Defensive Switching?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I'm no guru but it seemed to me that UConn would often run their half court offense until our switches ended up with a mismatch they liked. I don't know how often that resulted in a score for them, but they seemed to be able to "work" our switches better than our previous opponents.

I'd appreciate hearing other folks' thoughts on this. Is that a fair assessment? What should we do about it?

 

[ChiShankCity]

Switching 1-4 worked for Kansas and it played a huge part in their win over UConn. I don't know if that was an intentional part of the game plan after what Kansas showed on tape. But Kansas showed it can be done and done effectively.

Kansas also has a bunch of 6'7" dudes who can switch like that. I'm not a fan of switching ball screens with our size. I would rather ice ball screens myself.

 

[DSouthr]

I'm no guru but it seemed to me that UConn would often run their half court offense until our switches ended up with a mismatch they liked. I don't know how often that resulted in a score for them, but they seemed to be able to "work" our switches better than our previous opponents.

I'd appreciate hearing other folks' thoughts on this. Is that a fair assessment? What should we do about it?

You are spot on!~ That is exactly what they are doing, they have scouted us, they realize that the switches will lead to a mismatch, they have caught on that we will switch even when we don't have to. They realize that when we get drawn in to those mismatches that we are going to try to get the matches back more as we want them and when we do it creates a gap they can either drive or an open catch and shoot op. As example, say RJ gets switched on to Ingram's guy we are going to actively try to get RJ switched back off that big man. So of course they are going to take that mismatch to the opposite of the court to increase the distance our big has to go to switch back and the same for RJ, long way back to his better matchup, see the gap there where RJ is moving off and say Ingram is moving back to, from there it is just drive that gap. If RJ stays to long before he releases then there is a wide open catch and shoot look.

WE are switching all 5 way to much, it is one thing if you have longer guards, Seth for example can hold his own for the most part even switched to a bigger guy but our smaller guards in RJ and Cadeau and even Ryan is a problem. You can for the most part get away switching 1-3 and you can most times get away switching the 4 & 5s, defensively not a ton of difference there but you should only switch when you have to but we are switching when we don't have to? It at times is as if we are switching just to be switching, I don't get that? You keep running the same defensive approach game after game other teams are going to figure it out unless you are EXCELLENT in both tactic and execution and we just are not that. Late second half last night Hubert did try to change things up, went to the press that worked some, go ahead and expect that by the time the Ky game comes they will be ready for our diamond press. It was good to see Hubert drag out the 1-3-1 for a possession or 2 just as a change up but we were not good at it, don't toss it out, work on it and get better with it.

 

[DSouthr]

"Switching 1-4 worked for Kansas and it played a huge part in their win over UConn. I don't know if that was an intentional part of the game plan after what Kansas showed on tape. But Kansas showed it can be done and done effectively.

Kansas also has a bunch of 6'7" dudes who can switch like that. I'm not a fan of switching ball screens with our size. I would rather ice ball screens myself.

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We are not Kansas, kansas has a 6'7" guard in McCullar, Dajaun Harris is 6'2", Furphy is 6' 9", Timberlake is a stout 6'4" (195lbs). ALL guards while the majority of the minutes we have RJ at 6'0" even when he is wearing elevator shoes, Cadeau is a thin 6'2-3", and Ryan a thin 6'4" and Seth at 6'4"? Of course Kansas can switch more than we can, they have the length to allow it more that we don't have until Seth comes in at 6'4".

 

[ChiShankCity]

We are not Kansas, kansas has a 6'7" guard in McCullar, Dajaun Harris is 6'2", Furphy is 6' 9", Timberlake is a stout 6'4" (195lbs). ALL guards while the majority of the minutes we have RJ at 6'0" even when he is wearing elevator shoes, Cadeau is a thin 6'2-3", and Ryan a thin 6'4" and Seth at 6'4"? Of course Kansas can switch more than we can, they have the length to allow it more that we don't have until Seth comes in at 6'4".

I never said we should switch. I said I don't think we should switch. But the defense I would run goes counter to how UNC's been running their defense traditionally so it won't happen, lol. I wouldn't deny the wings as much. I actually prefer the ball going to the wing so we can ice ball screens near the sideline. But we play that hard wing denial so the defense will never be how I would play it.

 

[notashelbyfan]

I'm inwrong in saying in the first half we switched and done OK against the 3 and in the 2nd we came out and didn't and they torched us from 3

 

[DaveChapelle]

I'm inwrong in saying in the first half we switched and done OK against the 3 and in the 2nd we came out and didn't and they torched us from 3

They got plenty of open 3s in the first half, they just missed almost all of them.

