Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Logo
Search Members FAQ Portal
  • Navigation
  • Our Hoosier Board
  • →
  • Big Ten Sports
  • →
  • Hoosier Sports
  • →
  • Solving Problems
Welcome to Our Hoosier Board!

Most of the posters here have been around for nearly a decade now. You'll find their knowledge and insight to be second to none. We have a really strong community and value everyone's opinions.

Feel free to jump into any thread and voice your opinion with conviction. We love heated debates and even some fanbase ribbing from time to time. We pride ourselves on the lack of moderation needed to make this board successful.

Please remember that we have been around many years and have an astute ability to tell the difference between an immature, childish, trash-talking troll and a passionate fan voicing his or her opinion. It is at the discretion of Jazen and myself whether any moderating actions should be taken at any given time. It's a very, very rare thing. In other words, no worries....you'll be fine!

Cheers,
sirbrianwilson

Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • …
  • 6
Solving Problems
Tweet Topic Started: Dec 28 2010, 04:38 PM (981 Views)
BTown11 Dec 28 2010, 04:38 PM Post #1
Member Avatar
Mer
Posts:
20,765
Group:
Members
Member
#19
Joined:
February 4, 2008
Three games against average teams, and three average performances, have led to three bad losses. It's been disappointing, but just re-affiriming to the point that we cannot expect any game to be a sure win, especially not with a team in the incomplete state that it is. If there's one thing I like it's the defiant nature of the players -- they know they are capable of rising to challenges like the last three games, they just have to put it in practice. As weak as the roster is in some areas, it's strong enough in others to at least allow for more than 60 points in a game against below average defenses. At this point in the season I don't think you can blame the losses on singular performances. You can point to Verdell Jones' turnovers or Tom Pritchard's, well, nothingness, but in reality it's a team thing; but how do you fix team problems on the fly?

I think the root of all the problems is the lack of an interior presence. Without one, defenses can key on the perimeter, stifle our pick-and-roll offense, and make every basket hard to get. It's not secret that Indiana's best offense comes in transition, and when teams slow the ball down it makes it almost impossible to score.

The first answer comes with creating a faster tempo. It's something that's easier said than done, but the best way to do it is simply create tempo through defense. Tom Crean's staple of defense has been deflections, something that I've seen almost nothing of the last three games. Deflections lead to turnovers, which lead to tempo, which leads to baskets. The defensive rotations in zone need to get better; and most of the rotation problems can be attributed to Derek Elston (I like the kid but he just isn't ready to play D on this level). Once you have the rotation problem solved, you can start putting the lankiness of our team in passing lanes and force some turnovers. How do you make this a reality? Re-insert Tom Pritchard into the starting lineup. I know, I know, but they kid knows how to make defensive rotations and seems to have a knack for being in the right place. His knowing where to be allows for our guys to get into passing lanes.

The second answer comes with getting some kind of interior presence. In my opinion, it can't be Watford. He plays best from midrange using his length to his advantage, something you can't do under the basket. Once you have an interior presence you force the defense inside, opening up the drive; basically having the overall effect of opening the court up. The answer to this problem is two parted. The first is re-inserting Tom Pritchard into the lineup. He can pass pretty well for his size, and simply making entry passes to him will force teams to relax the defensive pressure. The other part is to get Watford the ball in mid-range. Teams have to honor his mid-range shooting ability, and as a good passer we can find opportunities with him as the assister to guys coming from off-ball screens.

The final answer comes with preventing offensive plays from breaking down. In case you haven't noticed, IU runs a pro-style pick-and-roll offense where they run sets nearly every time down the court. Sets are great if they are run to perfection, but once they break down it causes mega problems -- like not being able to score. Basically our lack of interior presence have allowed for hedgers to stifle our screens (this first started in the Colorado game, and then apparently PSU did a good job of watching film to do the same). Guys are being left open down low due to the hedgers coming to the ball, but smaller guards have a lot of difficulty finding and making those passes. This answer also has a two part cure. The first is simply getting an interior presence that allows for us to make screens without being stopped. The second part(s) are to make better off-ball screens, and to keep movement going once a set breaks down. At times last night, IU was running two and three sets per possession because the others broke down; you simply cannot win that way.

As bad as IU has looked the last three games, the problems they have are pretty fixable. The biggest issue is having to solve these problems mid-conference season. I think we're past individual player issues, we're just looking at team ones; and as hard as it is for me to believe I'm saying this, Tom Pritchard could be a key moving forward.
Death to Signatures.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
obatskii Dec 28 2010, 04:53 PM Post #2
Member Avatar
Go Tebow!
Posts:
22,925
Group:
Members
Member
#69
Joined:
February 6, 2008
Nice write up here, Btown. Why I didn't go into any details, I also said in the game thread this morning that we need to see more Pritchard. He's a guy that can use his rear to block players out as well. It seemed like every FT last night we were getting shoved under the basket. He's also our best offensive rebounding big man. As inept as he is offensively with the ball in his hands, there are certain things he brings to the table.

