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[QUOTE="Ceerqqq, post: 3574809, member: 6702"]
Definitely agree our defense with Girard and Buddy at the top of the zone was a serious weakness last year. I expect to see improvement from both of them this year, based on what Buddy has said on the topic.  The fact Buddy has said it is an important focus [I]for him [/I]this year tells us that he's heard it stressed more than a few times by his Dad, and it also tells us that JG also got the memo way back in March.

How much improvement will we see? Who knows? But it's fair to say that this team's final record will depend crucially on how well our guards play defense. A year of experience under their belts is definitely a positive, so there's that.

There was clearly room for improvement in their focus & intensity, which are major determinants of defensive performance. When JB's zone has been a fearsome weapon, that intensity has always stood out. If Kadary is as good as rumored, he'll be able to provide the kind of minutes off the bench that would let BB & JG know they don't have to 'save anything' for the end of the game. That's what I'm hoping for.

So yeah, I see definite reasons for hoping this year's team will be a significantly improved team, defensively. Last year's young team had so many leaks to plug, both offensively and defensively, it's actually quite amazing that JB was able to develop them into the team that could dominate N.C. at the end of the season.

Anyone who knows anything about Jim Boeheim, it's that he wants his zone defense to be a turnover-forcing machine that puts a lot of pressure on opposing teams. I fully expect this year's team to be much stronger, defensively, I just don't know how much yet...
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