Someone please explain to me why...

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:12 pm

when everyone talks about defense in basketball they overlook the fact that 95% of teams only play defense on 30% of the court?

I still fail to understand why teams willingly give up the majority of the court. And yet when they go to a full court defense they are often very successful. We wouldn't have seen the comebacks we saw this weekend without the full court defense used later in the games.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:20 pm

Teams with depth can utilize the full court press/trap more efficiently than those who rely on a core of 7 or 8 players.

Good article in last week's SI about the press and why we haven't seen it as much over the last handful of years.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:26 pm

I have heard the depth issue but it doesn't fly with me. That's like saying we don't defend the passing game well because we don't have fast corners.

There were plenty of teams this weekend that went 10-12 deep and yet they only played defense on the whole court when the game was getting out of reach.

I will pick up last week's SI, thanks for the info.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:28 pm

I totally see where you are coming from Lefty. I have always liked watching team who press/trap. While there is certainly a risk involved giving up easy baskets if a team breaks it, there are also many opportunities to create turnovers that lead to easy buckets.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:53 pm

I completely agree Lefty. I also think we'd see fewer upsets if the more athletic and skilled teams made the game a 90 foot game. If you have better athletes you should make the game a track meet. Kansas/Bucknell being a good example. Roy Williams never pressed full court, although he does use a pretty aggressive halfcourt trap. But I totally agree, teams seem more than willing to let opponents slow the game down for them...it gives inferior teams a real advantage if you allow them to do this.

Another thing that is really bugging me lately is teams trying to wait until the literal last second to get a final shot off. Teams wait until there is only 3 - 4 seconds left in the half or game to make their move to the hoop. If anything goes wrong you either don't get a shot off, or get a very, very low percentage shot up. See Arizona and Kentucky games from this weekend for examples. Another thing colleges are terrible about is not taking advantage of two for one situations at the end of halves or games. These things really bug me.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:19 pm

On third and ten, teams typically don't blitz their entire secondary

I don't think I have ever seen the entire secondary blitz. ;)

I understand your points, but I think a better analogy for football is playing a prevent defense until your opponent reaches your 35 yard line. At that point you change to an aggressive defense.

Further your OU example from the early 90's tells me the opponents weren't pressing very well or OU was just head and shoulders above them. A well coached team can successfully press too.

I also agree somewhat with your points on scholarship limits and conditioning. But remember this cuts both ways. You could easily argue that by pressing you tire out the other teams short bench and just wear them down.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:41 pm

Nope. On sundays I am watching all the college games that I used to tape and now TiVo. If I happen to make it thru the college games I may catch the Sunday night game, but not usually.

But how in the hell can a 46 defense blitz their entire secondary? No way a LB can drop wide enough and deep enough to keep a WR from scoring on a soft toss towards the sidelines. Unless I guess if the LB lines up over the WR it is possible.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 6:48 pm

Agreed. I just don't see many other sports where defense gives up so much ground so willingly, and yet when the contest it they tend to do well.

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:11 pm

Rick Pitino would press all the time if he had his way (used to at UK) but the last couple of seasons, it's taken it's toll with Louisville. By the end of the last two seasons, the team was so banged up that they didn't last long in the post season. He's abandoned it in the interest of keeping his team healthier at the end of the season. Ironically, he HAD to go to it against West Virginia and it worked. BTH is right on. It's exhausting and against a fast, experienced, good ball-handling team, the press can be toyed with.

Interestingly, I was in Vegas for the 1st round in '96 and the Pitino coached Wildcats were -35 vs. San Jose St. in the first game of the tournament. UK was up by a point or maybe tied at the half and there were a lot of nervous bettors. 'Cats crank up the press even tighter for the 2nd half and the lead grew and grew but UK was STILL pressing with a 30 point lead and a minute left in the game. Kinda' makes you wonder........
They won by 38. Hmmmmm.................

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:25 pm

When you talk about defense, do you talk just about allowing the fewest points possible or the combination of forcing turnovers, holding teams to low field goal percentages and getting defensive rebounds?

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:53 pm

I speak to all of it. There are things like 5 seconds to inbound the ball, 10 seconds to get the ball in the front court, and 5 seconds of handling the ball when pressured that have become a lost part of most games.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:01 pm

Doesn't always work. Ask Nolan Richardson.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:03 am

If you have better athletes it will work a majority of the time...Nolan had a lot of good years at Arkansas.

Like I said, I think the biggest thing it would do in the tourney is help speed up games against teams with inferior talent and athleticism. The game that comes immediately to mind this year is Kansas/Bucknell. Kansas made no attempt to speed up the game and let Bucknell dictate pace. Kansas played bad yes, but if the game was a 90 foot game for 40 minutes, I have to believe the increased possessions and pressure on the guards would have prevented this upset and many others like it in years past. It's just my opinion, but I do believe strongly in what Lefty is preaching here.

the_ouskull · Post by **the_ouskull** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:07 pm

...except what we ran in the Orange Bowl. :sad:

the_oustillsmiting

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:05 pm

^^^^^

So is Bomar gonna start this year? Curious to see how good he is.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:37 pm

i don't think Bomar will start. though, i've heard through the Norman and booster/donor grapevine (from my old man)....like AD he may just be too good to keep off the field, eventually.

personally, and may just be sentiment, but i'd like to see PT get a shot to run the show and get it done. if he can't, let the future be now.

too bad Grady couldn't Uncle Rico it back to the mid-late 90's. he'd have been a star.