3 point shooting and no defense

[gr82b4au 5,568]

These are the themes of the 2016-2017 BBall team.

* We live and die by the 3. If we are making 3s, we can keep the game somewhat close and maybe win. If they are not going in, we are going to be blown out. I don't think I have ever seen a team take as many 3s as we have this year. Maybe this is normal - I just haven't been paying attention. 

* The elephant in the room is the lack of defense. Even Bruce has addressed it with the media - stating that his team is made of a bunch of scorers (sometimes) and not a lot of defensive-minded players. Defense is a mindset and it is about effort. Get a hand in the face of shooters! Don't give up wide open shots! Don't let someone back you down! Stay aggressive! 

And if you want to be a team that plays no defense in every game, you better score more than the other team. 

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, gr82b4au said:

These are the themes of the 2016-2017 BBall team.

* We live and die by the 3. If we are making 3s, we can keep the game somewhat close and maybe win. If they are not going in, we are going to be blown out. I don't think I have ever seen a team take as many 3s as we have this year. Maybe this is normal - I just haven't been paying attention. 

* The elephant in the room is the lack of defense. Even Bruce has addressed it with the media - stating that his team is made of a bunch of scorers (sometimes) and not a lot of defensive-minded players. Defense is a mindset and it is about effort. Get a hand in the face of shooters! Don't give up wide open shots! Don't let someone back you down! Stay aggressive! 

And if you want to be a team that plays no defense in every game, you better score more than the other team. 

Might be this is going on at a lot of schools...Duke beat Wake Forest 97-94 on Saturday.....I bet both coaches were going nuts since they are usually known for tight defense more than heavy scoring.    UNC playing about the same. 

Looking like most of the better (meaning more highly recruited) players now consider defense as something their team mates do while they are getting in position for their next shot. 

[milehighfan 1,240]

From what I have seen, this team doesn't care one bit about playing defense. I don't see them changing this late in the season.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

53 minutes ago, milehighfan said:

From what I have seen, this team doesn't care one bit about playing defense. I don't see them changing this late in the season.

The irony is, before the season even started @cole256 told us that our D was going to be our Achilles heel in the long run. Hopefully Pearl will find a way to make it a strength next year.

[AU64 10,122]

11 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

The irony is, before the season even started @cole256 told us that our D was going to be our Achilles heel in the long run. Hopefully Pearl will find a way to make it a strength next year.

Yep....so he did.

But to change for next season.?   That's gonna requite a huge attitude adjustment.....anyone think hypnotism might help ?"   And for the umteenth time, I'm still expecting  that one or two non-seniors who are currently seeing time on the floor will not be back.  

[lionheartkc 6,150]

21 minutes ago, AU64 said:

But to change for next season.?   That's gonna requite a huge attitude adjustment.....anyone think hypnotism might help ?"

I don't know jack about coaching basketball, but in my experience, nothing is better at adjusting attitudes of athletes than falling short of goals that they have the talent to reach. That's when they realize that maybe the coach knows more than they do.

[lutzcammed 469]

I truly believe next year we contend as a top 25 team and defense is more than drilled into them over the off season.

[milehighfan 1,240]

21 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

I don't know jack about coaching basketball, but in my experience, nothing is better at adjusting attitudes of athletes than falling short of goals that they have the talent to reach. That's when they realize that maybe the coach knows more than they do.

It obviously hasn't occurred to them yet.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

21 minutes ago, milehighfan said:

It obviously hasn't occurred to them yet.

Yea... sometimes you have to wait until the dust settles.

[Tiger 8,818]

I also think Bruce is gonna make our players hate him over the offseason with how hard he is going to ride them to improve the defense.

 

And I also think the kids will thank him for it one day

[AU64 10,122]

36 minutes ago, Tiger said:

I also think Bruce is gonna make our players hate him over the offseason with how hard he is going to ride them to improve the defense.

 

And I also think the kids will thank him for it one day

This generation?   who knows?     You are probably right on some of them hating him if he toughens up....and some will thank him from a distance I'm afraid....

[Tiger 8,818]

28 minutes ago, AU64 said:

This generation?   who knows?     You are probably right on some of them hating him if he toughens up....and some will thank him from a distance I'm afraid....

He can hammer it into them without being over the new school "line". The outcome you mention is certainly a possibility though.