Bear Down Wildcats

gumby wrote:

Pop McKale wrote: But did he really destroy us? Never felt like he dominated the game even though he was at the FT line all night long.

Forget it, Jake. It's Internet Town.

"gumby, put that mouse away...let the moderators handle this!!!"

SunnyAZ wrote:

gumby wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:

Merkin wrote:

CatFanOneMil wrote: That being said, it is VERY OBVIOUS that teams are going to throw their big at RISTIC in the paint

Seems that is the very first play called by the opposing teams. Bama worked it to perfection, easy 2 points, Alabama 2-0.

Speaking of which, how did Bama get possession on the tip off? How can Ayton at 7'1" with a 43" vertical ever lose the tip off?

Ayton has lost most tip offs this season. It's weird.

I keep hearing about this 43 inch vert. But it doesn't translate to game situations. Not a quick jumper, not a willing jumper (and there is no second jump) a la Aaron Gordon. Not an instinctual shot blocker. He's never had to battle.

you know he is averaging 20.5 and 12, right? A lot of that because he is super athletic.

Stay on topic. Jumping. Thinking of rim protection, opening tips (not a biggie). That vert. hasn't come into play in those contexts. He's obviously a swell player.

gumby wrote: Stay on topic. Jumping. Thinking of rim protection, opening tips (not a biggie). That vert. hasn't come into play in those contexts. He's obviously a swell player.

jumping helps him gets rebounds and score

On to free throws. Cats make only two more per game than the opponent (17/15). Have only attempted 15 more in 10 games.

Would like to see more separation there.

Last year it was 17 to 11 FTs made. Would be indicative of better defense (without fouling). Plus, a lineup of Trier (all year) and Ayton should be drawing more fouls than last year's team. Better ball movement would get teams out of position more often.

And I don't what the percentage is on front-ends, but seems like 50%. Makes me crazy.

SunnyAZ wrote:

gumby wrote: Stay on topic. Jumping. Thinking of rim protection, opening tips (not a biggie). That vert. hasn't come into play in those contexts. He's obviously a swell player.

jumping helps him gets rebounds and score

Correct. Now let's see what it can do in other ways.

gumby wrote:

SunnyAZ wrote:

gumby wrote: Stay on topic. Jumping. Thinking of rim protection, opening tips (not a biggie). That vert. hasn't come into play in those contexts. He's obviously a swell player.

jumping helps him gets rebounds and score

Correct. Now let's see what it can do in other ways.

Actually I'm impressed with Ayton's ability to finish with the dunk. I've noticed he almost always finishes with dunks where Zeus and Ristic would lay it in.

Ayton's issues with rim protection have more to do with timing and movement than with his vert. Getting into better position would take him further.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

gumby wrote:

SunnyAZ wrote:

gumby wrote: Stay on topic. Jumping. Thinking of rim protection, opening tips (not a biggie). That vert. hasn't come into play in those contexts. He's obviously a swell player.

jumping helps him gets rebounds and score

Correct. Now let's see what it can do in other ways.

Actually I'm impressed with Ayton's ability to finish with the dunk. I've noticed he almost always finishes with dunks where Zeus and Ristic would lay it in.

Ayton's issues with rim protection have more to do with timing and movement than with his vert. Getting into better position would take him further.

Yes, and better team defense would help, too. My point is not related to offense. For whatever reason, the vert. is more in evidence in rebounding.

He is fourth in the nation in rebounding. To be Top 50 in blocked shots, you need 2.1 a game. He's at 1.3.

He will get better at it, but it seems the elite guys are just more instinctual, hungry and quicker off the floor when it comes to that.

To repeat, still a tremendous talent. Would want no other big.

Ayton has huge hands and an incredible standing reach. When you're wondering why he's able to hang on to the ball and finish at the rim, having the biggest hands in college basketball and being 7 inches away from the rim sure helps.

My quip about wanting him to use his height on offense more comes from watching a guy like JaVale McGee - who happens to have the same measurables (hands, vert, wingspan, height) as Ayton.

