ESPN Article - Top 10 Defenses

[pj]

Absolutely, but if you have holes at other positions (and I don't know if we do), it's still going to be a problem. Team D. Obviously, I think we'll be good.

In any event, those are the two spots you want to have your best defenders at. Harass the ball and then have the cleaner to fix everyone else's messes.

Boatright, Purvis, and Brimah will be good. We'll see how DHam and Facey can do. They can go offense-defense with TSam for D and DHam for O.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Looking at last years schedule and the points they gave up would seem to tell a story of a good defensive team for sure. Still not Top 10 to me seeing they only play one defense but certainly better than I gave them credit for.

They play great D. The zone is a weapon for them most of the time, as most teams don't know how to deal with it effectively or don't have the players to do so (Calhoun long had the playbook to beat Syracuse, and sometimes the players). Dayton was a bad match-up for Syracuse. It happens. Syracuse's zone would be ordinary if they spent time practicing man to man. They live by it and die by it, but it is usually very effective.

 

[mauconnfan]

They play great D. The zone is a weapon for them most of the time, as most teams don't know how to deal with it effectively or don't have the players to do so (Calhoun long had the playbook to beat Syracuse, and sometimes the players). Dayton was a bad match-up for Syracuse. It happens. Syracuse's zone would be ordinary if they spent time practicing man to man. They live by it and die by it, but it is usually very effective.

It is effective I agree. But look at UConn who was able to turn up the defense and control both sides of the ball and win a NC. It doesn't work that way for the Cuse - they've won ONE. So while it effective in the end it doesn't come out on top too often is my point.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Absolutely, but if you have holes at other positions (and I don't know if we do), it's still going to be a problem. Team D. Obviously, I think we'll be good.

In any event, those are the two spots you want to have your best defenders at. Harass the ball and then have the cleaner to fix everyone else's messes.

It's amazing how good other players look defensively when there's a PG disrupting offensive flow at the top and a C protecting the rim. It turns teams in to midrange teams and most aren't good at that.

Plus wing defenders can aggressively attack wing passes when they know the C will bail out their aggressiveness.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't care where you rank us, especially with several unknowns in our lineup, but any insider who doesn't mention Boat in discussing our defense this year isn't very much of an insider.

 

[David 76]

Brimah can erase a fair amount of mistakes on D made on the perimeter. But he needs to stay in the game. T Sam will be a defensive factor with Boat, Rock will add a quality we haven't had in a while.
Others will play D or sit. We will be good.

 

[nomar]

I don't care where you rank us, especially with several unknowns in our lineup, but any insider who doesn't mention Boat in discussing our defense this year isn't very much of an insider.

Actually, their head is probably "inside" their you-know-what.

You didn't need to be an insider to notice Boat's post-season D.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Boat certainly deserved a mention in that blurb. He disrupted every backcourt UConn played on its run to the title. Little dude needs more props.

Between boat and Samuel, it's going to be 40 minutes a night of tough going for opposing guards. Having a guy like that off the bench is a heck of a luxury.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Boat certainly deserved a mention in that blurb. He disrupted every backcourt UConn played on its run to the title. Little dude needs more props.

I'd go a lot further. My opening on UConn would be; 'The Huskies won the 2014 NCAA championship In part because their defensive backcourt quickness neutralized virtually every guard they faced and disrupted opponents offenses. '

 

[mauconnfan]

I'd go a lot further. My opening on UConn would be; 'The Huskies won the 2014 NCAA championship In part because their defensive backcourt quickness neutralized virtually every guard they faced and disrupted opponents offenses. '

UF and UK guards were afraid to put the ball on the floor at times as was Archie at Nova. Smothering is a good word and pests come to mind also........Linehan-ish

 

[CL82]

Boatright, Purvis, and Brimah will be good. We'll see how DHam and Facey can do. They can go offense-defense with TSam for D and DHam for O.

One of the strengths of this year's team is going to be that guards you face in the game are going to be a heck of easier to defend and score on than the guys you face everyday in practice. Look for Boat and Purvis to push each other. TSam is no slouch either.

 

[sledog]

7 fouls per game. Cr#p. The secret is out.

 

[Deadrody]

No but it's not Top 10 to me? No one said it's not somewhat successful but it's also their undoing every year they leave early. They run into a team not half as good who makes some shots and they do not get out of that zone - is that top 10? I mean I'm ok with those who agree I just don't!

And you have to into account the fact that most of what makes the zone effective is that it's not usually what teams play against. You can effectively counter a zone defense, but if you sit back and take long threes because you can, you lose. That doesn't make the defense "good", it makes the defense gimmicky but effective because the offense is lazy.

The only time the SU zone is "good" is when they can get guys like Hakeem Warrick on the wing at 6'9".