Opponent guards

[Brooky03]

If we've learned anything during ACC play, it's that the defensive ability of the opposing guards is the primary factor in our success/failure.

Can somebody who's watched more ACC play than I break down what we're looking at in terms of guards the rest of the way? L'ville lost because they couldn't consistently put ball pressure on Frank and/or Tyus, and couldn't keep them from driving. My theory is that any team who can only pressure one of them has a 50/50 shot at beating us. If they can't pressure either, we'll probably win that game. If they have the guys to pressure both, we're probably going to lose.

Duke could be an outlier because we know their defense is trash all-around, but their offense is/can be stellar.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Louisville was the third best defense in the conference after us and Virginia.

We should be able to get to the hoop all day vs Wake, NC State and UNC. They all give up penetration. Same with Duke.

Miami is the toughest defensive team we play left.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Said the same thing Brooky a little while ago. We’ll see. Pitt, GTech, and ND give it up too but we couldn’t do anything. In theory I think Cusefan0307 is right but we’ll see.

Of course in those losses they hand checked and clutched & grabbed all game long so barring any of that we good, lol.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Ball pressure is one thing, but the bigger factor is the help defense. That comes down to coaching. We shouldn't be looking at the guards but rather who is on the bench.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Ball pressure is one thing, but the bigger factor is the help defense. That comes down to coaching. We shouldn't be looking at the guards but rather who is on the bench.

K is supposed to be the best coach of this era and he might have the worst defensive team left of all the teams we play.

 

[rrlbees]

Louisville was the third best defense in the conference after us and Virginia.

We should be able to get to the hoop all day vs Wake, NC State and UNC. They all give up penetration. Same with Duke.

Miami is the toughest defensive team we play left.

Louisville is a very good defense and pressures a lot of people. They only aren't that good when we had success against them.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

K is supposed to be the best coach of this era and he might have the worst defensive team left of all the teams we play.

He is the best coach and has been for a long time. I think his book of business speaks for itself

 

[Cusefan0307]

He is the best coach and has been for a long time. I think his book of business speaks for itself

Agreed. That was my point.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Louisville is a very good defense and pressures a lot of people. They only aren't that good when we had success against them.

Read the player quotes - they seemed surprised at the lack of help defense last night.

 

[rrlbees]

Read the player quotes - they seemed surprised at the lack of help defense last night.

point?

 

[FrancoPizza]

point?

Point is Lousiville statistically may have a good defense this year but they were fundamentally unsound last night on their help rotations.

 

[rrlbees]

Point is Lousiville statistically may have a good defense this year but they were fundamentally unsound last night on their help rotations.

so you're saying that all year they've been a good defense using help defense and last night they decided nah, lets not help? what kind of help defense have they used all year? I've only seen them once and didn't really pay attention to that.

 

[Brooky03]

Louisville is a very good defense and pressures a lot of people. They only aren't that good when we had success against them.

ftr, I wasn't saying Lousville has a bad defense. Their guards just didn't defend Frank or Tyus well. I thought that was obvious during the game?

 

[FrancoPizza]

so you're saying that all year they've been a good defense using help defense and last night they decided nah, lets not help? what kind of help defense have they used all year? I've only seen them once and didn't really pay attention to that.

Their defensive game plan was as if they did not watch any film of our tendencies. They were not collapsing in the paint like other teams have and our guards noticed. Or maybe they just came out flat, the crowd was flat, it happens. Even good defenses have off nights. It was a combination of SU playing better, shooting better, and Louisville having a poor game plan.

 

[rrlbees]

ftr, I wasn't saying Lousville has a bad defense. Their guards just didn't defend Frank or Tyus well. I thought that was obvious during the game?

like I said in the defense thread I started, it was more what defense they played. I guess they don't practice nor play a sagging type zone. they played m2m with some pressure and some kind of zone that looked more like a m2m. those defenses must work vs other teams but it didn't against us because our "strength?" isn't shooting a team out of the zone, it's driving to the basket with a lot of iso.