 

[DaveChapelle]

Our halfcourt defense currently stinks. Game after game opposing teams find something they like and they exploit it.

The only time we look consistently good on defense is when we full court press. Sometimes we cause turnovers. Other times the opposition wastes a bunch of the shotclock and is left with far less time to run their halfcourt offense.

I think we should make the full court press our primary defense, and use our speed and depth all game long.

 

[ChiShankCity]

Here's the film breakdown on UNC's switches. A lot more miscues on our film than Kansas', it appears. Still probably not advisable to be switching everything with 4 feet tall guards.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Here's the film breakdown on UNC's switches. A lot more miscues on our film than Kansas', it appears. Still probably not advisable to be switching everything with 4 feet tall guards.

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That was very helpful. Thanks.

 

[gauchoheel]

We've been switching everything in a lot of games; nothing special about Uconn. Why? Not sure, as we didn't do it last year with a longer team.

I think it tends to be the most effective if you have the right guys, as you don't leave anyone unguarded like you do with hedging/trapping/zone. That's why it's run so much at the NBA level. We don't really have the right defensive personnel though, so not sure any scheme we run is going to make a difference after the surprise factor wears off. Having to run a bunch of press/traps to get stops is a bad sign for your defensive talent.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

We've been switching everything in a lot of games; nothing special about Uconn. Why? Not sure, as we didn't do it last year with a longer team.

I think it tends to be the most effective if you have the right guys, as you don't leave anyone unguarded like you do with hedging/trapping/zone. That's why it's run so much at the NBA level. We don't really have the right defensive personnel though, so not sure any scheme we run is going to make a difference after the surprise factor wears off. Having to run a bunch of press/traps to get stops is a bad sign for your defensive talent.

So far our depth hasn't been as good as we thought it would be. Makes it hard to run the press a lot, since it tires us out as much as it does them. But we could get there.

Seth is already good. Might be wishful thinking on my part but Withers could be close. Paxson doesn't embarrass us. If Washington, High or Okonkwo can step up, I think we can be better at aggressive D.

What do you think?

 

[DSouthr]

I really wish we could get away from terms like good player or bad, good per our expectations or bust? I feel the productive conversation is what specific part of the game are they weak in, why are they or why are they considered weak at that part of the game, what can the coaches or the player do differently to improve that aspect of their play, and what can they do right now that may be able to help this team. I see areas of all of these guys that can help us right now as well as areas that need to be improved on.

Per comments over the last couple weeks it appears than now Withers is the poster child for being voted off the island but maybe to others it is Paxon? I have spent a good bit of time as of late talking about Jalen yet so many want to harp on his defense, without realizing a lot of what they attribute to Jalen as bad defense is him doing what the coaches ask him to do. Example, Jalen plays drop coverage as Bacot consistently does, a guy is wide open at the foul line, so Jalen steps to the open guy just as he receives the ball and as he should the guy drives Jalen to the cup and finishes, yet the commentators go on a rant that Hubert needs to get him out of there? Bacot does the same thing and not a peep? Withers, very clear, to many TOs and picks up to many cheap fouls, both things need to get curbed quick but that does not mean he does not have aspects of his game that can help us right now today.

Want another example, sure, how about Paxon, now recall that Hubert tagged Paxon as one of this green light shooters in pre-season, along with RJ and Ryan. Kid missed shots early on and went from starting to what is he now, maybe 5mins a game? Yet Ryan isn't hitting jump shots either, where are the folks calling for Ryan to come off the bench for 5mins a game? Me, I am about why are their shots not falling, I am about working with them to get their confidence and mechanics grooved in so those jumpers will fall and that has to come with PT for them. Shots that drop in games is where real shooters confidence is found.

I have always understood that between the extremes is where truth is found, yet fans continue to push the ut most extremes and it changes to the other extreme as soon as a slight wind blows? Paxon could score 20 vs Ky and all the sudden the same fans that consider him a wasted scholly today would be calling for him to start again, wishy washy seems to be the norm, how dare you look at the in between ground where reality actually exists! How about some patience PLEASE, some recognition that it takes a while to re-build something that was as broken as this team was last season.

Hubert to his credit has done many of the things I wanted him to do this season, some areas I still don't love but that was true as well for Roy. I can tell you I feel much better about Hubert right now that I did as basically any part of last season and this team to me looks for more together right now that it has IMO, since Hubert became our head coach.

 

[gauchoheel]

So far our depth hasn't been as good as we thought it would be. Makes it hard to run the press a lot, since it tires us out as much as it does them. But we could get there.

Seth is already good. Might be wishful thinking on my part but Withers could be close. Paxson doesn't embarrass us. If Washington, High or Okonkwo can step up, I think we can be better at aggressive D.

