Hand-Checking

[The_Iceman]

Jimmy Dykes just reported they are cracking down on hand checking EVEN MORE this season. Refs have been threatened by the NCAA to enforce or you won't ref in the late season.

Not good for us or, as Bo put it, any team that wants to play defense. Looks like they want basketball to be more high scoring like football.

[cosmodrum]

Welp, we're screwed.

[Karma]

Not good for us so I don't like it, but these 52-48 games are pretty ridiculous. 

[The_Iceman]

Must be more disciplined. Move feet and keep hands straight out and up. No more bad reaching.

We can be aggressive and press without fouling. Just gotta be very disciplined.

[-Blu]

Must be more disciplined. Move feet and keep hands straight out and up. No more bad reaching.

We can be aggressive and press without fouling. Just gotta be very disciplined.

^This.

All they are trying to do is cut down on guys grabbing jersey/shorts and putting their hands all over the other guys.  TBH might be helpful for us, because a lot of teams that don't put much emphasis on defense do a lot of hand-checking and grabbing to try to stay in position.  If you move your feet, keep hands up, and play disciplined defense, which is what this staff is suppose to specialize in, then you won't have to worry about this.  I don't know how you guys got "We're Screwed" out of this unless you intended on us playing lazy defense and committing silly fouls like we did on the road last year, if that was the case we'd be screwed regardless. 

[choppedporkextrasauce]

the funny thing is by enforcing hand checking they slow the game down and the end result is a lower scoring average.

what's really bad is the Ref allow teams to absolutely murder players in the post but the slightest touch outside is a foul.

[latrops]

^This.

All they are trying to do is cut down on guys grabbing jersey/shorts and putting their hands all over the other guys.  TBH might be helpful for us, because a lot of teams that don't put much emphasis on defense do a lot of hand-checking and grabbing to try to stay in position.  If you move your feet, keep hands up, and play disciplined defense, which is what this staff is suppose to specialize in, then you won't have to worry about this.  I don't know how you guys got "We're Screwed" out of this unless you intended on us playing lazy defense and committing silly fouls like we did on the road last year, if that was the case we'd be screwed regardless.

I'll admit that I'm concerned.  The Nolan/Anderson defense is aggressive and does sometimes create contact.  Some of that contact should be a foul, and some should not.  If the officials are instructed to call more fouls away from the basket, that probably isn't a good thing for aggressive, pressing defenses.  Of course, you can still press and be aggressive, but it might be a bit more difficult to do effectively.

[Blutoblutarsky]

Prob get 10-12 hand checking calls a game now

[Hawg Red]

Welp, we're screwed.

[chiefhawg]

The other team has to play by the same rules. We have players that have the quickness to get to the rim if their isn't a hand on them. We also have size and power to operate down low if a forearm is not on them.

[CDBHawg]

Must be more disciplined. Move feet and keep hands straight out and up. No more bad reaching.

We can be aggressive and press without fouling. Just gotta be very disciplined.

[The_Bionic_Pig]

the funny thing is by enforcing hand checking they slow the game down and the end result is a lower scoring average.

what's really bad is the Ref allow teams to absolutely murder players in the post but the slightest touch outside is a foul.

Shaq approves of this message!!

[Hawg Red]

The other team has to play by the same rules. We have players that have the quickness to get to the rim if their isn't a hand on them. We also have size and power to operate down low if a forearm is not on them.

The strict enforcement of this rule affects a team like Arkansas more than most schools. That's just the way we play.

[CDBHawg]

The strict enforcement of this rule affects a team like Arkansas more than most schools. That's just the way we play.

Rules are rules....

Just as long as it is called evenly. It's up to our coach to adjust if it has that much bearing on our success.

[Hawg Red]

Rules are rules....

Just as long as it is called evenly. It's up to our coach to adjust if it has that much bearing on our success.

Again, my point is that this is a bigger adjustment for Arkansas than it is for most schools, thus we're more likely to struggle with this than most schools due to our style of play. It's rule changes like this that have diminished the advantage of the 40 minutes of hell/fastest 40 minutes style of play over the years. It's a big deal for us and not as big of a deal for a lot of schools, either because they aren't good defensively anyway or because they play a different brand of defense that doesn't involve as much hand play and arm waving.

