MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: tower912 on November 16, 2021, 09:58:14 AM
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I would press and fall back into a 2-3. MU really hasn't seen aggressive back court pressure yet. We have a lot of guys who can bring it up and initiate offense, but who brings it up against pressure like MU applies? Who takes the ball out, a la Sam, against an aggressive man press? Second, until MU starts hitting 3's (calling Greg) I would pack it in. MU has run pick and roll and dribble drive exclusively this year. Make MU stand still, analyze, and beat you by running a zone set.
Now, if a team goes zone against MU, I want Morsell at the foul line with Kolek, Greg, and Justin around the edges and Kur slipping into the cracks on the blocks. Morsell is the one I want getting the ball there and making the decision. Creighton's 1-3-1 could be really disruptive. Make MU's third offensive option beat you.
Offensively, I would attack the press every chance I got. Kur at the back is certainly intimidating, so go at the shot blocker and try to get him in foul trouble. But you better have the guards, because MU has shown they are already really good at it.
MU has shown who they are right now. Wonderfully aggressive on defense. Still not in sync offensively. Now the scouting and adjustments come.
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I'm pretty sure Ole Miss will play mostly zone on Thursday. My recollection is that this is what Kermit Davis is known for.
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I agree, I'd zone them until Marquette shows they can make threes consistently.
While MU has certainly been PNR heavy, there's also motion off-ball, which gives me some hope they'd have a plan to attack a zone. I'd want Lewis or Morsell at the FT line, Kur/Oso in the dunker spot.
On defense, MU has been switching a ton, which is a nice luxury but it has hurt them on the glass. I'd like to see a bit more hedge/recover on screens.
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I agree, I'd zone them until Marquette shows they can make threes consistently.
While MU has certainly been PNR heavy, there's also motion off-ball, which gives me some hope they'd have a plan to attack a zone. I'd want Lewis or Morsell at the FT line, Kur/Oso in the dunker spot.
On defense, MU has been switching a ton, which is a nice luxury but it has hurt them on the glass. I'd like to see a bit more hedge/recover on screens.
I know Lewis can get his from the foul line. I am not sure he can destroy the zone with passes yet. Which is why I prefer Morsell. But Morsell can't play 40, so we shall see. Off the ball movement has to improve. The dribble drive will really take off when the weak side offensive players start taking advantage of a turned head of a help defender to make their cut.
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I'm optimistic that Kolek's effective skip passes can help to break down a zone, in addition to the importance of having someone at the free throw line. But, MU needs to hit the shots (as you said, Tower, calling on you, Greg!) or attack the basket as soon as they receive a cross court pass from Kolek.
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What I am seeing is hints of the offense Buzz ran with the midgets. But what isn't quite happening yet is guards consistently beating their man off of the dribble and then pitching opposite when the defenses collapse and continuing the spin cycle until there was an open look. I don't know if it is a lack of quickness or a lack of experience. One clear difference is that this team fires up the first semi open 3 and that team would keep it going until it was a wide open 3 or a wide open driving lane. Of course, that team didn't look to score early in the shot clock, as they used ball possession to help their defense.
It will definitely help when the 3's start falling.
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Kolek handling the ball up top, set a high screen with Lewis to get Kolek into the middle of the zone, force the big to step to you, throw the lob to Kur/Osa. Kick to Morsell on the wing or the pop for Lewis.
I trust Kolek and Morsell enough to get into the teeth of the zone and force it to collapse, opening up cutting lanes for others.
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BTW, will MU ever clear a side and throw an entry pass to the post this year? It may take a zone for them to do it.
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I think this team is designed to counter a press. Our average offensive possession lasts 12.8 seconds. That's in large part because as soon as the ball goes through the hoop, the closest person is taking it out and inbounding it to the closest guard, who immediately goes with it. I think it's hard to press a team that is getting into the front court as fast as we are. I do think once we get into half-court sets, zones will be a problem. I'm expecting Ole Miss to give us some real difficulties.
