I don't get this...re: JB's presser and the SU press

[iommi]

I thought we should've pressed down 6 after Moyer made two FT's to cut the lead to 6 with like 3:57 left.

Okay. In the presser, someone asked why our press has been so effective against UVA. JB said the plan was to press with like 5-6 minutes left but "we weren't in touch (reach) with them. That was the problem." Well, down 6 is not within reach? That makes no sense. In fact, I think Bennett called timeout at just over the 4:00 mark, to alert his team that the press was coming and to try to get them prepared. It was so obvious and we didn't do it.

We waited too long. UVA has decent guards but Guy and Jerome are snipers, not ball handlers. They can be pressed, although JB said they are a good team against pressure. I believe JB but if the plan was to press, why did he wait until 2:00 were left?

Odd answer he gave, to say the least. We weren't in reach but yet we pressed with 2:00 left, down around 12 or whatever it was. Huh?

 

[pearl31]

agree that it was odd to wait that long

 

[NineOneSeven]

BC was also a good team last year

 

[two3zone]

We almost always press too late.

 

[orangehomer]

it's because there is a shock value to pressing but generally speaking modern teams have too many ballhandlers to make pressing worth it. it can create a few turnovers but it also gives up layups and free throws. pressing is a desperation move, a last ditch effort at flipping the odds and trying to generate turnovers and easy baskets in succession, and it almost never works, because if your team was better in the first place you wouldn't be trying to press down three possessions against a better team on the road. if pressing was so good, why don't the best teams ever press unless they are in trouble?

 

[cuseinseattle]

I thought we should've pressed down 6 after Moyer made two FT's to cut the lead to 6 with like 3:57 left.

Okay. In the presser, someone asked why our press has been so effective against UVA. JB said the plan was to press with like 5-6 minutes left but "we weren't in touch (reach) with them. That was the problem." Well, down 6 is not within reach? That makes no sense. In fact, I think Bennett called timeout at just over the 4:00 mark, to alert his team that the press was coming and to try to get them prepared. It was so obvious and we didn't do it.

We waited too long. UVA has decent guards but Guy and Jerome are snipers, not ball handlers. They can be pressed, although JB said they are a good team against pressure. I believe JB but if the plan was to press, why did he wait until 2:00 were left?

Odd answer he gave, to say the least. We weren't in reach but yet we pressed with 2:00 left, down around 12 or whatever it was. Huh?

Stop questioning JB. Would someone ban this guy. Seriously though it seemed strange. My only thought was maybe he thought we were close enough to hit a shot or two and get some stops. He also had Battle with 4 fouls if I remember right. I wanted it after the timeout.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Stop questioning JB. Would someone ban this guy. Seriously though it seemed strange. My only thought was maybe he thought we were close enough to hit a shot or two and get some stops. He also had Battle with 4 fouls if I remember right. I wanted it after the timeout.

You are actually asking someone to be banned because he's not being a homer fan boy? or maybe you are being sarcastic.

 

[Sherman20]

I thought we should've pressed down 6 after Moyer made two FT's to cut the lead to 6 with like 3:57 left.

Okay. In the presser, someone asked why our press has been so effective against UVA. JB said the plan was to press with like 5-6 minutes left but "we weren't in touch (reach) with them. That was the problem." Well, down 6 is not within reach? That makes no sense. In fact, I think Bennett called timeout at just over the 4:00 mark, to alert his team that the press was coming and to try to get them prepared. It was so obvious and we didn't do it.

We waited too long. UVA has decent guards but Guy and Jerome are snipers, not ball handlers. They can be pressed, although JB said they are a good team against pressure. I believe JB but if the plan was to press, why did he wait until 2:00 were left?

Odd answer he gave, to say the least. We weren't in reach but yet we pressed with 2:00 left, down around 12 or whatever it was. Huh?

I believe we started the press earlier than you’re saying—With 4 minutes to go. But we didn’t score on subsequent possessions so we couldn’t set it up and lost some momentum there.

 

[jdubs30]

I think we just don't have the bodies to press for the last 4 minutes. Our guys (especially Tyus) looked exhausted on offense trying to get shots, maybe JB thought we wouldn't have enough energy to press for the last 4 minutes? Although I guess if that was the case he should have said that...

 

[iommi]

I believe we started the press earlier than you’re saying—With 4 minutes to go. But we didn’t score on subsequent possessions so we couldn’t set it up and lost some momentum there.

