02-09-2010, 01:20 PM
From this point forward WMU just has to grind it out and win at all costs.
But there should be a method to that madness.
The key in my opinion is that WMU must control and dictate tempo to their advantage. I know that is obvious but if you look at the tenure of Steve Hawkins as head coach, if tempo was changed by WMU it was generally player driven. Hawk has shown little willingness or ability to "shape" the game.
Two facts.
Players win or lose games. I know for the "Fire Hawk" crowd that fact is difficult to swallow. But it always has and always will.
Coaches or teachers put those players/students in positions to utilize their ability to the fullest in the context of a team. So we can automatically rule out being "Drew'sed". A straw man at best.
IMO Hawk has done poorly over his entire tenure to adjust to both his personnel, the competition and real time game situations. I think it is no more complicated than he has a set of values, a MO and he sticks to it. Nothing wrong with that other than he is evaluated on tangible wins and losses. Though he has a nice record to date there is no question in my mind that this program has underachieved and done so repeatedly being enough evidence to point to this as a reasonable and valid conclusion. A string of West division titles like being Drew'sed is too a straw man. A weak division, winnable OC games that are lost by slim margins all too regularly.
I am not ignoring the wins over Davidson, SIU, this past Holiday tournament, Va. Tech several years ago nor VCU of this year. That is what is so maddening or revealing. Either these other teams do not meet us "geeked up" and ready and we are and use that advantage to win or all are on equal footing and we are the better team. Either way contrasted to the balance of Loyola's, CMU's, BSU's, EIU's, U of I at Springfield, etc. it is an established and disturbing trend.
So how does this egnimatic program utilize the last days of Kool and the Gang?
BGSU was a microcosim. The game swung on tempo.
1. After two quick 3 pointers by DK and Tel BGSU got out of their 3/4 court press and went straight zone. WMU went from up 6-0 to down 9-6 in a blink of an eye. The ebb and flow of the entire balance was consistently supressive. Neither team really made a move until WMU's hand was forced after leg weary and mentally exhausted Bronco's repeatedly made defensive lapses and BGSU stretched their lead to 9 or 11 points.
2. When Coach Alexander suggested and Hawk implemented the press this not only changed the tempo but caught the Falcons off guard. Repeated turnovers and resulting baskets forced King Louie to burn his timeouts.
So taking this context forward how could/should it be applied to maximize WMU's success the balance of the season? How can they create, maintain and change tempo to suite their real time needs?
1. I'm a believer in m-m defense. Zones are not as effective in my opinion. But a properly played zone defense can and does dictate tempo. It also reduces the physical wear and tear on the body as it requires less physical effort off the ball. That however, is it's inherent weakness. Less effort stems directly from less commited mental focus. However, if your using it to specifically address a need and the players understand and are committed to meeting that need you can effectively "dampen" the inherent weakness of "drifting off and saving your legs". Until WMU effectively attacked BGSU's match up zone BGSU completely controlled tempo.
And since this team continues to depend almost exclusively (too it's and the programs detriment) on DK for offense playing a zone stragtegically will "save" DK's legs for those last 4 minutes.
2. The zone trapping both FC. 3/4 court and 1/2 court (1 possession) were effective. If you're so convicted on playing m-m there are ways to combine the two which are not novel but I am stumped as to why it isn't or has not been employed.
You execute the run and jump.
Drive the dribbler to areas with pressure. Turn him only to have had a weakside player run at him (from the blind side) and "jump" him. Obviously you can stay in this "hard" trap and rotate up to cover the players 1 pass away. You can also "run" the original defender off the man "jumped" and rotate him to the player now furthest away (vision) as everyone else automatically rotates up to the next man.
One of two scenarios occur.
A) The jumped ball handler kills his dribble and eats it or he sees the teammate temporarily left open by the "jumper" and makes a pass. This should be picked off by the next defender closest to the "open" offensive player as he sprints to rotate "up".
B. The dribbler keeps his dribble but has to recalibrate. He can continue on in the direction of the jumper or he might reverse back toward his original defender. At this juncture it has already been determined that depending on where you are on the floor (back court or just over the time line) the jumper now switches to the dribbler and the everyone switches on the rotation or you stay in a double team and zone up on the back line. If properly prepared you can have rules that avoid a Mikey Douglas or Alex Wolf getting caught on a Polk and a DL caught on a Jakubowski/Crawford mis-match.
2. On offense will we quit asking DL and Flen to sumo wrestle on the block and expect them to turn into Elvin Hayes and score 66% of the time they touch it there? Let the kids catch the ball on the move to utilize their superior athleticism and minimize their lesser developed post skills. DL was 0-4 on sumo wrestling and Flen was 2-2 cutting to the basket, catching and elevating, including one And 1.
