we were. But I see your point, skill is as important as athleticism. I have just seen it time and time again where we play a better team who is less athletic and our zone just eats them up. If we go back to that same tourney, Indiana overall was a better basketball team but they got destroyed by our zone because our guards were more athletic. Not saying it will be that type of game, but I am not sure Gonzaga's guards know what they are getting into.

Zeller was also a p**sy. That helps haha

 

[Cuse House]

Zeller was also a p**sy. That helps haha

Correct. If you look at Gonzaga besides Sebonis, their other bigs are finesse players. Their one big who is hurt was their big brute.

 

[Shenexon]

JB will be our x-factor...he loves to play in tournaments, hates to lose, loves to play teams that have to figure out the complexities of his zone, and knows more about offenses & defenses than most. This is his time and he knows he has few opportunities remaining before he retires. He'll be ready and have everyone motivated. I like our chances.

 

[Cowtown]

A few things. MTSU was near the bottom of the country in assists/game (2.2), so much of their offense was reliant upon "off the dribble" penetration. Hard to do that against a zone, especially when our perimeter players were longer/taller than theirs. Gonzaga's perimeter players are bigger/longer than MTSU's. And their front line is much taller and better skilled than anything we've played against thus far, so it's a different kind of team we're going up against. Mark Few is a pretty solid coach. He knows how to play zone D and play against it. (when I got my "How to play SU 2-3 Zone" video, there was also a Mark Few zone D vid available at the same time), and he's got several days to prepare for us. It's going to be a very tough game.

edit: I know it's not a genius-like observation, however when two teams are pretty close like these two, it invariably it comes down to who makes more plays, and I like G's opportunity to be that guy, and on the national stage.

 

[OrangeDW]

I don't agree that Michigan was more athletic than that Syracuse team. More athletic than this Gonzaga team? Yes, I agree with that. That Syracuse team was also playing zone at one of the highest levels I've ever seen. This year's team is playing it well, but not nearly at that level, imo.

We'll see if the athleticism difference makes an impact. I suspect our athleticism will help us more on offense than defense. We've been beat by athletically overmatched teams before who passed well, rebounded, and avoided turnovers.

Michigan only scored 61 points and shot 39.6% that game. OK, we didn't completely lock them up and make them look awful like we did to Indiana and Marquette, but it's not like they shredded us either. We shut down Hardaway and Burke. MCW and Southerland had bad games offensively, and we only scored 56. Throw in the horrid 5th foul on MCW and the even more horrid 5th foul charge call on Triche down the stretch, and that's why we lost.

 

[qdawgg]

Those bigs won't have the legs to shoot 3's halfway through the 1st half if we run the out of them. Just play at a really high pace from the start and keep attacking the rim, they'll wear out.

 

[Cheriehoop]

The plus about Wiltjer is Roberson should be able to bully him all day long for rebounds. If we can get Sabonis in foul trouble and harass Wiltjer whenever he touches the ball, I like our chances. If Wiltjer drops 20 and Sabonis has 12+ boards, I don't like our chances. Of course there's also a good chance some foreign white kid will score 40 points on 90% shooting from 3 point range, even if they don't currently have a player like this on their roster.

The biggest challenge for Roberson will be defending the three from Wiltjer. Yesterday Potts was switching sides to be on Roberson's side of the zone. Potts was only 6'2" but Wiltjer is even taller than Roberson. A challenge for sure but with a re-energized Roberson hopefully he'll be more than up to the task and prove opponent's scouting reports worthless. Will be interesting to see if DC will get more time against Sabonis - staying out of foul trouble will be key for both Lydon and DC.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This game will come down to Roberson. If he can control the boards, it will allow us to play Lydon in the first half. Gonzaga doesn't really have anybody that matches up well with him. Then we bring in Coleman to smack their tired bigs around in the second half.

I'm pretty confident in the outcome. Roberson is going to like the idea of battling with Wiltjer and Sabonis.

 

[CorduroyG]

Our guards need to dominate their guards

 

[KaiserUEO]

you guys all got 4 days to bang out the 5part documentary on HBO where they followed them through their conf tourney.

 

[Alsacs]

Depth is a factor as well. Right now Gonzaga only has 6 players really. For once we have more depth in 7 capable bodies. If we can get them in any foul trouble our 8th/9th guys Joseph/Chino are better than theirs.

Gonzaga has 2 guys hurt and their guard play isn't that good this year. In college basketball guard play matters. I think Sabonis/Wiltjer in the free throw line in the middle of the zone could be dangerous.

If Roberson is plugged in we can win this game.

 

[Cowtown]

The biggest challenge for Roberson will be defending the three from Wiltjer. Yesterday Potts was switching sides to be on Roberson's side of the zone. Potts was only 6'2" but Wiltjer is even taller than Roberson. A challenge for sure but with a re-energized Roberson hopefully he'll be more than up to the task and prove opponent's scouting reports worthless. Will be interesting to see if DC will get more time against Sabonis - staying out of foul trouble will be key for both Lydon and DC.

Wiltjer is not an "in your grill" type of player. If it's too difficult for him over on Roberson's wing, he'll move around and find other spots. That's going to be something to watch out for, because he's both smart and patient. And I think the real X-factors here are Dranginis for them, Cooney for us. Whichever of the two delivers more will tip the balance. Just IMHO. What happens if they both do? It'll be a lot of fun, that's what.

 

[Alsacs]

Michigan only scored 61 points and shot 39.6% that game. OK, we didn't completely lock them up and make them look awful like we did to Indiana and Marquette, but it's not like they shredded us either. We shut down Hardaway and Burke. MCW and Southerland had bad games offensively, and we only scored 56. Throw in the horrid 5th foul on MCW and the even more horrid 5th foul charge call on Triche down the stretch, and that's why we lost.

Mitch McGary's effort on the offensive boards was the difference. We locked down Michigna's perimeter game. We had no offense outside of Fair that was the problem.

 

[OrangeDW]

Mitch McGary's effort on the offensive boards was the difference. We locked down Michigna's perimeter game. We had no offense outside of Fair that was the problem.

Yup. If either MCW or Southerland played to par, we win. Of course, the other team was playing defense too so they get credit.

Still livid over MCW and Triche's 5th fouls though. Awful calls.

 

[Cowtown]

Correct. If you look at Gonzaga besides Sebonis, their other bigs are finesse players. Their one big who is hurt was their big brute.

Finesse? Sabonis has better footwork than anyone else on either team. If they high/low us between the elbow and the buffer & short corner, he's going to be a problem. But both Few and Boeheim know that, and this is going to be part of the fun.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Mitch McGary's effort on the offensive boards was the difference. We locked down Michigna's perimeter game. We had no offense outside of Fair that was the problem.

Bingo.

 

[pulaski74]

Roberson needs to eat in this game. No excuse not to have 11+ boards.

you mean "vise grip robey"? Not my line, announcer threw it out there

 

[Newhouser]

Yup. If either MCW or Southerland played to par, we win. Of course, the other team was playing defense too so they get credit.

Still livid over MCW and Triche's 5th fouls though. Awful calls.

I remember Barley and Kenny Smith commenting on the half that we were going to have to change our defense and get out of the zone. First of many times I said "these two are lost".

 

[Cowtown]

I remember Barley and Kenny Smith commenting on the half that we were going to have to change our defense and get out of the zone. First of many times I said "these two are lost".

Talking heads are paid to talk. And on sports programs, volubility carries more weight than veracity.