Haukar Game Thread

[jsglow]

At one point we ran out a lineup with Duane (6'2"), Anim (6'5"), Sandy (6'6"), Ellenson (6'10"), and Fischer (6'11"). That's some great size.

I also thought Haukar was a solid team. Not elite, but to compare them to our level of play, the kind of team that gets into the tournament as a 13/14 seed and gives some higher seed hell for 40 minutes. Great shooting team, spaced the floor well, and great on the back door cuts. Very fundamentally solid, though they did run out of gas at the end.

Belmont perhaps?

[mug644]

And one of the best things about the game was that they came back, twice. They got some momentum, created stops and kept it going.

Overall, I've been hopeful for this season, given the level of individual talent on the team. This game, even accounting for lots of factors, gives me more optimism, given the way they played as a team (despite plenty of flaws on defense).

[brewcity77]

So they're Davidson?

Belmont perhaps?

Both of those feel like good comparisons. Again, this is just going by the eye test (which I hate) but they did the little things right and didn't beat themselves. Teams like that can be tough for anyone to deal with when they are hitting their shots.

[Spotcheck Billy]

what defenses were used? Zone or some man-to-man?

[77ncaachamps]

Golden Bears.

Love it.

Would fit because the other Jordan brand school, Cal, are the Golden Bears.

[GGGG]

what defenses were used? Zone or some man-to-man?

I never saw them play zone.  Not that they didn't, but I just didn't recall seeing it.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

At one point we ran out a lineup with Duane (6'2"), Anim (6'5"), Sandy (6'6"), Ellenson (6'10"), and Fischer (6'11"). That's some great size.

I also thought Haukar was a solid team. Not elite, but to compare them to our level of play, the kind of team that gets into the tournament as a 13/14 seed and gives some higher seed hell for 40 minutes. Great shooting team, spaced the floor well, and great on the back door cuts. Very fundamentally solid, though they did run out of gas at the end.

I think they looked better than a competitive low-major. 

[mug644]

I never saw them play zone.  Not that they didn't, but I just didn't recall seeing it.

I agree. Don't think they played any zone, but I could be mistaken.

No surprise, really, given that Wojo would like to play more man to man, and Hauker is a 3-shooting team. Needed to play tighter in their faces to prevent open looks. I think if we had started in zone, we would've needed to switch to man very quickly.

[brewcity77]

I agree. Don't think they played any zone, but I could be mistaken.

No surprise, really, given that Wojo would like to play more man to man, and Hauker is a 3-shooting team. Needed to play tighter in their faces to prevent open looks. I think if we had started in zone, we would've needed to switch to man very quickly.

Yeah, we were slow enough (especially early) closing out on threes, the last thing we needed was to give them space to just shoot over the zone, because they could have and would have.

[jsglow]

No zone that I saw.  Our defensive rotations still need improvement but that's to be expected.  When we were late, Haukar buried the shot until the very end when they're legs gave out.

[mu03eng]

We played man to man exclusively.  Haukar played mostly man but I think in the 3rd quarter switched to a 2-3 zone which I thought we handled pretty well....way better than we've handled it the last couple of seasons any way.

The other thing that has me giddy about this games results.....this is the type of team we can expect to play in Madison.  This style was probably the one I thought we'd have the most trouble with.  Haukar even got all the ticky tack calls the 12 year olds were calling, so it definitely felt like it was Madison....ya know, with the backdoor stuff and all.

[mu03eng]

No zone that I saw.  Our defensive rotations still need improvement but that's to be expected.  When we were late, Haukar buried the shot until the very end when they're legs gave out.

Mostly it was on late close outs by Heldt, Ellenson, and Fischer, who aren't use to that type of thing.  A lot of issues on ball screens (switch vs stay).  That'll take some time to learn.


It's good to see we have some semblance of an offense and defense installed at this point of the season. 

[wadesworld]

Outstanding.  Sounds like this game alone may have been worth the entire experience.  Here's to hoping for 3 more competitive games (with safer floors).

I'll stick to my 7 seed prediction.  But after actually watching this game, I might be moving it up.

Maybe I'll bump it up to 6.  We will finish somewhere between 3-5 in the BE, but I think by the end of the season we'll be the 2nd best team in the BE.