3. Orr commented on how their primary defensive objective was to limit WMU's transition baskets.
This is an appropriate goal to have playing WMU since in the 1/2 court it is so DK centric. Transition includes so many others that their contribution only "piles on" top of DK in quarter court.
Some have noted how opponents have tried to take away the "sideline" break? We have effectively countered with going up the middle.
Another distinct way to maintain the high octane aspect of the transition O is to provide some flexibility in how you achieve your goal. You have to expect in a "chess match" that your moves will be countered.
WMU often plays small ball with a guard playing the wing, including Tel. WMU almost always runs the ball up the right side, and always out lets to the PG.
Aren't most of the perimeter types basically interchangeable particularly in the transition game?
Counter an opponents counter.
Start out easy and do it off FT situations. All three perims are in play.
Pull a Carol Burnett.
Mikey, tugs on either ear lobe or touches his nose. Right, left and center. That's the side we'll run it. Also, don't always have the wings directly run down the floor. Each wing kicks out to the side between the hash and FT line extended. If the ball is inbounded on the other side, they are down the floor or across the middle on a diagonal. MD is always sprinting to the ball side around the time line or deeper and gets the 2nd pass. He has the option of chucking up the w-s wing down the floor with the non- inbounding big sprinting right down the middle as a trailer. Or MD can push it on the dribble to the middle with the recipient of the inbounds (b-s wing) already in sprint mode up that sideline.
If MD is denied he's down the floor and the w-s wing is diagonally cutting across the middle and is the 2nd option. The non inbounding big then diverts from the middle to the now w-s wing but will likely be trailing. The original w-s wing now with the ball in the middle is pushing it or hits the PG who may have been able to shake his defender who was up and denying the 2nd pass.
The third option is Hawks original option, the recipent of the inbounds drives up the floor looking ahead for an advantage or forcing the D to stop his dribble.
Advantage?
Tempo.
Transition is having to be denied on 4 fronts to be effective. In space in transition our superior athletes should excel.
One addition. Rotate or switch the 3 perims spots on the FT line up. Now that we have been scouted they think "My man is going here and doing this!" Wrong! It's the position not the man.
Finally, you add this to your scheme of having rebounded a missed FG. Hit the first or designated outlet. If I'm weakside with the other wing I know the guy deepest to the baseline should be the "runner". The guy furthest up the floor becomes the 2nd outlet at 1/2 court. It becomes instinctive, it fosters success and allows the kids to excel in areas that God has gifted them physically.
Create, control and dictate tempo.
But there should be a method to that madness.
The key in my opinion is that WMU must control and dictate tempo to their advantage. I know that is obvious but if you look at the tenure of Steve Hawkins as head coach, if tempo was changed by WMU it was generally player driven. Hawk has shown little willingness or ability to "shape" the game.
Two facts.
Players win or lose games. I know for the "Fire Hawk" crowd that fact is difficult to swallow. But it always has and always will.
Coaches or teachers put those players/students in positions to utilize their ability to the fullest in the context of a team. So we can automatically rule out being "Drew'sed". A straw man at best.
IMO Hawk has done poorly over his entire tenure to adjust to both his personnel, the competition and real time game situations. I think it is no more complicated than he has a set of values, a MO and he sticks to it. Nothing wrong with that other than he is evaluated on tangible wins and losses. Though he has a nice record to date there is no question in my mind that this program has underachieved and done so repeatedly being enough evidence to point to this as a reasonable and valid conclusion. A string of West division titles like being Drew'sed is too a straw man. A weak division, winnable OC games that are lost by slim margins all too regularly.
I am not ignoring the wins over Davidson, SIU, this past Holiday tournament, Va. Tech several years ago nor VCU of this year. That is what is so maddening or revealing. Either these other teams do not meet us "geeked up" and ready and we are and use that advantage to win or all are on equal footing and we are the better team. Either way contrasted to the balance of Loyola's, CMU's, BSU's, EIU's, U of I at Springfield, etc. it is an established and disturbing trend.
So how does this egnimatic program utilize the last days of Kool and the Gang?
BGSU was a microcosim. The game swung on tempo.
1. After two quick 3 pointers by DK and Tel BGSU got out of their 3/4 court press and went straight zone. WMU went from up 6-0 to down 9-6 in a blink of an eye. The ebb and flow of the entire balance was consistently supressive. Neither team really made a move until WMU's hand was forced after leg weary and mentally exhausted Bronco's repeatedly made defensive lapses and BGSU stretched their lead to 9 or 11 points.
2. When Coach Alexander suggested and Hawk implemented the press this not only changed the tempo but caught the Falcons off guard. Repeated turnovers and resulting baskets forced King Louie to burn his timeouts.
So taking this context forward how could/should it be applied to maximize WMU's success the balance of the season? How can they create, maintain and change tempo to suite their real time needs?