[CDBHawg]

Again, my point is that this is a bigger adjustment for Arkansas than it is for most schools, thus we're more likely to struggle with this than most schools due to our style of play. It's rule changes like this that have diminished the advantage of the 40 minutes of hell/fastest 40 minutes style of play over the years. It's a big deal for us and not as big of a deal for a lot of schools, either because they aren't good defensively anyway or because they play a different brand of defense that doesn't involve as much hand play and arm waving.

It's not a rule change, is it? I believe it's more of a rule enforcement.

[Hawg Red]

It's not a rule change, is it? I believe it's more of a rule enforcement.

Hand checking used to be allowed, so yes, it was a rule change. We're talking stricter enforcement right now but you're taking my mention of one thing out of context. When we were winning the NC and an Elite 8/Final Four caliber program in the '90s, you could use your hands. It's pretty clear what I was referring to.

Now, do you disagree with what I've said now that we're done with semantics?

[-Blu]

Again, my point is that this is a bigger adjustment for Arkansas than it is for most schools, thus we're more likely to struggle with this than most schools due to our style of play. It's rule changes like this that have diminished the advantage of the 40 minutes of hell/fastest 40 minutes style of play over the years. It's a big deal for us and not as big of a deal for a lot of schools, either because they aren't good defensively anyway or because they play a different brand of defense that doesn't involve as much hand play and arm waving.

I don't agree with this, I watched some of Louisville last year, and I loved to watch them play because their press reminded me of the old 40 MOH days.  Maybe not as chaotic, but still a resembles it and it is HIGHLY effective for them.  Steven A. Smith even compared their play style to Nolan's 40 MOH, and said the way they play is the closets we're going to see.  So it's possible that basketball can still be played this way and win titles doing it, you just need the right personnel and be smart enough to make adjustments when needed.  Like they say, winners adjust and loser complain.

[Rooster Hogburn]

Prob get 10-12 hand checking calls a game now

I see what you did there, and like it!

[CDBHawg]

Hand checking used to be allowed, so yes, it was a rule change. We're talking stricter enforcement right now but you're taking my mention of one thing out of context. When we were winning the NC and an Elite 8/Final Four caliber program in the '90s, you could use your hands. It's pretty clear what I was referring to.

Now, do you disagree with what I've said now that we're done with semantics?

Sure. Yeah, I'll agree. But my point being that our success, or lack thereof in recent years, doesn't/shouldn't depend upon stricter enforcement of hand checking.

If that's what it takes, not calling fouls, then it's going to be a long rough year anyways.

[Hawg Red]

Sure. Yeah, I'll agree. But my point being that our success, or lack thereof in recent years, doesn't/shouldn't depend upon stricter enforcement of hand checking.

If that's what it takes, not calling fouls, then it's going to be a long rough year anyways.

No, but we struggled with silly hand fouls in Years 1 and 2 of Anderson's tenure. We have two freshmen bigs that need to learn how to play defense at the college level. This is going to affect us. Does it mean we can't still be successful? Of course not. But it's another obstacle for us. For a lot of schools, this is a non-issue because of how they play (or don't play) defense. Sure, everyone is going to have to deal with this enforcement, but it's going to affect schools like Arkansas more because of style of play. It's definitely a concern. I think any reasonable and realistic Razorback fan is concerned about this.

[CDBHawg]

No, but we struggled with silly hand fouls in Years 1 and 2 of Anderson's tenure. We have two freshmen bigs that need to learn how to play defense at the college level. This is going to affect us. Does it mean we can't still be successful? Of course not. But it's another obstacle for us. For a lot of schools, this is a non-issue because of how they play (or don't play) defense. Sure, everyone is going to have to deal with this enforcement, but it's going to affect schools like Arkansas more because of style of play. It's definitely a concern. I think any reasonable and realistic Razorback fan is concerned about this.

Well, count me as a reasonable and realistic fan that's not concerned. I'll not make the rule an excuse, win or lose.

And I hope/expect to be a tourney team this year.

