Your defensive strategy against Davidson would be...

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

Mine would be not to help on D too much.  Our guys should for the most part be able to guard 1 on 1.  MU is more athletic and deep.  Do not pressure too far out and allow dribble drives that cause help and drive draw dish 3s.  3pt shots off the dribble will be much more difficult.  Also do not help too much in the post.  Let Chris et al fend for themselves without fouling.  A few post up shots are prefferable to allowing Davidson to get hot from 3.

Keep Davidson off the FT line and make them shoot highly contested 3s.

In other words, limit 3s and FTs as much as possible.

[GGGG]

I think they are going to be pressuring the ball out on defense.  This is the same strategy used against BYU last year to keep them from running their offense until deep into the shot clock.  I would only switch from this strategy if it doesn't work...ie, their guards get lane penetration.  Otherwise this plays right into MU strengths.

[tower912]

As part of my defensive strategy, I would also make it a priority to attack the basket on offense.    Make their shooters defend and either get tired or into foul trouble.    Stay home, help less, don't double the post, play Jamil, Juan and STjr together at times, pressure their guards.    Take to heart Buzz's quote from the Milwaukee magazine regarding Wiscy.   "You're more athletic than they are.   F with them. "

[Abode4life]

As part of my defensive strategy, I would also make it a priority to attack the basket on offense.    Make their shooters defend and either get tired or into foul trouble.    Stay home, help less, don't double the post, play Jamil, Juan and STjr together at times, pressure their guards.    Take to heart Buzz's quote from the Milwaukee magazine regarding Wiscy.   "You're more athletic than they are.   F with them. "

I agree with attack the basket.  Davidson only really plays 7 guys (1 other is hurt) so if we can get two guys in foul trouble early, that will help screw up their offensive rhythm.

[KenoshaWarrior]

Hey Buzz use my strategy Im just a 32 year old with no experience at all and no scouting tapes.

Run Triangle and 2 whatever that means.

[john31]

Maybe the usual line up plus STJ. Maybe put Jamil in there too, I think as long as they don't follow suit and play with six or seven as well we can pull this one out.

[JD]

Tight man to man D.

Hopefully Mayo and Blue are tenanicous on the D (no pun intended)  Otule and De'De' will be like windex on the glass.  Bruise them down low, grab boards, "easy peasy, yup and easy" -Brooks Shawshank Redemption.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Maybe the usual line up plus STJ. Maybe put Jamil in there too, I think as long as they don't follow suit and play with six or seven as well we can pull this one out.

So 7 men on the floor? Groundbreaking

[Bieberhole69]

Tight man to man D.

Hopefully Mayo and Blue are tenanicous on the D (no pun intended)  Otule and De'De' will be like windex on the glass.  Bruise them down low, grab boards, "easy peasy, yup and easy" -Brooks Shawshank Redemption.

Easy, peasy, Japanesey?

[Niv Berkowitz]

I'm more concerned w/what they do on offense. Pound the ball down low - early - to Otule and let him set the pace. Get D.Gardner involved too. Only threes (early on) should be wide open looks...which will be set-up by the down-low buckets since we are so much bigger than they are. Use our depth and D.Wilson's speed to harass their guards too when he comes in to sub for J.Cad.

Oh yeah...Steve effinig Taylor Jr. Get him 14 minutes.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Easy, peasy, Japanesey?

Yes. Jap-a-nesey it is!

Brooks was here  (so was Red)

[JD]

I always contimplated between the two.  I figured Brooks was in prison before WW2, so i thought it was "yup and easy"

I must be getting hard of hearing, Japaneasy it is.

[JakeBarnes]

Tight man to man D.

Hopefully Mayo and Blue are tenanicous on the D (no pun intended)  Otule and De'De' will be like windex on the glass.  Bruise them down low, grab boards, "easy peasy, yup and easy" -Brooks Shawshank Redemption.

Honestly, given the metrics that Paint Touches was throwing out there, I'd almost debate throwing D Wilson out there for some hard guarding on their top 3 point shooter.  Say what you will about his offense, that defense will be a game changer in this game.

Other than that, Gardner and Jamil need to be inside and working on drawing fouls on their two forwards.  That's the key: the Muscala treatment when they got Mike Muscala in foul trouble and drew 4 fouls on him by the 14 minute mark in the 2nd half.

