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Message: [QUOTE="VaBeachOrFan, post: 141580, member: 1274"] I absolutely loved the 2009-2010 team with their Shut it Down defense. I treasured the UNC blowout and Bob Knight's gushing. I hoped against hope that the "pass up a good shot for a better shot" mentality would graft onto the following year's team. It didn't so much (Dion didn't mesh well), and with AO gone, the fearsome "Twin Tower" aspect of the Orange rebounding game was gone, even though Rick was a beast all by himself. KJ, Scoop and Brandon were still a year away and Melo was a first-year bust. The 2009-2010 personality just skipped a year, happy to say. This year's team has surpassed all expectations so far. They're better ball handlers now (Louisville isn't going to press us blind like they've done before), and they've taken the pass-for-a-better-shot game to a higher level. All four guards can drive and shoot, Melo is a game-changing force in the middle, KJ's game is solid, and CJ fills in all the gaps. The Shut it Down defense that forced bad shots and made other teams execute with the shot clock running out has been replaced this year by what I call their "Steal and Deal" defense (even though posters liked my "Grand Theft Otto" slogan better) that is more of an attacking defense. They managed the ball, the clock and the game well against Providence; they withstood DePaul's pressing defense; and they have made their 3-pt. game effective because the shooter often is wide open to take a relaxed shot. I foresee their outside shooting will only get better by tournament time, and that Steal-and-Deal will keep them in any game they play while their 3-pt. shooting will bust open any game at any time. The Fine flap hasn't caused them to lose focus, they've got their heads on straight, nobody's throwing temper tantrums, and they're taking care of business. And I thought it couldn't get better than 2009-2010. Silly me.--VBOF [/QUOTE]

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