[Hawg Red]

Well, count me as a reasonable and realistic fan that's not concerned. I'll not make the rule an excuse, win or lose.

And I hope/expect to be a tourney team this year.

Who's making excuses?

Why does acknowledging it's likely to affect us make it an excuse?

I *still* hope/expect to a tournament team as well. No one's making excuses. You're just being overly hard about the subject.

[PonderinHog]

I'm just ready to find out if we can compete - one way or the other.

[downsouthhawg72]

It would affect us more last year than this year. You get less hand checking when you have a shot blocker down low. We didn't have 1 last year & have 1 & maybe 2 this year. You hand check less when you know your going to have help in the paint.

[Hawg Red]

It would affect us more last year than this year. You get less hand checking when you have a shot blocker down low. We didn't have 1 last year & have 1 & maybe 2 this year. You hand check less when you know your going to have help in the paint.

Fair point.

[CDBHawg]

Who's making excuses?

Why does acknowledging it's likely to affect us make it an excuse?

I *still* hope/expect to a tournament team as well. No one's making excuses. You're just being overly hard about the subject.

Okay.

[Corkscrew Johnson]

That's exactly what college basketball needs.  More fouls. 

Leave it to the NCAA to get everything backwards.  If you want to improve the entertainment value of the game, let the kids play.  More flow equals more points.  More fouls equals less rhythm and allows defenses to get set.

[latrops]

I don't agree with this, I watched some of Louisville last year, and I loved to watch them play because their press reminded me of the old 40 MOH days.  Maybe not as chaotic, but still a resembles it and it is HIGHLY effective for them.  Steven A. Smith even compared their play style to Nolan's 40 MOH, and said the way they play is the closets we're going to see.  So it's possible that basketball can still be played this way and win titles doing it, you just need the right personnel and be smart enough to make adjustments when needed.  Like they say, winners adjust and loser complain.

And stricter enforcement beginning this year could affect Louisville or VCU, as well.  I'm not saying CMA and the Razorbacks now have no chance....I'm just saying that the style of defense that Arkansas, Louisville, and VCU play could be a bit more difficult to play effectively depending on how "hand-checking" is defined and how ticky-tack the officials are asked to be.  It is probably (hopefully) much ado about very little. 

[-Blu]

And stricter enforcement beginning this year could affect Louisville or VCU, as well.  I'm not saying CMA and the Razorbacks now have no chance....I'm just saying that the style of defense that Arkansas, Louisville, and VCU play could be a bit more difficult to play effectively depending on how "hand-checking" is defined and how ticky-tack the officials are asked to be.  It is probably (hopefully) much ado about very little.

You guys are way overreacting IMO.  I just went and tried to find any type of article or analyst discussing any type of major change in "hand-check" calls and I found nothing at all.  I follow John Rothstein on twitter, and he is probably most involved college basketball analyst in the business, and he hasn't said anything about this. I also listen to ESPN radio during day in my office and haven't heard a peep on this either.  Does the OP even have a link to this so called "cracking down" change that Jimmy Dykes talked about?  Better yet have you heard a statement from the NCAA or any legit sports station?  Believe it or not  Bo and Jimmy Dykes having a Pow-Wow on local radio isn't exactly the best source for breaking news regarding the NCAA.  For all you guys know Jimmy Dykes ran into an official and all he said is we're going to call hand-checks closer this year.  That could mean something as simple as just watching it more because coaches have been complaining.  We're not going to see a completely different game being played.

[Hawg Red]

I don't agree with this, I watched some of Louisville last year, and I loved to watch them play because their press reminded me of the old 40 MOH days.  Maybe not as chaotic, but still a resembles it and it is HIGHLY effective for them.  Steven A. Smith even compared their play style to Nolan's 40 MOH, and said the way they play is the closets we're going to see.  So it's possible that basketball can still be played this way and win titles doing it, you just need the right personnel and be smart enough to make adjustments when needed.  Like they say, winners adjust and loser complain.

Louisville does what we do.....only a lot better. They're coached much better as well.

[-Blu]

Louisville does what we do.....only a lot better. They're coached much better as well.

