So if IU takes both Goode and Leal,,
- Thread starter Tru2Irish
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Freddie was undersized but he was strong and had a lot of heart. I used to love watching him come out of the scrum with big rebounds. Now, I realize having an FM as your 5 is not a good business model, but I loved watching him play.
It was fun watching him learn the game of basketball.
Thank you for the Freddie McSwain reminder. Loved that guy.
A guy like Freddie McSwain has a place on every team. Rather it be starting lineup or 13th man. That dunk he had against Duke had the Hall rocking.
If ever a bb player was designed for football, it was
Freddie McSwain.
Freddie McSwain.
What is puzzling to me is that this roster is tailor-made for a dominant interior player. The strength of the perimeter shooters should open up the paint. This roster should appeal to bigs, not discourage them. I do hope that DeVries isn't done. While we won't necessarily land an elite inside player....with the shooters around him...he doesn't have to be elite to be effective.
Pretty clear DD doesn’t want a 7 footer unless he can shoot and move. He is fine throwing out 6’8 dudes against anyone. That is where modern basketball is, so let’s roll.
3s are worth more than 2s, everything about roster construction screams that is his number one priority.
What level of modern basketball you’re referring to? The NBA?
The level of skill at the NBA level is far superior to anything you will see in college. Size and an inside presence still matter at this level. How many Final Four teams over the last 4-5 years didn’t play a center? How many teams playing small have seriously competed for titles in the BigTen?
Illinois, Maryland both tried winning small… didn’t work out very well.
College. Best 2 defenses in the country just did it. Houston and the fighting strippers. Dude it’s all over the place in college now. 7 footers only play if they are elite or can shoot for good teams now.
Florida, UConn, Purdue, Auburn, Duke, MSU, Michigan etc etc all had bigs. You don’t need 7 foot but you will need at least 6’ 10” to win at the college level. Unless you’re just incredibly athletic like Houston. We’re certainly not that.
It's going to be fun to watch the fan base absorb the change of style. Modern basketball hasn't been played by IU in decades. Dudes that guard the nose off your face, run, and shoot... can't wait.
Cue The Office.
“Size and an inside presence still matter at this level”. That’s what she said.
I can't imagine why CDD wouldn't want a big to rebound and defend. Anytime IU has had great success, they have had a decent center. Just baffling!
I don't see great defenders other than Conerway with this group. We shall see.
Tayton is gonna be the best defensive guard in the big ten. Ya I said it.
Soooooo. IU has 2 guys at 6'8" and 1 at 6'10". Any foul trouble and they are in huge trouble.Not well thought out.
So was this roster in trouble?
| Position | Height | Class |
|---|---|---|
| F | 6'7" | Senior |
| C | 6'11" | Junior |
| G | 6'3" | Senior |
| G-F | 6'7" | Senior |
| F | 6'7" | Senior |
| G | 6'5" | Senior |
| G-F | 6'3" | Sophomore |
| G | 6'2" | Sophomore |
| G | 6'3" | Freshman |
| F | 6'5" | Freshman |
| F-C | 6'8" | Sophomore |
| F-C | 6'9" | Freshman |
| F | 6'9" | Freshman |
How athletic was that roster? Could they rebound and defend better than just about everyone in the country?
I think Wulf is a decent comp for Bailey, but not Goldin. Yes, he was comfortable on the perimeter but he was also 7'1" and a pretty rugged interior player on D and the glass. Not Bailey's rep.
Not many have referenced DeVries pack line style defense, as a factor here...and specifically how he's choosing to play it.
Pack line defenses, inherently, are designed to limit paint touches by opposing teams. If DeVries is able to teach it effectively...last year WVU was ranked 15 in KenPom efficiency (without a rim protector)... So...if he's able to teach it well, the need for a rim protecting big drops precipitously.