Check out the height and the hangtime on the 17s, 59s, 1:11, 1:30 dunks (and others).

When I saw these guys in person and the way they spaced the floor and then used penetration with McGee looking to punish the rim if the defense rotated... They didn't just look unstoppable, they were unstoppable.

I want to see some more of that out of Ayton.

On defense I think the block rate concerns have already been discussed, but they persist.

YoDeFoe wrote:Ayton has huge hands and an incredible standing reach. When you're wondering why he's able to hang on to the ball and finish at the rim, having the biggest hands in college basketball and being 7 inches away from the rim sure helps.

My quip about wanting him to use his height on offense more comes from watching a guy like Javelle McGee - who happens to have the same measurables (hands, vert, wingspan, height) as Ayton.

Check out the height and the hangtime on the 17s, 59s, 1:11, 1:30 dunks (and others).

When I saw these guys in person and the way they spaced the floor and then used penetration with McGee looking to punish the rim if the defense rotated... They didn't just look unstoppable, they were unstoppable.

I want to see some more of that out of Ayton.

On defense I think the block rate concerns have already been discussed, but they persist.

Defense regressed, says Miller.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ws-defense" target="_blank

Guards not getting back. Not matching up. Not making that a priority.

He wants fewer jump shots but more threes from Parker.

gumby wrote:Defense regressed, says Miller.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ws-defense" target="_blank

Guards not getting back. Not matching up. Not making that a priority.

He wants fewer jump shots but more threes from Parker.

If we make our FTs at 76% instead of 63% that's a 10pt win. I was pretty impressed with our guys on defense.

Petty, Sexton, and Donta Hall are each a handful.

But I appreciate that you can't just take two good wins and say "we made it" - we still gave up 1.12 PPP to Alabama.

gumby wrote:Defense regressed, says Miller.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ws-defense" target="_blank

Guards not getting back. Not matching up. Not making that a priority.

He wants fewer jump shots but more threes from Parker.

One play that stands out is when Rawle got the fast break layup 5 on 1. No one rotated back and we gave up a good look going the other way.

YoDeFoe wrote:Ayton has huge hands and an incredible standing reach. When you're wondering why he's able to hang on to the ball and finish at the rim, having the biggest hands in college basketball and being 7 inches away from the rim sure helps.

My quip about wanting him to use his height on offense more comes from watching a guy like JaVale McGee - who happens to have the same measurables (hands, vert, wingspan, height) as Ayton.

Check out the height and the hangtime on the 17s, 59s, 1:11, 1:30 dunks (and others).

When I saw these guys in person and the way they spaced the floor and then used penetration with McGee looking to punish the rim if the defense rotated... They didn't just look unstoppable, they were unstoppable.

I want to see some more of that out of Ayton.

On defense I think the block rate concerns have already been discussed, but they persist.

I don't think it is an emphasis for Miller's teams to throw lobs in PnR situations (I'm assuming that is what the video was about since McGee can't do anything else). Pretty sure Ayton would go get them if we threw them.

Also the Warriors have three of the best shooter ever, so it is hard for a backside defender to bump/defend a roll man.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
I've posted previously about how I think Sexton is a top 5 pick. He has a lot of skill and is a competitive SOB.

I can see it. Was like watching Markelle Fultz with a much better supporting cast.

Pop McKale wrote:But did he really destroy us? Never felt like he dominated the game even though he was at the FT line all night long. I suppose that's worth something, but the guards were doing better and certainly trying harder than I've seen them all year to limit the penetration.

Puerco wrote:Yeah Sexton is tough. He killed us by drawing so many fouls, but otherwise shot 40% and had no rebounds and just a couple assists. That’s a chucker’s line if you take away the free throws. But yeah...

I don’t blame PJC for that. Sexton is going to go off on a lot of people this year.

