Best Defensive Team This Season?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

If your intention was to shut down the opposition to the maximum extent possible, what team would be on the floor this coming season? Don't worry too much about whether they can score.

Pick your own strategies - pressing, blocking shots, grabbing every rebound, playing stall-ball on offense, disrupting the passing lanes, playing in-your-grill defense, severe trapping, taking charges.... Lots of factors.

Assume everybody is healthy and up to speed (thinking mainly of Kenny).

Not having seen Jalek play at this level, and not having paid attention to Cam's D when we played Pitt last year, I have these guys in the backcourt and wings:

Joel
Kenny
Theo

...with Seventh being the main alternative.

But I am clueless about the front court.

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Like your backcourt for D.

My front would be
Manley
Luke

 

[TPFKAPFS]

The more I see and read about Manley's progress, the more I think he will be a real problem for opponents by ACC time!

JB, KW, TP, Bird, and Huff would be my best lineup at the beginning of the year, but I expect Manley to step up at some point during the season! Since we are talking D, it might be interesting to sub out Bird and insert Huff. Huff and Manley as a frontcourt would provide size, strength, and athleticism.

 

[pln2013]

Berry
Woods
Williams
Pinson
[Big]

 

[Heels5150]

Berry, Jalek, Theo, Luke and Brooks

 

[dadika13]

Like your backcourt for D.

My front would be
Manley
Luke

I really hope Manley is ready and if he is, completely agree here. From what I've seen (granted it's on tape from HS) he seems like he has really great instincts defensively and can become a big time shot blocker.

As always with him though, conditioning will be the key if he can become that this season.

 

[DSouthr]

Like your backcourt for D.

My front would be
Manley
Luke

Strictly defensively, I would like to see Huff and either Brooks or Manley at the 4 with Theo, Kenny, and Joel. I say that only because I do think those guys give us athleticism and length that Luke may not. But Luke has great positioning and understands his role really well. I just really like length and guys that play above the rim as shot blockers, shot alterers, and re bounders.

 

[pln2013]

Strictly defensively, I would like to see Huff and either Brooks or Manley at the 4 with Theo, Kenny, and Joel. I say that only because I do think those guys give us athleticism and length that Luke may not. But Luke has great positioning and understands his role really well. I just really like length and guys that play above the rim as shot blockers, shot alterers, and re bounders.

I can't see a lineup with 2 raw first year bigs being our best defensive lineup.

 

[DSouthr]

I can't see a lineup with 2 raw first year bigs being our best defensive lineup.

Valid point, experience would be a challenge but I think those kids would bring length and physicality and those 2 aspects I do love on the defensive end.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

There is a much higher percentage of Bigs who come in being able to protect the rim than being able to contribute offensively. The Vids of our Bigs show Manley and Huff taking a personal interest in rim protection/rebounding so I think they will be fine. On O, however, they may well show significant growing pains!

 

[pln2013]

There is a much higher percentage of Bigs who come in being able to protect the rim than being able to contribute offensively. The Vids of our Bigs show Manley and Huff taking a personal interest in rim protection/rebounding so I think they will be fine. On O, however, they may well show significant growing pains!

Rim protection is important but overrated. Defending the P&R is critical, and young bigs (especially ones with iffy mobility) tend to struggle in that aspect of defense.

 

[gauchoheel]

A lot of people are putting Luke in our best defensive lineup? I'd rather go small if defense is all that matters.

Berry
Williams
Johnson
Pinson
Manley

 

[pln2013]

A lot of people are putting Luke in our best defensive lineup? I'd rather go small if defense is all that matters.

Berry
Williams
Johnson
Pinson
Manley

Luke will probably be our best defensive big, by virtue of simply knowing where to be.

 

[dadika13]

Luke will probably be our best defensive big, by virtue of simply knowing where to be.

I know he's God around here...but Luke was fairly terrible on defense last year when faced up against anyone with a lick of athleticism.

 

[DSouthr]

Rim protection is important but overrated. Defending the P&R is critical, and young bigs (especially ones with iffy mobility) tend to struggle in that aspect of defense.

Over rated? Bigs that protect the lane, shot blockers, altering shots, shutting down the lane drives forces teams to become 1 dimensional jump shooters, how is that over rated? WE just won the Natty with 3 big men that really struggled defending the high picks. One fouled way to much (Hicks) and the other 2 (Meeks and Tony) just could not move their feet well enough to do a consistent job defending the high pick roll action.

That is pretty much why you didn't see Tony and Meeks in together a lot last season and yet we won the title. I can assure ya, Tony did not get drafted in the first round based on the swiftness of his feet defending the pick and roll.

 

[pln2013]

I know he's God around here...but Luke was fairly terrible on defense last year when faced up against anyone with a lick of athleticism.

This is more-or-less true. I'm just not confident in our first year bigs.

 

[pln2013]

Over rated? Bigs that protect the lane, shot blockers, altering shots, shutting down the lane drives forces teams to become 1 dimensional jump shooters, how is that over rated? WE just won the Natty with 3 big men that really struggled defending the high picks. One fouled way to much (Hicks) and the other 2 (Meeks and Tony) just could not move their feet well enough to do a consistent job defending the high pick roll action.

That is pretty much why you didn't see Tony and Meeks in together a lot last season and yet we won the title. I can assure ya, Tony did not get drafted in the first round based on the swiftness of his feet defending the pick and roll.

You can get away with not having rim protection if guys move to the right spots. We just won a natty without great rim protection. All 3 of our championship teams lacked great rim protection.

Our bigs weren't great in the P&R, but they were passable. Kennedy was slow, but he knew what he was doing (and Bradley was drafted in part because of "a certain level of mobility and fluidity that is rare among players his size", per DraftExpress). Huffman and Manley both lack quickness and are super raw in terms of technique and awareness.

Huffman blocked a lot of shots in HS, but he was extremely foul prone and likely will be this year. And Manley didn't shut down the lane in HS, so I'm not going to count on him doing so his first year in college (though he may eventually - he has impressive physical tools).

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Rim protection just got us to Back to Back Nattys! (it includes rebounding btw)

P&R D was never a factor even once in the last two years! Meeks might have known where to go, but he was never there. What he did do was shut down Haystack Calhoun; Foul out the young buck; and overpower their third big AND Block the final shot! None of the bigs got beyond 4 feet from the hoop. Maye knew where to be and hustled to get there, but was either a step slow or they shot over him. HIcks fouled too much sure, and altered shots a lot too. TB might have been in the proper spot on a P&R once all season, but I doubt it. He did fight hard for rebounds and altered shots near the rim. Boy would I love to see a second season from TB!

Huff blocked a lot of shots in HS...nuff said! Manley has impressive physical tools and I saw him block shots face up and in help D so..... Brooks is athletic and long enough to be a fine defender so.....

You see what you see and I see something else; such is the nature of fandom!