Concerns after Georgia

[hogsanity]

Seems some will never get it, you have these scripted complaints and you will roll them out no  matter what is actually happening on the court.

We shot 10% points better field goal percentage than what Ga. normally gives up defensively.  We shot 64% in a half. That has only happened to  them twice in recent history, we did it both times. We are the best shooting team in the confrence. What is this intelligent fan base reaction to this information?  Why don't we run a real offense? You just can't make this stuff up.

Once and for all " IT'S THE DEFENSE STUPID". That is your problem with this team, they are very good offensively out of the  motion offense, but they have struggled mightily defensively locking people down.

You can shoot a high% and still not be great on offense. How many times do you turn it over comes into play. And when that shooting is mainly from the outside, which is most of what the hogs get, jump shots 15 ft or further, that can come and go really fast.

But, and to you point about defense, what should bother people is that in the last two games the Hogs have shot over 50%, and shot very very well from 3pt range, yet had to survive at the end both times because they can not stop people from scoring. If your defense forces your offense to have to play nearly perfect, to shoot over 50% and knock down 10+ 3's every game you are going to lose a lot of games.

[Kevin]

Hogs won
All is well
Your a hater if you have concerns
And go kick rocks

[seasonhog]

Yes, they would have. It seemed like every time the ball went into the lane, the Hogs got stuffed. Georgia didn't collapse in the lane on Gafford as most teams do, they let their 2 big men handle it and kept the perimeter covered. Maten was just too much for the freshman Gafford.

Running our offense through a high post would help.....Gafford does not have the shot from 12-15 ft. but he could drive from there....putting Thompson at the high post would work with his passing skill ...and if he could make a shot from there it would open space up....also Macon & Barford could drive off of the high post...& they would be good at it.

Back in Nolan days....at LSU..with Big O & Shaq ....Miller pulled Shaq out from the basket because Miller could score from 12-15 ft. That would open space under the basket and Barford & Macon could drive or set someone like Jones open on the wing.

[sadhogfan]

Reason we won:

1. Georgia got tired.
2. Barford kept us competitive early
3. Macon hit shots late.

Other than that, it was typical road performance that resulted in a win.

But here's the deal: our entire philosophy is predicated on wearing out the other team, and basically every team's success in any sport ever is largely dependent on your best players stepping up and playing well.

In other words, Arkansas' philosophy worked (1), and they played to their strengths (2,3).

Is it a sustainable formula? Maybe, maybe not, but to complain that we won because, basically, everything worked the way it is supposed to doesn't make a lot of sense.

[TennesseeRaz]

If we have to rely on low % 3s to win games we're in trouble.

You're right about the paint though.  Gafford was completely ineffective down there. That's where he has to be able to step away from the paint like Bobby P and knock down jumpshots or give space to guards.

IMHO, it seemed that GA had a man and a half on Gafford all night long, whenever he was in the paint.  It was usually whoever was guarding our PF, sloughing off just enough to discourage a pass into the post -- and it seems like we often have a player who is reluctant to make that pass, even when it's wide open.  Put another way, Gafford rarely touched the ball where he had an option to do anything with it.  Great game plan on GA's part -- not so much on ours.

[razorpimp]

Again we are a really good shooting team that plays a very stagnant motion offense.  Honestly this has been a complaint for all 7 CMA years.  The difference this year is this is the worst Hog defense I've ever seen

[sadhogfan]

Georgia's 2 big men dominated the lane last night so if the Hogs were going to win this game, they were going to do it with perimeter scoring and that's what they did. They likely played against the best front line they will see in the SEC and still left Georgia with the win. Once Macon started nailing 3 pointers in overtime, Georgia was in trouble because they couldn't switch to a man to man defense. If they had, the Hog guards would have lit them up.

Gafford couldn't score because he was going against the SEC's best big man who was helped by another 6'11" player in the lane. Arkansas had no chance down low as the Dogs successfully took Gafford out of the game and forced the Hog guards to win it from the perimeter which they did.

I suppose you did not see the great defense played by the Hogs late in the game when Thompson blocked Maten's shot to preserve the win.

Boy, I don't say this a lot, but Guv is spittin' fire in this thread. This is on-point analysis.

Gafford is great and we all love him, but at the point that he was outclassed, getting shoved around, and missing repeated point blank looks (first half), it was clear that any attempt to funnel the offense through him would be ineffective.

