The Return of Pressure Defense

[Son of Robert]

It is early in the season but it looks like KO is rolling out the full court pressure D with half court and sideline trapping. This is a welcome sight. Necessarily coinciding with this will be the use of this teams excellent depth with most, if not all players, getting minutes every game. I am sure this is game situational and the rotation may shrink depending on the effectiveness versus certain competition, but this is definitely a weapon.

As an added bonus this also definitely affects team chemistry in a real positive fashion, and morale is so important for a successful season. Go Huskies!

 

[auror]

I would definitely agree that we've seen a real hustle emphasis: guys being first to balls and on the ground, etc. It's a mentality you can generate in a few different ways, but one of which is definitely instituting team-wide full court pressure and, specifically, teaching the habits that go along with it.

Hopefully that more than makes up for easy baskets that prepared teams can generate.

 

[aceboon]

I'm on the fence about it, seems like once the press was broken our guys were having a tough time matching up and scrambling to get back in position for halfcourt defense. They were able to get away with it against Colgate, against a better team it could be disastrous.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's what I have been hoping for for a few years now. He has long talked about it, and never did it. It is the best way for this team to win now and in the future. Ollie doesn't run a particularly good structured half court offense, so we need to score in transition and force turnovers. We have a lot of depth of athletes we can rotate in to keep the pressure high. It would make us very difficult to play.

 

[UConnJim]

I'm on the fence about it, seems like once the press was broken our guys were having a tough time matching up and scrambling to get back in position for halfcourt defense. They were able to get away with it against Colgate, against a better team it could be disastrous.

Pressure defense works against a team with few ball handlers and there are some good teams that don't have that many ball handlers on he court at the same time. Pressure defense used to be much more effective years ago as many big men couldn't handle the ball, but that has changed. I think you need to use pressure defense in spots or against specific teams for it to be effective in today's game.

 

[UConnRock]

Injuries killed UConn's chances to have any form of pressure defense last year. Not only from a stamina stand point, but also in an effort to avoid potential foul trouble for key players. It must be like Christmas for Ollie at practice everyday to have 13 relatively healthy scholarship players, with a full allotment of bigs, wings, and PGs. Larrier, Gilbert and Diarra were out essentially all year. Adams (ankle), Vital (concussion), and others were hobbled periodically throughout the year. This should be a better UConn team just based on the level of competition at practice this year with a full roster.

 

[Husky25]

I'm on the fence about it, seems like once the press was broken our guys were having a tough time matching up and scrambling to get back in position for halfcourt defense. They were able to get away with it against Colgate, against a better team it could be disastrous.

That's the danger of having a press broken. Ball handlers in open space make for cleaner looks. Unfortunately, it's a strategy that must be employed for a team with nary a player taller than 6'-9" or shot blocker. Otherwise, UConn risks getting posted up on the low block every possession.

On the other hand, Anderson's emergence will allow Adams and Gilbert and Vital to display more than mere token pressure on the ball coming up the court.

 

[Paesano]

I'm on the fence about it, seems like once the press was broken our guys were having a tough time matching up and scrambling to get back in position for halfcourt defense. They were able to get away with it against Colgate, against a better team it could be disastrous.

In a way, that is exactly why we need to press and trap. If we can't defend because of some combination of size differential, athletic differential or experience differential, you need to limit their shot attempts. That is done by a combination of turnovers and rebounds. Calhoun eventually won me over with his shift toward minimizing the other team's FG%, versus taking chances to get steals, but he had the teams to do that, most years. This team has deficiencies that will limit their ability to force opponents into low percentage shots. So they need to out-rebound them and they need to turn them over to limit their shot attempts.

I like the symmetry in the universe. In the 89/90 season we opened Gampel and we took a press and trap strategy deep into the tournament, exceeding all expectations. This year we refreshed Gampel to her old glory and we are pressing and trapping again. Even if it fails to work, it will be fun to watch. I just hope KO doesn't abandon the idea after a few bad games. It took the 89/90 team some time to get it down and, once they did, they were a nightmare.

 

[BlueMAB]

Pressure defense works against a team with few ball handlers and there are some good teams that don't have that many ball handlers on he court at the same time. Pressure defense used to be much more effective years ago as many big men couldn't handle the ball, but that has changed. I think you need to use pressure defense in spots or against specific teams for it to be effective in today's game.

