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| Solving Problems | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 28 2010, 04:38 PM (979 Views) | |
| BTown11 | Dec 28 2010, 04:38 PM Post #1 |
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Mer
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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. |
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| obatskii | Dec 28 2010, 04:53 PM Post #2 |
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Go Tebow!
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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.
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![]() "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 | |
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| BTown11 | Dec 28 2010, 04:55 PM Post #3 |
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Mer
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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. | |
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| obatskii | Dec 28 2010, 05:00 PM Post #4 |
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Go Tebow!
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I feel pretty damn dirty saying it, but watching the game last night made it more and more obvious. |
![]() "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 | |
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| BTown11 | Dec 28 2010, 05:00 PM Post #5 |
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Mer
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the last three games we've looked bad are the games that Pritchard has gotten the fewest minutes. |
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| dedicatedIUfan | Dec 28 2010, 07:11 PM Post #6 |
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Coach
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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. |
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| brumdog44 | Dec 28 2010, 10:51 PM Post #7 |
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The guy picked last in gym class
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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. |
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| Evilempire | Dec 28 2010, 11:02 PM Post #8 |
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Coach
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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 |
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| dedicatedIUfan | Dec 28 2010, 11:48 PM Post #9 |
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Coach
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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/# |
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| BTown11 | Dec 28 2010, 11:59 PM Post #10 |
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Mer
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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. |
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| dçamden03 | Dec 29 2010, 02:56 AM Post #11 |
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Coach
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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. |
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“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
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| BTown11 | Dec 29 2010, 03:17 AM Post #12 |
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Mer
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personally I think we are at times a great zone defensive team. I disagree that a team should be one dimensional on defense however. |
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| jdm3 | Dec 29 2010, 03:23 AM Post #13 |
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Senior
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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. |
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| jdm3 | Dec 29 2010, 03:24 AM Post #14 |
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Senior
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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. |
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| dçamden03 | Dec 29 2010, 03:28 AM Post #15 |
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Coach
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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. |
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“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
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