The Dirty "Z Word"

[Brad Palmer]

Another weakness is that Hurley basically refuses to use any type of Zone defense. While pretty much every other BE coach is willing to mix things up a bit with their half court defenses, we're fed quotes that we just need to work harder and "gut it out" in man. Playing a zone defense at times would:

*** Protect players from foul trouble
*** Help avoid bad mismatches such as Karaban vs. (insert name of quality 4)
*** Allow the 2 bigs to be on the floor together

Saying: "I've always been a man to man guy and won't play any Zone" is a bit stubborn in this day and age. You can still hang your hat on man D, but show some defensive creativity here and there.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Pass

 

[uconnfan68]

Pass

Another flaw.

 

[SouleMan]

We played some zone against Xavier.

 

[navery12]

Pretty sure we went zone for a few possessions tonight when Clingan and Sanogo first came in. But I could be wrong

 

[husky429]

We played some zone against Xavier.

And got lit up.

Might be too late in the season to implement any zone if we wanted to.

 

[uconntoatl]

Just throw it out there every so often for 1-3 possessions at a time to see what it yields, especially if we are getting torched

 

[Brad Palmer]

Didn't mean to infer that we have never played zone this season, but it certainly doesn't seem as if Hurley uses much at all or coaches it with any confidence. PC flustered us offensively with some zone tonight and even changed defenses within possessions at times.

 

[jorge34]

Another weakness is that Hurley basically refuses to use any type of Zone defense. While pretty much every other BE coach is willing to mix things up a bit with their half court defenses, we're fed quotes that we just need to work harder and "gut it out" in man. Playing a zone defense at times would:

*** Protect players from foul trouble
*** Help avoid bad mismatches such as Karaban vs. (insert name of quality 4)
*** Allow the 2 bigs to be on the floor together

Saying: "I've always been a man to man guy and won't play any Zone" is a bit stubborn in this day and age. You can still hang your hat on man D, but show some defensive creativity here and there.

Had to go zone when Jackson got into foul trouble. Without him, there is nobody else on the roster to matchup up with Hopkins. It was a mistake

 

[Hi-Low]

Would need to practice Zone D for it to be effective. Have no idea if Dan Hurley devotes much practice time to zone D...probably not. But agree need to throw it out there when a guy torching you on mismatch and we have no answer.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

If Karaban is going to continue to start at the 4 (which he will) zone is going to need to be an option. We can’t have the same guy get torched every night.

 

[metsfan2323]

We do have a tall team (required for effective zone) and it would help keep us out of foul trouble.

 

[chickenhead]

The Friars have struggled against the zone this year and every team we've played this year has mixed in some zone on us.

 

[DW1361]

I agree with this assessment. I wasn’t paying particular attention to what defense we were playing, but I don’t recall seeing much zone. I would like to see more changes in the defense. There seems to be a need to tinker with other defenses to at least get the opponent to have to make adjustments, especially when there were obvious mismatches and key players in foul trouble. I also think we were a bit tight causing lots of missed shots we would normally be hitting. Providence is really good and that crowd was so loud. We also have a hard time playing there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We do have a tall team (required for effective zone) and it would help keep us out of foul trouble.

We went zone in Game 1, with DC, Johnson and Karaban. Stonehill was completely flumoxed for obvious reasons. I don't expect us to use it much, but when our guys are getting screened to death by Xavier and giving up points at the rim, switch just to disrupt the offensive strategy of the opponent. Likewise vs PC, to contain Hopkins and protect the rim without fouls.

I've seen our team's offense struggle when the defense suddenly changes. It's a situational, tactical tool to break the rhythm of the offense. We desperately needed it in each game vs Creighton the last couple years, and didn't do it. My main criticism of Hurley is that he believes in his "system" too much.

 

[gtcam]

When playing PC you need an effective zone to be shown on and off during the game.
The issue may be that teaching an effective zone takes a lot of time and it's not in Dan Hurley's "bag of tricks".

 

[alphasigko]

With Hopkins as hot as he was, and with AS and DC playing at the same time, why not try a Box-and-1 with AJ on Hopkins "in his shorts"?