The type of pressure will impact teams differently depending on how well they handle/pass the ball.

Zone/Trapping presses want people to try and dribble out of it, because it means 1 is trying to beat 2. Teams that pass the ball as the trap is coming will destroy a press because it catches players in between guarding a man and guarding the ball, essentially in no-man's land.

Now if it's man to man full court press, then yes, more ball handlers help because it's still 1 v 1. Give the ball to the best ball handler with the best match-up, which could be Jalen, Alterique, or a "big" like Larrier, clear everyone else out and let him take the ball up the court. Maybe leave one big back to set a pick for him. But in a zone/trapping press, the objective is to get the offense to dribble into trouble (a corner/sideline/just over half court) and then pick the ball up as the trap comes. Force a bad pass, play the passing lanes, and score in transition.

It takes an amazing point guard to dribble the ball through a trapping zone all game without numerous turnovers. And for a "big" to do it, is even more difficult. We'd salivate at the possibility of Alterique or Jalen defending a "big" with a handle 80 feet from the basket. The offense doesn't have any advantage there, the defense does. The advantage the big has, is he can see over a trap from two guards, and make a better pass. having bigs that can handle is great in the half court. How it impacts full court pressure depends more on the type of pressure. full court man to man and zone/trapping presses are very different types of pressure.

 

[Deepster]

Well, it's officially a new season. Someone started a thread on why we should press more.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Basketball fundamentals are so watered down for most college teams a trap can be effective in spots- a quick 7-0 spurt can change the complexion of a game quickly. We have the athletes for it and except for a shot blocker in the back end, have the right players to make it work.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well, it's officially a new season. Someone started a thread on why we should press more.

Well Ollie mentioned it yesterday and it was reported today.

“I want that pressure to be turned up,” Ollie said. “I don’t like the pressure, I didn’t like having only five steals, but I did like the 26 points off turnovers. We want to make them uncomfortable. We did that [against Colgate] to a point, but it wasn’t a ‘level five,’ I’d say it was a ‘level three.’ … I don’t want our pressure just to be token pressure, I want our pressure to be pressure.”​

 

[HuskyHawk]

Pressure defense works against teams that don't pass the ball well. Zone/Trapping presses want people to try and dribble out of it, because it means 1 is trying to beat 2. Teams that pass the ball as the trap is coming will destroy a press because it catches players in between guarding a man and guarding the ball, essentially in no-man's land.

Now if it's man to man full court press, then yes, more ball handlers help because it's still 1 v 1. Give the ball to the best ball handler with the best match-up, which could be Jalen, Alterique, or a "big" like Larrier, clear everyone else out and let him take the ball up the court. Maybe leave one big back to set a pick for him. But in a zone/trapping press, the objective is to get the offense to dribble into trouble (a corner/sideline/just over half court) and then pick the ball up as the trap comes. Force a bad pass, play the passing lanes, and score in transition.

It takes an amazing point guard to dribble the ball through a trapping zone all game without numerous turnovers. And for a "big" to do it, is even more difficult. We'd salivate at the possibility of Alterique or Jalen defending a "big" with a handle 80 feet from the basket. The offense doesn't have any advantage there, the defense does. The advantage the big has, is he can see over a trap from two guards, and make a better pass. having bigs that can handle is great in the half court. How it impacts full court pressure depends more on the type of pressure. full court man to man and zone/trapping presses are very different types of pressure.

Agreed on all counts. A 2-2-1 zone press is what I remember UConn using in the dream season to great effect. No ball-handler is dribbling through it consistently, you have to pass the ball through a zone like that, and many teams may not be well prepared. Even then, pressure is called pressure for a reason, the urgency takes you out of your usual offense, and shortens your possession, leading to more rushed shots generally. Yes, there will be easy layups too, that's the price.

 

[Waquoit]

Basketball fundamentals are so watered down for most college teams a trap can be effective in spots- a quick 7-0 spurt can change the complexion of a game quickly. We have the athletes for it and except for a shot blocker in the back end, have the right players to make it work.

That's quite an exception. If you are going to press you need all 5 guys to be all-in every time. I'm not sure that's how these guys roll.

 

[BlueMAB]

Agreed on all counts. A 2-2-1 zone press is what I remember UConn using in the dream season to great effect. No ball-handler is dribbling through it consistently, you have to pass the ball through a zone like that, and many teams may not be well prepared. Even then, pressure is called pressure for a reason, the urgency takes you out of your usual offense, and shortens your possession, leading to more rushed shots generally. Yes, there will be easy layups too, that's the price.