At the end of the day, Sexton had 30 points on 15 shots, and some of those misses were him trying to finish off contact... That is outstanding efficiency for any player, even more so for a point guard. We had four players end the game with 4 fouls, one of them being Trier, so he had a significant impact on the game in that regard as well. Remember, Sexton sat out almost all of the final five minutes of the 1st half and he still played significant minutes with two fouls before he went out. He was dominant.

rgdeuce wrote:

Pop McKale wrote:But did he really destroy us? Never felt like he dominated the game even though he was at the FT line all night long. I suppose that's worth something, but the guards were doing better and certainly trying harder than I've seen them all year to limit the penetration.

Puerco wrote:Yeah Sexton is tough. He killed us by drawing so many fouls, but otherwise shot 40% and had no rebounds and just a couple assists. That’s a chucker’s line if you take away the free throws. But yeah...

I don’t blame PJC for that. Sexton is going to go off on a lot of people this year.

At the end of the day, Sexton had 30 points on 15 shots, and some of those misses were him trying to finish off contact... That is outstanding efficiency for any player, even more so for a point guard. We had four players end the game with 4 fouls, one of them being Trier, so he had a significant impact on the game in that regard as well. Remember, Sexton sat out almost all of the final five minutes of the 1st half and he still played significant minutes with two fouls before he went out. He was dominant.

Sexton doing that with foul trouble really impressed me (although I'm admittedly a fan). He got 2 quick whistles and would have had an excuse for being out of rhythm after that. Instead he produced a great game.

I don't fault him for the low assists. He spread the ball and people missed. Down the stretch, he penetrated to get an open 3 for a teammate who missed. Beyond that, when you can drop 30, you have to shoot a bit.

Avery Johnson deserves quite a bit of credit himself. He played that situation perfectly.

rgdeuce wrote:Avery Johnson deserves quite a bit of credit himself. He played that situation perfectly.

I agree. He did a good job of balancing trusting Sexton to play smart with not exposing him. One reason I like Sexton is he plays smart and aggressive in a way you don't see from a lot of freshmen, and Avery let him handle it.

An example is how he drew so many fouls in the second half. He recognized the refs were calling it tight and that he had an advantage off the bounce vs all our defenders. He constantly forced the issue and drew contact without getting out of control and charging.

Avery shut him down the right way and then trusted him to get back into it without doing anything stupid. Bama is a dangerous team and that win should be legit come March as long as Sexton is playing.

Beachcat97 wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:When Rawle comes back you go small and run.

G: PJC
G: Trier
G: Ranloph
G/F: Alkins
F/C: Ayton

Yes. When we face bigger teams, go with Pinder and Lee. Try Ristic for a few minutes.

Who should be in Arizona’s rotation?
It sounds like Arizona will move to an eight-man rotation, so... who should be in it? Let’s sort it out.
By Ryan Kelapire@RKelapire Dec 13, 2017, 1:05am PST

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... epth-chart" target="_blank

SunnyAZ wrote: I don't think it is an emphasis for Miller's teams to throw lobs in PnR situations (I'm assuming that is what the video was about since McGee can't do anything else). Pretty sure Ayton would go get them if we threw them.

Also the Warriors have three of the best shooter ever, so it is hard for a backside defender to bump/defend a roll man.

I'd argue that we have an incredible group of three point shooters among PJC, Trier, Randolph, Rawle, and Barcello. PJC will likely end his career at Arizona as one of the five best three point shooters in conference history. In college, thats Curry-esque.

And yes I'm arguing for a change in emphasis to throwing lobs out of the PnR - especially the way that the Warriors structure it here, with the PG dishing to the four man who has paint position, who then tosses it very high to the rim running five (see the 16s mark and the 31s mark while the 58s mark is another example of lobbing off of help defense). In my dreams it'd be Rawle/Lee at the four drawing the defense as PJC/Trier roll off the screen from Ayton, with Ayton sneaking behind the D for the finish. Not sure how easy it would be with the attention Ayton draws but it's just a dream and I'm just a message board junkie.