[hawg66]

Yes, that's exactly what I said. 

I'm guessing you see good basketball going on out there?

PS, all we do is run pick and roll or pick and pop.  Then a 1 on 1 shot.  It's not really a mystery.  We had 10 assists in a double overtime game.  There's realllly not any "team" basketball going on out there.

I see Anderson finding something that works and that allows the Hogs to win. Kinda like running off tackle in football. Don't stop doing it until they figure out how to stop it. If Anderson had gone away from Macon when he was on fire it would have been horrible coaching. The motion was consistently getting Macon open and he was consistently making shots. You guys are complaining about the very thing that won the game.

Save the complaining for when we lose. You'll at least have a point then. 

[younghog]

Yep, every single one.  That's definitely what I said.

I assume you're happy with our production out of timeouts, yes?  How many times a game do you think "what the hell are we doing"?  Well, that's because there's no offensive philosophy besides "move". 

Oh and also, our screens and use of screens are shat at best.  Someone needs to make them watch JJ Redick set up and use screens to get open.  What happened to rub shoulders with the screener?  Come on, man. 

It depends on what was discussed during timeouts.. Yapping about a screen is dumb, as the chips and sets are based on motion from the defense as well. However points noted..

One thing I was puzzled was when Macon in the 1st timeout got a steal and then proceeded to throw it to Barford. when he could have allowed Barford to come to him.. We gave up the ball and points.. That would have changed the game if we kept possession and won in the 1st OT..

Its mental more than anything..

You saw several called plays or you saw several times when Macon or Barford stuck their hand up? That is often them calling for a screen, not calling a play.

Yes plays.. called not just an Iso set

[GuvHog]

Running our offense through a high post would help.....Gafford does not have the shot from 12-15 ft. but he could drive from there....putting Thompson at the high post would work with his passing skill ...and if he could make a shot from there it would open space up....also Macon & Barford could drive off of the high post...& they would be good at it.

Back in Nolan days....at LSU..with Big O & Shaq ....Miller pulled Shaq out from the basket because Miller could score from 12-15 ft. That would open space under the basket and Barford & Macon could drive or set someone like Jones open on the wing.

The problem though, is that Georgia had two 6'11" big men in the lane and Maten is the best in the SEC. The Dogs were just too much down low on defense for the Hog big men.

[alaskanhog]

Are any of the incoming freshman post players a threat to stretch the floor? One of the biggest offensive problems right now is that teams don't have any respect for any of our post players at the top of the key. Thomas will occasionally look at the basket,  but doesn't have much touch. Gafford will if there is a clear lane to dunk it, but doesn't have any range. Thompson doesn't even glance at the rim. Teams just back up and clog the paint and take Gafford out of his game in the post. I always thought the secret ingredient to the 94 champs was that Dwight Stewart and Corliss had to be respected from 15 ft and out. Honestly nothing better than watching Stewart drain a 3 with that crazy release. More recently Portis had to be respected as a shooter. Right now we have no post player that has to be respected from even 10 ft. Clogging the lane takes away Thompson's best attribute, which is his passing ability and it really limits the space for Gafford to work with his best attribute, which is to catch it high and throw it down. Get a stretch 4 on the court with Gafford and he can be a dominant true post player. That and an extra fews lbs wouldn't hurt.

[waphill]

My only concern is the mins Barford is playing.

We can't have a dead leg Barford like we had against Miss St and Auburn

He was completely gassed at the end of regulation and the OT's. Would've liked to see Hall give him a couple minute break at the beginning of OT.

[razorpimp]

If you review the SEC stats, it is alarming that we are 4-4 in the league.....Mike has got to correct some of these things:

Scoring/gm.  ark - 77 Opp - 81.9
Fg% ark - 47.6% Opp - 46.8%
3pt % ark 38.9% Opp - 39.2%
Ft  ark 110-173. Opp 145-198
Ft%. Ark 63.6%. Opp 73.2%
Reb/gm. Ark - 33.2. Opp 36.0
Ast/gm. Ark - 12.5. Opp 15.0
TO/gm. Ark - 12.1. Opp 11.8

Outscored, out rebounded, close in turnovers is not the Nolan/Mike strategy

[rude1]

Well that is a bigger indictment of Mike than lack of offense.  His defense is his calling card.  There are problem on both sides of the floor as most have been mentioning.  Either way, Stupid, there needs to be more coaching out of this staff.  If we cannot execute his style of defense, then we need to change to zone, as we did last night, and have some better results and more CONSISTENCY.  We don't have a fall back plan if Macon and Barford aren't playing well.  We don't play defense well and no offensive system for easy buckets.  In spite of that, we have managed to teeter-totter our way back to the middle of the pack in the SEC and hopefully can get in the tournament at better than 8-9 seed.  To achieve more than that, we have to change what is currently being done, or as you will see next year, without a consistent scoring threat(s), where we will be at the end of the year.

No stupid the question is "why are you complaining about the offense"? It is because you don't know what the hell you are watching so you feel obligated to come in here with the redundant scripted complaints even if they have no bearing on what is actually happening. It is why basketball discushion has become impossible here.

[rude1]

I won't downplay anyone's concerns (which I don't share), I just wanted to give my thoughts in response to some of what I have read:

- Yes, Macon and Barford take the majority of our shots and have the ball in their hands a disproportionate amount of the time in our offense.  However, based on their stats, it would be kind of crazy if our offense provided anything else.  They both can create shots for themselves and others and shoot well above average from the three point stripe.

- Some have claimed our offensive efficiency numbers are somehow a mirage and don't reflect our true offensive output, especially in conference games.  There can be greater volatility running our offense than some other styles, but the broader trend in basketball is to look for either 3 pointers or layups.  That is what our offense does, so I have no problem with it.  If the 3 is not falling it can look really ugly, but that doesn't take away from it being generally the most efficient way to attack in today's game.  Especially with players like Macon and Barford who can do both effectively and efficiently.  The best teams in the NBA today all play a similar style.

- Our offensive numbers have actually held pretty steady in SEC play as compared to non-conference play.  We are shooting 48% from the floor and 39% from 3 (as compared to 49% and 40% for the season).  Last year we were 46% and 36% for the season, so we have to this point been much better in both categories.

- Where we need to improve is not on offense, but on defense.  We play good defense at times, but are not consistent enough throughout the game.  Additionally, while Mike likes to go deep into his bench, Macon and Barford are so good on offense right now, he can't really afford to sub those guys out a lot.  This makes it tough for them to realistically go all-out on both ends of the floor.  And if the energy isn't there in our pressure defense, then it quickly becomes just poor defense.  I would like to see us mix our defensive looks a little more -- throw in some zone, zone traps, straight man, 3/4 press, etc.  I think this will make our pressure even more effective (because teams won't know when to expect it) and it will protect our guys legs a little so they can really get after it at full speed when we crank it up.

All in all, I don't have too many complaints though about how the season is going.  There are a lot of good teams in the SEC right now.  We could have won a few more games, but we could have lost a few more too.  The guys are fighting hard every night.  Sometimes the shots just don't drop.

We have a winner, legitimate basketball discussion,  this is what it looks like. I agree,  in trying to play an all out pressure defense with lacking enough talented bodies to do so, guys have to be able to recover, rotate, find the shooters, and know who and when you can double off of. That is a lot of information they have to digest defensively quickly when we start trapping and rotating, and quite frankly our guys aren't very good at it. Maybe CMA believes they will get it if he sticks with it I am not as confident that they will. I to think he needs to go to a simpler multiple defense concept where guys aren't asked to read and recover on each defensive stand.

[rude1]

You can shoot a high% and still not be great on offense. How many times do you turn it over comes into play. And when that shooting is mainly from the outside, which is most of what the hogs get, jump shots 15 ft or further, that can come and go really fast.

But, and to you point about defense, what should bother people is that in the last two games the Hogs have shot over 50%, and shot very very well from 3pt range, yet had to survive at the end both times because they can not stop people from scoring. If your defense forces your offense to have to play nearly perfect, to shoot over 50% and knock down 10+ 3's every game you are going to lose a lot of games.

Exactly agreed about the defense. But the old adage that a jump shooting team can't be a good offensive team is simply no longer true, we see it in the pro's and in college too, the shooters have become so good that it is almost better to spread the floor and attack the rim or spot up and hurt teams from deep.

[PonderinHog]

I won't downplay anyone's concerns (which I don't share), I just wanted to give my thoughts in response to some of what I have read:

- Yes, Macon and Barford take the majority of our shots and have the ball in their hands a disproportionate amount of the time in our offense.  However, based on their stats, it would be kind of crazy if our offense provided anything else.  They both can create shots for themselves and others and shoot well above average from the three point stripe.

- Some have claimed our offensive efficiency numbers are somehow a mirage and don't reflect our true offensive output, especially in conference games.  There can be greater volatility running our offense than some other styles, but the broader trend in basketball is to look for either 3 pointers or layups.  That is what our offense does, so I have no problem with it.  If the 3 is not falling it can look really ugly, but that doesn't take away from it being generally the most efficient way to attack in today's game.  Especially with players like Macon and Barford who can do both effectively and efficiently.  The best teams in the NBA today all play a similar style.

- Our offensive numbers have actually held pretty steady in SEC play as compared to non-conference play.  We are shooting 48% from the floor and 39% from 3 (as compared to 49% and 40% for the season).  Last year we were 46% and 36% for the season, so we have to this point been much better in both categories.

- Where we need to improve is not on offense, but on defense.  We play good defense at times, but are not consistent enough throughout the game.  Additionally, while Mike likes to go deep into his bench, Macon and Barford are so good on offense right now, he can't really afford to sub those guys out a lot.  This makes it tough for them to realistically go all-out on both ends of the floor.  And if the energy isn't there in our pressure defense, then it quickly becomes just poor defense.  I would like to see us mix our defensive looks a little more -- throw in some zone, zone traps, straight man, 3/4 press, etc.  I think this will make our pressure even more effective (because teams won't know when to expect it) and it will protect our guys legs a little so they can really get after it at full speed when we crank it up.

All in all, I don't have too many complaints though about how the season is going.  There are a lot of good teams in the SEC right now.  We could have won a few more games, but we could have lost a few more too.  The guys are fighting hard every night.  Sometimes the shots just don't drop.

Please, post more!  One thing I noticed on quite a few of Georgia's possessions is that we did play good defense for 25- 28 seconds, but something would break down and Georgia made some incredibly lucky shots.  Part of the game, I guess.  Glad we got the last laugh.

[Cotton]

If you review the SEC stats, it is alarming that we are 4-4 in the league.....Mike has got to correct some of these things:

Scoring/gm.  ark - 77 Opp - 81.9
Fg% ark - 47.6% Opp - 46.8%
3pt % ark 38.9% Opp - 39.2%
Ft  ark 110-173. Opp 145-198
Ft%. Ark 63.6%. Opp 73.2%
Reb/gm. Ark - 33.2. Opp 36.0
Ast/gm. Ark - 12.5. Opp 15.0
TO/gm. Ark - 12.1. Opp 11.8

Outscored, out rebounded, close in turnovers is not the Nolan/Mike strategy

Wow... and all the sunshine pumpers were trying to cherry pick stats that fit their narrative.

[jst01]

My concerns hit me square in the face last night.  Forget the end of this year, it will be sliding into the tourney and probably being bounced by a 1 or 2 seed.  But just what in the world are the Hogs going to look like next year when Macon, Barford and Beard are gone??! Holy crap.

[WoodyHog]

Are any of the incoming freshman post players a threat to stretch the floor? One of the biggest offensive problems right now is that teams don't have any respect for any of our post players at the top of the key. Thomas will occasionally look at the basket,  but doesn't have much touch. Gafford will if there is a clear lane to dunk it, but doesn't have any range. Thompson doesn't even glance at the rim. Teams just back up and clog the paint and take Gafford out of his game in the post. I always thought the secret ingredient to the 94 champs was that Dwight Stewart and Corliss had to be respected from 15 ft and out. Honestly nothing better than watching Stewart drain a 3 with that crazy release. More recently Portis had to be respected as a shooter. Right now we have no post player that has to be respected from even 10 ft. Clogging the lane takes away Thompson's best attribute, which is his passing ability and it really limits the space for Gafford to work with his best attribute, which is to catch it high and throw it down. Get a stretch 4 on the court with Gafford and he can be a dominant true post player. That and an extra fews lbs wouldn't hurt.

