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Message: [QUOTE="gsmooth, post: 4212212, member: 9355"] I really hope Hurley watched games of Baylor vs Nova and both Marquette vs Nova games. When Nova has any player backing down UConn's defender, contrary to popular belief, the defense can help and without completely committing to a double team and exposing themselves to wide open uncontested 3s. The help defender can linger and jab step towards the Nova player backing down and at random times double or back off-it can unsettle the post up player as they don't really know if the double is truly coming or not (Daryl Morsell is excellent at this). Boy I wish UConn could've gotten Morsell. Side note: In fact, UConn should've been doing this in the first game against Seton Hall when Richmond was killing them. Marquette usually had Igaudaro or OMax Prosper lingering around the Nova player who was backing down their defender in the post, while still being able to guard Dixon if the pass goes to him. The bottom line is to make the pass out of the paint area as difficult as possible and slow as possible (not a crisp pass with velocity) so the defenders have enough time to recover on their rotations. I watched both Marquette games, their length, their communication connection on D, and their fast rotations really bothered Nova. It was not a fluke that they beat Nova twice-they flummoxed Nova's offense . Calhoun's team in the past were effective with this, too against 5-out or 4 out-1 in offenses, but they also had insanely strong guards (Taliek, Ricky Moore, Ben Gordon) who were difficult to back down. Communication on D and knowing the scouting report is key. Samuels is a reluctant 3 point shooter will only shoot if wide open, defenders don't need to close too closely (belly up) when he catches the ball behind the 3 point line. But they do have to close on him with a soft close out with a hand up-that will bother him enough not to shoot or miss. Same goes for Dixon, it doesn't have to be hard close belly up close out and to some extent Brandon Slater. Gillespie and Moore need belly up and fast close outs. And for God's sake overplay Dixon to his left. He cannot go right and finish and if he does happen to do it once, which I have never seen, it surely won't be consistent to the tune of 24 pts like the first meeting. If he drop steps to the right side of the basket it is an attempt to get his post defender to slide with him to the right so he can go left and finish. For offense, Nova will surely pack the paint and dare UConn to beat them from the outside. Solid off-the ball screen setting and crashing the boards will be key. Nova won't punish the crashing of the boards by fast breaking as they play one of the slowest paces in the country. [/QUOTE]

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