Defense

[trevols81]

There you go again comparing UT to Butler Or Uconn, discuss reality not hyperbole. UT loading up on some 3 star defensive players and producing results like the above mentioned teams is nothing less than dreamland. We will not be in the championship game anytime soon playing defensively or offensively for that matter, we don't have the horses. The 3 teams above us in our division have the horses, lets at least play some entertaining basketball.

Yeah all those 4 and 5 star 'horses' sure did help Butler make it to the championship game two years in a row.

A game which had as much to do with defense as it did with two teams that shot the ball at a historically bad clip.

The argument that entertaining basketball trumps winning is absolutely ludicrous.

 

[Mattlock]

Yes, nothing better than watching a great defensive contest, like the NCAA championship this season.

You're right, screw defense. . .we should just out score people with all our returning point production.

 

[calban]

Don't know if it's relevant to the conversation, but here's a recap of how he played us in knoxville.
Interesting that he beat us on the boards and at the charity stripe with unrated players.

this is when we were on fire.

Bears Fall in Preseason NIT Thriller at No. 23 Tennessee, 60-56 - MissouriStateBears.com—Official Web site of Missouri State University Athletics

 

[jerryvol44]

Coach Martin's emphasis on defense explains some of his recruiting gets and should pay off next season in a big way. Questions for the peanut gallery...

Over the Pearl tenure who were your favorite guys to watch play defense? I am going with Dane Bradshaw in key moments like end of UF game and Jajuan Smith who got energized when he could press and disrupt.

What Butler type line up do you guys see next year that can defend well and frustrate opponents? Might we play small like Michigan? Do you see a 3 guard line up?

How much are the guys buying in to the work or sit philosophy?

I think what you are talking about was actually when Lofton stole the pass and hit Bradshaw on a fast break to put Tennessee up or to seal the victory (can't remember what the score was). So the defensive play was made by Lofton, if we are thinking about the same play.

 

[jerryvol44]

Oh, its about winning. You suggest we bring in some mid-major defensive oriented recruits and create a defensive style of play that will compete with UK and UF? OK, I see.

I turned off the championship game just after the half, that game was only interesting to the families of the players playing in the game.

Actually not all of that game was great defense, a lot of it especially on Butlers part was inept offense. Butler blew a good number of easy layups. A fact that Stevens commented on as they were going off the court at half time. I like a team that plays great defense.

 

[MikeHamiltonFan]

I think what you are talking about was actually when Lofton stole the pass and hit Bradshaw on a fast break to put Tennessee up or to seal the victory (can't remember what the score was). So the defensive play was made by Lofton, if we are thinking about the same play.

YouTube - Dane Bradshaw Wins Game

This was the play I was talking about and was helpfully posted earlier in this thread.

I cannot wait to watch steals.

 

[BasketvolsFan]

Oh, its about winning. You suggest we bring in some mid-major defensive oriented recruits and create a defensive style of play that will compete with UK and UF? OK, I see.

I turned off the championship game just after the half, that game was only interesting to the families of the players playing in the game.

While I agree that the championship game was not good basketball by either team, I'd gladly trade watching good basketball for a national championship. I doubt that many UConn fans are complaining about the play in that game.

 

[Truth]

Woolridge may get some playing time in the guard positions, which would help our lack of size. No way of knowing if he has or will make an improvement over the summer though.

 

[iflipburgers]

Yeah all those 4 and 5 star 'horses' sure did help Butler make it to the championship game two years in a row.

A game which had as much to do with defense as it did with two teams that shot the ball at a historically bad clip.

The argument that entertaining basketball trumps winning is absolutely ludicrous.

OK, now we are going to be Butler and take a group of 3 star players to the NCAA championship game with great defense? I wonder what the odds are on that one and twice in 2 years for that matter. Yes, it was a Cinderella story, don't get carried away. We don't play in a weak conference, maybe not the Big East, but still tough. There are 4 programs in our division that will be nationally ranked. You can spin it in a number of ways but every time we sign a 3 star defensive player and UK/UF sign a 5 star offensive player there is more separation in our programs. I agree it would be great to play some defense against these guys, win the SEC and go on to the final 4 but the odds a stacked against that. Looking back over the revival of the program the first 2 years of Pearl's tenure were the most entertaining and the last 2 seasons the least entertaining. I may be basketball illiterate but I know what I like. Those teams were exciting to watch win or lose.