The scouting report playbook against UConn has changed the last two games. No longer does the opponent try to beat us on the perimeter but rather inside the paint. Quite frankly, understanding this change is critical. Previously, teams deferred to avoid our shot blocking.
This new strategy has the added advantage of forcing the issue with Adama and other Bigs on some high foul risk exposure plays. Previously, Adama, tended to foul randomly against guards 25 feet from the basket.
It looks like part of our response to this strategy will be a pop up zone.
What’s critical is that our guys don’t go for pump fakes. We are still learning this art and it’s February. On defense, we must appreciate the value of taking away passing angles and better foot work against the dribble penetration.
THOUGHTS ON OFFENSE:
Choas - That's where we are now. We are hurried at everything we do. We don’t successfully take what the defense gives us. Without Sanogo, we completely fall apart. RJ is the calming influence but he scores on shot volume.
We have developed an array of shots that shouldn’t exist in our playbook. The fall away 3 pointer, the 12 foot running floater and the jump hook a few feet from the foul line.
As Chief had mentioned early in the season whenever I hear about great depth an alert/alarm goes off. To me that usually means we don’t have the greatness to separate from the crowd. We have a collection of players who we never know what we can get from on a given night other than net inconsistency and spastic play.
Some ideas on how we move forward:
1. Jim’s sit with 2 foul rule in the first half, was appropriate for his teams. You knew we had the talent and poise to kept it close against a good team. When we reinsertied the star, we then were within range and he would generally put us over the top. Okafor against Duke was a classic example. But, with this group and Adama’s relative value, do we take another approach?
2). In football a team will sometimes start the game with a series or sequence of plays to set the tempo pace or focus on what is believed to be the competitive advantage. Maybe we need to do that with this particular group? Quite frankly, and this isn’t meant as a criticism of anyone individually, we don’t have the collective poise and basketball intellect to leave our guys to their own devices. We have seen that break down too often. Maybe, with the mindset free from too much decision making, it might calm the nerves some? Admittedly, this isn’t how Chief would prefer to play the game. But, might it work better than the current approach for this group?
3) How do we make shooting fun again?
You start with 70% of the shot is what you do before you touch the ball. Bring in the right spot, hs one your hands/feet/mind ready and the pass received on the shooters target body area. No major motion to reach up or down or left or right. It all shoujd be seamless.
This new strategy has the added advantage of forcing the issue with Adama and other Bigs on some high foul risk exposure plays. Previously, Adama, tended to foul randomly against guards 25 feet from the basket.
It looks like part of our response to this strategy will be a pop up zone.
What’s critical is that our guys don’t go for pump fakes. We are still learning this art and it’s February. On defense, we must appreciate the value of taking away passing angles and better foot work against the dribble penetration.
THOUGHTS ON OFFENSE:
Choas - That's where we are now. We are hurried at everything we do. We don’t successfully take what the defense gives us. Without Sanogo, we completely fall apart. RJ is the calming influence but he scores on shot volume.
We have developed an array of shots that shouldn’t exist in our playbook. The fall away 3 pointer, the 12 foot running floater and the jump hook a few feet from the foul line.
As Chief had mentioned early in the season whenever I hear about great depth an alert/alarm goes off. To me that usually means we don’t have the greatness to separate from the crowd. We have a collection of players who we never know what we can get from on a given night other than net inconsistency and spastic play.
Some ideas on how we move forward:
1. Jim’s sit with 2 foul rule in the first half, was appropriate for his teams. You knew we had the talent and poise to kept it close against a good team. When we reinsertied the star, we then were within range and he would generally put us over the top. Okafor against Duke was a classic example. But, with this group and Adama’s relative value, do we take another approach?
2). In football a team will sometimes start the game with a series or sequence of plays to set the tempo pace or focus on what is believed to be the competitive advantage. Maybe we need to do that with this particular group? Quite frankly, and this isn’t meant as a criticism of anyone individually, we don’t have the collective poise and basketball intellect to leave our guys to their own devices. We have seen that break down too often. Maybe, with the mindset free from too much decision making, it might calm the nerves some? Admittedly, this isn’t how Chief would prefer to play the game. But, might it work better than the current approach for this group?
3) How do we make shooting fun again?
You start with 70% of the shot is what you do before you touch the ball. Bring in the right spot, hs one your hands/feet/mind ready and the pass received on the shooters target body area. No major motion to reach up or down or left or right. It all shoujd be seamless.
Last edited:
