When was the last time an SU team was so allergic to fast breaks?

[anglerman]

You must have been watching some other team last year. MCW was tremendous on the break as a finisher and finding Triche and JSouth and Grant. That had a lot to do with the FF run last season, much more so than efficient 1/2 court offense or getting hot from outside.

You must have been blind! Did you watch SU play in the BE last year?? There was no fast breaking going on! SU couldn't score at all. I think sometimes you guys see MCW in the NBA. I didn't say he wasn't good in transition. I said SU wasn't exactly fast break happy even with MCW.
My point is that It's not Ennis it's whatever the offense they are running. SU couldn't score last year either

 

[anglerman]

You guys are simply I denial of last season. During the BE season SU was horrendous offensively. You're making it sound like SU was a fast breaking offensive dynamo They were terrible. Remember 39 points against Gtow?

 

[OttoMets]

We haven't been a transition team for two years, though this year is even worse than last.

 

[pulaski74]

I dont think the point of the post was why we dont take advantage when we have numbers, its just that plainly we dont and the posters position that may help the offence. frankly i have seen many times when easy baskets were available but point guard pulls ball out to nearly center court

 

[007]

Ennis and Cooney average exactly the same number of steals as MCW and Triche did. While Ennis and Cooney are equal in steaks, MCW had many more than Triche and MCW was the best of the 4 in taking a steal down court for a basket. But, I will say that I have seen plenty of layups and dunks this year too. Steals leading to fast break baskets doesn't play a role in whether the team is a good or bad fast break team.

The point was that the fast breaks last year were often triggered off of steals and not primarily from defensive rebounds.

Last year's team was really good at transitioning very quickly from defense to offense off of steals, especially when MCW made the steal. That ability to transition from D to O, whether from a steal or a rebound, most definitely plays a role in how good a team is at the fast break.

 

[rrlbees]

The point was that the fast breaks last year were often triggered off of steals and not primarily from defensive rebounds.

Last year's team was really good at transitioning very quickly from defense to offense off of steals, especially when MCW made the steal. That ability to transition from D to O, whether from a steal or a rebound, most definitely plays a role in how good a team is at the fast break.

We break on steals too. I recall a number of layups and dunks this year off steals. Also, last years team averaged 2 points more per game.

 

[Cheriehoop]

We haven't been a transition team for two years, though this year is even worse than last.

We've also had the same bigs rebounding and making the outlet passes the past 2 years.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think the issue on breaks have been that TE is looking for Cooney first and trying to set him up in transition. Opponents have keyed on that and are locking Cooney up pretty early in transition and taking away that chance. By that time Ennis has already pulled up around or just inside of the 3-point line and the transition chance is pretty much gone.

I haven't noticed many times where any of the forwards have been running along with Ennis when pushing the pace, it's usually just Ennis and Cooney out ahead and the forwards are lagging behind and the numbers even out. It is definitely something that can be improved, and will have to be to get some sort of offense going heading into the tournaments.

This is all 100 % correct.

 

[cuseattle]

We haven't been a transition team for two years, though this year is even worse than last.

I miss transition ball too. Guess Ennis to the final four will make me feel ok.
Think a few other teams lost this week. Go Orange!

 

[SmilinBob]

I think the issue on breaks have been that TE is looking for Cooney first and trying to set him up in transition. Opponents have keyed on that and are locking Cooney up pretty early in transition and taking away that chance. By that time Ennis has already pulled up around or just inside of the 3-point line and the transition chance is pretty much gone.

I haven't noticed many times where any of the forwards have been running along with Ennis when pushing the pace, it's usually just Ennis and Cooney out ahead and the forwards are lagging behind and the numbers even out. It is definitely something that can be improved, and will have to be to get some sort of offense going heading into the tournaments.

Curious to see how well these guards have rebounded defensively compared to teams past. I agree with a lot of what you wrote and it may also be tied to Boeheim just wanting to slow the game down possession wise along with a rebounding issue. The forwards are "resting" up and not wasting their juice fast breaking offensively and saving it for D.

