About breaking the press...

[MCC_Cat]

It takes quick, decisive, and correct decisions. Any hesitation or indecision and you're screwed. Watch the tape from that crucial turnover. Ball gets inbounded to Buie. A teammate (believe it's Beran) flashes up the sideline towards Buie and is wide open. Buie instead holds the ball and looks elsewhere, gets trapped, turns it over, they score and the paint on this loss is about half-dry at that point.

If he had immediately gotten the ball to Beran, there's an opportunity for a cross court pass to Kopp, options down the court, or at worst, Beran getting fouled as he's a helluva lot harder to trap than Buie given his size.

Will be interesting to see if they learn from this and have a more decisive and attacking mindset against the all-out, full-court press in the future.

 

[Secho99]

I only watched the replay of the play once, but I thought both Nance and Audige running away from him didn’t help. At least it looked like Nance was trying to get to the middle of the floor but I’m not sure why Audige just took off up the far side. Not that a cross-court pass under your hoop is ideal there but some sort of safety valve could’ve helped there when trouble was approaching.

 

[MCC_Cat]

True but the most open outlet was along the same sideline if Buie had given up the ball. It was there but Buie hesitated. Worst possible outcome is for a small guard to get double teamed in a corner. A turnover, tie up, or time out are so much more likely at that point then finding an open teammate.

 

[WildcatWillie_rivals223246]

On enplane throw-ins -- if after a made FG or FT, there's a full 50 ft side-to-side from which the throw can be made. The other limit is time: 5 sec. after ball is at disposition of thrower.

But the throw doesn't immediately have to come inbounds! It can go laterally to a teammate who has stepped out of bounds, and even back again if done quickly enough. That should happen sooner than a zone press can adjust, with passing lanes created while defenders are shifting. The first "passer" is almost always able to make a quick cut inbounds, for instance, to receive the throw from teammate..

Not saying this should be used frequently, but it's puzzling why more teams don't practice and use this "2-thrower" setup on at least a surprise basis. It's hard to tell whether the Cats even prepare for "full line" inbounds plays, whereas like most teams they definitely have well-coached plays diagrammed for frontcourt "spot" throw-ins.

Agree with Mc_Cat that a throw-inn should never go to a player in the corner who can easily be doubled.

 

[EvanstonCat]

It takes quick, decisive, and correct decisions. Any hesitation or indecision and you're screwed. Watch the tape from that crucial turnover. Ball gets inbounded to Buie. A teammate (believe it's Beran) flashes up the sideline towards Buie and is wide open. Buie instead holds the ball and looks elsewhere, gets trapped, turns it over, they score and the paint on this loss is about half-dry at that point.

If he had immediately gotten the ball to Beran, there's an opportunity for a cross court pass to Kopp, options down the court, or at worst, Beran getting fouled as he's a helluva lot harder to trap than Buie given his size.

Will be interesting to see if they learn from this and have a more decisive and attacking mindset against the all-out, full-court press in the future.

Damn, my rec league team can break the press more easily than NU. Just have a guy on each side of the court. Guy inbounds to one, and when the trap comes, the next pass goes to the guy who inbounds because that's almost always where the trap is coming from, and then when the next trap trap comes, go to whichever wing from which the trap comes, or go to half court guy if that wing is covered by the guy who was guarding him. He'll always be open because otherwise, you're giving up the easy deep ball. Easy peasy lemon squeasy.

 

[WildcatWillie_rivals223246]

Damn, my rec league team can break the press more easily than NU. Just have a guy on each side of the court. Guy inbounds to one, and when the trap comes, the next pass goes to the guy who inbounds because that's almost always where the trap is coming from, and then when the next trap trap comes, go to whichever wing from which the trap comes, or go to half court guy if that wing is covered by the guy who was guarding him. He'll always be open because otherwise, you're giving up the easy deep ball. Easy peasy lemon squeasy.

E-Cat's way can also work. Principle is the same: use court's width to advantage (except don't pass to the corner).

 

[Smolmania]

Maybe don't call time out after Pitt scores that last time until you inbound the ball and get it to half court quickly? The press isn't set up and Buie is quick enough to get it there in a couple of seconds. . . Much easier to set a play inbounding from half court.

 

[NURoseBowl]

In my mind's eye, this "breaking the press" business has been a significant weakness for us for the vast majority of the time I've followed the team . . . going on 40 years now. Would posit that it's been a combination of the systems we've used, the need for more depth, better ballhandlers and quick decision makers. Seems almost any time teams throw a press at us, you can almost feel the tide turning against us. Maybe it's just been my perception, but it seems pretty unusual to see us break the press for an easy bucket on the other end. All too often, it seems like we turtle, turn the ball over or struggle mightily to get the ball up court.

 

[techtim72]

Breaking the press is Course A101 in coaching from 3rd Grade on up. The issue with NU isn't lack of coaching, it is a lack of confidence and, more importantly, lack of appropriately competitive practices. NU can only play their short handed, occasionally skill challenged self. As a team, particularly in the time of Covid, you are only as good as the level of competition in practice. Right now, NU can only gain competitive skills by playing the games with teams that challenge them athletically. So there will be more painful game results. Going forward, the deeper and more talented their roster, the more they will improve. The years of small, undermanned rosters are showing now.

 

[GatoLouco]

Maybe don't call time out after Pitt scores that last time until you inbound the ball and get it to half court quickly? The press isn't set up and Buie is quick enough to get it there in a couple of seconds. . . Much easier to set a play inbounding from half court.

Never ever have I understood why the first instinct after a situation like that is not to push the ball down the court to:
1) just take it all the way if the defense is caught off guard
2) call a timeout after crossing half court otherwise

 

[Sec_112]

... Worst possible outcome is for a small guard to get double teamed in a corner. A turnover, tie up, or time out are so much more likely at that point then finding an open teammate.

Here's one of several things where the hatchet group can go after Collins.

I agree with what you say, MC. To me, that's always been basketball 101.

But after watching enough Collins teams, it's fairly obvious the primary goal is to throw it in that corner and quickly get it out of there to a player cutting down the court.

But if the player hesitates ... and they often do ...

I said it a long time ago. I never agreed with this direction.

 

[peatymeanis]

Breaking a press is taught and practiced from any kids' first foray into organized basketball. Any player who is on scholarship at a D1 program is well versed and has drilled in press breaking tactics for countless hours growing up. The reason they may have difficulty is because there is a discrepancy in talent level with the opponent. The game moves too fast for them, either because the opponent is much more athletic than they are, or because our players lack the natural basketball talent to recognize situations and make decisions fast enough for this level.

It's like blaming Fitz if our wide receivers fail to catch the football. You can blame him for not recruiting good enough players who can catch the ball at a D1 level, but when it comes to execution, there's not much more a coach can do except to say catch the f'ing ball.