bigtime Kudos to CJ,Bailey and Thomas.got bigtime efforts from unexpected sources,that’s how you win on the road…
Mike deserves some credit for using Zone. Too bad he didn’t use it against UK.
yes he does…should play it a lot against the bigger teams to help out rebounding.
Mike surprised me and he deserves credit. I think long and quick guys like CJ, Hall, Bailey, and Macon are good defenders in the zone. I think ZONE helps Trey Thompson by keeping him from switching on to small quick guys away from the basket. Trey can stay in the lane area to patrol and rebound while not getting exhausted with trapping man & switches. I thought he was too stubborn if he wouldn’t use it for UK so I didn’t expect him to use it after he didn’t use zone against UK. I don’t understand why Mike sticks with this style yet doesn’t even adapt by using more zone earlier in the year.
I could soooo get back on the bandwagon if he didn’t take so long every season to recognize his team’s fatigue and defensive deficiencies from his style. It takes him most of the SEC conf season to get away from the stress and fatigue of pressing, man with traps, switches, etc. I would not be so upset this year if he didn’t repeat these same problems multiple years. Multiple seasons have dipped until he decided to use zone which saved the players bodies and improved play (the perimeter defense is better, rebounders are around the basket, etc.). I loved this style in the 90’s but the rules have changed and we don’t have the roster to play it the last few years. If we had the bench to support his style then it would be a different story.