[Purple Haize]

Yesterdays takeaways from Jon.

"The game was decided with William & Mary’s size differential and ability to win the game around the paint. The Tribe dominated the glass, 2nd chance points, free throws, and points in the paint. William & Mary out-rebounded Liberty 43-25, attempted 17 more free throws, out-scored the Flames in 2nd chance points 12-0, and had 28 points in the paint to Liberty’s 18."

This was against a team that really isn't that much bigger than us. When you have 6-4 Kemrite guarding 6-9 Whitman in the post, it is not going to work in our favor. 0 second chance points. 20 fouls in the 2nd half.

I played college basketball for four years and coached for 20+. It's obvious RMK is playing the guys he feels gives him the best chance to win. Every coach does. Yesterday, Garder got a deflection in his first defensive possession but then doubled the post giving up any open 3. He comes out. Josiah gives some resistance in the paint but gets 2 quick fouls and doesn't get another chance.

We all know that RMK plays guys based on defense. If defense is the primary factor, why is AC playing 20 min a game? He is our slowest on ball defender who gets beat off the dribble regularly, is late in rotations and rarely rebounds. That is what is confusing to me. I've watched back the film on two games this year, one advantage to retirement, and Brock and Josiah's defense has been pretty good in their limited minutes. The pack line can only be effective if we finish the possession with a rebound.

One thing I do know is that we will keep losing close games if we continue to get killed in the paint. No one is questioning the effort of the guys out there but it's just not good enough. They are limited by size and athleticism. However we have added guys that can address the biggest weakness of our team. Why not put them out there in the non-conference to see if they can possibly improve our team?

As opposed to playing the 5 that give him the least chance to win?

[FlameFan11]

Exactly.

[Purple Haize]

Exactly.

Wow. Insightful. Who knew coaches played the players who gave them the best chance to win. I will have to remember that when I ever get my big break in Upwards

[FlameFan11]

Like I said, every coach does. That is Captain Obvious and doesn't need to be stated even though it was multiple times. The question is if the Coach is correct in who they think are the best guys to win.

Based on Costa Rica, performance in the limited practices I've seen and every game, I feel we are not utilizing our roster to give us the best chance to win. It's early and I think we will see a change but it is extremely surprising to see us playing this small so far especially when we are getting killed in the paint.

It's only my opinion but the stats and result show we have a glaring weakness that will have to be addressed for us to be successful. I said before I trust McKay and I love this staff. It is just hard to see us lose the same way we have previously when we have guys that can help us in the area that has caused us to lose.

[FlameFan11]

Currently 329 in rebounding margin out of 347 D1 teams on NCAA website.

[Chippy]

I know it doesn't help now but next year when Scottie James is eligible and the Talberts have another year of maturity we should be better -much better. Baxter-Bell is struggling in his post ups against guys 6'9" and 6'10" and his D at his height also is challenged. I always thought the best way to beat a team with a height advantage was to full court press like Wooden's earlier teams with Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard et al., or "Rupp's Runts" @ Kentucky whose biggest guy was 6'5" but had Pat Riley and Louis Dampier.

[Cider Jim]

I always thought the best way to beat a team with a height advantage was to full court press like Wooden's earlier teams with Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard et al., or "Rupp's Runts" @ Kentucky whose biggest guy was 6'5" but had Pat Riley and Louis Dampier.

How OLD are you???

[BJWilliams]

I don't know if this got posted earlier, but my feeling has been (thinking from the opponent's perspective), that when you have a team in a defense like the "pack line" you want to force them to extend that line as far out as possible, which will open up opportunities for "athletic slashers" (as I called them) to attack the basket. When the defense collapses to deny that, or post entry, that allows opportunities for either drive and kick, or reversing from the post back out to the perimeter for an open look.

[Purple Haize]

I don't know if this got posted earlier, but my feeling has been (thinking from the opponent's perspective), that when you have a team in a defense like the "pack line" you want to force them to extend that line as far out as possible, which will open up opportunities for "athletic slashers" (as I called them) to attack the basket. When the defense collapses to deny that, or post entry, that allows opportunities for either drive and kick, or reversing from the post back out to the perimeter for an open look.

You are assuming the defense will extend

[Jonathan Carone]

Beej - do you understand what the pack line is?

[Purple Haize]

Beej - do you understand what the pack line is?

No. no he does not

[BJWilliams]

If I remember from Coaching Basketball (and supplemented by some internet research), the pack line is essentially a somewhat modified "man to man" defense where the five players are in a box and one alignment within an imaginary arc set around 16 feet from the basket. This alignment basically puts the help defender "one pass away" at all times.

[Jonathan Carone]

So why would the defense ever extend out like you said you would try to make it do?

[BJWilliams]

If I am remembering the concept correctly, if you have an offense that is particularly adept from the perimeter, the defense has two options: Either a) expand "the house" by extending outward and try to offset the perimeter shooting and force more action inside (if the opposition is not adept at inside play) or b) Keep "the house" where it is and hope that either the offense cools off or that your defenders are athletic enough to be able to collapse on post entry and basket attacks or they can attack the passing lanes of the offense and force turnovers (which we are getting much better at as the stats bear out).

[Jonathan Carone]

Huh?

[BJWilliams]

You can either try to push out and stop the three point shooters, or you can stay where you are and hope the shots stop falling.

[Jonathan Carone]

The pack line doesn't push out though. If it did, it wouldn't be the pack line.

[Purple Haize]

The pack line doesn't push out though. If it did, it wouldn't be the pack line.

He doesn't know what he's talking about

[Cider Jim]

He doesn't know what he's talking about

BJ or Super? I'm guessing BJ.

[Purple Haize]

He doesn't know what he's talking about

BJ or Super? I'm guessing BJ.

Gotta get up early to fool you!

[BJWilliams]

Well the man does have a doctorate...

As to your point Jon, if it stops being a pack line at the point you try to extend out because of the perimeter shooting, then I guess your options are either go straight man to man defense or go zone to try and counter

[Jonathan Carone]

Or you stay in the pack line because that's what you do.

[TDDance234]

You can extend the pack line out but you've got to have exceptional help defense.

W&M broke us down consistently off the dribble and had guys filling their spots for good looks.

[Purple Haize]

You can extend the pack line out but you've got to have exceptional help defense.

W&M broke us down consistently off the dribble and had guys filling their spots for good looks.

Dribble break down will destroy that defense. But it's difficult to do

[TIMSCAR20]

Dribble Penetration with effective passers/scorers can break down EVERY defense. That's why teams go zone in today's game. In the old days you went zone to stop a big man from dominating you on the block. Now it is deployed because you are having trouble staying in front of the other team's penetrators. William and Mary and VCU are teams that would have won by 25 points over Liberty last year. I see progress. The lack of post play and rebounding is a concern. To me Liberty needs to start recruiting the 6-9 long athletic kid that I see on virtually every mid major. You have to have 1 or 2 guys like that IMO. Harvard, and Yale both have them. The big on Yale Justin Sears at 6-8 was one of the toughest kids in the country last year. Athleticism in the post still matters. Size in the post is not as big as it was in the past because of the way the game is played. This team needs a couple of kids like that. Watch Winthrop play and you will see. Think John Brown of High Point.