Iowa State Lacking in these areas still. If you don't have the freak athletes, you need to play lock down defense.
Defense and Length wins in March
- Thread starter BloodyBuddy
- Start date
Being able to shoot helps.
Also: Free throw % is big. Rebounding. Chemistry. Game plans, such as ability to adapt to various styles (while not abandoning your strengths).
Also: Free throw % is big. Rebounding. Chemistry. Game plans, such as ability to adapt to various styles (while not abandoning your strengths).
Officiating has a lot to do with who wins in March. Anyone that has watched many games at all will see that teams that are physical, body guys up and hand check all the way down the court are winning games. Yes, they have good athletes that are long, and strong, but they are being allowed to do things that would have fouled out most of ISUs starters in the Big 12.
They also not going 2 for 18 from 3 point land and moving on. Last year ISU was a team that was playing great at the end of the year, and with a health GN, might have made the final 4. This year, ISU found ways to win games in the Big 12 tourney, but they shot like crap in doing so.
They also not going 2 for 18 from 3 point land and moving on. Last year ISU was a team that was playing great at the end of the year, and with a health GN, might have made the final 4. This year, ISU found ways to win games in the Big 12 tourney, but they shot like crap in doing so.
Jesus, 12 months ago we were a broken foot away.
They still need to clean up college basketball so it's not a wrestling match
They still need to clean up college basketball so it's not a wrestling match
One thing all of these Final 4 teams have in common is that they have strong, athletic front-court players to go along with great guard play.
It's basketball. SDSU had crazy length and defense, but they couldn't put the ball in the basket. Utah had length, defense, and great coaching. Arizona had length and defense. You can't simplify it like that.
The simple formula for teams to make runs in March is to dominate their opponent in one of several key areas and keep the other areas fairly close.
1. Defense
2. Turnovers
3. Rebounding
4. Shooting overall
5. FT shooting
6. Shooting from 3
Duke won the turnover battle by 10 against Gonzaga, Kentucky shot 53.2% overall/ 50% from three/ made more FT's than Notre Dame attempted, Wisconsin shot 66.7% from three against Arizona, Michigan State held Louisville to 35% shooting from the field.
1. Defense
2. Turnovers
3. Rebounding
4. Shooting overall
5. FT shooting
6. Shooting from 3
Duke won the turnover battle by 10 against Gonzaga, Kentucky shot 53.2% overall/ 50% from three/ made more FT's than Notre Dame attempted, Wisconsin shot 66.7% from three against Arizona, Michigan State held Louisville to 35% shooting from the field.
Virginia had a lot of length and played great defense.
It's odd how teams with great D/Bad O are looked at as having what it takes when teams with Great O/Bad D are looked at as not being well rounded enough to win in March.
It's odd how teams with great D/Bad O are looked at as having what it takes when teams with Great O/Bad D are looked at as not being well rounded enough to win in March.
I would say that in general teams with great D are a bit more consistent because they will almost always be in the game regardless of opponent. Teams with great offenses and bad D are the teams that are vulnerable because one bad shooting night will usually end in a loss regardless of opponent.
Guard play is and always has been the biggest thing in tourney play. Your guards struggle, you struggle. Our game is a perfect example.
I think that certainly has some truth to that. But I would argue that perfect offense beats perfect defense. There is no defense for a team that moves the ball well and is hitting their shots. Therefore, while a great defensive team is more consistent and can be counted on to "be in" every game, they will always be at the mercy of a great offensive team playing up to their potential.
With Hoiball, even when we lose I always have the felling that we probably had the better team if we could have just gotten a couple more breaks. To me that beats just sitting there praying that the other teams shots don't start falling, though I admit that is just personal preference.
We will find out on Saturday night. I saw a tweet that said in the era of "KenPom" stats Wisconsin has the best offense ever and Kentucky has the best defense ever.
