Anybody else concerned about the ease opposing guards are able to drive to the lane then kick it off after we help on defense for an easy shot?
2 Likes
Yep the last two or three games has not been good it’s almost like we let them go by so we can try to block their shot from behind.
Exactly what I thought
It’s the small kids, like Tiny Archibald running around in circles. Or even smaller! Tiny was 6-1" so these kids may have been smaller. But we need to address this, we have length and height but so far the smaller guards has given us fits, period!
1 Like
Bet it will be shown on film and emphasized in practice. Muss saw it!
I don’t think it’s strategic.
Yeah it just appears that way because they blow by them like they’re standing still and they have to try to catch up… I don’t know the answer to it, you just have to be quick enough to move your feet I guess but then again you don’t know which way they’re going and you’re having to react to it. It’s easier said than done I’m sure
We are going to struggle a bit with it, with smaller quick G’s. But we do recover sometimes, but we should have some big body’s handle it when they get by.
I have seen all our G’s get taken on a tour of a layup. Not a lot but it happens. The little dude from Creighton was hard to keep in front.
This was always gonna be a problem. Our bigger guards just don’t have ultra quickness. They will need better help defense. They will figure it out. They will see quick guards in the SEC. It happened a lot this time last year too. They fixed it. Nothing easy to do. Takes work and determination.
2 Likes
I’ve noticed especially in the last 2 games that opponents have really tested Arkansas’ guards in ball screens. It not only puts a lot of pressure on them to be sound in coverages, but it taxes guys like Makhi and other bigs when the guards get clipped or caught up in the picks. NSJ said last night he wasn’t happy with how he defended ball screens. I’d expect Oklahoma to do a lot of the same Saturday. Tanner Groves gave the Razorbacks fits as a pick-and-pop guy last season.
Arkansas’ guards can make up a lot of ground because of their length, but not when opposing bigs are setting really solid, sticky screens.
Yes, we are so committed to, apparently, shutting down the 3 ball, we are are picking these guards up at half court, No matter the size difference, it’s just hard to prevent them from getting around us. We have done a good job of others sagging off to stop the progress To the basket.
I am reminded of last year’s terrible game in NLR against Hofstra. We could not stop their guards from dribble penetration. Of course, we figured that out after a few more bad games.
It looks to me like our guards are overplaying to one side on defense to encourage the drive to the lane where help is waiting but the problem lies with that offensive player kicking the ball to someone left unguarded.
Arkansas’ guards have definitely shaded players a certain way on account of what the scouting report is. Omari Moore from SJSU is a good example. Any time he drove right last Saturday, it seemed like he scored or something good happened for them. When he went left, like Arkansas wanted, good things happened for the Razorbacks. Eric’s teams want to play a no-middle defense, so you’re going to see guys being invited to drive left or right. On the drive, it’s just on the help defense to rotate properly, recover, dig at the ball, etc. On-ball defenders also must be better in fighting through picks and be a challenge to clip.
1 Like
That is exactly what I was meaning. The help defense will improve. Coaches have told me repeatedly that no one coaches help defense as good as Muss. These are new players. They are learning help defense. If it was easy, everyone would be good at it.
Rotations aren’t smooth yet. They will improve (or it will continue to be a problem). They have improved that in each of the three previous years with Muss. It takes a lot of mental fortitude to understand when to leave your man and when not to leave your man. And, the rotations have to be perfect.
Nolan’s teams were sometimes not real good at rotations. That was the difference between his good teams and his great teams. I suspect it will be the same with Muss. They don’t play the same style, but both styles depend on help coming when a dribble drive is coming.
2 Likes
Was he the one with a hair-do the looked like a hula skirt?
I think of the Creighton game as the Officials game. They had an oversized say in who won that game.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.