We dismantled that team's defense.

[STEVEHOLT]

I know the score says we won by one point. But really, that team shot out of their minds. I know they are a decent shooting team but come on...if those guys shoot uncontested three's in warmups there is a good chance they shoot it at a lower percentage than they did in that game.

i was fairly confident we were going to win this game and the way it played out makes me think my initial feelings were correct. we blow that team out 7/10 times.

they had NOONE that could guard ANYONE on our team. we got to the rack at will. we got open looks at will. sure we knocked them down..but fact is they couldnt hang with us on the D end. really makes me wonder if the big ten offenses are sort of pathetic if this team is considered to have the greates man to man D going.

from what i can tell, their "defense" is nothing more than slow offense.

i give them all the credit in the world for how well they played..but the better team won.

 

[PoppyHart]

We might win 7/10 times, but no way do we blow them out 7/10 times.

That was a very good team. Also, keep in mind that we made a big run when they had two guys on the bench in the 1st half. That was huge.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

their bigs were not able to stop us even when they were in there. its not like they could have hit MORE shots if those bigs were in there .

 

[HoustonCuse]

I agree. We didn't get to the rim that easily against Tulane. It was a layup line for all intents and purposes. I'm shocked by it, frankly. I agree that we win this comfortably 7 out of 10 games.

 

[PoppyHart]

their bigs were not able to stop us even when they were in there. its not like they could have hit MORE shots if those bigs were in there .

They went 3-13 from the field from the under 12 timeout until both guys returned.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

They went 3-13 from the field from the under 12 timeout until both guys returned.

to assume that they would have continued to shoot it at that ridiculous percentage during those minutes is a big assumption. more like regression to the mean

 

[HoustonCuse]

to assume that they would have continued to shoot it at that ridiculous percentage during those minutes is a big assumption. more like regression to the mean

Of course I said this about their 3 point shooting as we came out of half time and they proceeded to hit 1 hundred billion threes (pinky to lip).

 

[PoppyHart]

to assume that they would have continued to shoot it at that ridiculous percentage during those minutes is a big assumption. more like regression to the mean

Whatever. I just find it odd that Vegas can set a 4 point line (down to 3 by game time), we don't cover, yet hindsight says we still should blow them out 70% of the time.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

its called reassessment after actually watching the teams match up. what do you think the line would be tomorrow if they played again? i doubt it would be the same.

 

[PoppyHart]

its called reassessment after actually watching the teams match up. what do you think the line would be tomorrow if they played again? i doubt it would be the same.

You're right. I think it would be us by about 2.

 

[plagueoflocusts]

to assume that they would have continued to shoot it at that ridiculous percentage during those minutes is a big assumption. more like regression to the mean

Wisconsin destroyed your zone. They scored 17 points in the first 8 minutes when Berggren was in. They've destroyed zones forever.

For you guys to even think, let alone say, you'd win 7 out of 10 is ridiculous. You played well tonight and won. To disparage Wisconsin is to disparage your own team.

 

[TinyManInside]

I know the score says we won by one point. But really, that team shot out of their minds. I know they are a decent shooting team but come on...if those guys shoot uncontested three's in warmups there is a good chance they shoot it at a lower percentage than they did in that game.

i was fairly confident we were going to win this game and the way it played out makes me think my initial feelings were correct. we blow that team out 7/10 times.

they had NOONE that could guard ANYONE on our team. we got to the rack at will. we got open looks at will. sure we knocked them down..but fact is they couldnt hang with us on the D end. really makes me wonder if the big ten offenses are sort of pathetic if this team is considered to have the greates man to man D going.

from what i can tell, their "defense" is nothing more than slow offense.

i give them all the credit in the world for how well they played..but the better team won.

I thought a big factor was that we got the call on all 3 potential 'charge/block' plays. Somehow I don't think we'd get all of those in a Big East game. Jake sent me a text during the game wondering where Wisconsin's vaunted helpside defense was, because it surely didn't show up today.

 

[skurey]

Wisconsin destroyed your zone. They scored 17 points in the first 8 minutes when Berggren was in. They've destroyed zones forever.

