What would you do with this team defensively?

[Sooner23]

Our man-to-man is horrific and our zone just rotations, when we're trying to be active on the perimeter in it, are just as bad.

How about packing in a 2-3 or 1-3-1 zone a little tighter than normal and making teams beat us from three all game? Wouldn't you rather give up wide open three's than wide open layups and pull-up jumpers in the lane all game?

Dumb idea? If so, flame away. :ez-laugh:

 

[Seymore Cox]

Our man-to-man is horrific and our zone just rotations, when we're trying to be active on the perimeter in it, are just as bad.

How about packing in a 2-3 or 1-3-1 zone a little tighter than normal and making teams beat us from three all game? Wouldn't you rather give up wide open three's than wide open layups and pull-up jumpers in the lane all game?

Dumb idea? If so, flame away. :ez-laugh:

The best thing we can do defensively is to slow the game down offensively. We need to dribble under 10 in the shot clock and get as high perecentage of a shot possible against teams with guards that are explosive.

If you look at this game, Caracter beat us. He only scored 10points or so, but he established the fact that he needed to be doubled. Once that happened, it made an already poor perimeter defensive team have to double down and give up driving lanes and perimeter shots to explosive perimeter guys. We don't have any defenders that are going to be able to counter an explosive guard. We'll do better against great spot up shooters than guards that can create and pull up.

 

[outest]

When we play against good perimeter teams, we need to play 3-2 (3 perimeters (WW, TMG, Crock) 2 post (Orlando/Fitzgerald and Tiny/Wright).
When we play against good post team, we need to play 2-3 (2 perimeters (WW, TMG) 3 posts (Crocker, Orlando/Fitzgerald, Tiny/Wright).

 

[Seymore Cox]

We can't keep guys in front of us.
We can't defend the post
We can't block shots
We struggle at keeping guys off the offensive board.
We can't close out of perimeter shots.

Those problems are universeal to a zone and man defense.

 

[SoonerEyeDoc]

We can't keep guys in front of us.
We can't defend the post
We can't block shots
We struggle at keeping guys off the offensive board.
We can't close out of perimeter shots.

Those problems are universeal to a zone and man defense.

Exactly. I was shocked at how easily UTEP's guards got to the rim from 25 ft at will. It was like watching the 92 Dream Team play Angola in the Olympics. I still am amazed how poor TMG played defensively on the ball; Warren I wasn't surprised based on his previous body of work, but a guy as quick as Mason-Griffin should not get blown by on every possession.

That being said, UTEP could've shot left handed falling out of bounds from half court and still hit 50%. They were unconscious last night; some of the three's they hit were from 25 ft and contested. However, taking those away, it was one of the worst defensive performances I have ever seen from a team with good players. It's all about desire and "want to" and right now, that does not exist except on occasional possessions.

 

[DeaconBoomer]

Defense would not have saved us last night. UTEP was to quick to the spot. OU was much, much slower than UTEP.

 

[OUsky]

Practice defense harder... you play like you practice.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Defense would not have saved us last night.

what?

 

[DeaconBoomer]

what?

You can't defend what you can't cover. These guys were way to quick for OU. I watched OU get abused by a quicker, faster, longer, crisper basketball team. The game was a total mismatch. UTEP beat us to the basket and to the spot all night long. We were never in position to play D due to their speed and quicks. I sat on the floor and watched the azz kicking first hand.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

Personally, i would have this team in a full court 2-2-1 or something of the sort...when they get in that they are usually more effective...

then you can drop back into a zone...probably a 2-3

Problem is that i am not sure we are deep enough to press for a very long period of time...

positives...are that it usually milks a few more seconds off of the clock for the opposing team where it takes longer to get into a set...also it increases tempo for us on the offensive end, where i think we play much better...would hide our lack of size...

negatives...u actually have to play hard and cover your space, if one person fails then the press is no good...lots of layups and wide open 3's if not executed properly...


pretty much any defense that enables you to hide the fact that you are going to have less size would work, the problem has nothing to do with scheme IMO...all to do with heart, Capel can scream and try to mix it up all he wants, but eventually it comes down to them wanting to do it...