Problem is that there are not a lot of 17 and 18 year old big men that can be a stretch 4 and are still athletic enough to keep up.  If you are a player like Gafford (athletic), then you generally don't have a need to develop that skill.  If you do develop those skills, it is likely because you are 6-6 or 6-7 and not athletic enough to bang down low in the SEC.  Of course there are guys like Portis who can do it -- they become all SEC and play in the NBA.

[rmcchris]

top 3 in rebounding? Yeah they aren't good at that are they

Another thought, good point on GA being 3rd but also points out and shows just how bad of a rebounding team we are.  How about all those other teams in front of us?  Surely we can improve a bit?

[DeltaBoy]

Great win for the Hogs.

[WoodyHog]

Wow... and all the sunshine pumpers were trying to cherry pick stats that fit their narrative.

Pretty much every poster has conceded that our defense has been poor and needs to improve.  That is what these stats show and it is not surprising.  I don't know what narrative you are talking about, but I haven't seen it much on here. 

[Carkohn99]

No stupid the question is "why are you complaining about the offense"? It is because you don't know what the hell you are watching so you feel obligated to come in here with the redundant scripted complaints even if they have no bearing on what is actually happening. It is why basketball discushion has become impossible here.

Not obligated, nor am I being redundant, nor scripted as I have posted less than 20 times and been on this board for 10+ years (couple of name changes when I forgot my login).  I do know what I am watching, and as I stated numerous times,  I see opportunities for improvement  on BOTH sides of the court.  To be a consistent,  winning program, it is my opinion, that you have to be sound, strategic and execute on both sides of the court. 

I am not complaining about productivity, as we do score a lot of points (save the 4 games scoring 68 or less, including the offensive explosion for 54 at home) albeit almost 15 points less in SEC play than non-conference.  I am saying that I would like to see more strategy when we do come out of a timeout, game is on the line, and we live and die by our ability to get open one-on-one looks.  If we are going to do that, just rely on athleticism, why call a timeout in the first place and give defense an opportunity to rest and strategize.  When our offense gets stagnant, which it tends to do this year and throughout MA's time here, I would like for Mike to call a timeout, let his team understand what the defense is doing, and get us in a position to get easy buckets outside of pull up 3, or 15 footer off the dribble.  ON defense, typically teams run through our press like a sieve, but it can wear some teams down.  Don't know if that is a trade off for all the easy buckets we give up when we can't stop the ball, nor defend the 3. 

We are blessed this year to have two great scorers, who for the most part are consistent in their ability to get buckets.  We will need some true coaching next year when we have no proven scorers.  So in those times, it is nice to have a system to fall back on that gives players the ability to get open looks and easy buckets, not just hoping they can shake their defender and get a 23 foot, 3 pointer to drop at the end of game. 

I will stop posting and leave the basketball "discushion" to you pros

[Polecat]

I think everyone is happy with the win, it is just that winning like this is not sustainable.  The only "play" that we continued to run was the Globetrotter weave up top, followed by someone trying to make a one-on-one move for a shot.  That or drive into the lane where we were met by 2-3 Georgia players.  I don't think we do a good job of understanding what defenses are going to allow us to do and then exploiting that weakness.  Coach Wade for LSU ran the hell out of the high ball screen, penetrate then dish, because he knew we couldn't defend it, we never figured it out the whole game.  I don't know what we do in timeouts under 1 minute, maybe Mike is playing hangman or something on his board, but there were no times coming out of a timeout that we looked like we had a plan that we could go execute.  The Barford play with 6 seconds left was horrid, and without Macon being unconscious we don't win.  We rely on abilities of 1-2 guys to get hot and not an offense that can expose weakness.  This is comparable to a QB in the huddle saying "Someone just get open and I will hit you". 

Plus, for a team that prides itself on defense, we are horrible at defense.  No steals to speak of, limited deflections, open lanes, open 3's.  I would be happier to just play a really sound Syracuse-type zone and save our energy for offense to run that weave really, really fast and mess them up.

Really happy to have the win though

This is spot on

[HognotinMemphis]

When they don't make the NCAAT or do make it but lose in 1st round, we can all be mad together.

[Nickle-Pig]

It isn't how you do it just that you get it done. We did and this shows me we could win on the road anywhere.

[Cotton]

Pretty much every poster has conceded that our defense has been poor and needs to improve.  That is what these stats show and it is not surprising.  I don't know what narrative you are talking about, but I haven't seen it much on here.

