West Virginia

[luke hawg]

Number 1 in turnovers and top 20 in rebounds. It's possible with uptempo pressing style. Why do we struggle to get boards so much.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

They are a lot bigger as a team. They start a 3 forward 2 guard lineup.

[BadHog]

This game is about as ugly as it gets!!

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

Number 1 in turnovers and top 20 in rebounds. It's possible with uptempo pressing style. Why do we struggle to get boards so much.

Look at our roster at the moment.  Our best 4 last year was Manny. 

And quite frankly, we didn't struggle as much as some think.

[Biggus Piggus]

West Virginia has awesome offensive rebounding. Their defensive rebounding is impaired by their pressure defensive style. And they foul a ton.

WVa has focused more on getting quickness into the lineup than Arkansas has. The Hogs' pressure was meager the past two seasons. They had to gamble to get steals, didn't produce enough so-called unforced turnovers, which is a direct indication that the defense failed to disrupt opposing offensive schemes.

Arkansas's defensive rebounding looked very similar to West Virginia's. Offensive rebounding, not as good. Disruption, not even close. You give Arkansas WVa's 28% defensive turnover number, and the Razorbacks would be headed for the Final Four. With their 18.5% production - right at national average - the Hogs couldn't quite get there.

[azhog10]

West Virginia has awesome offensive rebounding. Their defensive rebounding is impaired by their pressure defensive style. And they foul a ton.

WVa has focused more on getting quickness into the lineup than Arkansas has. The Hogs' pressure was meager the past two seasons. They had to gamble to get steals, didn't produce enough so-called unforced turnovers, which is a direct indication that the defense failed to disrupt opposing offensive schemes.

Arkansas's defensive rebounding looked very similar to West Virginia's. Offensive rebounding, not as good. Disruption, not even close. You give Arkansas WVa's 28% defensive turnover number, and the Razorbacks would be headed for the Final Four. With their 18.5% production - right at national average - the Hogs couldn't quite get there.

It's all about length on the perimeter. We don't really have it yet. We have a couple guards with decent length, but we don't have it top to bottom. You want turnovers, you have to get tips and deflections.

[onebadrubi]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but WVU presses a little different than we have the past couple of years.  It was actually much more similar to the way we pressed when Bailey was on the floor vs UNC. 

[niels_boar]

They were actually a miserable #257 in defensive rebounding percentage.  Their excellent rebounding was at the offensive end.  They were actually pretty good on the defensive glass last season (#77) but blocked few shots.  This season Huggins rebalanced his halfcourt defense to challenge shots, #14 in block percentage.  If you pressure the passing lanes and challenge shots, you won't be in position to rebound. 

We were actually a little better FG percentage defense than W Virginia this season.  The difference in the defenses wasn't rebounding.  It was that they were very good at forcing TOs (#1), and we were barely NCAA average.  We need to excel in those areas in which we are trying to excel.  Nothing we do, not in zone or man, is designed to excel on the defensive glass.  If we had forced TOs at the same rate as a typical CMA team with the same FG percentage defense and defensive rebounding, we would have been a top defense like West Virginia.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Huggins put all his eggs in the full court pressure basket this year.  Offensively they were atrocious, so he realized - correctly - that his team's best chance to win would be relentless pressure causing more turnovers than easy buckets given up.  It's a risky strategy that, more times than not, will catch up with you in the tournament against good teams that can match up with you.

And before anyone uses the '90 era Razorback team for comparison, there is one huge difference.  That team was very talented offensively.

[colbs]

Huggins put all his eggs in the full court pressure basket this year.  Offensively they were atrocious, so he realized - correctly - that his team's best chance to win would be relentless pressure causing more turnovers than easy buckets given up.  It's a risky strategy that, more times than not, will catch up with you in the tournament against good teams that can match up with you.

And before anyone uses the '90 era Razorback team for comparison, there is one huge difference.  That team was very talented offensively.

It probably helps them that the BIG 12 officials aren't as whistle happy as the SEC officials.

[hogwood]

Love the WV team with Huggins.

[WorfHog]

All about size and skill.

[BoarnSupremacy]

All about size and skill.

We have no length and size on outside.  I realize that now even more watching UCLA vs Cats.

[WorfHog]

We have no length and size on outside.  I realize that now even more watching UCLA vs Cats.

It's coming. Just wait...