When Otz randomly switches to 1-3-1 it has been VERY effective.
Quick look at Pitt
- Thread starter dahliaclone
- Start date
When Otz randomly switches to 1-3-1 it has been VERY effective.
I like ISU's chances of winning the game if we outscore Pitt.
Bwahaha. Might be the funniest comment I've seen on here all year. Now I'm going to have to look. No way the kids calves are smaller than Shoon's
I'd say it's been sporadically effective and sometimes it's done when our base defense IS working. Why throw in a changeup, simply for the sake of doing so, when what you are doing is already effective?
Zones tend to work better when you have the right personnel for it on the floor (long, lengthy, and athletic defenders). I'm all for it when we are struggling, are in foul trouble, or were going to put guys like Ward and Watson into game anyway (to give players a rest), but when we'd run it with 3 or 4 of Kal, Osun, Lipsey, Gabe, and Grill it was rarely effective. Even moreso we often looked like we didn't practice it. At the very least we weren't very smooth in running it.
The last few game of the regular season and tournament it seemingly was less random, it was more effective, and Otz did a better job of having the right personnel on the floor. I think it's best used when we either have the lead and have the right personnel on the floor. It gives our guys a breather, prevents us from picking up cheap fouls, and can be an effective change up. If we start using it when we have (already) encountered foul issues and/or the defense hasn't worked and we are behind, it probably won't matter anyway. We have rarely made a comeback, if ever, after having to use the zone as a last defense. I'd rather see it used as a potential weapon than a fallback measure.
It's weird, every analysis of Iowa State barely has anything to do with our tendencies or strengths. It's usually vague stuff like "only this high because Big12" or stuff about how good Pitt is shooting the ball.
Pitt is a less talented Baylor. We should be able to dominate down low, dominate in rebounding and hopefully produce 15+ turnovers. They will stay in the game with 3pt shooting but unless ISU plays awful, Pitt still loses even if they hit 10 threes
I don't think the poster meant use those 4 guys together (Jaz, T.King, Watson, Ward).
I have no problem with the amount of zone played (a few minutes per game). Other than the 1-3-1 with Jaz or King at the top, the other times it seems to be used to protect somebody for a couple minutes before a TV timeout. This isn't a "sit back in zone" team (or coach).
Lately, but it certainly wasn't for most of the year. At best it was hold steady, and at worst it was a disaster. There were plenty of times earlier in the season where we randomly deployed it, were late/sloppy getting over, and had a 3 splashed on us. Next possession? We promptly switched out of it.
I'm all for it when we have the right personnel on the floor as we have gotten better with it. The problem is it's harder to do if we are down as the right personnel for it is also a relatively offensively challenged group. If we have Watson, Ward, King, Bob, and Kunc out there where are we getting our points from? Even if we have Gabe or Lipsey in over Bob, that's only 2 guys (the guards and King) that have scored lately. If Kunc would pull his head out of his ass offensively it could be three, but it makes it virtually impossible to use if we are in a hole.
I actually like the use of those 4 guys at once as the can all be adept defenders and have the physical profiles to make the zone most effective. I don't mind Lipsey and/or Gabe but the problem, at least against teams that can shoot, is that they can shoot over those guys. With the 4 guys mentioned their length allows them to block or deter shots on the close out. Even in our man to man we have been consistently shot over (at times) due to our lack of perimeter length.
We never stay in for more than a couple possessions. In fact we show 1-3-1 and even switch into a man defense on the same possession. It's just a wrinkle to throw at the offense.
Last edited:
March Madness 2023: Ranking every NCAA Tournament first-round game from No. 1 to 32
Here is the 1-32 breakdown of which games should be best over Thursday and Fridaywww.cbssports.com
How do these guys get jobs analyzing basketball? By every objective data driven measure - and based on a whole season's worth of data - ISU is right around the 20-25th best team in the country. ISU is seeded consistently with those rankings. Even if you aren't a data person ISU has already beat teams seeded 1, 3, 3, 6, and 9. All, but three of ISU's losses are to other tournament teams, and two of those three were to the first team out. Last year we saw that Iowa Stat's style works well in the tournament. ISU might lose, but to argue they are misseeded or that their resume isn't that of a 6 seed is flat wrong.
That was a huge problem for most of the year. I remember the first time Otz randomly thew it out, I believe it was after a timeout out, and the team we were playing immediately hit a wide open three. Next posession? We were back in man to man.
We've been better at late, either as a combination of practicing it and/or being used to deploying it in games. We've also seen it in these last few games when guys like Watson and Ward at getting more minutes and it looks extremely effective (at times). As Syracuse showed for several years, length and athleticism are what allows zones to work (and cohesion). The length takes away passing lanes (and skip passes) as well as makes it harder for teams to shoot over it. The athleticism allows for the the scrambling and shifts to fill the voids.
If we are going to play Ward and Watson I'd rather see them used in situations that best fit their skill set. Ward and Watson can be MONSTERS in zone coverage.
I have a feeling the zone will be a bigger part of our repetoire next year. If King and Ward come back. along with Watson and the incoming freshman class, we will have better personnel for it, especially on the offensive side of it (as those players improve and the freshman bring some skills).
I think it's wonky to do and really doesn't help. There's been a few times lately where we stay in it longer and it's actually been effective. Ward is really the perfect player to throw at the zone. If Watson, Ward and King are in the game at the same time I think we should probably run the zone the entire time. Watson and Ward are built to be perfect zone defenders.
That’s a dumb statement but I’m pretty sure he’s a big SEC guy so I’m not surprised.
Yeah, that's dumb, but great bulletin board material.March Madness 2023: Ranking every NCAA Tournament first-round game from No. 1 to 32
Here is the 1-32 breakdown of which games should be best over Thursday and Friday
Scroll down to the analysis of Auburn-Iowa. Actually pretty funny.
Makes me wonder how many top 10/top 25 teams were beaten by the other worst 6 seeds in history. That guy is a straight up idiot.March Madness 2023: Ranking every NCAA Tournament first-round game from No. 1 to 32
Here is the 1-32 breakdown of which games should be best over Thursday and Friday
I haven't read the entire thread...why did Pitt play Tuesday and then Friday? I thought the play-in game winners on Tuesday played on Thursday?
Our 1-3-1 zone has been really effective
His Twitter bio says Memphis. Might still be butt hurt from our beatdown of them last year