Our globe-trotter offense... Look at those stats again. We have no half court offense. People think if we play better defense we'll get more fast breaks and outscore people. But that doesn't work in today's game. You have to be able to run a half court offense, especially down the stretch. 

Scoring/gm.  ark - 77 Opp - 81.9
Ast/gm. Ark - 12.5. Opp 15.0
TO/gm. Ark - 12.1. Opp 11.8

[zebradynasty]

I won't downplay anyone's concerns (which I don't share), I just wanted to give my thoughts in response to some of what I have read:

- Yes, Macon and Barford take the majority of our shots and have the ball in their hands a disproportionate amount of the time in our offense.  However, based on their stats, it would be kind of crazy if our offense provided anything else.  They both can create shots for themselves and others and shoot well above average from the three point stripe.

- Some have claimed our offensive efficiency numbers are somehow a mirage and don't reflect our true offensive output, especially in conference games.  There can be greater volatility running our offense than some other styles, but the broader trend in basketball is to look for either 3 pointers or layups.  That is what our offense does, so I have no problem with it.  If the 3 is not falling it can look really ugly, but that doesn't take away from it being generally the most efficient way to attack in today's game.  Especially with players like Macon and Barford who can do both effectively and efficiently.  The best teams in the NBA today all play a similar style.

- Our offensive numbers have actually held pretty steady in SEC play as compared to non-conference play.  We are shooting 48% from the floor and 39% from 3 (as compared to 49% and 40% for the season).  Last year we were 46% and 36% for the season, so we have to this point been much better in both categories.

- Where we need to improve is not on offense, but on defense.  We play good defense at times, but are not consistent enough throughout the game.  Additionally, while Mike likes to go deep into his bench, Macon and Barford are so good on offense right now, he can't really afford to sub those guys out a lot.  This makes it tough for them to realistically go all-out on both ends of the floor.  And if the energy isn't there in our pressure defense, then it quickly becomes just poor defense.  I would like to see us mix our defensive looks a little more -- throw in some zone, zone traps, straight man, 3/4 press, etc.  I think this will make our pressure even more effective (because teams won't know when to expect it) and it will protect our guys legs a little so they can really get after it at full speed when we crank it up.

All in all, I don't have too many complaints though about how the season is going.  There are a lot of good teams in the SEC right now.  We could have won a few more games, but we could have lost a few more too.  The guys are fighting hard every night.  Sometimes the shots just don't drop.

Pretty much my exact same thoughts! I'm amazed that so many people are complaining about Macon and Barford offensively. MA signed both of them because at the time they were some of the top JUCO offensive players in the country. So they are only doing what we recruited them for and doing putting the ball in the hole!  If you can shoot AND create your own shot...that's offense in today's standards. LB James just scored 30,000 pts for his career he didn't do that because the teams he played on ran such beautiful offenses and ran plays for him. Not saying Macon or Barford are on that level but that NBA is now driving the college game teams are doing what they see in the NBA whether they have NBA talent or not. NBA is about getting your role players to play their role and letting the players drafted to score...score. Our role players do not accept their role. If we could get Thomas, Thompson, Gafford and Cook to set GOOD screens...most of our offensive problems would be solved.   

[East TN HAWG]

The problem though, is that Georgia had two 6'11" big men in the lane and Maten is the best in the SEC. The Dogs were just too much down low on defense for the Hog big men.

We have AM for two games coming up.  Maten is the best big man in the SEC, but AM has the best overall front court.  It does not get any easier.

[hogfanny]

We have AM for two games coming up.  Maten is the best big man in the SEC, but AM has the best overall front court.  It does not get any easier.

This has been my major concerns for a while. They are a lot better than their record implies.

[Oklahawg]

See? Btw, did you just want to use the word, "rhetoric"? What has been written so far in this thread is not rhetoric, just simple language describing what was done on the court by the Hogs, especially near end of regulation and in OT.

Neither of you seem to have as strong a grasp of the term as we could hope for. Your point seems to be valid - no need to complicate things.

[Oklahawg]

First, a road win is a plus.

Second, a "plus" does not mean we are all going "unicorns and rainbows" about the game.

