To Zone Or Not To Zone

[4everwarriors]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

[classof70]

Agreed, except for maybe the part about discharge. Clearly, this team cannot shoot and does not have a player who "wants" to shoot the jumper.  Fitz inconsistent, Cube too. As a result they will play no more than 2 games in the BE or NC2A tourneys.  More importantly, in this game, they were slow to the ball and looked disinterested.  Lack of hustle today. 

[79Warrior]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Every team will zone MU. Every coach we play will have a copy of today's game.

[augoman]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Every team will zone MU. Every coach we play will have a copy of today's game.

or, a copy of all the games we lost to zone D's last year.  or, a copy of the WV game.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Do we start with Bo Ryan or Coach K...both coaches who didn't zone us.  Or Bob Knight, last year...who didn't zone us.

Just curious

[CTWarrior]

It's been common knowledge the last two years that we don't have great jump shooters and we don't have a low post presence.  Some teams that don't like to zone like WVU put one in against us and it was effective.  There are a lot of coaches who are going to stick with whatever defense they believe in regardless of opponent.  We better hope we get some of those man-to-man zealots in the NCAAs.

In my opinion, we are not hopeless against a zone.  We struggle against zones with size and quickness.  If James can't get to the free throw line for that jumper, we are in trouble.

I do not understand why we don't press and play full court defense more.  Especially against Syracuse where you would think we could wear them down with numbers and negate some of their size advantage.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Do we start with Bo Ryan or Coach K...both coaches who didn't zone us.  Or Bob Knight, last year...who didn't zone us.

Just curious

Chicos -- The guys you mentioned didn't zone us because we played them in pre-season. Unlike our coach, who uses the pre-season in an attempt to get meaningless banners hanging in the Bradley Center, those hall of fame coaches use pre-season tournaments to get their teams prepared for the regular season. That's not to say Wisco, Duke or TT weren't trying to defeat us, but they were more concerned with getting themselves prepared for the season.

I'm not that upset about today's loss...I expected it...but using those three examples when somebody points out we can't play against a zone is disingenious.

And I actually think you know that.

[mooka_3]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Do we start with Bo Ryan or Coach K...both coaches who didn't zone us.  Or Bob Knight, last year...who didn't zone us.

Just curious

Just out of curiosity, didn't we beat Bo Ryan because he didn't play a zone? And I find it curious that a bubble team like Syracuse (zone) beat us by 15 where a top 5 team like Duke (man) only won by single digits.

[Pardner]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Do we start with Bo Ryan or Coach K...both coaches who didn't zone us.  Or Bob Knight, last year...who didn't zone us.

Just curious

Actually, Coach K 2-3 zoned us this year at the end of the first half as they built their lead and used it intermittently thereafter.  GT struggled against us in man, but pulled ahead in the 2-3.  Lazar is the key in the 2-3 match-up as a tweener, and he has not stepped up the last couple BE games.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Any opponent of ours that doesn't sit back in a 2-3 zone and dare MU to shoot over them is an idiot and their coach should be fired.

Do we start with Bo Ryan or Coach K...both coaches who didn't zone us.  Or Bob Knight, last year...who didn't zone us.

Just curious

Just out of curiosity, didn't we beat Bo Ryan because he didn't play a zone? And I find it curious that a bubble team like Syracuse (zone) beat us by 15 where a top 5 team like Duke (man) only won by single digits.

Correct....my point was that apparently 4everwarriors would like to start the fire Coach K, Coach Ryan crusade now since they didn't zone us.

[4everwarriors]

I don't have a vested interest in UW.or Duke basketball. There are enough problems right here with Crean to go around.