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Message: [QUOTE="ctchamps, post: 5133143, member: 37"] I know from the chat you didn’t watch the UMES game. In the second half with a lineup of Diarra, Ross, McNeeley, Stewart and Johnson the amount of disruption, deflection, steals with Johnson’s hedging was a thing of beauty and was the first time this season the energy on defense was exciting. Nowell subbed in for Diarra when he picked up a third foul and missed an assignment of coverage on the hedge for an easy two by Johnson’s player but he’ll get there. You are correct. If the guards can’t figure things out we’re going to have to “dumb” down the defense. I’m just not in the mindset that we should give up on team development. Whichever way this goes Johnson is doing what the coaching staff wants (except for stupid fouls). The staff must believe they can come up with a lineup that will work around Johnson. The big dilemma is that they have to reconfigure the starting lineup. They’ve already moved Diarra in the starting lineup over Mahaney. Now they have to make the more difficult decision of whether they should put in someone else to start over Ball. Ball is showing signs he can be as great an offensive weapon as Hawkins. But the rest of his game is still not developed. He’s minimized Johnson’s strengths on both ends of the court. His lobs are as ugly as they come. [/QUOTE]