1. I'm a believer in m-m defense. Zones are not as effective in my opinion. But a properly played zone defense can and does dictate tempo. It also reduces the physical wear and tear on the body as it requires less physical effort off the ball. That however, is it's inherent weakness. Less effort stems directly from less commited mental focus. However, if your using it to specifically address a need and the players understand and are committed to meeting that need you can effectively "dampen" the inherent weakness of "drifting off and saving your legs". Until WMU effectively attacked BGSU's match up zone BGSU completely controlled tempo.
And since this team continues to depend almost exclusively (too it's and the programs detriment) on DK for offense playing a zone stragtegically will "save" DK's legs for those last 4 minutes.
2. The zone trapping both FC. 3/4 court and 1/2 court (1 possession) were effective. If you're so convicted on playing m-m there are ways to combine the two which are not novel but I am stumped as to why it isn't or has not been employed.
You execute the run and jump.
Drive the dribbler to areas with pressure. Turn him only to have had a weakside player run at him (from the blind side) and "jump" him. Obviously you can stay in this "hard" trap and rotate up to cover the players 1 pass away. You can also "run" the original defender off the man "jumped" and rotate him to the player now furthest away (vision) as everyone else automatically rotates up to the next man.
One of two scenarios occur.
A) The jumped ball handler kills his dribble and eats it or he sees the teammate temporarily left open by the "jumper" and makes a pass. This should be picked off by the next defender closest to the "open" offensive player as he sprints to rotate "up".
B. The dribbler keeps his dribble but has to recalibrate. He can continue on in the direction of the jumper or he might reverse back toward his original defender. At this juncture it has already been determined that depending on where you are on the floor (back court or just over the time line) the jumper now switches to the dribbler and the everyone switches on the rotation or you stay in a double team and zone up on the back line. If properly prepared you can have rules that avoid a Mikey Douglas or Alex Wolf getting caught on a Polk and a DL caught on a Jakubowski/Crawford mis-match.
2. On offense will we quit asking DL and Flen to sumo wrestle on the block and expect them to turn into Elvin Hayes and score 66% of the time they touch it there? Let the kids catch the ball on the move to utilize their superior athleticism and minimize their lesser developed post skills. DL was 0-4 on sumo wrestling and Flen was 2-2 cutting to the basket, catching and elevating, including one And 1.
3. Orr commented on how their primary defensive objective was to limit WMU's transition baskets.
This is an appropriate goal to have playing WMU since in the 1/2 court it is so DK centric. Transition includes so many others that their contribution only "piles on" top of DK in quarter court.
Some have noted how opponents have tried to take away the "sideline" break? We have effectively countered with going up the middle.
Another distinct way to maintain the high octane aspect of the transition O is to provide some flexibility in how you achieve your goal. You have to expect in a "chess match" that your moves will be countered.
WMU often plays small ball with a guard playing the wing, including Tel. WMU almost always runs the ball up the right side, and always out lets to the PG.
Aren't most of the perimeter types basically interchangeable particularly in the transition game?
Counter an opponents counter.
Start out easy and do it off FT situations. All three perims are in play.
Pull a Carol Burnett.
Mikey, tugs on either ear lobe or touches his nose. Right, left and center. That's the side we'll run it. Also, don't always have the wings directly run down the floor. Each wing kicks out to the side between the hash and FT line extended. If the ball is inbounded on the other side, they are down the floor or across the middle on a diagonal. MD is always sprinting to the ball side around the time line or deeper and gets the 2nd pass. He has the option of chucking up the w-s wing down the floor with the non- inbounding big sprinting right down the middle as a trailer. Or MD can push it on the dribble to the middle with the recipient of the inbounds (b-s wing) already in sprint mode up that sideline.
If MD is denied he's down the floor and the w-s wing is diagonally cutting across the middle and is the 2nd option. The non inbounding big then diverts from the middle to the now w-s wing but will likely be trailing. The original w-s wing now with the ball in the middle is pushing it or hits the PG who may have been able to shake his defender who was up and denying the 2nd pass.
The third option is Hawks original option, the recipent of the inbounds drives up the floor looking ahead for an advantage or forcing the D to stop his dribble.
Advantage?
Tempo.
Transition is having to be denied on 4 fronts to be effective. In space in transition our superior athletes should excel.
One addition. Rotate or switch the 3 perims spots on the FT line up. Now that we have been scouted they think "My man is going here and doing this!" Wrong! It's the position not the man.
Finally, you add this to your scheme of having rebounded a missed FG. Hit the first or designated outlet. If I'm weakside with the other wing I know the guy deepest to the baseline should be the "runner". The guy furthest up the floor becomes the 2nd outlet at 1/2 court. It becomes instinctive, it fosters success and allows the kids to excel in areas that God has gifted them physically.
Create, control and dictate tempo.