They press teams but they play weaker teams with weaker athletes. For once I think we have a good matchup. If we had Obekpa I would be very confident.
We pressed Arizona, BYU, Pitt, and Utah as well.
With all due respect, we are not like any of those teams. Each of those teams plays into your strengths. You guys have long, rangy athletes all over the roster. Delon Wright of Utah is a skinny, lengthy 6'5. The star SG from BYU too. Arizona has only a decent athlete at point but is built around SFs.
We have four guards with tight handles. We don't have to beat the pressure via pass. How can you expect a 6'7 g/f to stay with a quick 6'2 quard with a tight handle? We beat a better Providence team twice because they tried to play Greene with a very talented (former top 75 recruit) that was 6'7.
Press us and we will hang 75 on you. Harrison is likely the most savvy player you've faced all year and he excels at drawing fouls and selling the contact. Your team is prone to excessive fouling with hands when you press. Your best bet is to get back and get set on D and trap every time Pointer or Jordan cross half court with the ball in their hands. They are both prone to poor decisions.
I've seen you guys play a few times. I really like the freshman, Malik Pope. He will be a good one for you guys, and I think he could be a first rounder at some point. Chol seems like the kind of guy that can eat us up on the glass, but he commits some very obvious fouls and seems to make too many mistakes.
I get that part. And I'm actually curious to see how we approach your lineup. That being said, we don't always press for turnovers. As a matter of fact, the trap and the other plays we run for that aren't going to be run against guys who can easily beat the press. That's usually when Fisher smells blood. It's a way we wear down other teams who lack depth. Especially, if they get into foul trouble. Which would then play into your weakness right now.
We are one of the best teams in the nation at getting back in transition. That's another reason why we press. So you beat the press, you still have to line up in a half-court set. When you set up your O at the 26 second mark, it does alter any offense. That's why it takes teams the longest amount of time in the nation to get a shot off. So it isn't like your guys are going to have an easy time despite your speed and quickness advantage.
You've seen us play. No team is going to change their identity in the first game of the team dance. We press everybody. That won't change. The manner it is done will be adjusted to how you guys play it.
Only one team hung more than 70 on us in regulation this year. Even if you beat the press a lot, there is no way you're getting to 70, even in a win.
I think first team to 60 wins...hell maybe the only team to 60.
Pope is a savage. An incredible highlight film on offense. His issue is he hasn't played much basketball since his jr year of HS. So his basketball IQ isn't where his talent level is. So he gets lost on D and switches at times. But he's much improved since he started getting PT. He's our best NBA prospect right now. He needs to stop deferring open shots to older teammates too. The dude is 6'10 with an outside stroke.