What do you think?

I think all of those guys are far behind our starters offensively though, except for Washington (but he's even worse on D than the starters). It'd be trading one problem for another.

I've never had a ton of faith in Withers. I do think it's possible he or Paxson could be a solid spot up shooter though, and that's really all our team needs from a 5th guy on offense. So yeah if they can (especially Withers, as Wojcik seems a bit heavy footed defensively to me), then I think we have another solid guy to rotate in.

I don't really see High contributing this year, and Okonkwo being behind him isn't a great sign. Maybe if High can play more mistake free, but I feel like that might take an off-season to correct.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I don't really see High contributing this year, and Okonkwo being behind him isn't a great sign. Maybe if High can play more mistake free, but I feel like that might take an off-season to correct.

High has shown us more than I expected but, yeah, he's still a freshman. I won't be surprised if he's quite good for us next year. Armando will be hard to replace, though. What will our rebounding look like when he's gone? Maybe Washington can fill that void?

 

[DSouthr]

I suspect what you will see when Bacot is gone could be considered a 5 out look, to stretch to the 4 and 5. We saw some glimpses of this last season with Nance at the 5 while Bacot was not able to play. What will really help this will be to add shooters from the portal, especially if RJ does leave. Suspect the 3 spot will be handed by Jack and Drake but I am not expecting either of those 2 to be the big time jump shooters, more driver slashers at least as freshmen. For now, I am near 100% that Cadeau is back for a soph season, he Jack and Drake would be really interesting in the open court high tempo game.

Right now not sure that James Brown will get a lot of minutes, so I expect Ingram, Jalen, High, and Withers to get lion share of the 4 & 5 minutes, maybe some for Konkwo as well. Feels like a bit of a shaky front court to me right now, I think we really need at least a rim protector from the portal. It as well looks to me like we are going to lack a lot of jump shooting as well as a shaky front court, not good. It gets even worse if Ingram were to leave for the league after this season and that could happen, he does a lot of things that NBA teams like, especially his ability to facilitate at his size, could fill a Dray Green like role for a NBA team.

 

[gauchoheel]

High has shown us more than I expected but, yeah, he's still a freshman. I won't be surprised if he's quite good for us next year. Armando will be hard to replace, though. What will our rebounding look like when he's gone? Maybe Washington can fill that void?

Next year we would have (making some assumptions here):

Guard: Davis, Cadeau, Trimble

Wing: Jackson, Powell, Withers

Big: Washington, High, Okonkwo, Brown

I'm assuming Ingram can make the NBA if he roughly continues his trajectory (or even if his shooting regresses to the mean some) unfortunately for us. I have everyone else with eligibility returning, though 1-2 guys probably transfer in the end.

We look quite deep at guard to me; we would again need a wing shooter (who knows how Jackson/Powell shoot as freshmen) and a rim protector. As long as you have two short guards I don't think your defense can survive with a non rim protecting center. Those would be my priorities in the transfer portal.

 

[DSouthr]

goucho, rumor has been since the summer that this was going to be RJ last season with us, that he would either be able to get to the NBA but if not would cash checks in Europe for a few years, I suspect that plan has not changed. I do think the notion of Cadeau as 1&Done has changed to the extent the expectation seems he will be back next season. Trying to think like Hubert, which is not always a easy thing to do (LOL), I suspect his thinking is more Jackson at the 2 with Cadeau, and Drake at the 3, Ingram at the 4 and pickem at the 5, which may end up being a portal guy. Just going to be really important that we have a rim protector and I don't know if High will be ready to give that, Jalen isn't really a rim protector type, he is long but tends to play shorter.

If I am right and I suspect I am, that may be a worse jump shooting team than we had last season yet Hubert will have us geared for a more jump shooting approach, especially with Bacot gone. Ingram will rarely see the clean looks he has been getting this season with RJ gone and no counter threat jump shooter. So getting at a bare min 1 more portal jump shooter will be vital, don't trust Jack or Drake to come in blazing as jump shooters, there freshman game will be getting to the rim and finishing that we can rely on more than jump shooting. Fine in the breaking high tempo game but when things bog down to the half court we will need solid jump shooting to open up the lane for guys like cadeau and Jack to operate.

In terms of numbers, we know we are losing Bacot, Ryan, and Paxon. Strong suspicion we lose RJ and solid chance we lose Ingram as well, we do have the scholly that was given to lebo for this season as well available. If RJ and Ingram were to end up back with us, I hope at very least Hubert can snag a rim protector/shot blocker/rebounder from the portal. A true rim protector would really help, really helps cover some of our defensive mistakes we are dealing with right now.

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

Better team right now.

7-2 Is a great start.