[BCHoopster]

I hope Buzz scouted them and took somebody elses ideas how to guard people, if he plays the same D he did against ND letting Connaugton shoot open 3's, then MU is a loser.  I really
can not figure out even after week, how you scout an opponent, the player does exactly what he did the night before, and you did nothing to stop that, can somebody explain?

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

I hope Buzz scouted them and took somebody elses ideas how to guard people, if he plays the same D he did against ND letting Connaugton shoot open 3's, then MU is a loser.  I really
can not figure out even after week, how you scout an opponent, the player does exactly what he did the night before, and you did nothing to stop that, can somebody explain?

Sometimes 18-22 year olds lose focus...

[JakeBarnes]

Sometimes 18-22 year olds lose focus...

I thought adderall was used by all college students now.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I hope Buzz scouted them and took somebody elses ideas how to guard people, if he plays the same D he did against ND letting Connaugton shoot open 3's, then MU is a loser.  I really
can not figure out even after week, how you scout an opponent, the player does exactly what he did the night before, and you did nothing to stop that, can somebody explain?

I agree with you, but I just watched Buzz's show last night and he specifically said that they didn't guard the ball like they needed to in the ND game, and that's why Connaugton was open.

He didn't get into more specifics, but my guess is that they were allowing too much penetration and subsequent rotations. It might not be as much a tactical error as much as a physical one. Guys just didn't guard like they should.

From week to week, MU's defense is very similar. The small wrinkle Buzz has added is a 2-3/3-2 zone (depending upon how he deploys it).

If standard man to man isn't working, I wouldn't be against mixing in some length and playing zone (close out hard on shooters and use length to bother their shots). You risk steam rolling over a shooter, but it allows MU to use their length athleticism to bother their guards and/or change their rhythm.

With all of this said, MU is better than Davidson, so it's time to just play better than Davidson. No tricks. Just be better.

[muarmy81]

3-2 zone.  Smother the perimeter

[GGGG]

Honestly, given the metrics that Paint Touches was throwing out there, I'd almost debate throwing D Wilson out there for some hard guarding on their top 3 point shooter.  Say what you will about his offense, that defense will be a game changer in this game.

You can't have D. Wilson and Junior on the floor at the same time.  And Wilson's best defensive attribute is riding their PG up the floor.  You would rather have Blue or Lockett's length against a three point shooter.

[leever]

I hope Buzz scouted them and took somebody elses ideas how to guard people, if he plays the same D he did against ND letting Connaugton shoot open 3's, then MU is a loser.  I really
can not figure out even after week, how you scout an opponent, the player does exactly what he did the night before, and you did nothing to stop that, can somebody explain?

(1) Pretty sure that he was open and hit some shots

or

(2) It was the uniforms

[MU82]

This is not rocket science: Do not leave 3-point shooters open to double, gamble or help on post players or any other non-3-point shooters. That single, simple strategy probably produces victory in a game in which Marquette is the better team in most areas.

Buzz surely knows this, and hopefully his players will execute it.

[bilsu]

Go as big as possible and play a zone for 5 minutes and then go as quick as possible and press the hell out of them fo 5 minutes.

[JakeBarnes]

(1) Pretty sure that he was open and hit some shots

or

(2) It was the uniforms

I was too busy having fits of nausea at the bar I was watching it at.  I imagine the team was fighting the same feelings.

[BCHoopster]

I agree with you, but I just watched Buzz's show last night and he specifically said that they didn't guard the ball like they needed to in the ND game, and that's why Connaugton was open.

He didn't get into more specifics, but my guess is that they were allowing too much penetration and subsequent rotations. It might not be as much a tactical error as much as a physical one. Guys just didn't guard like they should.

From week to week, MU's defense is very similar. The small wrinkle Buzz has added is a 2-3/3-2 zone (depending upon how he deploys it).

If standard man to man isn't working, I wouldn't be against mixing in some length and playing zone (close out hard on shooters and use length to bother their shots). You risk steam rolling over a shooter, but it allows MU to use their length athleticism to bother their guards and/or change their rhythm.

With all of this said, MU is better than Davidson, so it's time to just play better than Davidson. No tricks. Just be better.


Agreed, but once he hit one 3, I would have told a player not to leave that man.  If you watched Louisville the next night, Russ Smith never left him, just watchhim, let the other players beat
you then.  I just do not want to see a bunch of slow players get easy threes against MU, they are probably not quick enough to drive to the hoop.  If that is the case play Wilson on Cohen and let Otule guard a big down low.
guard the lane.

[GGGG]

BC...let it go.  The ND game is behind us.  Learn from it and move on.