If we’re going to unload the bench…

[PSAL_Hoops]

Meaning - Pike doesn’t want to stretch sub time so he’s planning to sit 3+ starters at once including Cliff…

What’s our least bad option? I think it might be to commit to a full court press during that stretch. I don’t think we can solve the interior defense issue. Our best bet may be to avoid a need for it as much as possible. Dean isn’t Mag but he was actually pretty solid last year in the middle of the press. I think him and Hyatt could hold their own in the back. Hyatt as the rim protector if the press is broken isn’t any worse than Wolf or Oskar on the court dropping back in our halfcourt defense. Simpson and Miller can trap on the press and not be liabilities. Cam might even be able to be the 3rd guard. Maybe we can get a few steals and convert some points in a couple minute stretch to play close to even ball. We need 3-5 minutes without a complete collapse. That’s all…


Obviously this depends on us not being in the early bonus. Other thoughts? Understanding there’s no great option of course.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Dean was a disaster on Saturday BUT I'd expect - and we've seen - better from him down the stretch. Especially at home. I think you need him in the middle if we're pressing.

 

[mildone]

I keep wondering why we're not playing more full court D. And also why we're not playing a bit more half court zone. Against some times, zone doesn't work. But I felt like Pike went away from it too quickly in the last game.

It's a little obvious, but replacing Mag on D is kind of impossible; we're gonna be a bit less effective no matter what we do, given our personnel, IMO. So it's a matter of picking our poison. And since we're struggling to score, I would pick the poison that forces more outside shots (which are lower percentage than allowing shots from the paint and can help avoid getting Cliff or our other longer players into foul trouble). And try to get more points on turnovers.

Still, it might be obvious to say, but we are going to have to play much better on O than in the last game to win games the rest of the season. We can't keep having these long dry spells where we don't score.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Dean was a disaster on Saturday BUT I'd expect - and we've seen - better from him down the stretch. Especially at home. I think you need him in the middle if we're pressing.

Yes - he’d be in the middle. Hyatt would be back to protect on the press break.

 

[Scangg]

Mag was our best presser so not sure we see more of it with him gone

Hyatt is 6'6 he isn't an intimidating rim protector

Bench players tend to play better at home

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Simpson can create space and dish to Palmquist for 3's. We give up something on defense with Palm in the game, but we get something on offense. We're not replacing Mag (nobody could, on almost any team), and scoring some points might be the best counter to his loss on defense. Palm seems to have his stroke now, and we're gonna need his contribution going forward, including the NCAAs. And we'll need Derek to know what to do with the ball when he blows past a defender.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

I keep wondering why we're not playing more full court D. And also why we're not playing a bit more half court zone. Against some times, zone doesn't work. But I felt like Pike went away from it too quickly in the last game.

It's a little obvious, but replacing Mag on D is kind of impossible; we're gonna be a bit less effective no matter what we do, given our personnel, IMO. So it's a matter of picking our poison. And since we're struggling to score, I would pick the poison that forces more outside shots (which are lower percentage than allowing shots from the paint and can help avoid getting Cliff or our other longer players into foul trouble). And try to get more points on turnovers.

Still, it might be obvious to say, but we are going to have to play much better on O than in the last game to win games the rest of the season. We can't keep having these long dry spells where we don't score.

My preference is to first try doubling down on backcourt pressure to see if we can prevent the ball from ever getting to the post on a few possessions.

Unfortunately, I don’t know that a zone would help that much (we’re talking about situations where Cliff and Caleb are on the bench together). In that scenerio, which 3 are going to be effective in stacking the box for us (assume we play a 2-3 or 1-1-3 type scheme?

We need 5 decent minutes.