Progress, but still work to be done

[UChusky916]

Positives:
-After we stopped playing zone defense in the second half and we went back to man-to-man, the team showed flashes of championship-level defense. The stops got us going in transition as well.
-The team did well to get in the lane on offense which got us some higher % shots. Better than settling for 3-pt attempts.
-Another result of getting into the lane was more free throw attempts. And we did well to convert -- 14-15, 93%.
-KO FINALLY showed some intensity and energy on the sidelines in the second half and I think the team and the bench fed off it during the comeback.
-Nolan played well... knew his role by not attempting a shot and just hitting the glass.
-The return of Dan Ham. After he saw a lay-up and some free throws go in, his confidence level went up and he started hitting some shots and making plays we all know he's capable of.
-Gibbs displaying his shot-making ability. We need to get him involved in more high ball screens... if the defender goes under the screen, he's money.

Negatives:
-The team has shown they are still prone to long stretches of WTF basketball. Not consistent enough. Can't stop the bleeding when there's a run.
-Jalen had 5 turnovers... maybe he's not ready for his increased role. Although he did well to pick his shots -- 6 of 8 from the field.
-Purvis did not adjust well to his bench role. 0-5 from the field, 0-3 from 3. 3 TO. The 2 charges early on got him out of sync, maybe he'll respond better next game. I think he needs to stop relying on his outside shot and keep driving the lane.

 

[Palatine]

I don't mind a little zone. Gives opponents something else to prepare for.

 

[UChusky916]

I don't mind a little zone. Gives opponents something else to prepare for.

I don't mind a zone if it's mixed in to throw the other team off. However, since Amida has been out, we've relied on the zone TOO much. I understand that we are thin on the front line without Amida and that our guys down low are foul-prone, som for those reasons zone makes sense. But we can't ride the zone for long stretches of games like we have been. Today, the zone worked out early on. As soon as Houston figured it out, moved the ball, and got into the spaces in the zone, they they exploited it, got confident, and got hot from 3. KO should have switched to man defense much sooner. That's our bread and butter and it won us the game down the stretch.