Jefe wrote:August 22nd Mock Drafts
https://www.draftsite.com/nba/mock-draft/2018/" target="_blank
4 Ayton
9 Trier
13 Akot
30 Alkins
48 Ristic
http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft" target="_blank
4 Ayton
28 Alkins
39 Trier
http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2018-nba-mock-draft.html" target="_blank
3 Ayton
15 Akot
22 Trier
23 Alkins

December 13th
https://www.draftsite.com/nba/mock-draft/2018/" target="_blank
3 Ayton
13 Trier
Akot gone
30 Alkins
43 Ristic
http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft" target="_blank
1 Ayton
31 Alkins
36 Trier
http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2018-nba-mock-draft.html" target="_blank
2 Ayton
Akot gone
24 Trier
Alkins gone

rgdeuce wrote:

Pop McKale wrote:But did he really destroy us? Never felt like he dominated the game even though he was at the FT line all night long. I suppose that's worth something, but the guards were doing better and certainly trying harder than I've seen them all year to limit the penetration.

Puerco wrote:Yeah Sexton is tough. He killed us by drawing so many fouls, but otherwise shot 40% and had no rebounds and just a couple assists. That’s a chucker’s line if you take away the free throws. But yeah...

I don’t blame PJC for that. Sexton is going to go off on a lot of people this year.

At the end of the day, Sexton had 30 points on 15 shots, and some of those misses were him trying to finish off contact... That is outstanding efficiency for any player, even more so for a point guard. We had four players end the game with 4 fouls, one of them being Trier, so he had a significant impact on the game in that regard as well. Remember, Sexton sat out almost all of the final five minutes of the 1st half and he still played significant minutes with two fouls before he went out. He was dominant.

Yep. People forget he didn't play much in the first half. Reminds me of Lillard.

13,000 tickets sold already for Saturday's game at New Mexico.

I don't know why they're attending the game, because New Mexico is very very not good this year, but more power to them. Should be a great road atmosphere and an opportunity for our guys to learn to play up to expectations (and not down to the competition).

For reference:




New Mexico does get a ton of their points from three, and loves to play high tempo - so should be a good lesson in perimeter and transition defense.

Jefe wrote:

Jefe wrote:August 22nd Mock Drafts
https://www.draftsite.com/nba/mock-draft/2018/" target="_blank
4 Ayton
9 Trier
13 Akot
30 Alkins
48 Ristic
http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft" target="_blank
4 Ayton
28 Alkins
39 Trier
http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2018-nba-mock-draft.html" target="_blank
3 Ayton
15 Akot
22 Trier
23 Alkins

December 13th
https://www.draftsite.com/nba/mock-draft/2018/" target="_blank
3 Ayton
13 Trier
Akot gone
30 Alkins
43 Ristic
http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft" target="_blank
1 Ayton
31 Alkins
36 Trier
http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2018-nba-mock-draft.html" target="_blank
2 Ayton
Akot gone
24 Trier
Alkins gone

Whoever passes on Ayton with the #1 pick will regret it for the rest of their career.

It's a guard's game. I can see him not being No. 1. Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers ... perimeter-powered with good, but not great, bigs. Rockets dumped Howard and got better. Pelicans have two excellent bigs, but a mediocre team.

Then again, who would that guard be?

gumby wrote:It's a guard's game. I can see him not being No. 1. Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers ... perimeter-powered with good, but not great, bigs. Rockets dumped Howard and got better. Pelicans have two excellent bigs, but a mediocre team.

Then again, who would that guard be?

Doncic.

Porter is the option if you want a wing. Want a big guy and you're in Ayton/Bagley land. I love Sexton, but this class is loaded and he's probably 5th.

gumby wrote:It's a guard's game. I can see him not being No. 1. Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers ... perimeter-powered with good, but not great, bigs. Rockets dumped Howard and got better. Pelicans have two excellent bigs, but a mediocre team.

Then again, who would that guard be?

*wing game

KD, Lebron, Harden, Kawhi, etc.