 

[ForeverOrange]

We were spoiled during the Scoop and Dion times, between Scoop's Alley's and Dion's one man fast breaks we always had ways to score, granted some of those plays led to turnovers, especially some of the wild alleys Scoop used to try to attempt, but it was exciting.

 

[OttoMets]

We've also had the same bigs rebounding and making the outlet passes the past 2 years.

That's a constant.

The other change I've noted is that we're only making outlets to the point guard. Prior to last season, we'd advance the ball to any ball handler in position to make a play downcourt. Last year the great majority of the outlets went to Mike (or Triche, if Cooney was in the game), regardless of position. This season, same deal. It's a deliberate change in style.

 

[VaBeachOrFan]

I think the issue on breaks have been that TE is looking for Cooney first and trying to set him up in transition. Opponents have keyed on that and are locking Cooney up pretty early in transition and taking away that chance. By that time Ennis has already pulled up around or just inside of the 3-point line and the transition chance is pretty much gone.

I haven't noticed many times where any of the forwards have been running along with Ennis when pushing the pace, it's usually just Ennis and Cooney out ahead and the forwards are lagging behind and the numbers even out. It is definitely something that can be improved, and will have to be to get some sort of offense going heading into the tournaments.

Doin' this from memory, but during the GT game, I remember seeing Roberson waiving his arms for an alley that never came. Later in the game, a fast break with open space under the basket and no SU player within miles to receive a lob. With Tyler bringing the ball up slowly, Cooney is always trying to get a shot against an entrenched defense. He'd at least stand a better chance of getting open looks in transition plays, if we had any.:bang:-VBOF

 

[sandman525]

Jeff Goodman made a point yesterday that once Brandon Ashley went down, Sean Miller decided that Arizona needed to take advantage of their athleticism and run as often as possible, especially since they only have one consistent shooter. Sound familiar?

Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems like this team is built to break, with finishers like Grant, Fair and Christmas. Even Gbinije and Roberson are pretty good on the break. Why this team would want to slow it down when the halfcourt offense is stuggling so much is mind boggling.

 

[TDTOrange]

Doin' this from memory, but during the GT game, I remember seeing Roberson waiving his arms for an alley that never came. Later in the game, a fast break with open space under the basket and no SU player within miles to receive a lob. With Tyler bringing the ball up slowly, Cooney is always trying to get a shot against an entrenched defense. He'd at least stand a better chance of getting open looks in transition plays, if we had any.:bang:-VBOF

Yes, but to be fair. One other time in the GT game Roberson had run ahead and was waiting for the ball. Ennis threw it ahead and it was picked off.

I think the larger difference in transition is that Ennis isn't a big strong guard like we've had recently (Dion, Triche, Scoop, MCW, etc.) that could take the ball strong in transition to the basket, no matter who's in the way. With the way teams get back against us with at least even numbers, it really takes away our transition game. That's where Ennis needs to get stronger and more confident to help round his game out. Add that and the confidence to take the open jumpers and he'd be in the HOF.

 

[tbonezone]

hate to say it but the sooner the ball leaves ennis' hands on a fast break the more likely we are to finish it.

 

[Knicks411]

Fast breaks start with rebounding. We are next to last in defensive rebounds per game in the ACC.

This is true to a point, but we're always terrible at defensive rebounding and we usually run a lot more because we can generate blocks and steals. Tyler just doesn't look to push the ball as much as some of our guards in the past.

 

[tbonezone]

wait a sec. ennis and cooney lead the acc in steals.

 

[DrysdaleBlue]

I think the main reason why we haven't pushed it in transition as much this year is just to conserve Ennis's energy. For this team to go anywhere, he has to play ton of minutes. If Ennis is back next year, and if Kaleb Joseph is as good as I expect, I could see our transition game coming back once we have two true ball-handler's back on the team.