This a really bad basketball team. But this team is a national championship caliber team if they can convert the game from 40 minutes of basketball to 40 minutes of a track meet. Unfortunately we can't play 40 minutes of press defense because we'd foul out. So we play straight up old school basketball for the first 20 minutes. Even terrible teams like Marquette and Georgetown kick the crap out of us in an old school basketball game. Then we turn it into a track meet and they don't have a chance against us. Until we can score the ball, expect to be down early until we decide to unleash the beast of a press. Then feel sorry for the opponent, because they're toast.
What I took from last night
- Thread starter Halldan
- Start date
You have to make a choice. The key is protecting Clark by any means necessary. He must tone it down on D in the first half and concentrate on his running the team. He's too indispensable to be sitting on the bench and if he keeps coming up with that warrior mentality and is given free reign by his coach what we saw again last night will continue.
All that said, this is mostly on Clark's shoulders. He has to play smarter and not give in to his aggressive nature on defense. And if he gets an early foul sit him down for a short time to calm him down, because you know if he stays on the court foul # 2 will soon follow.
We are at the bottom of the BE in 3 pointers made and near the bottom in percent made. We are next to last in points per game. So offensively this team is a mirror image of last years team. The difference is it plays better "D" which for the most part is all about the press and stealing the ball and blocks. If we don't press we are in trouble. The half court game is not much better than last year even with Hines and Payne at the 5.
So the key to beating SHU is handle the press and force them into a half court game and let them shoot long range all they want.
So the key to beating SHU is handle the press and force them into a half court game and let them shoot long range all they want.
The heart of this team is the difference. It's really remarkable. I actually think this team is worse offensively than last years team, but we got dawgs wearing pirate blue this year.
As for beating SHU, I'm surprised Danny didn't throw a lot of zone at us. He was willing to play SHU's style for some reason.
I like Clark staying in his man's face all the way up the floor and don't think that needs to change. The part I'd like to see him back of of in the first half is reaching in for steals - at that point in the game the foul hurts more than the steal helps. Pressure, make him work, try to force a mistake, don't reach in.
I understand but by playing with that intensity in his assignment's face is going to temp him and that temptation is going to lead to fouls.
Best to have him play more straight up early on. Got to temper that early aggressiveness.
Best to have him play more straight up early on. Got to temper that early aggressiveness.
Halldan, if Seton Hall never plays with a lead as they did in the OOC games they will be inclined to keep up this defensive intensity.. The lack of offense early is creating a whole host of problems including silly and frustration fouls. They must get back to a 70 point offensive output mentality. For me trying to win in the 60's or even 50's as was mentioned. Is not a good approach.
That's a fair point but my concern is if we back off too much in the first half, we'll leave the opponent rested enough to keep up with us in the final stretch, when we plan to dominate.
I think the best version of Seton Hall comes from him keeping up his pressure while having the discipline to understand when the objective of his pressure is to get a steal vs when it's to make the opponent work for his space.
This.
To be relevant again is exciting on so many levels, but the biggest takeaway is Sha put together a roster. He identified what he wanted and somehow came up with guys who fit well together. This is major considering where we were a year ago. It’s beyond money.
I don’t know what changed internally but something did. All the cries about what the heck we were doing with player evaluation and team design last year (cue the GM threads) was well earned. I wonder what it was. Maybe having a larger coaching staff than he had the year prior by adding Andrew Francis is summer 2024? Could it truly have been naivety that he could only focus on the 2024 NIT run and not having to worry about that in March 2025? That one seems nuts. I don’t know, but they figured it out. And once you prove you can figure this out, I don’t think you lose it.
Sha doesn’t play offense generating 3PT looks. I don’t like it but that’s who he is even on good teams. Our 2023-24 team was 315th in ratio, 308th in distribution %. His 2021-22 SPU team did more of it, 229th and 211th, respectively, LMAO!
Style aside, we have better players so we have a better offense than last year but still isn’t good enough. We were 315th in OE last year, 134th this year. In BE games we’re dead last in shooting.
Steals to buckets lead to better offensive efficiency. Correct? I don't remember steals to buckets like this last year.
Main question is, if clark isnt on the bench fouled out, do we score on that last play, my answer is yes
Williams played well finally. Hoping A
Staton McEachin
We need to work on the refs to understand that at 5 10, Budd is the most physical guy on the floor.
Staton McEachin
Sha is correct. You cannot put a governor on Budd or he becomes average. He gets called for reaches but many times he reaches and makes huge plays ala Creighton.
We need to work on the refs to understand that at 5 10, Budd is the most physical guy on the floor.