Why doesn't Marquette press?

[#UnleashSean]

Fast team, excellent turnover ability on defense, but they never press? I don't understand, a team of Carter, Wilson, and johnson is born to press defense.

[We R Final Four]

Because after JJJ got the steal he would dish it to Traci on the 3:1 break only to be swatted into the 2nd row. 

[RJax55]

Fast team, excellent turnover ability on defense, but they never press? I don't understand, a team of Carter, Wilson, and johnson is born to press defense.

Two reasons....

1.) Lack of depth, especially in the front-court. While the press can generate turnovers, when broken, your bigs are susceptible to picking up fouls as they are placed into odd-man situations. MU needs to keep HE and Luke on the floor. Having them defend 2-on-1s is not a great way for that to happen.

2.) Today's rules. The emphasis on hand-checking and body contact really hurts teams that want to press. No coach wants the other team to be in the bonus with 14 minutes to go in the half.

[bilsu]

Becasue we are less athletic than most of the teams in the Big East.

[4everwarriors]

Not a fast or quick team, hey?

[MU82]

Two reasons....

1.) Lack of depth, especially in the front-court. While the press can generate turnovers, when broken, your bigs are susceptible to picking up fouls as they are placed into odd-man situations. MU needs to keep HE and Luke on the floor. Having them defend 2-on-1s is not a great way for that to happen.

2.) Today's rules. The emphasis on hand-checking and body contact really hurts teams that want to press. No coach wants the other team to be in the bonus with 14 minutes to go in the half.

I agree with all of this ... but today's rules didn't stop St. John's from mauling us when they were pressing.

Refs often get caught up in the action and let far more go when a desperate team is pressing than they did during "regular play" early in a game.

[MarquetteDano]

I think the occasional press for this team is a great idea.  Can play either Ellenson or Fischer at the '5' (not both... whomever has less fouls).  Play Carter, Johnson, Sandy, and Wally.  We are very good at turning teams over and our offense isn't so great in the half-court.

I don't think we can play any kind of sustained press but for 4-5 possessions a game I think is a good idea.  Unless both Ellenson and Fischer are in foul trouble.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Agree, we should full court press.  Back in the day, Al used to press with his "scrambled eggs" unit.  It was usually comprised of 5 guys from the bench.  They would play all out and fly around the court.  It would change the tempo of the game.  It was very effective.

[GGGG]

McGuire used scrambled eggs for one year. 1965. When his first team sucked and his second team was full of his recruits that we're going to build the franchise. Not exactly the same scenario.

Furthermore college basketball strategy from 50 years ago probably isn't all that useful.

[GGGG]

To answer the question, it is obvious that Wojo believes in tough half court defense. So much so that he seems to be willing to give up some offensive rebounds to do so. Given that, pressing is probably not his style. His mentor doesn't do it. His mentor's mentor didn't do it.

[MarquetteDano]

To answer the question, it is obvious that Wojo believes in tough half court defense. So much so that he seems to be willing to give up some offensive rebounds to do so. Given that, pressing is probably not his style. His mentor doesn't do it. His mentor's mentor didn't do it.

Long-term this is true but his mentors don't believe in zone but we have used it effectively, sparingly.  I think that is all some people are saying.  But if Wojo and his coaches are not comfortable with it, so be it.  Just think it could work from time to time.

[RJax55]

I agree with all of this ... but today's rules didn't stop St. John's from mauling us when they were pressing.

Refs often get caught up in the action and let far more go when a desperate team is pressing than they did during "regular play" early in a game.

This is most frustrating issue I have with today's officiating. I have no problem with calling the hand-checks and such during the game. I actually think its a good point of emphasis so movement is not restricted. But, you can't throw that all out the window when a team is down and is scrambling in the last minutes of the game. Yet, you see it all the time.

And, I have no doubt that if a team started a game or half like that, that team would be ringing up the fouls left and right.

[MU82]

Long-term this is true but his mentors don't believe in zone but we have used it effectively, sparingly.  I think that is all some people are saying.  But if Wojo and his coaches are not comfortable with it, so be it.  Just think it could work from time to time.

His mentors might not "believe" in zone, but Duke plays quite a bit of zone and even Bobby relented and went with zone late in his career when he didn't have the personnel to play man.

[MarquetteDano]

His mentors might not "believe" in zone, but Duke plays quite a bit of zone and even Bobby relented and went with zone late in his career when he didn't have the personnel to play man.

Duke playing zone is much more recent.  I believe after Wojo left.  Prior to 2013 I bet you count on one hand how often Duke played zone under Coach K.

[Marcus92]

To answer the question, it is obvious that Wojo believes in tough half court defense. So much so that he seems to be willing to give up some offensive rebounds to do so. Given that, pressing is probably not his style. His mentor doesn't do it. His mentor's mentor didn't do it.

+1

Agree that the occasional full-court press could be an ideal fit for this team. We have seen occasional full-court pressure before — in the Butler game, for example, to deny or delay Jones getting the ball, or slowing him in bringing the ball up court. But I think Sultan nailed it; pressing isn't really Wojo's style.