We adjusted, eventually, to them pulling Gafford out of the paint so they could work a high-low post game. We also opted to let them gun 3's while ignoring their team strength inside (if you tell me Gafford is held scoreless I think we get beat badly). You give the other team something and hope they take the bait, all the while ignoring what they optimally like to do. That happens in practice and film review, not the huddle (where defensive changes happen, and, eventually worked).

So, if that is what we did to them what did they do to UA? They took Gafford away. They forced posts to take shots from outside, or not be a part of the option. It worked. Gafford doesn't have an outside shot, and Thompson has no faith in his shot. Thomas, Cook, and Bailey are good for 10 total between them, mostly garbage points although all three have had their jumpshot moments. So, UGA has to be thrilled too - they got us out of our game.

So, we had to adapt. They were willing to let us shoot outside. It eventually won us the game. They were willing to pack inside allowing dribble penetration. It eventually won us the game. Take what is given and beat them - I am okay with that.

All of that said:
1. we are short one guard right now
2. be really nice if the guard in #1 staked his reputation on playing smothering defense
3. be nice if our length and athleticism was bruising enough inside to not get burned for putbacks, not to mention keeping the ball on the exterior where the length and athleticism are most effective
4. we have to be willing to sacrifice some minutes, and risk losing, to not leave the big 3 guards with no legs by tournament time
5. a big has to step foward as a bruiser on both offense and defense - Gafford has flash and intimidates in the paint but he is a finesse big.

Our current press is good for two things - slowing down fast teams and attempting to force the ball to a non-creator. Bet we see a lot more of that match-up zone...but need some rebounding work or it will leave us getting gashed on putbacks.

[HognotinMemphis]

First, a road win is a plus.

Second, a "plus" does not mean we are all going "unicorns and rainbows" about the game.

We adjusted, eventually, to them pulling Gafford out of the paint so they could work a high-low post game. We also opted to let them gun 3's while ignoring their team strength inside (if you tell me Gafford is held scoreless I think we get beat badly). You give the other team something and hope they take the bait, all the while ignoring what they optimally like to do. That happens in practice and film review, not the huddle (where defensive changes happen, and, eventually worked).

So, if that is what we did to them what did they do to UA? They took Gafford away. They forced posts to take shots from outside, or not be a part of the option. It worked. Gafford doesn't have an outside shot, and Thompson has no faith in his shot. Thomas, Cook, and Bailey are good for 10 total between them, mostly garbage points although all three have had their jumpshot moments. So, UGA has to be thrilled too - they got us out of our game.

So, we had to adapt. They were willing to let us shoot outside. It eventually won us the game. They were willing to pack inside allowing dribble penetration. It eventually won us the game. Take what is given and beat them - I am okay with that.

All of that said:
1. we are short one guard right now
2. be really nice if the guard in #1 staked his reputation on playing smothering defense
3. be nice if our length and athleticism was bruising enough inside to not get burned for putbacks, not to mention keeping the ball on the exterior where the length and athleticism are most effective
4. we have to be willing to sacrifice some minutes, and risk losing, to not leave the big 3 guards with no legs by tournament time
5. a big has to step foward as a bruiser on both offense and defense - Gafford has flash and intimidates in the paint but he is a finesse big.

Our current press is good for two things - slowing down fast teams and attempting to force the ball to a non-creator. Bet we see a lot more of that match-up zone...but need some rebounding work or it will leave us getting gashed on putbacks.

I will bet my life that Anderson did not come up with the strategy you suggest. Not capable of it. The strategery of what you think happened is not possible with Anderson. It's just the way things turned out.

[raz1965]

Ever team has concerns, the biggest concern from one game to the next is for team improvement, the coach speaks to this concern after each game. We all know this team needs to make improvement. The positive to this team is they have won enough games, if the season ended today would be a tourney team, yet have plenty of upside remaining. The schedule is strong, an this team is learning from competition. Gafford an Bailey's continued improvement will reflect as major team improvement. It not really offense or defense improvement but just simple team improvement of concern.

[OkieBack]

Ignorant, is watching our offense and trying to argue that it isn't a major concern.

Hey, nobody said Mike Anderson was a Roy Wiliams or Bill Self.  MA's game is intense chaos.  There is a method to his madness and yes, it does rely on talent moreso than X's and O's but that's not to say MA can't coach because he can. 

You got that hug from somebody yet today, Cotton?  You need one.