Our last 8 games defensively

[billsin01]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.
• Take the Ga Tech game out and the numbers are even worse. Tech shot .393 and .280 from three.

I think there will be a lot of folks that point to individuals as well as collective effort and attitude. Those a factors but we need to go back to the drawing board on our defensive approach this offseason. How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

 

[pokercuse08]

So this starts two games before Benny was dismissed right? It doesn't speak to the first two, then, but since then I wouldn't be surprised if we have players being less aggressive defensively to conserve energy and fouls. I think Maliq in particular has had to be careful to avoid foul trouble.

 

[NineOneSeven]

So this starts two games before Benny was dismissed right? It doesn't speak to the first two, then, but since then I wouldn't be surprised if we have players being less aggressive defensively to conserve energy and fouls. I think Maliq in particular has had to be careful to avoid foul trouble.

We can try to find hidden reasons, and I do think depth is a factor including losing a rim presence in McLeod, but here's the unhidden reason and it's simple- we have too many below average to bad defenders playing substantial minutes. The consistency is also a big issue and there's a clear snowball effect (like ND 2nd half), but that qualifies as bad defense by the players.

 

[SUOrangeSU]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.
• Take the Ga Tech game out and the numbers are even worse. Tech shot .393 and .280 from three.

I think there will be a lot of folks that point to individuals as well as collective effort and attitude. Those a factors but we need to go back to the drawing board on our defensive approach this offseason. How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

But but but Chris Bell is shooting so well….

 

[Red2003]

Yea 4-4 in those 8 by just doing enough and scoring a lot. It hasn’t been pretty defensively. Little too short staffed and the youth.

 

[domestu]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.

How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

SU shot over 60% in two of those wins and over 50% in their other two victories and the Cuse made at least 44% from three in all of those games. Our opponents have played just as poorly on defense in the four games we won.

 

[hoopsupstate]

VT can really shoot it. We better be better or we might see another double digit loss.

 

[Brooky03]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.
• Take the Ga Tech game out and the numbers are even worse. Tech shot .393 and .280 from three.

I think there will be a lot of folks that point to individuals as well as collective effort and attitude. Those a factors but we need to go back to the drawing board on our defensive approach this offseason. How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

Yeah, but at least we don’t play zone much. Amirite?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Starling, Bell and Mintz aren’t playing any defense. They are the main 3 culprits in that order.

 

[sufandu]

I think it's a combination of individual play and team play. There's been way too much ole' defense at the top and all year we've done a poor job of rotating and helping. Maybe guys now are doing even less of it because they don't want to be late and pick up fouls or they want to conserve energy. We need to be a lot better here next year. Anyone know if Donnie is a good weakside defender? He seems too skinny to be the physical type but looks like he has the length to be someone that could get off the ball blocks like Warrick could.

 

[tipphill]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.
• Take the Ga Tech game out and the numbers are even worse. Tech shot .393 and .280 from three.

I think there will be a lot of folks that point to individuals as well as collective effort and attitude. Those a factors but we need to go back to the drawing board on our defensive approach this offseason. How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

i would have put taylor in the end of the game to guard shrewsbury, and hima or carey to guard the inbound pass .i could have made an argument to take copeland out earlier as he had no clue where shrewsbury was . i was right behind the basket in the blue seats and cope was lost.

 

[RF2044]

The worst stretch of defense in my lifetime as a fan? I'm not sure, but man, those numbers are brutal.

• In 8 games, we've allowed 82.5 ppg on .538 shooting, .456 from three, and we're an average of -12 on the glass.
• Four of our opponents have shot 60%+ for a game and five of our opponents have shot at least 44% from three while taking at least 19 threes.
• Take the Ga Tech game out and the numbers are even worse. Tech shot .393 and .280 from three.

I think there will be a lot of folks that point to individuals as well as collective effort and attitude. Those a factors but we need to go back to the drawing board on our defensive approach this offseason. How we're 4-4 in this stretch is absolutely mind-boggling.

Yeah.

This season has been a good debut for Red in several respects.

But this season also has a lot of "buts..." attached to it.

