Slowing down the pace this year?

[ADavisTheGOAT]

Since our rotation is pretty thin this year, do you think we'll slow down the tempo on offense and defense?

[usf15cc]

  Uh no....

[TheRazorback500]

It depends on how the players mesh and how conditioned they are. I figure we'll be a better shooting team with a more polished Bell and the addition of Whitt and Hannahs.
We should be effective in transition, and the 30-second shot clock should speed up everyone's tempo. I don't think Coach A would ever consider slowing it down on defense.

:razorback:

[mizzouman]

Won't happen.

[hogsanity]

Not going to happen. Mike has never shown that he would do that, he does not recruit players to play that way. He will live and die with tempo, period.

[mizzouman]

Not going to happen. Mike has never shown that he would do that, he does not recruit players to play that way. He will live and die with tempo, period.

Bingo. 

[Biggus Piggus]

Not going to happen. Mike has never shown that he would do that, he does not recruit players to play that way. He will live and die with tempo, period.

Possessions per game, Mike Anderson-coached basketball teams...

76 2002-03 (75 in conference)
72 2003-04 (70)
72 2004-05 (70)
70 2005-06 (70)
73 2006-07 (71)
71 2007-08 (69)
71 2008-09 (73)
70 2009-10 (70)
72 2010-11 (72)
70 2011-12 (69)
71 2012-13 (69)
73 2013-14 (71)
70 2014-15 (69)

Mike Anderson has only coached a few teams that played at a tempo that was fast enough to affect the outcome of games. Everything in the 69-70 possessions/game territory is only marginally above average. You keep saying crap like this without any understanding of what you are saying, which betrays your unthinking bias.

There are consistent aspects of the strategy MA employs, but super-fast tempo isn't one of them. When he has a team that can score really well in transition, MA jacks up the tempo. Otherwise no.

What would be a stunner = MA focused his team on defensive rebounding and shot-denial defense. As Eddie Sutton would have told you, if you are thinking about rebounding position all the time, your ball-denial defense is going to suck.

[hogsanity]

Possessions per game, Mike Anderson-coached basketball teams...

76 2002-03 (75 in conference)
72 2003-04 (70)
72 2004-05 (70)
70 2005-06 (70)
73 2006-07 (71)
71 2007-08 (69)
71 2008-09 (73)
70 2009-10 (70)
72 2010-11 (72)
70 2011-12 (69)
71 2012-13 (69)
73 2013-14 (71)
70 2014-15 (69)

Mike Anderson has only coached a few teams that played at a tempo that was fast enough to affect the outcome of games. Everything in the 69-70 possessions/game territory is only marginally above average. You keep saying crap like this without any understanding of what you are saying, which betrays your unthinking bias.

There are consistent aspects of the strategy MA employs, but super-fast tempo isn't one of them. When he has a team that can score really well in transition, MA jacks up the tempo. Otherwise no.

What would be a stunner = MA focused his team on defensive rebounding and shot-denial defense. As Eddie Sutton would have told you, if you are thinking about rebounding position all the time, your ball-denial defense is going to suck.

Where did I say super fast?  Are you saying Mike does not try to force tempo in any aspect of the game?  Possessions are a poor stat in this regard as much of that is dictated by the opponent.  Mike wants to push teams into poor decisions with pressure defense. When it works you get the 1st half the A&M game in BWA last year, when it doesn't you get the 2nd half of that game, as someone pointed out here last week.

[Atlhogfan1]

I don't believe it has been Anderson's intention to not play faster than the possessions per game indicate but rather factors that have worked against what he wanted to do like the intended pace of opponents and how they have dictated, officiating, the number of time outs etc.  The pace of the game itself is different now.  Go back to the late 90s and look at the number of teams who averaged +80 possessions per game or from 75-80 and then compare it now.  For ex:  in the 1999-2000 season, 65 D1 teams avg 75+ possessions per game(Hogs 62nd at 75.2).  This past season only 4 teams did(Hogs 13th at 72.3). 

This is why some have brought up style of play in relation to the 40 minutes of whatever and its effectiveness on a consistent basis especially once conference play starts.  It is why we have had debates for quite a few years in our fan base going back to before Mike returned between those romanticizing what once was and dreaming that it would return and stating what would happen and those who wanted to move on.  We see glimpses of the past now in non conf mismatches or in conference at home on a rare occasion or when we play a team with a shortened roster. 

Here is where Mike's teams have ranked in college basketball compared to the other over 300 D1 teams by season from this past season to his first at UAB:


13th
10th
22nd
37th

14th
32nd
28th (Hogs were 20th that season)
31st
17th

73rd
25th
23rd
10th - Mike's first season at UAB

For what college basketball is, he tries to push the pace more than most. 