 

[AdaSooner]

Going to a zone is not a dumb idea at all. I said the same thing at the half last night.

A man to man defense is only as good as your weakest link. Most teams can cover for one player who may be too slow of foot to hang with a quick guard or wing. But this team has too many "weak links" on defense. IMO, they have no choice but to play a match up zone in some form to prevent the wide open shots we saw last night from a quick, athletic team like UTEP. That may put us at even more of a disadvantage on rebounds, but that's better than giving up lay ups and wide open looks from three.

I'm not saying we have to stay in a zone the entire game, just that it should become a staple defense against teams we don't match up well with, which in all honesty has been nearly every team we have played so far. It should be obvious to our coaches by now that this team is physically and mentally challenged in a man to man defense.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

You can't defend what you can't cover. These guys were way to quick for OU. I watched OU get abused by a quicker, faster, longer, crisper basketball team. The game was a total mismatch. UTEP beat us to the basket and to the spot all night long. We were never in position to play D due to their speed and quicks. I sat on the floor and watched the azz kicking first hand.

so playing better defense would not have helped? I guess I can't comprehend this thinking.

If you are saying that we were are not capable of playing good enough defense to stop them then I can atleast understand what you are saying but still disagree with it.

 

[aaron7]

What kind of defense did the Villanova team with Ray, Foye, Lowry, and the rest play when the reached the Elite 8? They were smaller guards than what we have yet must have played some good defense to get to that level in the tournament

 

[DeaconBoomer]

so playing better defense would not have helped? I guess I can't comprehend this thinking.

If you are saying that we were are not capable of playing good enough defense to stop them then I can atleast understand what you are saying but still disagree with it.

I understand what you're saying. I know it's hard to believe. Last night UTEP was way to much for OU. You cannot defend what you cannot cover. I am still shocked.

 

[sybarite]

Bench Warren until he decides to play some?

 

[j2d2]

Practice defense exclusively and grind, grind, grind until rather than endure more of it these all-stars begin to get a glimmer. I know they think far, FAR too highly of themselves to play for a college team. It's up to coach to get their attention. Cant bench the whole team, but I do think it's time for Fitz, Big O , Willis to get some court time.

 

[highjumper]

Whatever you do needs to be pretty simple. You've got a lot of young guys that have not yet developed any kind of Chemistry. Sometimes when you see that, you are asking the kids to do what they are not yet mentally equipped to do and not used to each other. I wouldn't mind seeing a tight 2-3 zone, extending on the ball with a lot of weak side sinking to protect the lane and to help against strong side penetration. Then once they get the "feel" of the simple defense and gain some consistency, teach them to jump the gaps in the 2-3. Right now, I just don't think these kids are ready to play a good man defense.

 

[NickZepp]

How do you get players that have no clue on how to play defense? Don't give me the AAU excuse because everyone plays AAU ball now. That doesn't keep other programs from playing defense like you ahve no talent.

 

[treebranch]

I would press like crazy. The way I see it, this team gets very lazy, very quickly, when standing around, whether on defense or not. So I'd make them move as much as possible and play physical in a full court, 2-2-1 press.

 

[AdaSooner]

Whatever you do needs to be pretty simple. You've got a lot of young guys that have not yet developed any kind of Chemistry. Sometimes when you see that, you are asking the kids to do what they are not yet mentally equipped to do and not used to each other. I wouldn't mind seeing a tight 2-3 zone, extending on the ball with a lot of weak side sinking to protect the lane and to help against strong side penetration. Then once they get the "feel" of the simple defense and gain some consistency, teach them to jump the gaps in the 2-3. Right now, I just don't think these kids are ready to play a good man defense.

Totally agree, highjumper! My biggest concern before the season began was defense and team chemistry, and you touched on both of them.

I'll admit that I'm surprised this team still doesn't understand that good defense is more a matter of desire, hustle and determination, and hating the thoughts of losing enough want to work your tail off in practice and in games. Offense may be a lot of fun. But shutting an opposing player or a team down on defense is far more rewarding.