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Men's Hoops - Game #1 vs Baylor
Tequilla
Member Posts: 19,931
Let's be realistic here ... expectations for this team aren't high and Baylor's really good. Losing to Baylor is to be expected. Losing by even 20 wouldn't be a huge shocker.
Losing by 34? Yikes ... pretty ugly.
You want ugly though ... how about getting your ass handed to you 48 to 15 on the glass ... and even more ugly is seeing Baylor have more offensive rebounds (20) than you have total rebounds (15).
Talent deficits are one thing ... I can understand that.
But getting your ass kicked on the glass is pure effort or lack thereof ...
That's a fucking joke Hop ... you should be flat out embarrassed by the lack of effort by your team in Game #1 of the year against the #2 team in the country.
Losing by 34? Yikes ... pretty ugly.
You want ugly though ... how about getting your ass handed to you 48 to 15 on the glass ... and even more ugly is seeing Baylor have more offensive rebounds (20) than you have total rebounds (15).
Talent deficits are one thing ... I can understand that.
But getting your ass kicked on the glass is pure effort or lack thereof ...
That's a fucking joke Hop ... you should be flat out embarrassed by the lack of effort by your team in Game #1 of the year against the #2 team in the country.
Comments
Add Bill to the Fire Hopkins bandwagon.
I don't think UW has posted any highlights.
2) Zone defensive strategies really only work well against teams that can't shoot and/or make poor decisions when it comes to passing ... with shooting becoming more en vogue as a skill set, you see guys shooting more uncontested 25-30 footers that are effectively wide open as the zone isn't designed to stretch that far. If the zone does stretch that far it effectively falls apart behind it.
3) One thing I noticed last year and showed up in the highlights a few times is that one of the adjustments that Hop has made with the zones to the way the modern game is played with 3's and shooters is to extend to running people off the 3 point line and giving up the runners and mid-range shot that the Rockets have famously deprioritized in the game. Problem is that a lot of teams/players are starting to recognize the error in that logic and you're seeing more and more players embracing the relatively easy shots that come between the arc and the basket where the bigs really don't want to vacate.
Big picture, zones are really more momentum changing strategies at this point against teams/units that struggle to beat those types of defenses. As players become better and better shooters though you can't do anything other than really stay in their hip and limit their air space. A good shooter doesn't care if you give him an open 15 footer, 20 footer, 25 footer, or 30 footer ... if they know that they are going to be getting those shots they are going to be positioned to make them.
18-19 footers are obviously inefficient but those aren't the shots that are being given up. Chasing people off the line results in either side step 3's (which is honesty just a rhythm shot for a good shooter) or relocating into 10-15 footers that are effectively free throws or above for good shooters.
This is why I've always said that zones are easy to bust up for good offensive players and shooters because all of the shots that you get off the zone if you get it scrambling are effectively warm up jumpers in the gym.
Not trying to bag on Hop too much because this style of defense has had success in the past not only at UW but obviously Syracuse, but the game is shifting and Syracuse has struggled to have huge success lately (comparatively speaking). Running this kind of defense successfully has usually required long athletes that may or may not be strong offensive players. Today's game you can't be successful without the ability to score the ball. Hop's made some changes to bring in more shooters but I'm also not sure that the players he's brought in are players that are well suited to play the defense he wants to play.
Also I didn’t watch the game but my brother pirated a steam and said the offense looked just as lost as always. I get it it’s against the #2 team in the country but still.
Hop's 2-3 has largely morphed into more of a 4 defending the 3 point line and a big defending the middle ... there's a lot of holes and gaps in the zone at this point.
Good news Football is still going
Bad News BB season is here