Chief’s Briefs - UCLA Edition

[ucp990411]

We just held UCLA to 57 points.

And one of the reasons we held them to 57 was the high hedge took away their ability to drive the basket which is their strength. Chief and others fail to see the benefits of the high hedge. Our rotations in the high hedge were excellent against UCLA

 

[Excalibur]

The high hedge debate is so fascinating to me. Y'all only notice when it doesn't work. I think it's me and @JustbrewitMan that have gone through and actually look at what % of the time the high hedge is successful.

At the end of the day our staff has access to an insane level of advanced statistics. At its core, the high hedge produces more points than it costs us or we wouldn't be running it. When it doesn't work, we don't run it (like for Clingan).

If you look at the top defensive KP teams, I'd say between 2/3 and 3/4 employ the hard hedge at least half the time. On top of that, many of the things that are described as flaws in the hard hedge don't actually happen, at least not very often. We give up an easy shot or two per game when teams execute a short roll well or we don't recover fast enough. The fouls 25 feet from the basket have been very rare, especially in the last month. The idea that our rebounders are away from the basket when shots go up is just objectively wrong. 95% of the time, they have recovered back to the roller long before a shot attempt is made. In fact, I think we give up more offensive rebounds in drop coverage as the big eventually has to help on dribble penetration, leaving the other team's bigs to rebound misses on the weak side for easy putbacks. The hedge is designed to force guards away from the basket and disrupt offensive flow, and it does that effectively, even if our personnel this year are not tailor-made for it.

In any event, we should be (and are) mixing our coverages on ball screens. Sometimes we blitz the dribbler, sometimes we have the big step and recover (which was Calhoun's preferred tactic), sometimes we switch, sometimes we drop. I worry about trying to blitz Fears, as he is a foul-baiter who will likely draw calls, so I suspect we'll see less of it on Friday night.

 

[Excalibur]

Adding my last thought as a separate post because there is apparently a 2000 character limit for some posts.

We could drop with Clingan because he was 7'2", an elite rim protector, and could contest and even block perimeter shots even when starting near the free throw line. Neither Reed nor Riebe can do that.

 

[Umami Zen]

Wasn't focusing too much on Reed's HH in UCLA game but thought he was quite effective and disruptive at running their three point shooters off the line and or slowing down/jumping their offensive sets. Did he get beat a few times? Of course. Danny uses it as a change of pace defensive strategy.

 

[gtcam]

And one of the reasons we held them to 57 was the high hedge took away their ability to drive the basket which is their strength. Chief and others fail to see the benefits of the high hedge. Our rotations in the high hedge were excellent against UCLA

UConn held them to 57 points because UCLA was/is not a good perimeter shooting team. HH was not the reason. Their guards wouldn't penetrate anyways

 

[FightOnCT]

UCLA averages 38% from 3, which is what they shot against us. They attempted way fewer threes than normal against us, only 13 total. They can absolutely shoot from the perimeter.

 

[djct1999]

Per Barttorvik.com shooting splits, Mullins has a 61.4% non-rim 2pt FG pct, the 2nd best in Division I (min. 50 shots)

 

[freescooter]

I appreciate the effort BL, but in all candor, nothing was going to prevent the 2024 team from winning it all.

The only team they might have struggled with only playing 4 on 5 was Purdue. The rest the still win.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

They attempted way fewer threes than normal against us, only 13 total. They can absolutely shoot from the perimeter.

They were 13-27 from 3 when they beat MSU in the Big Ten tournament.

 

[alphasigko]

I'm reading that we lost to MSU at the 2009 FF.

In Detroit. They saved us from perhaps losing in the Final to the Hansbrough UNC team, that beat MSU 89-72.

 

[Chief00]

Not a fan of the HH with this personnel.
Reed switches too easily, resulting in 2 bad mismatches. Seems to rarely consider switching back.
Reibe is just awful at it, confused, switches far less than Reed but recovers to his man much slower. Lack of foot speed? Constantly trailing his man and now is on the offensive players backside or hip. Usually leads to a shooting foul or an over the back rebounding foul.

Mullins, don’t know what to say about his poor handle. Very surprising
Let’s beat MSU!

Good reference to personnel regarding the high hedge. We don’t have the Andre Jackson or Stephon Castle who could excel guarding multiple positions which enables more switching. Even then Donovan Clingan did not really do a “High” hedge - he played under or parallel to the hedger thus seldom giving up position for rim protection or rebounds. Tristen Newton could also satisfactory cover 3 positions. That matching ability and positioning led to multiple guys getting rebounds or Clingan would have gotten even more himself and if he wasn’t blocking or changing shots.

I actually think that potentially Mullins has a good handle but as a freshman he dribbles too high and over-all rushes things at times. However, he can go left or right, do a change in direction, and is very athletic (but needs to build up more strength to not be overpowered). I also think he can drive, stop and do a 10-12 foot jump shot - elevating to a high but soft release point. True, this is potential that I see that needs further development / consistency and quite frankly what used to be the natural maturity of a freshman becoming a sophomore.
I hope he stays at UConn and develops further for himself and the team. He has the potential to be a top 7-15 draft pick next season. I hope he doesn’t rush it like he occasionally rushes his game. A good solid maturation process takes time but is natural, healthy and normal.

 

[Chief00]

Adding my last thought as a separate post because there is apparently a 2000 character limit for some posts.

We could drop with Clingan because he was 7'2", an elite rim protector, and could contest and even block perimeter shots even when starting near the free throw line. Neither Reed nor Riebe can do that.

The other thing is it’s not just the center fouling a guard near half court it’s more overall guys being a step behind trying to recover back to their man. When you do that, your momentum and lack of being between your man and the basket often creates a foul situation. Additionally, you might write off one center foul of a guard at half court but that can be a huge factor with a team that lacks front court depth, particularly without Stewart. With one other foul, that usually means you sit for the rest of the first half and all the negative impacts that has. Bigs should use their fouls protecting the rim and defending their man in the paint.
I already covered in my last post about this year’s team not having various guys who can excel guarding multiple positions. Arguably Ross is the only guy who might do that.