I think that goes without saying.  They also have much better players at the moment.  My whole point is this play style can still be highly effective and win championships.  You guys are worried and stressing about hand-checks being called more closely and all that, it doesn't matter, good coaches will figure it out and get their players to adjust.   And as far as good coaching goes, I wouldn't count Coach A out either, He's shown what his teams can accomplish a few years back if he just has one TRUE nba type player on his team, and some guys that buy-in and play disciplined basketball. 

Some people are getting frustrated because he hasn't turned the corner here as quickly as his other stops, but our APR situation was a mess, so he couldn't bring some more kids that were better equipped to play his play style his first year in. He also had his first class already picked for him, and turns out this play style wasn't for almost all of them, and we were down the best player on the team his entire first year.  I think the team this year is the closets thing to any of his tournament team's that he's had so far since he's been at Arkansas.  This will be a good year for us and we'll see things start to turn in the right direction this year.  With that said, I still think we are missing some pieces, let's be honest with no player bashing here, our guards are less than stellar and we don't have a guard that can create their own shot or draw fouls getting to the basket.  That will be our weakness this year, but our front court is going to be so good, I think it will shadow this a lot and we'll still see post season play.  And I think we'll improve even more the next year.

[Hawg Red]

Worrying and stressing.

The extremes of Hogville.

[Biggus Piggus]

Jimmy Dykes just reported they are cracking down on hand checking EVEN MORE this season. Refs have been threatened by the NCAA to enforce or you won't ref in the late season.

Not good for us or, as Bo put it, any team that wants to play defense. Looks like they want basketball to be more high scoring like football.

Check out how teams like Louisville, Florida, Georgetown, Saint Louis, Pitt, Wisconsin play defense. It's stunning to see these teams below 63 possessions per game:

Virginia
Vanderbilt
Clemson
Wisconsin
UTEP
Florida
Alabama

At one time, you could use 67 possessions per game as the line between slomo basketball and the good stuff. Now the median is just under 67. Fewer than 50 teams manage at least 70 possessions per game. That's 47 out of 347. Ghastly.

Arkansas was one of the few above 71.

[Ham Sandwich]

Louisville does what we do.....only a lot better. They're coached much better as well.

They have more talent and their program has been on a roll for awhile.

You're acting pretty ridiculous about this.

We're not the only team that presses and plays hard defense, good lord.

[grayhawg]

Louisville does what we do.....only a lot better. They're coached much better as well.

Worrying and stressing.

The extremes of Hogville.

Where do all these trolls come from?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Hawg Red]

They have more talent and their program has been on a roll for awhile.

You're acting pretty ridiculous about this.

We're not the only team that presses and plays hard defense, good lord.

Louisville can shift gears. They're not tied into one mode or style like we are. Pitino changes things up, Anderson really doesn't. I feel you guys should know that...

[Kevin]

More whistles & slower play, just what the sport needs

Just waiting for the illegal defense rules to come in, so it can be just like the nba

[BulldogBasketball]

Was at a coaching clinic this weekend and a college coach said they were told that officials are being instructed to call a foul anytime the defender on the ball just puts his hand on the ball handler.

He runs a very similar style of defense and mentioned he has concerns that it will neuter them quite a bit.

[98hogs]

Need to enforce walking and taking 3 steps to the basket

[joeyself]

Seems to me that the refs will be calling a placement of a hand on the other player in the open floor, taking away their discretion as to whether the touch affects the play.  Good.  I don't like when our guys got called for it but the other team didn't.  If it is officiated the same on both ends, then we can play defense with our supposedly-quicker feet.  The players will adjust in the pre-season to what they can and can't do.  If reaching out your hand to touch another player is a foul, then, oh, I don't know, maybe DON'T DO IT?

I have become a bit more interested in the NBA since they have started calling more of the rough house that goes on under the basket.  In the '90's and early 2000's, it looked like MMA or WWF on the floor at times, and that's not good basketball.  That and the allowance of the zone defense instead of all that one-on-one stuff has made it much more entertaining.

JcS

[The_Iceman]

@CoachZ_ARKANSAS
Lots of new rules this season in College Basketball. Can't touch anyone defensively out on the floor or its a foul.

