Will Wojo adjust?

[skianth16]

He's shown he can coach offense. Will he figure out the other side of the ball?

I think most people can agree that he turned an average group of guys into an offensive powerhouse, but we were inexcusably bad at defense. Can he adjust and improve? I hate having to wait and see, keeping my fingers crossed, but there is no way a team if this caliber should get beat by 20 (20!) in a half.

[tower912]

How much size is coming in?

[AlumKCof93]

Wojo and his staff did not show an ability to devise a winning defensive strategy.  There's no question about that.

But undersized guards and slow big guys are not good ingredients from which to work.  Next year will be telling in terms of wojos development as coach

[Norm]

How much size is coming in?

A couple big guys, but on the skinny side.

[nyg]

How much size is coming in?

Size is one thing, ability/skills are another.

Heldt has size, but no BE ability/skills. 

Maybe that changes.

[mayfairskatingrink]

Wojo believes that defense is mostly effort.

The team defense was no better in practice.  Wojo tells people "they just don't want to play defense."

Wojo will take MU as far as the individual talent allows.  He will not make them better as a unit than they are individually (like a Brad Stevens did).

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Wojo believes that defense is mostly effort.

The team defense was no better in practice.  Wojo tells people "they just don't want to play defense."

Wojo will take MU as far as the individual talent allows.  He will not make them better as a unit than they are individually (like a Brad Stevens did).

Go ahead then coach, grab your whistle and your clipboard if you think you have all the damn answers.

[skianth16]

Go ahead then coach, grab your whistle and your clipboard if you think you have all the damn answers.

This kind of comment is ridiculous. Wojo needs to get better at coaching defense. That is an undebatable fact. We don't get paid 7 figures to know how to do this, coupled with another massive travel and recruiting budget. He does. And he needs to improve. Period.

He's got the offensive side down. Defense is a far cry from acceptable, though.

[mileskishnish72]

Agree the D is poor. We made SC look like UCLA.

Here's hoping he can pick it up.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

This kind of comment is ridiculous. Wojo needs to get better at coaching defense. That is an undebatable fact. We don't get paid 7 figures to know how to do this, coupled with another massive travel and recruiting budget. He does. And he needs to improve. Period.

He's got the offensive side down. Defense is a far cry from acceptable, though.

The coaching staff needs to improve in that regard but our personnel had plenty of limitations as well. Tom Thibodeau wouldn't have made this a good defensive team.

[Mods, Delete me please. 8/26/2020]

The coaching staff needs to improve in that regard but our personnel had plenty of limitations as well. Tom Thibodeau wouldn't have made this a good defensive team.

False.   

[Vander Blue Man Group]

False.

Please share.

[skianth16]

Saying this is a personnel limitation is an easy way out. If he can coach these guys to be one of the most efficient offenses, then he should be able to do something on defense too. He squeezed some magic from a fairly average group, so why was the magic so one sided?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Saying this is a personnel limitation is an easy way out. If he can coach these guys to be one of the most efficient offenses, then he should be able to do something on defense too. He squeezed some magic from a fairly average group, so why was the magic so one sided?

Who said it was only a personnel situation? 

Having a great offense has nothing to do with having a good defense.

To not recognize the limitations of our players and how they contributed to the poor defense is ignorant.

[DavidBoone2inchesTaller]

How much size is coming in?

Answer: A lot of it.

Henry Froling 6' 11"  PF/C Transfer from SMU - Now eligible to play.
Theo John 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Ikechukwu Eke 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Jamal Cain 6' 6" SF/PF Frosh

In 2018:
Brendan Bailey 6' 7" SF Frosh - The son of one of my favorite college players of all-time, Thurl Bailey

[skianth16]

To not recognize the limitations of our players and how they contributed to the poor defense is ignorant.

To assume players are only capable of playing one way seems worse to me.

Apparently the same hands, legs, and brains that can put up 83 per game in a tough conference shouldn't be expected to prevent the ball from going through the hoop. Interesting logic.

