Defense

I think it's time the staff went to a zone for 2/3's of the game or more.  Mussini is not a good on-ball defender, but he looks very quick moving around in help D and shows good potential disrupting passing lanes.  I think the obvious choice is a 1-3-1 with the the amount of long guard-types like M'Vouika and Ellison (or Mussini) able to play at the top.  Balamou is the ideal back man in a 1-3-1 to run the baseline and it allows Sima to remain in the middle.

A 2-3 is also a good match for the personnel and would offer a different look.

Mullin, St. Jean, and Richmond are all probably very reluctant to leave their familiar man-to-man background, but this seems like a necessity for survival this season.  Other than Johnson, nobody is getting around or through screens at all, they are not rotating quickly, and the lack of depth is wearing them down.  A zone will lead to more easy baskets off transition.

Clearly the fact that Vandy was able to just spot up on threes via screens and be wide open is something I'm 100% sure they'll look at. A lot of bad rotations on doubles or switches as well that left people wide open even under the hoop. Hopefully they film room that tonight.

It doesn't matter if we play man or zone if we're not paying attention. I saw an endless number of plays where we didn't switch on a screen.

Today the team played no defense and did little rebounding. I hope the coaching improves

Man or zone Vandy would have destroyed. Team has gone zone and don't think Mullin or anyone on staff has a bias towards m2m.

I've also noticed scoring and game scores are up around the NCAA with the 30 second shot clock. I didn't really expect that big of a jump, teams scoring 90-100 regularly.

Man or zone Vandy would have destroyed. Team has gone zone and don't think Mullin or anyone on staff has a bias towards m2m.

Vandy was a spanking waiting to happen, but a zone could help with a team that is a closer match--a Depaul or Marquette for instance.
I don't think the staff has a bias, but I think coaches are more inclined to teach what they know best.  It's early in the year still, so I still think there is time.  Mullin has switched to two different zones that I've seen thus far. 

Quote from: Dave on November 23, 2015, 07:09:27 PM

Man or zone Vandy would have destroyed. Team has gone zone and don't think Mullin or anyone on staff has a bias towards m2m.

Vandy was a spanking waiting to happen, but a zone could help with a team that is a closer match--a Depaul or Marquette for instance.
I don't think the staff has a bias, but I think coaches are more inclined to teach what they know best.  It's early in the year still, so I still think there is time.  Mullin has switched to two different zones that I've seen thus far. 

but I'm not sure what gives you the indication that man to man is what they know best?

Quote from: Marillac on November 23, 2015, 11:30:19 PM

Quote from: Dave on November 23, 2015, 07:09:27 PM

Man or zone Vandy would have destroyed. Team has gone zone and don't think Mullin or anyone on staff has a bias towards m2m.

Vandy was a spanking waiting to happen, but a zone could help with a team that is a closer match--a Depaul or Marquette for instance.
I don't think the staff has a bias, but I think coaches are more inclined to teach what they know best.  It's early in the year still, so I still think there is time.  Mullin has switched to two different zones that I've seen thus far. 

but I'm not sure what gives you the indication that man to man is what they know best?

Does that really need explaining?  Mullin and Richmond played 15 years in the NBA and ended right before the illegal defense call was removed.  It seems all NBA players that coach in college prefer man-to-man.  Look at Hoiberg for example.  Danny Manning at Wake as well. The former NBA guys all seem to like free-flowing offense, tons of three's, and man-to-man pressure D.  So, there's that, but there are also his own comments.  He continually cites to playing an NBA style on both sides of the ball (lost count after the first 100 times he said it).  Every time he's specifically asked about defense he says NBA style and/or man to man.

Q: " What will a Chris Mullin defensive philosophy consist of?"
A:  "We've been focusing on man to man  defense, pressuring the ball, and being a really good help basketball team...we really have been focusing on man to man.  We will put zones in I think.  With college basketball there is more opportunity to throw some zone in the game at some point depending on who you're playing as far as shooters go.  In the NBA we do it a liiiiitle bit, uh, but if you do it too much, uh, they make you pay."

Simply put, if we don't learn to play solid man D it will be nearly impossible to play any decent zone except maybe some 2-3.  All those switches and help D needs to be learned, even for most zones to be effective.   We just stunk on defense in a lot of ways, but mainly because we executed poorly and were overmatched.    We got schooled because our roster isn't deep, is young and is very think depth-wise.  Going to multiple zones is t going to change much with this particular team.  We simply need to learn to play man defense better, before we start mixing any significant amount of zones in except in certain situations.