Yes, its all about the wings. The guys who have the size to go off the bounce, finish at the rim, absorb contact, and pass/shoot are what wins in the NBA, and will continue to win, just as they always have. Doncic is a wing who can play PG. Dude is legit.

SunnyAZ wrote:

gumby wrote:It's a guard's game. I can see him not being No. 1. Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers ... perimeter-powered with good, but not great, bigs. Rockets dumped Howard and got better. Pelicans have two excellent bigs, but a mediocre team.

Then again, who would that guard be?

*wing game

KD, Lebron, Harden, Kawhi, etc.

Same idea, since LB and JH often run the O. Point is: Not Ayton's position.

Yeah, defense.

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... nse-kenpom" target="_blank

Arizona is allowing 102.6 points per 100 possessions this season. That is almost the worst defensive rating among all Sean Miller-coached Arizona teams. The 2009-10 team — which finished 16-15 and missed the NCAA Tournament — allowed 102.8 points per 100 possessions.

This sucks.

Basically, if a team isn’t in the Top 12 this time of year, it almost certainly won’t win a national title.

“The eventual national champion has been ranked no lower than No. 12 in the week six poll every season but one since 1999,” the article states.

That’s an ominous fact for an Arizona team currently ranked 23rd.

Right now, I'm not a fan of any analysis of this team that includes the first six games. The cupcakes aren't instructive and the vanishing act in the Bahamas looks like an aberration.

Truly I'm not comfortable projecting for this team until we see how they play at the start of conference with a healthy Rawle in the line-up. I mean: a guy who will be in the NBA next year is going from playing zero minutes to more than thirty a game. That matters.

And re: the "top 12, week 6" I have zero faith in the current polls. Anyone who thinks this Kansas team is the 13th best in the nation is fucking high. I don't know if this is a unique year or a trend but the polling has been bonkers. Looks like a College Football Playoff hangover where teams that are undefeated MUST BE RESPECTED and teams with losses HAVE TO BE DOCKED. Mix in some good ol blue blood bias and ta-da, you've got your poll.

Arizona state's most used line-up averages 6'3". They're the fifth best team in the country? FOH.

"Top 12 week 6" only indicates an anomaly that will eventually be broken...I wonder were we top 12 in Dec 1996 and if this is true were all the other Natty winners as well?

At some point it is a broken gauge...we just haven't gone back far enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3OZcCujMc" target="_blank

It's pretty funny how different players answer post game questions.

Someone asked Trier about Rawle playing well and Trier says their best defender is guarding me, the 2nd best defender is guarding Ayton, and the other team's defense is designed to take out Ayton and Trier from the game so Rawle gets to go against the 3rd best defender and good for him for taking advantage.

Someone asked Rawle if the team is playing better with him back and he says it isn't necessarily him, just part of the process of the team getting better with reps and we have a talented team and they would be as good without me.

SunnyAZ wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3OZcCujMc

It's pretty funny how different players answer post game questions.

Someone asked Trier about Rawle playing well and Trier says their best defender is guarding me, the 2nd best defender is guarding Ayton, and the other team's defense is designed to take out Ayton and Trier from the game so Rawle gets to go against the 3rd best defender and good for him for taking advantage.

Someone asked Rawle if the team is playing better with him back and he says it isn't necessarily him, just part of the process of the team getting better with reps and we have a talented team and they would be as good without me.

Telling and not surprising.

SunnyAZ wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3OZcCujMc

It's pretty funny how different players answer post game questions.

Someone asked Trier about Rawle playing well and Trier says their best defender is guarding me, the 2nd best defender is guarding Ayton, and the other team's defense is designed to take out Ayton and Trier from the game so Rawle gets to go against the 3rd best defender and good for him for taking advantage.

Someone asked Rawle if the team is playing better with him back and he says it isn't necessarily him, just part of the process of the team getting better with reps and we have a talented team and they would be as good without me.

After watching (and not knowing the phrasing of the question) I'm ok with his answer. He's always been more of a straight shooter in his interviews anyways and his answer was on point. He later talked about guys playing well and hitting shots. I know it's in vogue to hate on the guy but any reasonable person would expect Rawle to be able to score as the 3rd option. Even the broadcast crew discussed it.

