UcMiami
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- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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We have heard this from some of our fans here on the boneyard, and visiting other boards I see the complaint as well. The other versions of it are 'why doesn't she drive to the basket' or 'why aren't we getting it into the post players'. (I even see this quoted from some post game coaches' pressers.)
And usually the answer is pretty simple - teams, especially teams over-matched in the low post, tend to play sagging zone defense - often some version of 4 in 1 out, or 3 in 2 out, meaning three or four players in the paint area and one or two players around the perimeter applying pressure on the ball or running at a shooter. Temple played that kind of defense almost exclusively against Uconn whenever they had the chance to get back and set it up. Watching Butler in the second half being sandwiched by two or three players, and Tuck and Stewart in the first half you could see how difficult the entry passes would be, and how difficult trying to drive into all that humanity would be.
Against that kind of defense you really do have to make some shots, or rely on rebounds and put backs. Unless you are making perimeter shots there is no reason for the defense to come out from the lane. Luckily getting open perimeter shots is pretty easy.
One thing I was really happy to see from Uconn was the number of pull up jumpers taken in the Temple game. Those 10-15 foot shots can be as effective in altering the defense as three point bombs, and tend to be higher percentage shots.
And usually the answer is pretty simple - teams, especially teams over-matched in the low post, tend to play sagging zone defense - often some version of 4 in 1 out, or 3 in 2 out, meaning three or four players in the paint area and one or two players around the perimeter applying pressure on the ball or running at a shooter. Temple played that kind of defense almost exclusively against Uconn whenever they had the chance to get back and set it up. Watching Butler in the second half being sandwiched by two or three players, and Tuck and Stewart in the first half you could see how difficult the entry passes would be, and how difficult trying to drive into all that humanity would be.
Against that kind of defense you really do have to make some shots, or rely on rebounds and put backs. Unless you are making perimeter shots there is no reason for the defense to come out from the lane. Luckily getting open perimeter shots is pretty easy.
One thing I was really happy to see from Uconn was the number of pull up jumpers taken in the Temple game. Those 10-15 foot shots can be as effective in altering the defense as three point bombs, and tend to be higher percentage shots.