For you guys to even think, let alone say, you'd win 7 out of 10 is ridiculous. You played well tonight and won. To disparage Wisconsin is to disparage your own team.

stay mad bro, Cuse going to elite 8, have fun going home

 

[senorpalmer]

Wisconsin tonight reminded me of the better John Beilein WV teams. You feel like you're dominating them in 90% of the game, you've got better athletes, and you look at the scoreboard and it's tied because they're killing it from 3 and doing a good job of controlling the pace. On more than one occasion tonight I described this game as Rocky vs. Apollo, both teams pounding on each other to their individual strengths, amazing on both sides that the opponent was still in the game. Quite possibly the best game played in this year's tournament to date.

 

[plagueoflocusts]

stay mad bro, Cuse going to elite 8, have fun going home

Not mad at all. As I said in the other thread, congrats.

 

[plagueoflocusts]

Wisconsin tonight reminded me of the better John Beilein WV teams. You feel like you're dominating them in 90% of the game, you've got better athletes, and you look at the scoreboard and it's tied because they're killing it from 3 and doing a good job of controlling the pace. On more than one occasion tonight I described this game as Rocky vs. Apollo, both teams pounding on each other to their individual strengths, amazing on both sides that the opponent was still in the game. Quite possibly the best game played in this year's tournament to date.

Agree 100%. Whoever was going to win that game had earned it.

 

[billsin01]

Not mad at all. As I said in the other thread, congrats.

What I can't figure out is why didn't Ryan/Wisc make an adjustment on the high ball screen? They took a slower defender for the most part and just did a straight-up switch to a taller, even slower defender. That was really confusing. Why not hedge off of Christmas/Keita? Really strange.

 

[BlueCurtain]

The game would not have been that close if Scoop or Waiters would stop biting on the entry to the foul line - and not sure why the coaches waited until the last 3 minutes to ram that into their heads. It was a decoy the entire game. If we let them take the foul line jumper, and they make all of them, so what? We win going away. Simple math - trade 2s for 3s.

 

[plagueoflocusts]

What I can't figure out is why didn't Ryan/Wisc make an adjustment on the high ball screen? They took a slower defender for the most part and just did a straight-up switch to a taller, even slower defender. That was really confusing. Why not hedge off of Christmas/Keita? Really strange.

They pretty much always switch. Regardless of any circumstance in any given game. Ryan is very very stubborn in pretty much everything he does.

Just as an example, he showed up in Madison in 2001 and he's played zone for exactly zero seconds since. He's intentionally not switched a screen (given a choice) exactly zero times.

A huge part of the reason he's had the success he's had is because of strict adherence to his system. He never, ever changes anything.

 

[KingOtis]

...And they dismantled ours.

 

[billsin01]

They pretty much always switch. Regardless of any circumstance in any given game. Ryan is very very stubborn in pretty much everything he does.

Just as an example, he showed up in Madison in 2001 and he's played zone for exactly zero seconds since. He's intentionally not switched a screen (given a choice) exactly zero times.

A huge part of the reason he's had the success he's had is because of strict adherence to his system. He never, ever changes anything.

we understand that -- many cuse fans get upset with JB for similar stubbornness. I thought this was particularly odd, though, b/c it was an abhorrently bad strategy (not saying Ryan isn't a great coach, but just that in this instance it was a terrible tactical move). I mean, they were putting a slow 6-9 or 6-10 defender on Waiters when the guy he was switching off of has trouble simply catching the ball and putting it in the hoop. Just strange.

 

[plagueoflocusts]

we understand that -- many cuse fans get upset with JB for similar stubbornness. I thought this was particularly odd, though, b/c it was an abhorrently bad strategy (not saying Ryan isn't a great coach, but just that in this instance it was a terrible tactical move). I mean, they were putting a slow 6-9 or 6-10 defender on Waiters when the guy he was switching off of has trouble simply catching the ball and putting it in the hoop. Just strange.

I agree. My wife told me to about it several times, and she wouldn't know the difference between a hedge and a switch if her life depended on it. She also told me (in the first half) to stop saying "touch the post".

I think the contrast in styles was so great that both teams' fans thought they should win, which clearly makes for a really even game.

 

[PoppyHart]

I agree. My wife told me to about it several times, and she wouldn't know the difference between a hedge and a switch if her life depended on it. She also told me (in the first half) to stop saying "touch the post".

I think the contrast in styles was so great that both teams' fans thought they should win, which clearly makes for a really even game.

I'd quit posting and leave with the holy grail of a greater than 1 likes-per-message ratio. It's all downhill from here.