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I agree so far, brew. I will be curious to see if MU still does that against St. John's and an omnipresent Posh.
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I agree so far, brew. I will be curious to see if MU still does that against St. John's and an omnipresent Posh.
Marquette has the third fasted offensive possession speed in the country at 12.8 seconds per possession. St. John's is second at 12.6. Those games are going to be CRAZY fast.
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I think the one of the biggest stats last night was we won the foul game even though we shot the free throws poorly. Our defense was exceptional (outside the rebounding) because we didn't foul a lot and forced turns. My point is the zebras calling touch fouls can completely change our defensive effectiveness. I cannot reiterate enough that we have to clean the defensive glass. It's imperative for sustained success. It's also time to break out shooting-wise. Maybe their zone will lead to barrage of triples?
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I think the one of the biggest stats last night was we won the foul game even though we shot the free throws poorly.
Agree completely. Free throw rate is more important than free throw percent. Illinois outshot us at the line in terms of percentage, 63.6% to 58.1%, but we outscored them 18-7 from the stripe because we got their 31 times and they only got there 11. Not to mention how the additional fouls put pressure on their defense (Curbelo and Payne both saw their minutes limited by foul trouble).
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I would press and fall back into a 2-3. MU really hasn't seen aggressive back court pressure yet. We have a lot of guys who can bring it up and initiate offense, but who brings it up against pressure like MU applies? Who takes the ball out, a la Sam, against an aggressive man press? Second, until MU starts hitting 3's (calling Greg) I would pack it in. MU has run pick and roll and dribble drive exclusively this year. Make MU stand still, analyze, and beat you by running a zone set.
Now, if a team goes zone against MU, I want Morsell at the foul line with Kolek, Greg, and Justin around the edges and Kur slipping into the cracks on the blocks. Morsell is the one I want getting the ball there and making the decision. Creighton's 1-3-1 could be really disruptive. Make MU's third offensive option beat you.
Offensively, I would attack the press every chance I got. Kur at the back is certainly intimidating, so go at the shot blocker and try to get him in foul trouble. But you better have the guards, because MU has shown they are already really good at it.
MU has shown who they are right now. Wonderfully aggressive on defense. Still not in sync offensively. Now the scouting and adjustments come.
Shhhhhhhhh...
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I think this team is designed to counter a press. Our average offensive possession lasts 12.8 seconds. That's in large part because as soon as the ball goes through the hoop, the closest person is taking it out and inbounding it to the closest guard, who immediately goes with it. I think it's hard to press a team that is getting into the front court as fast as we are. I do think once we get into half-court sets, zones will be a problem. I'm expecting Ole Miss to give us some real difficulties.
1- good point on being designed to counter a press
2- obviously not data driven but I’m expecting MU to knock down quite a few threes on Thursday, and shoot a better percentage. Not sure if it’s just a gut feeling or simply riding the high and better confidence at the start of the game, or a combination of both. It seems in the college game once you see a few early ones go in you can ride that for some stretches, and I think we see that versus Ole Miss.
3- I’m very interested to see how Shaka game plans and handles a team that goes predominantly zone versus MU, and it sounds like we may see that on Thursday?
My guess is that he hammers home the open shot/ gotta take it concept in the gameplan hoping a few early ones drop and MU rides it for the game, but has a backup plan of getting it to JL2 or Morsell at the ft line and allowing them to try to break it with the dribble drive and finish or dish inside. It’ll likely be a combo of both but I’m excited to see how he tackles it…
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2- obviously not data driven but I’m expecting MU to knock down quite a few threes on Thursday, and shoot a better percentage. Not sure if it’s just a gut feeling or simply riding the high and better confidence at the start of the game, or a combination of both. It seems in the college game once you see a few early ones go in you can ride that for some stretches, and I think we see that versus Ole Miss.
Got one right!!
Now the real question is if you were Huggy bear and got to watch Marquette play after 4 games how would you defend them?!?
Always fun playing that guy