Iowa game observations

[Orangezoo]

Rewatched Iowa game last night and came away with some positives i did not expect to see after the cal game.

Cmac- his defensive rotations, rebounding and court sense all improved and he definitely appeared to see the court better. The next step is he needs to be an option on the break using his speed as a big. The mid range jumper is nba quality and something not often found at this level and will really benefit him.

Roberson- if you watch him he did a much better job moving the ball and actually made some nice decisions passing the ball. He really has a knack on the boards and did well there. His defense is improving too. He wasnt flashy but much more sure of himself than the previous night.

Cooney- yes he missed a few but he played well all around and you can see him settling in more. Also note how vocal he was out there barking instructions. That sign of leadership is again something unexpected.

Buss- didnt play a lot but made a nice entry pass and played smart. He wasnt a liability and honestly deserved a few minutes to spell kaleb out there. Against the press he did a better job being decisive and not over dribbling.

Mike G- good defensive game. Made some bad turnovers but he is looking to help push up the floor which is something this team has to do.

Rak- his numbers were good but he still needs to better read the defense when they double him. He is creating openings for his teammates and needs to find them quicker. Still a good game and i really like how strong he is catching it on the baseline and attacking. He is really comfy there and its a good spot to attack from when teams try to push him from the hoop.

Kaleb- again he looked gunshy at times but he definitely saw the court better. He and cmac can make a living out of that pick and roll which i hope to see more of. Two other things is he was more aggressive attacking the hoop. He will learn that his speed gives him the ability to attack on the break a lot more. This will help. The other thing i noticed was he stepped into a couple deep jumpers that he looked confident shooting. He needs to not be afraid to confidently knock a couple down as teams consistently give it to him. Having him take those with roc and cmac down there also gives us a good shot for a put back.

Overall i was surprised to see some signs of hope and the lightbulb going on. With better chemistry and a bit more leadership this team could give us less of a headache than previously thought. With that said need to take better care of the ball, stay patient and keep getting better. Loyola should be an easier foe but holy cross dumped 25th ranked harvard and has no issue running the burn offense so this is going to be a brutal non conf overall with michigan , the johnnies and nova still to come. We will be able to hopefully grow up quickly and build on the positives in nyc.

 

[jordoo]

The most encouraging thing to me is we made improvements overnight! I expect even more once the staff has time for film sessions and a couple of practices.

Thanks for the thoughts, good stuff.

 

[jordoo]

A bit of both I expect, Jack Hall. Also bad losses can loosen guys up as well.

Not sure what happened to you quote. When I quote on my period it does that some times as well.

 

[Jack Hall]

The most encouraging thing to me is we made improvements overnight! I expect even more once the staff has time for film sessions and a couple of practices.

Thanks for the thoughts, good stuff.

Thats what i was thinking, did they really show that much improvement in one night....?.....or did a young team just get really nervous at MSG and had one really bad game against cal? CM, RC, KJ, TC , TR all appeared to play much much better in the iowa game. With just MG struggling compared to how he played in the cal game. But a nice step forward last night if not just baby steps. If we can do that in one night, as you say, the team has sooo much more potential by march[/QUOTE]

 

[Coach Orange]

Thats what i was thinking, did they really show that much improvement in one night...?...or did a young team just get really nervous at MSG and had one really bad game against cal? CM, RC, KJ, TC , TR all appeared to play much much better in the iowa game. With just MG struggling compared to how he played in the cal game. But a nice step forward last night if not just baby steps. If we can do that in one night, as you say, the team has sooo much more potential by march

I would argue that the patience offensively in the half court against Iowa was better than it was against Cal. That is an improvement. Now they have to learn how to be patient when attacking a press.

 

[Toga]

I would argue that the patience offensively in the half court against Iowa was better than it was against Cal. That is an improvement. Now they have to learn how to be patient when attacking a press.

Speaking of pressing ... I hate having to bring the ball up against a (I think) soft 1-3-1 press. It's not that that type press results in many turnovers but it eats up 7 seconds of play clock where you don't really need to play defense in the half court. Easy to then fall back into your 2-3 zone. Never understand why we don't use it.

 

[tee1222]

Great writeup. A lot of positives to take away from the game. Need more confidence, consistency. Agree, Chris and Tyler are coming along. Forwards will be a strength this season.

 

[Jack Hall]

Speaking of pressing ... I hate having to bring the ball up against a (I think) soft 1-3-1 press. It's not that that type press results in many turnovers but it eats up 7 seconds of play clock where you don't really need to play defense in the half court. Easy to then fall back into your 2-3 zone. Never understand why we don't use it.

Imo its because JB has that much confidence in his zone. Ie if we just beat the other team back, set up properly and then rotate properly, i truly believe JB thinks his d is the best d in basketball. You notice he only presses when we are down? Imo the ONLY reason he presses and potentially compromises his zone is because when we are down he needs to speed up play to give us more possessions so we can make the comeback. The zone slows things down. But when we press imo its more a comment on our offense than it is on JBs confidence in his zone. That confidence never wavers imo

 

[Coach Orange]

Speaking of pressing ... I hate having to bring the ball up against a (I think) soft 1-3-1 press. It's not that that type press results in many turnovers but it eats up 7 seconds of play clock where you don't really need to play defense in the half court. Easy to then fall back into your 2-3 zone. Never understand why we don't use it.

I'd have to see it again, but I believe they were using a 1-2-2 containment press. Villanova under Jay Wright has used this press effectively over the years. It does exactly what you claim it does.

Coach Boeheim only runs a 1-2-1-1 press, probably because he uses pressing primarily as an attempt to force turnovers. It would take more practice time to incorporate a second press that is used mostly as a containment device that eats away the shot clock.

However, I like the 1-2-2 press because it forces the opponent to use up energy throughout the game. It's like a boxer who uses body blows throughout a match; they won't likely knock the opponent out in one punch, but they can wear him down mentally and physically over time. Based on that, your point about how it might work with the zone is well taken.