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Message: [QUOTE="Chin Diesel, post: 4116417, member: 34"] UConn has been dreadful against the press and any sort of 3/4 or 1/2 court pressure. Cole and Gaffney consistently run to the corner, the player inbounding the ball consistently throws weak passes, and players receiving passes consistently are running away from the ball instead of moving towards the ball to receive the pass. All are some of my biggest pet peeves and would have me playing Garry and Hurley five minutes in to a game because I would be pulling players left and right. Preference would be some faster guards with tighter handles who have good vision to exploit every over play by a pressing defense. Hurley doesn't have that, so it's mitigating those shortcomings. The "Coffin Corner". Every coach and player knows this is the objective of every press. It's especially effective if the person receiving the pass is short and can't see or throw over the double team. I mentioned this against Auburn and it almost worked once yesterday against VCU but Martin had trouble turning and dribbling. Here's what I want. And since the title of the thread includes why I can't coach, I am certain this explanation will suck. But the play will work. My preference is lightning quick guards with tight handles who decimate presses by themselves but UConn doesn't have that. They have to pass. It's a roster composition deficiency to not have at least one guard with jets. Use running the baseline and passing the ball to the opposite side out of bounds to change angles of the defensive pressure. Use Jax, Martin or Polley near FT line to receive pass. They are taller players who can catch the ball high. they pivot and look to either pass ball to running guard or pass to the fourth Husky standing on the backcourt side of halfcourt. Fifth Husky is near UConn FT line. Part of the problem for UConn is every player is running towards the baseline against the pressure and the defense keeps pushing UConn up against it. Spread it out to start. Two guards on the baseline, one player at FT line, one near half court and one at the UConn FT line. Whichever side UConn inbounds the ball from is where the halfcourt player moves towards. Whomever receives the ball inbounds can either pass over the top to player near halfcourt or pass to the player near the FT. Here is the second key to breaking the press. Don't turn it over by running away from the pass. Pressing teams want to shoot every gap for steals, tips, disruptions, whatever. The defenders are overselling their defensive position and integrity. Players receiving the pass have to step towards the ball, shrinking the distance and forcing the defender to make contact. Make refs make calls be making the defender make contact with UConn player's body not just hand to hand contact. UConn has been very poor at first securing the ball against pressure. Halfcourt player or sprinting guard now has room to dribble down sideline and start angling towards UConn's hoop. With one player already at FT line, they should be moving to block opposite of ball handler. Halfcourt player or the guard without the ball becomes the trail man and there is a 3 on 2 fast break ready to go. The guard who inbounds the ball is always trailing everything and acts as the safety valve for any issues. TL:DR??? 1. Use running the baseline or passing the ball to another player out of bounds to change angles for the defense or to keep them off balance. 2. Get ball to a Husky near the FT line for first pass. Husky near the FT line should be a taller player and that player must flash with a strong base to give the passer a good target. Move towards the pass to decrease chance of defense shootint the gaps. 3. Use a player at halfcourt to act as next pass. Same thing. Be a big target, stand on backcourt side of the halfcourt line and move towards the pass. 4. Keep every player moving forward towards UConn basket with exception of inbounder who is always trailing and acting as relief valve. Cole is put in bad position by being asked to run to a corner where he will be double teamed without having any teammate consistently in a position for him to quickly pass to prior to the double. The sideline and end line give the defenders two extra defenders and it's consistently been a mess. [/QUOTE]

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