@CoachZ_ARKANSAS
The reason all the new defensive rules have been put in place by the rules committee is to try and improve scoring throughout the country.

[mbgrulz]

I disagree that it will slow the game down...Initially, there will be some issues, but I think that it will be good for the game.

As an offensive team, the best way to use these rules to your advantage will be to attack the holy crap out of the defense. Push the ball up the floor and attack bad closeouts all night long. There MAY be a slowdown in terms of more FT's shot, but we have GOT to do something about the aesthetic part of this game. Football has the HUNH and basketball on turf stuff going for it, and maybe this will be basketball's version of that.

The thing that I am THRILLED with is that there will hopefully be a HUGE reduction in the amount of BS charges called. There is nothing that quells offensive talent and the entertainment factor like defenders being able to camp out in the lane and throw their bodies in front of attacking players. Refs were beginning to call it a CHARGE every time a dribbler ran into a defender.

These rule changes SHOULD shift some of the emphasis back to skill and away from athleticism.

The whole issue will be the refs, and how accepting they are to change. I have a bad feeling that in their "all knowing" minds, they will call it like they think it needs to be called. 

[CDBHawg]

@CoachZ_ARKANSAS
Lots of new rules this season in College Basketball. Can't touch anyone defensively out on the floor or its a foul.

@CoachZ_ARKANSAS
The reason all the new defensive rules have been put in place by the rules committee is to try and improve scoring throughout the country.

Make them stay three years and reduce the shot clock. Problem solved.

[-Blu]

I apologize for my initial posts, this does look like it's going to be a big deal. I been watching Media days on ESPNU for the last couple of days and some of coaches are really concerned.  However, one thing that most coaches seem to all agree with and think will be a good thing, is this rule change should make the officiating calls consistent.  I think that's one of the biggest things that hurt us, especially on the road, some games we would be allowed to play really physically and some any little touch foul was called, and sometimes it even varied from half to half, and it kinda threw our guys off and they didn't adjust well.  Now, we know anytime you put your hands on the ball handler your going to get a foul called.  That means we're going to have to play VERY disciplined, move our feet, and keep our hands up.  This could be a good or bad thing for us, depending on how well the staff adjusts our play style to fit the way things are going to be called.

[Hawg Red]

Well, well, well....

[Big Nasty 34]

Interested to see how this will impact teams abilities to press. Hope it's not too drastic of a change.

[nextlevel]

I apologize for my initial posts, this does look like it's going to be a big deal. I been watching Media days on ESPNU for the last couple of days and some of coaches are really concerned.  However, one thing that most coaches seem to all agree with and think will be a good thing, is this rule change should make the officiating calls consistent.  I think that's one of the biggest things that hurt us, especially on the road, some games we would be allowed to play really physically and some any little touch foul was called, and sometimes it even varied from half to half, and it kinda threw our guys off and they didn't adjust well.  Now, we know anytime you put your hands on the ball handler your going to get a foul called.  That means we're going to have to play VERY disciplined, move our feet, and keep our hands up.  This could be a good or bad thing for us, depending on how well the staff adjusts our play style to fit the way things are going to be called.

This is going to effect teams who are "handsy" on the defensive end, in the SEC teams like Tennessee and Carolina the most, their defenders always had a hand on a player last year.

Players will have to learn how to properly go across a screen, it has been common for defenders to grab a guys hip and check him back to make room to go over the screen. A coach can have his defenders switch on screens and avoid this contact.

These slow tempo physical defense type teams are going to have to adjust a great deal, for Arkansas the biggest adjustment will be teach the guys how to go across screens, that was the most common time when our guys would hand check last year, over all the guys returning are pretty good at playing with their feet like you are suppose too.

[nextlevel]

Frank Martin just said in his opinion, the teams who play slow foul more than the teams how play uptempo and press, the difference is the fouls occur below the foul line so they are not called.

He also said the pressing teams are the teams who lead the country in scoring and win Championships.

[Hawg Red]

Frank Martin just said in his opinion, the teams who play slow foul more than the teams how play uptempo and press, the difference is the fouls occur below the foul line so they are not called.

He also said the pressing teams are the teams who lead the country in scoring and win Championships.

Makes sense in theory.