I would expect that type of press to be somewhat less effective against the Colgate type of schools, because they tend to recruit the guys with more fundamentals and less athleticism.

 

[Deepster]

Well Ollie mentioned it yesterday and it was reported today.

“I want that pressure to be turned up,” Ollie said. “I don’t like the pressure, I didn’t like having only five steals, but I did like the 26 points off turnovers. We want to make them uncomfortable. We did that [against Colgate] to a point, but it wasn’t a ‘level five,’ I’d say it was a ‘level three.’ … I don’t want our pressure just to be token pressure, I want our pressure to be pressure.”​

Yup. Go ahead and cue up the Nadav Henefeld comments....

 

[scoobydoo]

Yup. Go ahead and cue up the Nadav Henefeld comments....

Don't you have a shooting or something else to keep you occupied?

 

[LIuconn]

A press is more about coaching, positioning and discipline than anything else. Athletes help, but it comes down to coaching

 

[BlueMAB]

A press is more about coaching, positioning and discipline than anything else. Athletes help, but it comes down to coaching

Don't underestimate instincts. You can tell a player 100 times where to expect the pass to go based on the trap and the positioning of the offense, but if they don't "see" it coming before it happens, it's hard to get the steals Ollie is looking for. Instinctual players (on offense or defense) can see the play developing before it happens.

 

[Deepster]

Don't you have a shooting or something else to keep you occupied?

Like this one?

Hartford Police: Car Owner Shoots Suspected Thief, 17

 

[UConnJim]

The type of pressure will impact teams differently depending on how well they handle/pass the ball.

Zone/Trapping presses want people to try and dribble out of it, because it means 1 is trying to beat 2. Teams that pass the ball as the trap is coming will destroy a press because it catches players in between guarding a man and guarding the ball, essentially in no-man's land.

Now if it's man to man full court press, then yes, more ball handlers help because it's still 1 v 1. Give the ball to the best ball handler with the best match-up, which could be Jalen, Alterique, or a "big" like Larrier, clear everyone else out and let him take the ball up the court. Maybe leave one big back to set a pick for him. But in a zone/trapping press, the objective is to get the offense to dribble into trouble (a corner/sideline/just over half court) and then pick the ball up as the trap comes. Force a bad pass, play the passing lanes, and score in transition.

It takes an amazing point guard to dribble the ball through a trapping zone all game without numerous turnovers. And for a "big" to do it, is even more difficult. We'd salivate at the possibility of Alterique or Jalen defending a "big" with a handle 80 feet from the basket. The offense doesn't have any advantage there, the defense does. The advantage the big has, is he can see over a trap from two guards, and make a better pass. having bigs that can handle is great in the half court. How it impacts full court pressure depends more on the type of pressure. full court man to man and zone/trapping presses are very different types of pressure.

I should have said ball handlers and bigs with good hands who are good passers.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Not a fan of the press. When was the last time a team won a title pressing most of the game? I’d rather everyone jogs back, and prepares to handle whoever they’re guarding. I don’t know if our offense is good enough to give up easy points to good teams.

 

[Danzz]

It is early in the season but it looks like KO is rolling out the full court pressure D with half court and sideline trapping. This is a welcome sight. Necessarily coinciding with this will be the use of this teams excellent depth with most, if not all players, getting minutes every game. I am sure this is game situational and the rotation may shrink depending on the effectiveness versus certain competition, but this is definitely a weapon.

As an added bonus this also definitely affects team chemistry in a real positive fashion, and morale is so important for a successful season. Go Huskies!

We are a bit smaller, quicker and much more athletic. Last years team was too awkward to press and trap. Hope we see more of it.

 

[Danzz]

Not a fan of the press. When was the last time a team won a title pressing most of the game? I’d rather everyone jogs back, and prepares to handle whoever they’re guarding. I don’t know if our offense is good enough to give up easy points to good teams.

Don't think anybody is saying press for most of the game but you need players that can execute the press when needed and this team seems to have them.

 

[intlzncster]

Always felt that the press was largely a tool (in modern bball) lesser teams use to beat better teams. End of the day, nothing beats straight up stifling man-to-man half court D. In spots it's fine.