WE WANT PRITCHARD!
Edited by obatskii, Dec 28 2010, 04:54 PM.
Posted Image


"They say it takes a village to raise a family. Well, it took a nation to rebuild a program. THANK YOU HOOSIER NATION!" -Tom Crean

Proud Swiftie
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BTown11 Dec 28 2010, 04:55 PM Post #3
Member Avatar
Mer
Posts:
20,765
Group:
Members
Member
#19
Joined:
February 4, 2008
obatskii
Dec 28 2010, 04:53 PM
WE WANT PRITCHARD!
Right? I can't believe I'm saying that too.

Anyways, I direly wish we had Guy right now, who by the way has had NBA scout suiters looking after him. I think he wants to finish school up at IU, maybe play some more amateur ball, and hopefully look at the NBA.
Death to Signatures.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
obatskii Dec 28 2010, 05:00 PM Post #4
Member Avatar
Go Tebow!
Posts:
22,925
Group:
Members
Member
#69
Joined:
February 6, 2008
I feel pretty damn dirty saying it, but watching the game last night made it more and more obvious.
Posted Image


"They say it takes a village to raise a family. Well, it took a nation to rebuild a program. THANK YOU HOOSIER NATION!" -Tom Crean

Proud Swiftie
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BTown11 Dec 28 2010, 05:00 PM Post #5
Member Avatar
Mer
Posts:
20,765
Group:
Members
Member
#19
Joined:
February 4, 2008
obatskii
Dec 28 2010, 05:00 PM
I feel pretty damn dirty saying it, but watching the game last night made it more and more obvious.
the last three games we've looked bad are the games that Pritchard has gotten the fewest minutes.
Death to Signatures.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dedicatedIUfan Dec 28 2010, 07:11 PM Post #6
Coach
Posts:
8,725
Group:
Members
Member
#93
Joined:
February 7, 2008
BTown11
Dec 28 2010, 04:38 PM

The first answer comes with creating a faster tempo. It's something that's easier said than done, but the best way to do it is simply create tempo through defense. Tom Crean's staple of defense has been deflections, something that I've seen almost nothing of the last three games. Deflections lead to turnovers, which lead to tempo, which leads to baskets. The defensive rotations in zone need to get better; and most of the rotation problems can be attributed to Derek Elston (I like the kid but he just isn't ready to play D on this level). Once you have the rotation problem solved, you can start putting the lankiness of our team in passing lanes and force some turnovers. How do you make this a reality? Re-insert Tom Pritchard into the starting lineup. I know, I know, but they kid knows how to make defensive rotations and seems to have a knack for being in the right place. His knowing where to be allows for our guys to get into passing lanes.



This is all I have to say about Pritchard. :facepalm:
But I said in the Penn State game thread that he did play much better last night and I think his time on the bench has served him well. I think you will see him play much better from here on. I think this needs to happen to VJ.

As far as the rotation problems. I agree that Elston isn't good at it, but I also saw Watford not being good on rotations either. I think he is just as bad as Elston is. Pritchard is probably our best at defensive rotations pertaining to our bigs. Also, we need two bigs in the game most of the time because we seem to get pushed around underneath, mainly Watford, and it seems to happen alot on free throws. Watford still isn't strong with the ball, probably rates up there with VJ as far as turning the ball over.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brumdog44 Dec 28 2010, 10:51 PM Post #7
Member Avatar
The guy picked last in gym class
Posts:
43,829
Group:
Members
Member
#181
Joined:
February 20, 2008
I'd rather have Guy. Honestly, what kind of inside presence does Pritchard add? He doesn't move his feet on defense, hacks a ton, and offensively he's a liability. And to boot he's out of shape and lazy. He's passed the ball pretty well, but he is now at the point where he doesn't even look at the basket...and if he gets open, just foul him. The guy who couldn't get worse from line than last year is now shooting 10% from the line.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Evilempire Dec 28 2010, 11:02 PM Post #8
Coach
Posts:
5,239
Group:
Members
Member
#97
Joined:
February 7, 2008
brumdog44
Dec 28 2010, 10:51 PM
I'd rather have Guy. Honestly, what kind of inside presence does Pritchard add? He doesn't move his feet on defense, hacks a ton, and offensively he's a liability. And to boot he's out of shape and lazy. He's passed the ball pretty well, but he is now at the point where he doesn't even look at the basket...and if he gets open, just foul him. The guy who couldn't get worse from line than last year is now shooting 10% from the line.
I'd rather have other guys who aren't on the team as well, but that just isn't an option. Here's the roster just in case you were confused as to why certain imaginary players haven't been showing up in your boxscores.

http://espn.go.com/ncb/team/roster/_/id/84/indiana-hoosiers
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dedicatedIUfan Dec 28 2010, 11:48 PM Post #9
Coach
Posts:
8,725
Group:
Members
Member
#93
Joined:
February 7, 2008
Here is proving my point that it isn't just Elston, but also Watford that doesn't defend the three well. He is involved in 2 out of 3 scenarios. In Elston's defense, he did try to motion to VO to pick up Brooks on the 2nd scenario, but it was too late.

