There's really only 1 way to simplify the conversation about defense, or defensive intensity.....what player has the athletic abilities and size/arm length, to be a very good defensive player??
JWill.....probably the one player, already injured that could be better as the season moves on....
JMike is a solid on ball pesky type of player, but will be playing against guards who in most cases, is the opponent's best guard.
Derkack is playing very good defensive series in a row, but has had lapses where he loses his man.
Acuff is TBD as he's still probably 4 to 6 weeks away from being in true game shape, after being off his feet for 3+ months.
Ogbolr by all accounts is improving, but still very raw on both ends of the floor, but is the best chance of improving, but that comes with consequences on offense (6 turnovers in 40 minutes of play this season)
Hayes, Martini and the 3 freshman that are playing, I feel like are where they're supposed to be, but all 5 are considered "offensive players".
This roster and process to CHANGE, how we play basketball, was underway last year and we saw the results, when you attempt to make that change and you don't have shooting and scoring, playmaking on offense. Eventually the coaches decided to sit down better offensive players (Noah Fernandes) for more defensive guards (Simpson and Davis). The results were rather ugly.
It's hard to be the same fans who would criticize RU for taking so many mid-range shots like the small Merrimack guard did tonight AND complain about how inefficient that style of play is.
If RU took as many mid range shots as Merrimack did, it is impossible to win, which is why they scored only 63 points.....we gifted 2 on a layup off a lazy inbound pass and a foul on a 3 pointer in the final minute AND watched Derkack take 2 unexplainable 3s early in the shot clock with a double digit lead.
Is the defense a concern?? It is, if you believe Hayes, Martini, Ogbole, JWill and JMike are shut down defenders....(I don't think they are)....
At the same time, Merrimack was probably closer to being around 58 points scored, if the execution in the final 3 minutes is cleaned up.
Team's miss 3 pointers when they are rushed or have bigger players closing out on their shot attempts, which we did tonight.
I never thought at any point in time, that this roster was being built to defend at a Top 20 to 30 national level. Maybe expectations are too high and not appreciative of the offense we put on the floor, that makes an opponent work very hard to stop us. It's hard to shoot 45% from 3, if an opponent doesn't have the depth to slow down RU on offense.