Any team would be smart to have it’s 3rd best defender on Rawle, This Is why it’s going to be a great year with him as our third option

Alieberman wrote:Any team would be smart to have it’s 3rd best defender on Rawle, This Is why it’s going to be a great year with him as our third option

Since the other option is zone, it would be a good year to figure out how to bust that zone. I'm imagining getting it to Ayton on the elbow, and letting him make the extra pass. Or just can the freaking 15-footer over the swarm of marsupials.

prh wrote:After watching (and not knowing the phrasing of the question) I'm ok with his answer. He's always been more of a straight shooter in his interviews anyways and his answer was on point. He later talked about guys playing well and hitting shots. I know it's in vogue to hate on the guy but any reasonable person would expect Rawle to be able to score as the 3rd option. Even the broadcast crew discussed it.

I was just assuming the question but I guess it is reasonable that it was a different question and he just brought it up.

But I didn't really have a problem with it. Just something that is noticeable.

Trier seems like a guy that likes getting the credit he deserves and doesn't mind letting people know that. Nothing wrong with that but people do tend to favor the way Rawle goes about his business (in team sports) for whatever reason.


But to basketball, I love the way Trier handled PG duties. Especially since someone finally figured out they can throw lobs to Deandre.

Trier has been maturing since the Bahamas games and with rawle back and it's really great to see.

Longhorned wrote:

Alieberman wrote:Any team would be smart to have it’s 3rd best defender on Rawle, This Is why it’s going to be a great year with him as our third option

Since the other option is zone, it would be a good year to figure out how to bust that zone. I'm imagining getting it to Ayton on the elbow, and letting him make the extra pass. Or just can the freaking 15-footer over the swarm of marsupials.

I think it was the broadcast crew that called Ayton Arizona’s automatic zone buster. Like you said, stick him in the middle and throw it too high for anyone but God and Deandre. Kid can pass, put it on the deck, or turn and shoot it over anyone but Mo Bamba.

We have done well against the zone this year, outside of a few lapses here and there. At some point this season, it's not gonna matter what defense teams throw against us. Our third scoring option is #1 at most other schools. Teams have to scheme for Ayton first and foremost, then Trier, which leaves lots of daylight for the other 3 guys on the court. That means you have a legit #1 option, WHO CAN HURT YOU ON ALL THREE LEVELS, with plenty of daylight. Plus he is a good passer. If that wasnt enough, you have PJC who is shooting over 51% from deep and Ristic (flaws aside), who is still one of the best interior scorers in the nation. By the way, Brandon Randolph is shooting 47% from 3, Barcello 36%, and Ira Lee is a guy who can cut to open space near the basket and finish strong. This team shoots over 52% from the floor, 40% from 3, and nearly 75% from the line... and we just barely got Alkins back and our freshmen are still getting their legs under them.

All the more reason to keep getting better every day on defense. We don't have the guys to be like those NJ, TJ, Ashley, Zeus, Rondae, Stanley, AG, squads defensively, but we can still make ourselves into a good defensive team by March.

I believe we will look back at the Bahamas trip 1 day as a major factor in Miller getting his 1st team to the final 4

rgdeuce wrote:We have done well against the zone this year, outside of a few lapses here and there. At some point this season, it's not gonna matter what defense teams throw against us. Our third scoring option is #1 at most other schools. Teams have to scheme for Ayton first and foremost, then Trier, which leaves lots of daylight for the other 3 guys on the court. That means you have a legit #1 option, WHO CAN HURT YOU ON ALL THREE LEVELS, with plenty of daylight. If that wasnt enough, you have PJC who is shooting over 51% from deep and Ristic (flaws aside), who is still one of the best interior scorers in the nation. By the way, Brandon Randolph is shooting 47% from 3, Barcello 36%, and Ira Lee is a guy who can cut to open space near the basket and finish strong. This team shoots over 52% from the floor, 40% from 3, and nearly 75% from the line... and we just barely got Alkins back and our freshmen are still getting their legs under them.

