We play some of the worst defense in the country

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

Isn't that pretty much the title of your thread.  I'm not a KenPom apostle, so I really don't care about the ranking.  Also, it could be easily explained by the team on the floor.  Last year, even though we had seniors, they had little experience, no size, and not a lot of quickness.  This year Buzz is teaching a lot of first year players.  I understand that it looks worse when the defense gets beat because they play far out on the floor.  However, I think its a risk reward decision on Buzz's part with the type of team he wants to play with.  It was clear in the game today that we need Buycks primarily and Blue secondarily to play on the point to push them out.  I thought the switching was a lot better in this game.  The transition defense still isn't where it needs to be on misses.  However, I like Buzz's philosophy of pressure outside the 3-point line and teaching guys man-to-man defense.  If you like watching zone defense and games played within the 3-point line I can give you a list of teams to be a fan of.

I agree with Sultan...

How many BE calibur PGs can you guard 50+ feet from the basket and hope to stay infront of them on a regular basis?  The PG gets beat defensively causing the bigs to help which in many cases leaves a tremendous amount of pressure on our interior defense.  IMO our interior defense suffers mostly because we attempt to pressure so far from the basket.  Its hard to play help and recover from so far out.  Teams that apply half court pressure successfully dont try to do it so far out.  Just pick the guy up 25ft out or so and it solves alot of Gardners and otules problems.

This is also the cause of many wide open 3s.  Heck, its the way MU attacked most teams offensively last year.  Get the ball in the lane and kick it out. 

[tower912]

The problem isn't that we play bad d.   The problem is that we don't have 5 guys playing good d every posession.    Little breakdowns, by a different player, ad nauseum.    There were stretches last night that our d was phenomenal and the job we did on their gunner was nearly perfect.    The last play, Crowder ends up out top on the guard with Buycks leaving the lane where he was protecting the passing lane to Walker to come out and do a fly by double team.   Otule had actually sealed his guy perfectly, but hadn't opened up to guard both guys down low.   When the Vandy guard waited for DB to fly by and made the then easy entry pass, Otule rotate exactly like he was supposed to but about 1/4 second too late.   Little mistakes that led to the game winner. 
   Jimmy, early in the game, giving up baseline and dunks.    Rotation a step late.   Blue got beat by a couple back door cuts.    Freshman mistake.    Crowder just not being big enough or tall enough to stop a determined post up.     Little things that end up meaning a lot.   

[Blackhat]

Our defense spreads itself out way too much, leaving so many gaps (and large gaps) to cover once the opponent guard gets past the shoulder of the defender on the wing.

Very hard to help on D.

Surprised Buzz hasn't adjusted, must be seeing something different.  He did adapt last year for a portion of the year it seemed, slower(not slow) tempo, more sagging d,  then got in a shoot out with Washington.