Will the full court press become the new trend this year?

[Steelerone]

I think with the guard play we establish this year the formula will be as follows - You press, we pass and score.

 

[Alydar]

Geno, in an interview, was asked about the full court press and he said that it was ineffective against any top level team. He should have added "any top team that has more than one healthy guard".
I'm sure UConn will use a press but what I expect to see against elite teams is aggressive pressure defense. Teams get 16 non-shooting fouls a game and when you have guard depth like UConn's, in-your-face defense can disrupt an offense and wear down the guards being defended.

 

[SEbluebood]

Interesting combination of rehashed excuses for the OSU loss and hubris about this year’s team. What happened to the “Just win games” mojo? Hope the BY isn’t jinxing the Huskies!

 

[hoophuskee]

Interesting combination of rehashed excuses for the OSU loss and hubris about this year’s team. What happened to the “Just win games” mojo? Hope the BY isn’t jinxing the Huskies!

What does this even mean? You realize a national media report has UCONN as number 2 presason so if there is some hubris it's normal, right? Your constant negative attitude is pretty abnormal for a team that has won 11 titles and had been to 14 straight final fours. Your mocking others is really wierd for a program as so great as UCONN has been.

 

[JellyBean]

I think with the guard play we establish this year the formula will be as follows - You press, we pass and score.

I hope so. If we have (and I believe we do) the players with tight handles and they can catch and finish, we could have a run and gun type of program. They would be aggressive on both ends of the floor.

 

[DefenseBB]

So an interesting tangent to this discussion was, while at the US Open in NY on Wednesda, I was wearing my Husky logo hat when a US Open worker came up to me asked “Is that a UConn hat”, which of course I said yes, to which he asked, “why does Geno press so much when he’s up by 40, that is not good sportsmanship“. When I tried to reply that UConn hasn’t “pressed“ regularly since 2016 and when they had Moriah Jefferson, he Started arguing with me they always pressand I tried to remain rational by saying “that’s simply not true as they haven’t had the depth of guards and too many injuries to press”. He then states “You’re wrong”, which I then counter, “actually, I’m not as I am a season ticker holder and go to 12-14 games a year” but I did add “THIS YEAR, he will press as he will have guard depth and with luck, they will play hard and again win by 40!”..at that point he walked away disgusted and I had a huge smile on my face…

 

[TCC Kid]

The lesson of Ohio State has been well learned... and drilled into all
14 team players and staff. History will not repeat itself and it
will not even rhyme!!

Ohio State used it well. But In Paige's introduction of BIG TIME BB, Arizona with a sharp shooting guard, Pressed and doubled anyone with the ball.
Great/effective presses require the right personnel. Quick, fast, intense. Uconn shall see it. The flip side of doing the press is, avoiding the press--i.e. defeating the press. I'm not sure Uconn has the personnel--that doesn't mean they don't have, I just haven't seen them pressed this season, yet.
I'm sky high on this total team. I don't think Geno has had this much energy and talent on one team ever. He's had some greats, but not 4 or 5 of them. Except for Edwards---good talent that is tall is limited on this team, I hope I'm terribly WRONG.

 

[TCC Kid]

I hope so. If we have (and I believe we do) the players with tight handles and they can catch and finish, we could have a run and gun type of program. They would be aggressive on both ends of the floor.

Run and gun--doesn't that take a certain amount of "controlling the board"?? Do you see this team being effective in that?

 

[TCC Kid]

The press was effective because we were a depleted and physically tired team. That won't be the case this year.

I hope you are right. But, I'm crossing fingers. If this team moves the ball with the energy/speed accuracy of the European Tour--look out.

 

[Steelerone]

I truly believe that any team that attempts to do what Ohio State did last year will find out that was an aberration, and their full court press will go no further than the first quarter.