Our Defense on the last play in reg vs Nova

[Mucrisco]

It was definitely enough time, but if Derrick stays with Chennault, he should be able to slow him a bit. It looked like a completely botched defensive assignment, but I think the mindset was to slow him down and force 'Nova to have to beat us with a potential off-balance Rotnei Clarke type miracle heave rather than risking putting them on the line. Under the circumstances it didn't work, but if every dribble takes a second as you mention and you can go from baseline to baseline in five dribbles, the thought process of slowing them down a bit makes sense. Didn't work even remotely, but makes sense.

Which is exactly how the original post wanted the defense to be set up.

Windy,
There are two philosophies. One is to put the man on the ball, and be a crazy person so that the inbounds pass is tough to make. The other is to play center field like you mentioned. Normally, in a dead ball situation, you would want to play center field, since one of the biggest reasons why you play the ball is so that the inbounder can't grab the ball out of net and inbound it quickly, before a press is set up.

However, if I am not mistaken, that play happened right after Mayo's FT's. Since that was the case, even after the time out, the inbounder is still allowed to run the baseline. Therefore, Nova could have draw up a play which passes to another guy who is out of bounds. If there is not a guy guarding the original inbounder, then that guy can run fee, get the inbounds pass, and go up the floor without a defender on him.

Your honor,
What Buzz wants in that situation is this order:

You guard:
1)The hoop
2)The ball
3)ball side help
4)help
5)help

Since the ball and the hoop were becoming the same, you absolutely want Taylor to slide over to help. Normally, the guy who was trying to block the shot should then rotate over to guard Taylor's guy, but since time was running out, the guy took a gamble to try to block the shot.

Some people want the ball to be the first thing stopped. People yell out,"Stop the ball! Stop the ball!" But if you are the last defender back, and you go to stop the ball, you leave the hoop open and allow an easy pass for a uncontested layup. If there was more time on the clock and this play was just in the run of play, some coaches teach you to not leave a dangerous three point, because it is better to give up 2 points rather than 3 points. Buzz is still old school, in this regard, where a layup is an easier shot than a three, so he stops the layup.

[Mucrisco]

Mistake was giving a right handed dribbler the sideline. Should have wing dammed him into the center channel to slow him down and run him into traffic where there is no time for a pass.

Personally, I want him on the sideline, as long as you keep him there. The sideline is the extra defender. Then you can get all your defenders on the strong side of the floor. If he is going up the middle, you have to hug the person you are guarding and it's tougher to help. The mistake was allowing him to catch with his momentum going towards the basket. Like others have said, Derrick needs to force him to catch the ball with his momentum going towards his own baseline.

[MUMac]

I just love reading crisco's disection of plays and technical explanations!

[MayorBeluga]

Crisco - thanks for the description. Once the dribber got DWilson on his hip, the defense adjusted the way Buzz wanted.

The final play of regulation kind of reminds me of the final play against Nova a few years ago in the BET. I believe it was Buzz's first season, and McNeal left his man on the final play to stop ball and a pass was dropped to McNeal's man who layed it in at the buzzer. Result? We lost on a layup.

[BLT]

Personally, I want him on the sideline, as long as you keep him there. The sideline is the extra defender. Then you can get all your defenders on the strong side of the floor. If he is going up the middle, you have to hug the person you are guarding and it's tougher to help. The mistake was allowing him to catch with his momentum going towards the basket. Like others have said, Derrick needs to force him to catch the ball with his momentum going towards his own baseline.

Good description. Obviously two ways to skin a cat. Rick Majerus told me once, I forget which game, maybe the '86 UNC game?, that he learned to cut the right sideline off to turn the man in away from their "on" hand, as they have momentum to the hoop for a running shot or drive. Have to turn them in then. Shooters are taught to get to that seam: think this game, Clark last year, Gtown under Crean when DJ fouled the shooter. All right.

[Mucrisco]

Good description. Obviously two ways to skin a cat. Rick Majerus told me once, I forget which game, maybe the '86 UNC game?, that he learned to cut the right sideline off to turn the hard to turn the man in away from their "on" hand, as they have momentum to the hoop for a running shot or drive. Have to turn them in then. Shooters are taught to get to that seam: think this game, Clark last year, Gtown under Crean when DJ fouled the shooter. All right.

I like that philosophy too. I used to try to do it that way. I found that it is extremely tough to get your players to try to turn them. You have to practice that often. You have to teach them to sprint ahead and cut them off. Personally, I think it's easier for the defender to keep them on the sideline. Then, I saw how Pitino, Billy Donovan, and Shaka Smart set up their press and theirs is designed to keep them on the sideline. That's the great thing about basketball. There are so many ways to do things. Just as long as you believe in what you are doing, you practice what you want accomplished, and your players buy in...

[Goose85]

The mistake was allowing him to catch with his momentum going towards the basket. Like others have said, Derrick needs to force him to catch the ball with his momentum going towards his own baseline.

Great stuff Crisco - thanks for posting.

This part of your breakdown is what I was saying before the inbound. May not be easy, but somehow you have to make them catch the ball without momentum going toward their basket.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Which is exactly how the original post wanted the defense to be set up.

Going back, you're right. I just addressed post-by-post as it went. Regardless, horrendously handled. Thanks for the excellent explanations.