I think stats like extra scoring chances per game are a better indication of what we are trying to do by how we play these days.  Mike's E8 team was 5th in college basketball in 08-09 in extra scoring chances.  We were 8th this past season.  No coincidence that these seasons contained a high number of wins. 

[Biggus Piggus]

Where did I say super fast?  Are you saying Mike does not try to force tempo in any aspect of the game?  Possessions are a poor stat in this regard as much of that is dictated by the opponent.  Mike wants to push teams into poor decisions with pressure defense. When it works you get the 1st half the A&M game in BWA last year, when it doesn't you get the 2nd half of that game, as someone pointed out here last week.

And nothing you said is relevant whatsoever. It doesn't matter where they rank sequentially among college basketball teams either. Arkansas's going to be in the upper level solely by not walking the ball up the court. That's not a significant change in tempo.

Getting to 69-70 possessions per game does not make much difference, because of all the timeouts. And its only about three extra possessions. When MA has a team that is good enough to shorten a lot of offensive possessions, he pushes the tempo to the extreme. Otherwise, no.

Hey I'm not pulling stuff out of my ass. I'm been working through these numbers since BEFORE THE INTERNETS. Nolan's teams had tempo, 75-80 possessions like tempo. This pace is nothing. It is not the most important aspect of the style by any stretch. Apparently, 75-80 isn't even possible anymore. Too many whistles, too many timeouts, too many slowdown opponents.

It's amazing that it is the same game, and nobody can run at a super-fast pace anymore.

[Biggus Piggus]

The tempo thing was a big deal when Nolan was playing against teams that were used to 58-62 possessions per game and jacking up their pace. Even his teams had to adjust on the road, sometimes playing at a much slower-than-normal pace. Nolan's teams lost most of those games until he got the formula right, which required overwhelming talent.

[Atlhogfan1]

And nothing you said is relevant whatsoever. It doesn't matter where they rank sequentially among college basketball teams either. Arkansas's going to be in the upper level solely by not walking the ball up the court. That's not a significant change in tempo.

Getting to 69-70 possessions per game does not make much difference, because of all the timeouts. And its only about three extra possessions. When MA has a team that is good enough to shorten a lot of offensive possessions, he pushes the tempo to the extreme. Otherwise, no.

Hey I'm not pulling stuff out of my ass. I'm been working through these numbers since BEFORE THE INTERNETS. Nolan's teams had tempo, 75-80 possessions like tempo. This pace is nothing. It is not the most important aspect of the style by any stretch. Apparently, 75-80 isn't even possible anymore. Too many whistles, too many timeouts, too many slowdown opponents.

It's amazing that it is the same game, and nobody can run at a super-fast pace anymore.

Teams don't want to.

[Marshfieldhog]

Creating tempo goes beyond number of possessions. Anderson's teams work harder on defensw trying to create havoc and disrupt the flow of another teams offense by pressing and extended traps. We are not going to have the numbers to do that as much this year. Mike is going to have to find another way to win.

[HF#1]

hahahahahahahahaha.  You suggest Mike is going to change things up?  You should know better.  It's his way or the highway.  Our style of play will not adjust.

[TomBigBeeHog]

I hope he doesn't slow the pace.

[Breems]

Not sure why people still believe just slowing down the pace solves every problem in every situation, especially when you consider our roster next year. Our frontcourt will essentially be Moses Kingsley. Snail ball is a death sentence.

Our team next year will be very guard-heavy. A faster pace and 3-point shooting will be key to staying in the middle of the pack.

[WarPig88]

Not going to happen. Mike has never shown that he would do that, he does not recruit players to play that way. He will live and die with tempo, period.

I guess you guys missed when the roster was thin under Nolan. Like the year Todd Day missed half the season or the years following the NCAA investigation. Nolan slowed the pace down to try and keep guys fresher.

The notion that MA is either too stubborn or too dumb to do that is born of ignorance or haterade.

[Big Nasty 34]

I wouldn't mind cma going to more of an aggressive half court trapping defense though. That would save legs a bit and would still allow for the fast break offensive opportunities. I love a good trapping zone, though I'm not sure he would implement that.

[Biggus Piggus]

From 1988-89 through 1994-95, Nolan's Razorbacks averaged - per season - between 78-87 possessions per game. The high point was the great 1990-91 season. The low point was the very next season, when Oliver Miller was slowed by foot injuries, and the team was a little down overall on depth.

Blows my mind that Arkansas ever could have averaged 87 possessions per game. The Hogs under Nolan were over 80 possessions per game in six different seasons. Nolan's slowest team went at a 70-per-game pace. That was Andrew Lang's senior season.

Point of comparison - Eddie Sutton's best Razorback team, 1977-78, averaged 70 possessions per game. That is the pace MA's teams have maintained at Arkansas, more or less.