 

[Improviser]

Another weakness is that Hurley basically refuses to use any type of Zone defense. While pretty much every other BE coach is willing to mix things up a bit with their half court defenses, we're fed quotes that we just need to work harder and "gut it out" in man. Playing a zone defense at times would:

*** Protect players from foul trouble
*** Help avoid bad mismatches such as Karaban vs. (insert name of quality 4)
*** Allow the 2 bigs to be on the floor together

Saying: "I've always been a man to man guy and won't play any Zone" is a bit stubborn in this day and age. You can still hang your hat on man D, but show some defensive creativity here and there.

Sounds like Boeheim's attitude towards playing man to man.

 

[Improviser]

When playing PC you need an effective zone to be shown on and off during the game.
The issue may be that teaching an effective zone takes a lot of time and it's not in Dan Hurley's "bag of tricks".

I'm no expert on this, but every coach teaches his team how to move the ball against a zone and find the soft spots (corner, 4 hole) so why would it be so hard to teach the team how to play a zone on occasion?

 

[Deleted at users request]

I’m not sure on this, but do we press often? Is it effective? I know for sure we do just not sure how much. With the length, athletes, and depth we have it would make sense.

 

[ZenConn]

Would be an interesting look to put up a 1-3-1 for a few possessions.

 

[NJHusky]

Might be too late in the season to implement any zone if we wanted to.

Is it really that hard to play zone? We don’t have to play cuse level but just disrupt theO and protect guys in foul trouble.

I remember reading a few years ago that Hurley said he played zone once and his brother and father made fun of him….

 

[Improviser]

Is it really that hard to play zone? We don’t have to play cuse level but just disrupt theO and protect guys in foul trouble.

I remember reading a few years ago that Hurley said he played zone once and his brother and father made fun of him….

If true, family mockery leaves a deep imprint and a desire not to revisit it.

 

[husky429]

Is it really that hard to play zone? We don’t have to play cuse level but just disrupt theO and protect guys in foul trouble.

I remember reading a few years ago that Hurley said he played zone once and his brother and father made fun of him….

Coaches make fun of each other for going zone all the time. It's not a big deal. I think Danny can handle a friendly jab from his brother about having to use a zone if we still win the game, eh?

 

[REB1094]

We played a very small amount of zone against Xavier and it ended very poorly for us. Not because Xavier did a great job breaking it, but because it was very obvious that we didn’t know what we were doing

That makes me think that it hasn’t been practiced more than once or twice. If we’re going to let one guy take the ball every time and massacre us without ever practicing a different defense, then we better play some better man defense

 

[jake14mw]

I'm no expert on this, but every coach teaches his team how to move the ball against a zone and find the soft spots (corner, 4 hole) so why would it be so hard to teach the team how to play a zone on occasion?

There is actually a lot to teach regarding zone defenses and movements/assignments with it. The couple of times we have tried it this year has not looked good. That's not to say though that it's not worth the practice time to at least have an acceptable amount of proficiency with it. Given our problems guarding the 4 spot, it may be.

 

[UCLJ0211]

Save it for the Canadiens

 

[UCMBBFan]

I think this quote from Coach Hurley captures his thoughts on playing zone defense: "We've used some zone strategically, and it's worked for us. It worked in the Xavier game. But elite teams don't really trick you defensively. They have the core thing that they do, and they do that elite, championship-level, and then they have some other things they can do at times."

 

[HooperScooper]

Another weakness is that Hurley basically refuses to use any type of Zone defense. While pretty much every other BE coach is willing to mix things up a bit with their half court defenses, we're fed quotes that we just need to work harder and "gut it out" in man. Playing a zone defense at times would:

*** Protect players from foul trouble
*** Help avoid bad mismatches such as Karaban vs. (insert name of quality 4)
*** Allow the 2 bigs to be on the floor together

Saying: "I've always been a man to man guy and won't play any Zone" is a bit stubborn in this day and age. You can still hang your hat on man D, but show some defensive creativity here and there.

Might get your wish today although he mentions it and then sounds reluctant to use it. We'll see. From the New Haven Register today.

Clingan and Adama Sanogo shared the floor for the most they have all season on Wednesday, and while that creates issues on both ends of the floor, expect to see more of it. In fact, Hurley may even use a little more zone than usual with the two bigs on the floor together.

"It puts you in that position," the coach noted. "We've used some zone strategically, and it's worked for us. It worked in the Xavier game. But elite teams don't really trick you defensively. They have the core thing that they do, and they do that elite, championship-level, and then they have some other things they can do at times."