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Message: [QUOTE="Papa33, post: 4106057, member: 682"] Ah, finally . . . Someone who recognizes that [I]genuine[/I] defense= [I]team[/I] defense. Many of the criticisms of UConn's defense vs Arkansas focused on individual defensive skills (quick feet and hands, balance, cutting off penetration, keeping in front of dribblers) as though good man-to-man D involved 5 one-on-one battles. Fact is, a quick, able offensive ball-handler will often defeat the defender in those one-on-one confrontations. Team defense means making the dribbler beat [I]at least [/I]two defenders, and preferably three. That requires all five defenders to— whenever possible— guard their own opponent [I]and [/I]see[I] and [/I]sag toward the ball handler in a help position. Which requires [I]at least[/I] a third defender to rotate to cover/assist the "helper." It's a constant battle to discover the best assist/help position and the timing for such rotations. And it takes constant monitoring and adjusting from [I]all five[/I] defenders. While I'm on the team defense topic, we gave up something like 15 offensive rebounds to Arkansas— 15! That is unacceptable. To avoid repeats, we will need to have all five defenders, no matter where they are positioned when the other team puts up a shot, to [B]box[/B] out. It is an almost universal failing in all levels and genders of basketball for defenders to watch the ball and drift toward the basket; I saw that multple times in the Arkansas game, even during foul shots. The idea is to seal the offensive players [I]away[/I] from the basket, be low and strong and [I]in contact[/I] with that opponent. The further away the opponent is from the basket, the fewer rebounds she will claim, no matter her height advantage. [/QUOTE]

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