The zone….

[GENESEO1983]

In college basketball is so outdated with today’s shooters being able to exploit it! It will become extinct when Jim “dinosaur” Boeheim calls it quits or is pushed out the door. His time has passed and the longer this once proud program goes on like this, the more fans will find other things to do…..
New blood is needed in this stale program!

 

[JOC44]

I think the problem is less the fact we use a zone and more that four of the five players are singularly unsuited to play it (oh, and are equally unsuited to play man).

 

[TinyManInside]

I think the problem is less the fact we use a zone and more that four of the five players are singularly unsuited to play it (oh, and are equally unsuited to play man).

ummm... the first half defense today was spectacularly bad. I know Wake only scored 38 points, but they missed sooooo many wide open threes. They got whatever shot they wanted in the first half, half their three pointers were taken without a defender within 8 feet of the shooter. I gotta believe if we played man to man we'd have a player at least within 7.5 feet of the shooters.

Kudos to the SU players for covering the perimeter better in the second half, but Cole and JimmyJr we out of position basically the entire first half.

 

[two3zone]

Not even against the zone, just need the players to play it. Our centers need weak side help in it and while not only does he not get that he needs to be in the corner every single time down the court. There were so many cross court passes today, I’ve never seen so many, and yet that should be stopped with ease with the zone.

 

[JOC44]

ummm... the first half defense today was spectacularly bad. I know Wake only scored 38 points, but they missed sooooo many wide open threes. They got whatever shot they wanted in the first half, half their three pointers were taken without a defender within 8 feet of the shooter. I gotta believe if we played man to man we'd have a player at least within 7.5 feet of the shooters.

Kudos to the SU players for covering the perimeter better in the second half, but Cole and JimmyJr we out of position basically the entire first half.

If we played man, it would have been a driving party against four of our five defenders. Which of Joe, Buddy, Jimmy, and Cole can stay in front of someone?

I’m not necessarily pro-zone. My point is whatever defense we play will suck with these defenders.

 

[TinyManInside]

If we played man, it would have been a driving party against four of our five defenders. Which of Joe, Buddy, Jimmy, and Cole can stay in front of someone?

I’m not necessarily pro-zone. My point is whatever defense we play will suck with these defenders.

No, I totally get that, and is exactly what I was referring to when I said the difference in the open shots given up would be the nearest defender within 7.5 feet instead of 8 feet.

that difference is a rounding error. We'd suck at defense this year regardless of what format we play even if the NCAA granted us a one year waiver to field 6 defenders.

 

[two3zone]

If we played man, it would have been a driving party against four of our five defenders. Which of Joe, Buddy, Jimmy, and Cole can stay in front of someone?

I’m not necessarily pro-zone. My point is whatever defense we play will suck with these defenders.

You’re right, 1-4 every guy would get burned by who they’re defending. Could you imagine Swider or Jimmy defending their man?

 

[tptcuse]

ummm... the first half defense today was spectacularly bad. I know Wake only scored 38 points, but they missed sooooo many wide open threes. They got whatever shot they wanted in the first half, half their three pointers were taken without a defender within 8 feet of the shooter. I gotta believe if we played man to man we'd have a player at least within 7.5 feet of the shooters.

Kudos to the SU players for covering the perimeter better in the second half, but Cole and JimmyJr we out of position basically the entire first half.

It is notable that we are saying "only 38."

 

[TinyManInside]

It is notable that we are saying "only 38."

Honestly, go back and watch how many open shots Wake missed. they got sooooo many completely unimpeded threes and missed several of them. These were shootaround threes that they were taking. They could have easily put up 50 in the first half.

 

[FrancoPizza]

If we played man, it would have been a driving party against four of our five defenders. Which of Joe, Buddy, Jimmy, and Cole can stay in front of someone?

I’m not necessarily pro-zone. My point is whatever defense we play will suck with these defenders.

Any other defense is better than one that concedes squared up, wide open 3s while our guys chase the last pass and get winded. At least put out some lawn chairs to get a breather on defense if that’s the best they can do.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Honestly, go back and watch how many open shots Wake missed. they got sooooo many completely unimpeded threes and missed several of them. These were shootaround threes that they were taking. They could have easily put up 50 in the first half.

Sure. But we used to have a coach that could make up talent deficiencies because he made the right decisions In game. Now we don’t even have that.

 

[Dcuse]

Honestly, go back and watch how many open shots Wake missed. they got sooooo many completely unimpeded threes and missed several of them. These were shootaround threes that they were taking. They could have easily put up 50 in the first half.

You are spot on. I was going to post the same exact thing. The last three games it’s been the same. This one was the worst. It is so easy to get good shots against this passive, ball chasing, unaggressive,garbage excuse for a defense. This is so painful.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

ummm... the first half defense today was spectacularly bad. I know Wake only scored 38 points, but they missed sooooo many wide open threes. They got whatever shot they wanted in the first half, half their three pointers were taken without a defender within 8 feet of the shooter. I gotta believe if we played man to man we'd have a player at least within 7.5 feet of the shooters.

Kudos to the SU players for covering the perimeter better in the second half, but Cole and JimmyJr we out of position basically the entire first half.

Zone D is like a knuckleball pitcher .. everything must be just so for it to be effective. Sure it can dominate at times ..even full seasons ( freaking RA Dickey won a Cy young award) but its not something you can really rely on year over year over year to dominate .. if you can throw 98 .. why bother with the pitch .. well this program can throw 98 if it wants to…,yet here we sit .. messing with the knuckler… and hoping for everything to be JUST so to dominate again

 

[AZOrange]

You are spot on. I was going to post the same exact thing. The last three games it’s been the same. This one was the worst. It is so easy to get good shots against this passive, ball chasing, unaggressive,garbage excuse for a defense. This is so painful.

There is the key phrase…ball chasing…it doesn’t have to be this way. We could play it straight up (and I think) give up fewer open looks and not give up the middle. There is no reason the forward has to chase up. If the guard can’t get there you give up the angle 3. By cheating you give up the corner, the angle and the paint

 

[DoctorBombay]

As frustrated as I am with this season, far be it for me to suggest how to play zone to our HOFer. This is NOT about the zone- it’s about the personnel playing that zone.
JB constructed a team that even in spite of his own defensive acumen which he’s demonstrated numerous times over the years, is simply incapable of playing defense effectively.
This is the 3rd straight year that opposing guards have jogged through our zone. It seems like JB decided that he’d rather have shooters because….spacing, rather than a competent defense to prevent teams from scoring against us. And he compounded the idiocy this year by having 2 forwards who’re now the frontline equivalent of our 2 inept guards. So now we have 4 defenders who’re too slow, too unathletic, lack quickness, & can’t cover opposing players.
The malpractice questions start when you ask how in the hell any Coach worth his salt would think this lineup was a good idea…defensively. It’s mind boggling.