[Mods, Delete me please. 8/26/2020]

You would've seen a different lineup.   Thibs (in a ridiculous hypothetical) would've made this team better defensively but it would've cost us points.   I was admittedly glib in my "false" post, and I apologize.   But thibs would've rarely played Fish, Rowsey or Howard.    I'm not sure why I'm arguing this as I am happy how this season ended up (with a bright future) but it seems obvious --- offense at the expense of defense.     It was the right move by Wojo and wait all of a sudden I realize It's 1:00 and I'm drunk and I'm defending Tom thibedeau on an internet message board and goodlord I'm going to bed.     Good night, Marquette.     

[Vander Blue Man Group]

To assume players are only capable of playing one way seems worse to me.

Apparently the same hands, legs, and brains that can put up 83 per game in a tough conference shouldn't be expected to prevent the basement from going through the hoop. Interesting logic.

Once again, no one is assuming that. Your comprehension needs some serious work.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Answer: A lot of it.

Henry Froling 6' 11"  PF/C Transfer from SMU - Now eligible to play.
Theo John 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Ikechukwu Eke 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Jamal Cain 6' 6" SF/PF Frosh

In 2018:
Brendan Bailey 6' 7" SF Frosh - The son of one of my favorite college players of all-time, Thurl Bailey

Read Cain is closer to 6'8" now.

[Norm]

Answer: A lot of it.

Henry Froling 6' 11"  PF/C Transfer from SMU - Now eligible to play.
Theo John 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Ikechukwu Eke 6' 9" PF/C Frosh
Jamal Cain 6' 6" SF/PF Frosh

In 2018:
Brendan Bailey 6' 7" SF Frosh - The son of one of my favorite college players of all-time, Thurl Bailey

How much of that size is ready to contribute next year?

[skianth16]

Once again, no one is assuming that. Your comprehension needs some serious work.

I fundamentally cannot comprehend how the same group of guys can be so efficient at offense and can simultaneously be such a dumpster fire on defense. Your comment that the lack of defense is based on personnel just doesn't make sense when they can be so good at the other half of the game.

You're literally saying that the reason we're bad at defense is because we have bad players. Yet somehow these bad players are capable of forming one of the best offenses in the country.

Does not compute.

[lohaus]

Froling and John

[DavidBoone2inchesTaller]

Froling and John

...And I would say Cain as well.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I fundamentally cannot comprehend how the same group of guys can be so efficient at offense and can simultaneously be such a dumpster fire on defense. Your comment that the lack of defense is based on personnel just doesn't make sense when they can be so good at the other half of the game.

You're literally saying that the reason we're bad at defense is because we have bad players. Yet somehow these bad players are capable of forming one of the best offenses in the country.

Does not compute.

That's not what I'm saying at all. We have guys who can shoot the lights out and move the ball.  That skill set doesn't translate to the other side of the ball.

Howard and Rowsey are small and not super quick or athletic. Our wings have some athleticism but nothing out of the ordinary and they are not strong.  Sam is fundamentally sound but is not extremely quick or athletic. Luke and Matt are big but not quick or athletic. We didn't have a 4 that could defend and rebound, which makes a huge difference. These are all physical limitations.

Better coaching can help but if you can't see how these limitations hurt on the defensive end but don't have the same impact on the offensive end I don't know what to tell you.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I fundamentally cannot comprehend how the same group of guys can be so efficient at offense and can simultaneously be such a dumpster fire on defense. Your comment that the lack of defense is based on personnel just doesn't make sense when they can be so good at the other half of the game.

You're literally saying that the reason we're bad at defense is because we have bad players. Yet somehow these bad players are capable of forming one of the best offenses in the country.

Does not compute.

Why does it not compute? Some players are better at offense. Some are better at defense. We have a lot who are better at offense and maybe 2 who are better at defense. Size also has bigger impact on defense than it does on offense.

That being said, defense was epicly bad this year and some of it is on the coaching. I think some of it was on the scheme, I saw a lot of trying to force square pegs into round holes. But some of it was on teaching defense. Luke got better at hedging screens as the season went on but not nearly fast enough or to a high enough degree.

Wojo is a young coach and is learning. I think the personnel will be a lot more conducive to better defense next season, that'll help. But I think Wojo and his staff will also improve. I also don't think you can underestimate the value of having a team where all the major contributors are your recruits.