Sam Alexis commits to IU
- Thread starter namnik
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Good rebounder didn't play much at Florida hopefully we can get one big who can keep the defense honest.
Injury plagued. He’s a good pickup from what I can tell. His efficiency stats look good.
You mean like Reed Bailey? Or do you mean a lowpost scorer that likely wouldn't be utilized much in DeVries offense?
The only "hole" we have, at this point, is a rim protector/lob catcher. Alexis can do that though though, a little bit. But to allow for unrealistic levels of thoughts and dreams, we need a taller/longer, more impactful rim protector.
I think we have four starters so we need a fifth. This guy looks to be a reserve so hopefully we get a couple bigs who can play big minutes
For those who may be interested in creating unrealistic expectations:
Just a tidbit about Alexis.......he's unrated in this year's portal, but he was #109 in the '24 portal---in the same range as Dorn, Conerway, and Mills this year....
I see Bailey more of a stretch but with all the guards on the roster DeVries looks like the 4 and Bailey the 5.
I see a lot of Alexis and the next big we sign with Dorn, DeVries, Miles and Wilkerson playing positionless basketball. Sisley will get some reps in there I would think. I don't think there's really a number scheme with that. I guess since Tucker looks physical it's easy to see why people would think of him being a 4 defensively. I think with the resumes of the majority of these players, zone is the way to go.
I’d bet money you won’t see zone.
or positionless basketball ..
I bet on the outside people will mistake it as positionless.
Not everyone obviously can play defense like Houston, but a big part of their success has been their ability to switch everything. And to blitz guards off of ball screens like they did Smith in the PU game. Smith did a good job of handling the double teams, but he is kind of a unicorn.
You can’t have a Malik or Ballo (or sadly both) on the court if you are switching everything or blitzing the ball screen. I’m expecting to see a lot of those defensive principles with this roster.
No. They won’t switch much. Packline will go under if it’s a bad shooter and over if it’s a good one. They will hedge some on ball screens. Pack line is a help style defense. They will fight over screens or go under.
Didn’t we try the pack line defense before? Asking for a friend
They will fight over when they can. But you can’t get over every screen. And when you have a lot of guys that can guard 2 or 3 positions, they will switch. And in the Big Ten nowadays, with all of the 3 point shooting - you don’t go under on too many guards.
Go watch the film. They tag and trail. Hedge etc. they don’t switch. Not like you are saying. They play gaps in a packline when not guarding the ball.
Until I see short ballhandlers post up on opposing centers, or huge 7' 280 players run a ball screen and dribble drive against gaurds, there's no such thing as positionless basketball. Short players match up with short players and tall players match up with tall players, hence they all play a position.
Unless the team is made of 12 LeRoid James .... it's just not a thing.
I see Sam Alexis as primarily defensive attributes but with enough athleticism to score on put backs.
Perhaps a bit of a step up from someone like William Gladness.
Teams try to get you to switch. That’s what creates a mismatch. The name of the game on defense is to not switch if you don’t have to. Straight line drives is a killer and DeVries coaches against it at all costs. Won’t be switching or giving up drives like we have seen for ten years or more. His defense is perfect for this roster. (I know you know this. Just saying it for the people in the back)
Hope he does a better job recruiting for it and teaching it than Miller did.
You're absolutely correct about it not being used in packline defense but there can be options or exceptions.
Switching is fine when you have the defenders to do it, but if there's a weak link or size mismatch ... no.
I’m in the “it wasn’t horrible”. Just didn’t have any offense to go with it. Missed layups and free throw shooting did those teams in.
Giving up wing and top of key threes didn't help .. That defense was designed to stop all the dribble penetration and post ups in the middle, which it does if played well. When it doesn't, teams can rain threes on it.. As basketball has become more effective at spacing and shooting, it's become less effective as a defense.
Every coach puts their own wrinkles into it though and don't play it exactly like Bennett, or Miller. We'll see what Devries does with it.
One rule he doesn't use: Bennett (and Miller) did not allow transition 3's above FT line extended. Its one of Bennett's hardline rules. Devries' teams let them fly.
Yep. He extends it more but it’s still a pack concept. Not much switching. Gap and tag. It will hopefully cover the weaknesses. We will see.
I don't disagree ... but early on it was getting lit up.
I haven’t watched a single game coached by DD. I don’t know if he ever runs a zone, but with all the height and length he’s recruited at guard and forward spots, seems like he could run one helluva zone.