All the more reason to keep getting better every day on defense. We don't have the guys to be like those NJ, TJ, Ashley, Zeus, Rondae, Stanley, AG, squads defensively, but we can still make ourselves into a good defensive team by March.

Against a zone, we could not play Dusan at all. One of the negatives with Dusan vs a zone is that he is not a natural passer. He has to be a finisher to be effective vs a zone and doesn't facilitate.

Going PJC, Randy, Trier, Rawle, Ayton would be very effective against a zone if a team plays it. You have shooters everywhere, someone to dunk the ball and dominate that glass, Rawle to slash and show off how he can hit the glass too. As long as we don't settle, that lineup would be really hard on a 2-3.

We may not be a top 20 AdjD team when based on resume by March, but we can be playing top 20 level. I would focus on that, not the overall resume.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:We have done well against the zone this year, outside of a few lapses here and there. At some point this season, it's not gonna matter what defense teams throw against us. Our third scoring option is #1 at most other schools. Teams have to scheme for Ayton first and foremost, then Trier, which leaves lots of daylight for the other 3 guys on the court. That means you have a legit #1 option, WHO CAN HURT YOU ON ALL THREE LEVELS, with plenty of daylight. If that wasnt enough, you have PJC who is shooting over 51% from deep and Ristic (flaws aside), who is still one of the best interior scorers in the nation. By the way, Brandon Randolph is shooting 47% from 3, Barcello 36%, and Ira Lee is a guy who can cut to open space near the basket and finish strong. This team shoots over 52% from the floor, 40% from 3, and nearly 75% from the line... and we just barely got Alkins back and our freshmen are still getting their legs under them.

All the more reason to keep getting better every day on defense. We don't have the guys to be like those NJ, TJ, Ashley, Zeus, Rondae, Stanley, AG, squads defensively, but we can still make ourselves into a good defensive team by March.

Against a zone, we could not play Dusan at all. One of the negatives with Dusan vs a zone is that he is not a natural passer. He has to be a finisher to be effective vs a zone and doesn't facilitate.

Going PJC, Randy, Trier, Rawle, Ayton would be very effective against a zone if a team plays it. You have shooters everywhere, someone to dunk the ball and dominate that glass, Rawle to slash and show off how he can hit the glass too. As long as we don't settle, that lineup would be really hard on a 2-3.

We may not be a top 20 AdjD team when based on resume by March, but we can be playing top 20 level. I would focus on that, not the overall resume.

My pie in the sky hope for this team is to be like the Duke team with Winslow and okafor. They were dreadful on defense all season, but got it together just in time for the tournament and the rest is history.

I hope this team figures it out defensively. Still way too many head scratching defensive trips.

Frybry02 wrote:I hope this team figures it out defensively. Still way too many head scratching defensive trips.

Sean thought the d was better. Very few blown assignments. They only scored 53

I hope this team figures out how to win a game without injury. Tonight it was Trier, with Barcello the game before and Alkins still not 100 percent. God help us.

84Cat wrote:

Frybry02 wrote:I hope this team figures it out defensively. Still way too many head scratching defensive trips.

Sean thought the d was better. Very few blown assignments. They only scored 53

8/27 from 3.

81 total shots.

And they scored a grand total of 53 points, with three 3's in garbage time.

I mean, not perfect, but against a team without size that passes extremely well, we looked pretty good for long stretches.

84Cat wrote:

Frybry02 wrote:I hope this team figures it out defensively. Still way too many head scratching defensive trips.

Sean thought the d was better. Very few blown assignments. They only scored 53

Yeah, in the presser Miller seemed happy with the efforts on defense. Said that the shots were contested.

Looks like the bench with 21 pts is a good sign.

12/13 FT's, 5 TO's, 41 rebs, 50% fg...solid performance.

UConn next. Hope Zo is up and running soon.