Now, defense doesn't end until you get the defensive rebound. So we'll need all hands on deck helping team rebound. But with regards to that, another benefit of the packline approach, when its coached well, is opposing players are inherently funneled and/or pushed further away from the basket... which can make it easier to defensive rebound.
Purdue is an example of a team that's gonna be a challenging matchup. Pack line defenses don't normally blitz ball screens...and the Amishman destroys teams that can't, or don't, physically blitz him on ball screens. I hope that's a wrinkle or something DeVries works on. Because I think one of the things the versatility of most of our lineups will give us, is the ability for many of our guys to guard multiple types of offensive guys. DeVries isn't likely going to switch, but having Conerway, Wilkerson, and Dorn out there helping and covering driving lanes, could end up working well.
Yes, they do. Well not a blitz technically, but hard hedging is one of the main staples of Bennett's packline but it has situational triggers based on certain areas of the floor. Of course every coach has his own variations.
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For full disclosure, "Blitzing" to me is all out doubling, which at times requires switches and rotations. I'm not sure many pack lines implement that version of "blitzing".
Seems similar, and probably is, depending on who's doing the blitzing or hedging...but a hard hedge is much less..."committed"... with the intention of returning to their original man, in most circumstances.
In this day and age, better hope you're dialed in, those lead guards coming off those ball screens will make you pay if not, more times than not.
Good thing for IU, it seems like DeVries teams of late have been pretty good at it.
Blitz is both guys push the BH, hedge is one guy generally the doubler. Both worked on Smith.
Ehhh... I know what the definition has been. But I still say blitzing is more about the screeners defender committing than it is what the ball handler defender is doing. The ball handler defender, whether going under or over the screen, is nearly always tasked with "getting back" to the ball as quickly as they can. Inherently they'd be the second man in a trap if the screener defender is aggressively guarding the ball handler. They're not "staying back" in a hard hedge...at least not usually.
Hard hedge is more angle the screener defender takes, and how committed they are to guarding the ball handler...in my opinion.
Blitz is obviously a trap, but that's more because that's the mindset or the goal of the screeners defender.
Anyway...I honestly didn't know Bennett's teams did a lot of Blitzing...I figured it was more like Ryan's teams that hedged and recovered, mostly.
Seems like DeVries has coached in the traditional packline approach, and has used hedges and blitzes. I would think he'd use them with this roster as well.
I keep cheering myself up by looking back at Louisville last year, then I dig into it a bit. They didn't have so many poorly rated defenders though. They had 4 plus defenders on the court all the time and if you go back over their schedule, they beat who they were supposed to and with the exception of Clemson didn't really have any notable wins. That's the ACC for you. I'm not sure how we defend with this group. Scott and Claude would change some things.
Did you do the research that those LVille players were all plus defenders before playing for Kelsey? Maybe he taught, encouraged, demanded them to be plus defenders?
Benson,May,Buckner and
They were coached by a great mind of coaching. Scott May All-American 23.5 ppg 6'7. Kent Benson All-American 6-10 17.3 ppg. Tom Abernathy 6-7 10.0 ppg. Along with Buckner, All-Defense Wilkerson and Jim Crews. Do you seriously equate that roster with what CDD has assembled? Those guys were disciplined and had a great coach with ball movement. There is no way that team should ever be compared to what CDD has. I get your talking about height and numbers but this talent level is not near the 76 team had acclimated. Plus even Bobby had 4 guys at 6'8 and over and lost Steve Green to graduation the year before I believe. CDD has 3 and the game is faster paced. Those guys get in any foul trouble, say 2 of them and IU is hurting on defense period. No comparison to that great 76' team either.I'll tell you what. If IU can place in top 2 in BT and get to sweet 16 with small ball Then I will tell you on here you were correct. However, if they do not. Then you should tell me the same. They have 6-7 seniors and maybe Goode and Leal . So there should be no reason with all that experience to get that far at least with those 3 bigs they have if IU won with only 4 and 2 of those were frosh. in 76 according to your comparisons.
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