 

[OptimusOtto]

We’re terrible defending ball screens. I think part of it is guys conserving energy but we switch way too easily. Guys were fighting through and dialed in the first half of ND then mailed it in the second half.

 

[billsin01]

i would have put taylor in the end of the game to guard shrewsbury, and hima or carey to guard the inbound pass .i could have made an argument to take copeland out earlier as he had no clue where shrewsbury was . i was right behind the basket in the blue seats and cope was lost.

Yeah — I saw that too. A lot of that goes on Copeland but i am hoping someone in that huddle was saying watch the unbounded. Particularly with it being Shrewsbury. Cope hustled to get back in the play but he should have been looking around to see where screens might be before they ever handed the ball to shrewsbury to inbound. Everyone in the building had to know he was going to inbound then just stand on the baseline out of the play.

 

[billsin01]

We’re terrible defending ball screens. I think part of it is guys conserving energy but we switch way too easily. Guys were fighting through and dialed in the first half of ND then mailed it in the second half.

I think we’ve actually improved at this over the course of the year … but it’s still not great.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Too reliant on generating steals

Need to add more size to help with rebounding in the offseason

 

[Newhouser]

We have a poor understanding of how to play defense. Less interest by a number of guys in actually putting in effort to play defense. We have no quickness to disrupt and no rim protection to deter. Add in the 5-10 absolutely horrific shots we take a game that lead to easy hoops for the opponent...not going to stop people. I will be shocked if Va Tech doesn't get a dozen wide open threes tonight.

 

[Cuse12]

I think it's a combination of individual play and team play. There's been way too much ole' defense at the top and all year we've done a poor job of rotating and helping. Maybe guys now are doing even less of it because they don't want to be late and pick up fouls or they want to conserve energy. We need to be a lot better here next year. Anyone know if Donnie is a good weakside defender? He seems too skinny to be the physical type but looks like he has the length to be someone that could get off the ball blocks like Warrick could.

Donnie has a lot of length. Prototypical wing for the classic cuse zone. Think of Jerami grant but a less bouncy. He will absolutely aid our defense because it really cannot be much worse. I think his length and weak side he’ll will be disruptive at the rim. I wouldn’t tab him as our defensive saving grace but he will aid us well on both sides of the court.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Yeah, but at least we don’t play zone much. Amirite?

Did Red finally stop zoning out of bounds plays in the 2nd half? I swear we went m2m. Hope it’s a sign of progress and not a one-off.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Starling, Bell and Mintz aren’t playing any defense. They are the main 3 culprits in that order.

It's easy to tell too because the backs of their jerseys are towards the camera instead of the basket as they watch their man go right around them.

 

[007]

I think we’ve actually improved at this over the course of the year … but it’s still not great.

This is true, there has been improvement. Especially when Brown hard hedges the on ball screens and the guards fight over the screens. The guards choosing to go under those screens is the problem.

IMO, the bigger issues are the overall team awareness during help rotations and the lack of consistent focus and effort. Some of that is to be expected given the transition to M2M and playing all sophomores, and some of that is simply inexcusable.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I have no idea what the numbers show but from what I see I rate our current rotational guys like this for overall D. Haven’t seen Carey enough. This is just the list, but there are definite tiers.

Maliq
Q
Taylor
Cuffe
Judah
JJ
Bell

 

[Cusefan0307]

I have no idea what the numbers show but from what I see I rate our current rotational guys like this for overall D. Haven’t seen Carey enough. This is just the list, but there are definite tiers.

Maliq
Q
Taylor
Cuffe
Judah
JJ
Bell

Pretty good based on your eyes, but the numbers say JJ is worse than Bell…

 

[stlorange]

Biggest defensive issues I see are: (1) constantly letting the offensive player "turn the corner" going to the basket--no lateral defense--with no helping d when that happens; (2) inconsistent reactions to screens and, when cuse switches, inconsistent help on the switch; and (3) too much looking around when the shot goes up instead of crashing glass and boxing out. I get it that we want to run but you can't run without the ball.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Pretty good based on your eyes, but the numbers say JJ is worse than Bell…

what’s insane about Bell is he’s actually way above average when it comes to timing weak side/chase down blocks. It’s everything else that is the problem.