We did not. Moyer made the second FT at 3:57 (or thereabouts) and we went back and set up the zone. I had discussions on Twitter about it.

 

[iommi]

I think we just don't have the bodies to press for the last 4 minutes. Our guys (especially Tyus) looked exhausted on offense trying to get shots, maybe JB thought we wouldn't have enough energy to press for the last 4 minutes? Although I guess if that was the case he should have said that...

Why wouldn't we have the energy? JB says our guys don't get tired.

 

[MSOrange]

We did not. Moyer made the second FT at 3:57 (or thereabouts) and we went back and set up the zone. I had discussions about Twitter on it.

Not that he's an expert, but Brent Axe made the same observation about the 4 minute mark in his recap.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

My only thought was maybe he thought we were close enough to hit a shot or two and get some stops.

Yup. That's what I thought. Virginia scored a total of two points in over three minutes and only four points in over five minutes so the defense was playing well enough. If Virginia wasn't scoring then what was the difference. It was a two possession game with four minutes to go. Plenty of time left at that point.
Syracuse vs. Virginia - Play-By-Play - January 9, 2018 - ESPN

 

[Townie72]

Why wouldn't we have the energy? JB says our guys don't get tired.

That is not what JB said.

You are either making that up or what JB actually said is too nuanced for you to understand.

 

[AZOrange]

JB says stuff.

 

[OttoMets]

Not that he's an expert, but Brent Axe made the same observation about the 4 minute mark in his recap.

Damn. I was all set to agree with iommi because he knows his stuff, but now that Axe said the same thing I have to second-guess both of us.

 

[cuse10]

Yup. That's what I thought. Virginia scored a total of two points in over three minutes and only four points in over five minutes so the defense was playing well enough. If Virginia wasn't scoring then what was the difference. It was a two possession game with four minutes to go. Plenty of time left at that point.
Syracuse vs. Virginia - Play-By-Play - January 9, 2018 - ESPN

The problem is that Syracuse wasn't scoring in long stretches either. If they were cutting into the lead like they did against Georgetown, going into the press earlier would have been effective. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't in these situations. All it takes is someone getting behind the defense for an easy basket and people will ask why did SU press?

 

[MSOrange]

Damn. I was all set to agree with iommi because he knows his stuff, but now that Axe said the same thing I have to second-guess both of us.

HA That's exactly how I felt.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

The problem is that Syracuse wasn't scoring in long stretches either. If they were cutting into the lead like they did against Georgetown, going into the press earlier would have been effective. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't in these situations. All it takes is someone getting behind the defense for an easy basket and people will ask why did SU press?

At 7:44 left, Diakate made his two FT's and the score was 44-52. After Moyer made his two FT's, there was 3:59 left and the score was 48-54. Like you said, someone can score an easy basket on the press and with four minutes left, the way the defense was playing, JAB obviously felt there was not a sense of real urgency. I see both sides of it, but not to make a huge issue that we definitely should of pressed at that point. Four minutes is a long time in basketball and the defense wasn't giving up a lot of points.

 

[81South]

We certainly have had success pressing uva. If stamina is a concern then use it sparingly throughout the game not just when we are backed into a corner.

 

[Guinness]

Given our offense .. 6 points is totally out of reach.

 

[dasher]

We almost always press too late.

Really? Always? The zags and cavs tournament games say otherwise. I wish we would press more but I can't fault our timing too much. We have so few players and fouls add up quickly.

 

[two3zone]

Really? Always? The zags and cavs tournament games say otherwise. I wish we would press more but I can't fault our timing too much. We have so few players and fouls add up quickly.

2 examples out of seasons where we've racked up losses so it doesn't really say otherwise.

 

[dasher]

2 examples out of seasons where we've racked up losses so it doesn't really say otherwise.

That was just off the top of my head. The Virginia game last year comes to mind. I wish the press was part of our defensive rotation. A bit of man. A bit of press. A bit of zone. But waiting too long to press hasn't been an issue for me.

 

[NorSyr66]

Many good observations and comments in this thread regarding the press - not soon enough, use it more often, etc. My thoughts go back to we only have 7.5 players (never know or understand status of Sidibe), Battle had 4 fouls, and we seemed to be getting the short end of most the foul calls. Possibly we could press one possession and not the next? See how they handle it early on. Since we play UVA again in a few weeks at the Dome, hopefully the coaching staff will build on last evenings short term success with the press. I agree with an earlier poster that UVA may have excellent shooting guards but they are not as skilled in ball handling when being pressed.