Here is what ITH posted, pretty interesting:

http://www.insidethehall.com/2010/12/28/lack-of-defending-the-three/#
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BTown11 Dec 28 2010, 11:59 PM Post #10
Member Avatar
Mer
Posts:
20,765
Group:
Members
Member
#19
Joined:
February 4, 2008
that's really not the point. you rotate as a team. when you play the zone you're supposed to play as though you're one. Elston doesn't communicate effectively enough inside the zone, but I think not rotating is a team problem.
Death to Signatures.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dçamden03 Dec 29 2010, 02:56 AM Post #11
Member Avatar
Coach
Posts:
24,525
Group:
Members
Member
#8
Joined:
February 4, 2008
BTown11
Dec 28 2010, 11:59 PM
that's really not the point. you rotate as a team. when you play the zone you're supposed to play as though you're one. Elston doesn't communicate effectively enough inside the zone, but I think not rotating is a team problem.
Crean needs to figure out what he wants IU to be defensively. Is IU a zone program or man program? Being average at both is not good. Find a defense, teach it, and own it.
“He’s always been a guy — maybe to a fault — he would always try to do what I said. That seems like something simple in coaching, but those are the guys I hang my hat on. We’ve had some guys in our program, we had a couple guys that felt I had a bias towards E’Twaun Moore. And they were right — I do have a bias towards E’Twaun Moore. I like guys that go to class, that are academic All-Americans, that come early, that stay late, that love the game of basketball. I am biased towards those guys. And I’m biased towards Rob Hummel. But I’m also biased towards their habits, their work ethic, and how they carry themselves."

"I’d take him to the ends of the earth — I’d want him playing for me.” - Bo Ryan on Robbie Hummel

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BTown11 Dec 29 2010, 03:17 AM Post #12
Member Avatar
Mer
Posts:
20,765
Group:
Members
Member
#19
Joined:
February 4, 2008
personally I think we are at times a great zone defensive team. I disagree that a team should be one dimensional on defense however.
Death to Signatures.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
jdm3 Dec 29 2010, 03:23 AM Post #13
Member Avatar
Senior
Posts:
705
Group:
Members
Member
#104
Joined:
February 7, 2008
dçamden03
Dec 29 2010, 02:56 AM
BTown11
Dec 28 2010, 11:59 PM
that's really not the point. you rotate as a team. when you play the zone you're supposed to play as though you're one. Elston doesn't communicate effectively enough inside the zone, but I think not rotating is a team problem.
Crean needs to figure out what he wants IU to be defensively. Is IU a zone program or man program? Being average at both is not good. Find a defense, teach it, and own it.
Seems to be the problem exactly. I think Crean wants us to be a man to man program, be able to have the depth at guard to be able to pressure the ball all the way up the court.

However, right now we do not have the athletes to be able to do this. I mean Oladipo and Rivers are really the only 2 guys I would rely on to pressure full court. We have no great post defenders either. Next season with a healthier/stronger creek, an intelligent post defender in Zeller and Oladipo I think we will be much improved defensively. Great? No. Better, yes. Too little depth/skill in the paint and with the need to have scoring from Hulls/Jones/Roth we just cannot afford to play our best defenders at all times. Zeller will have a big impact on changing the mold of this team. His stats may not be great early in his career, but he will really allow us to be a stronger defensive and offensive unit. Spreading the floor, setting legal screens, rebounding, taking away potential double teams of Watford. He will really help out our current players.

As for when I think we will see that change, 2012 would be my guess. It is pretty obvious that between Yogi, Jurkin, Hanner, and Buss coming in we will have all the depth and athleticism needed to pressure the ball all game.


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
jdm3 Dec 29 2010, 03:24 AM Post #14
Member Avatar
Senior
Posts:
705
Group:
Members
Member
#104
Joined:
February 7, 2008
Also, I agree with Btown.

Unless you are Syracuse I think it is important for a team to be able to play zone or man at a high level.


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
dçamden03 Dec 29 2010, 03:28 AM Post #15
Member Avatar
Coach
Posts:
24,525
Group:
Members
Member
#8
Joined:
February 4, 2008
BTown11
Dec 29 2010, 03:17 AM
personally I think we are at times a great zone defensive team. I disagree that a team should be one dimensional on defense however.
You don't need to be one dimensional, but you need an identity. You can't be good defensively at 3-4 different defenses. You need your bread and butter, especially when you need so much time on offense in practice with Crean's multiple sets. Defense needs to be taught as much offense, if not more.
“He’s always been a guy — maybe to a fault — he would always try to do what I said. That seems like something simple in coaching, but those are the guys I hang my hat on. We’ve had some guys in our program, we had a couple guys that felt I had a bias towards E’Twaun Moore. And they were right — I do have a bias towards E’Twaun Moore. I like guys that go to class, that are academic All-Americans, that come early, that stay late, that love the game of basketball. I am biased towards those guys. And I’m biased towards Rob Hummel. But I’m also biased towards their habits, their work ethic, and how they carry themselves."

"I’d take him to the ends of the earth — I’d want him playing for me.” - Bo Ryan on Robbie Hummel

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Hoosier Sports · Next Topic »
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • …
  • 6

Track Topic · E-mail Topic Time: 2:14 PM Jul 11
Hosted for free by ZetaBoards · Privacy Policy