Pre-Virginia Tech Thoughts

[jordoo]

Based on this scout, I wouldn't expect this to be DC2's cup of tea anyway. At this point in his defensive development, DC having to cover the high post and be smart about sagging from shooters to cutters sounds like a recipe for them to run a layup line on us.

I agree with that but I am really more worried about the UNC game. They have multiple front line guys who like to attack the basket as well as Meeks who has to out weight Coleman. I am hoping DC2 is ready to go for Saturday which was where my curiosity really came from.

 

[Toga]

Nice write-up. I'm banking on unathletic man to man.

 

[Dave85]

Nice write-up. I'm banking on unathletic man to man.

This year's team's offensive plays will shred a man-to-man defense. I am more concerned with teams running 2-2-1 match-up zones. Miami almost won the game using this defense. Michigan State beat UK using a 2-2-1 match-up zone earlier this year. I think once enough teams throw it at our guys they will develop the skills to beat it. Anytime we see a 2-2-1 match-up zone Christmas has to step up his offensive game!

 

[4evaOrange]

You write to much for me to read but what I already knew and after I think the firs paragraph of yours, seems like to me we need to keep hand up at the the 3 point line, stop Eddie, and run the press early to see if we can get some quick buckets and build our lead.

 

[jordoo]

This year's team's offensive plays will shred a man-to-man defense. I am more concerned with teams running 2-2-1 match-up zones. Miami almost won the game using this defense. Michigan State beat UK using a 2-2-1 match-up zone earlier this year. I think once enough teams throw it at our guys they will develop the skills to beat it. Anytime we see a 2-2-1 match-up zone Christmas has to step up his offensive game!

With the matchup it becomes much more important to have a post guy you can throw the ball to and collapse the thing. Look what Randle did in the second half against MSU. He was the key because its a match up more than a zone. We match up on the ball and trap the ball as well as shade toward guys off the ball and overloads but the matchups try to stick with guys as much as possible so its a bit different although I agree with more time we'd do better but its not like we weren't getting jumpers we wanted during that 11min stretch we just weren't making them.

 

[Cowtown]

For the record, SU always defends an entry to the high post with its own center/5. In the first place, when the ball is on the wing or foul line extended, the first guard is defending on ball and the off ball guard fronts the high post on ball side, so it's not always easy to get it in there (it does make us vulnerable to the skip pass). But if it does, 5 covers him the guards pick up the shooters one pass away, and 3 & 4 collapse to the low blocks to cut off the passing lanes - especially to the short corner. Furthermore, high post entries invariably come with the player's back to the basket, and there are very few post players (JB's own words) if any, in the country who can consistently hit a turn and face J from there. Finally, VTech's shooting % from inside the arc is not good, so I'm not especially concerned if they get it into that spot. The short corner however, as always, does concern me.

edit: the only guy I've ever seen hurt us from there was Coppenrath (cow spits on the ground) and much of the damage he did from there was while Watkins stood in the hole and watched him shoot.

 

[Cowtown]

This year's team's offensive plays will shred a man-to-man defense. I am more concerned with teams running 2-2-1 match-up zones. Miami almost won the game using this defense. Michigan State beat UK using a 2-2-1 match-up zone earlier this year. I think once enough teams throw it at our guys they will develop the skills to beat it. Anytime we see a 2-2-1 match-up zone Christmas has to step up his offensive game!

I'd expect to see more Rak in that case as well. As with any zone, but especially odd-front zones (hole in the middle), you have to inside-out it to beat it consistently. And my gut says BMK is not the guy for that job.

 

[jordoo]

For the record, SU always defends an entry to the high post with its own center/5. In the first place, when the ball is on the wing or foul line extended, the first guard is defending on ball and the off ball guard fronts the high post on ball side, so it's not always easy to get it in there (it does make us vulnerable to the skip pass). But if it does, 5 covers him the guards pick up the shooters one pass away, and 3 & 4 collapse to the low blocks to cut off the passing lanes - especially to the short corner. Furthermore, high post entries invariably come with the player's back to the basket, and there are very few post players (JB's own words) if any, in the country who can consistently hit a turn and face J from there. Finally, VTech's shooting % from inside the arc is not good, so I'm not especially concerned if they get it into that spot. The short corner however, as always, does concern me.

I think the way you describe the offensive player receiving the ball with his back to the basket is exactly what makes Baye so valuable against teams that try to attack us there. He recognizes very quickly when the guard will not be able to cover and reacts in time to be there on the catch or before the turn. I high percentage of the time this discourages anything other than a pass back out to a guard just by him being there on time or early and the offensive player feeling his presence. If you notice with Rak and DC2 its much more common for the player to have already turned with a good look at the rim before they commit to a close out making the shot much easier and a pump fake very effective on the late close.

 

[AlaskaSU]

A smokescreen that is contagious. The trainers need to put our players on 2 grams of Vitamin C everyday for the next two weeks!

the only antiviral is theraflu sp and it only works if given before the flu sets in. Zinc seems to be beneficial. After playng in blacksburg everyone should take the meds.

 

[Dave85]

the only antiviral is theraflu sp and it only works if given before the flu sets in. Zinc seems to be beneficial. After playng in blacksburg everyone should take the meds.

Hey, Virginia Tech, you are blacksburg, you feel bad!

 

[CiceroCuse]

. The short corner however, as always, does concern me.
Actually, with this team I hope they do try to get it to the short corner because they are turnover prone and this leads to a classic steal by TC/TE and a fast break on the other end.

edit: the only guy I've ever seen hurt us from there was Coppenrath (cow spits on the ground) and much of the damage he did from there was while Watkins stood in the hole and watched him shoot.

i would throw Harangody and Otto Porter in there as well.

 

[slidingdown]

the only antiviral is theraflu sp and it only works if given before the flu sets in. Zinc seems to be beneficial. After playng in blacksburg everyone should take the meds.

If only there was some sort of way to prevent this infection! Some sort of, oh, I don't know, easily accessible yearly thing that was available through your physician or even the corner pharmacy? What the hell, Science? Get on it!

 

[pfister1]

Agreed. But my bigger concerned is our players being exposed to flu contagions! This happens every year. But's it's just irritating.

As though there is no flu circulating in Syracuse or on campus....don't over think it.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Glad to hear they are vulnerable against the press. Our press has been poor so far this year.

 

[Jeremy L.]

Damn good breakdown.

 

[Dave85]

As though there is no flu circulating in Syracuse or on campus...don't over think it.

You missed the previous post. The problem is jumping around with people who have the flu for 40 minutes. There's not much thought.

"The Hokies may be without two of their top shooters with Adam Smith (strained calf) and Marshall Wood (flu) questionable. C.J. Barksdale, the second-leading rebounder with 5.3 per game, also could be out because of the flu."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/syracu...036--ncaab.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CVJcsxSoC0AP5FNbK5_