I wish we would run that isolation weave that UCLA ran, to get MAAR and Mo iso mismatches. Ideally we could use it for spots 1-5, with Mo being a luxury at the 5, but Dwalt, Zak, and Duncan dont seem like they would benefit much from an iso drive. Maybe Zak?
It’d be even better next year, assuming X would get from it than Dwalt, and then Poole and Matthews running it as well.
I recall seeing Alford guarding Mo at one point…then switched and Ball was on him.
What did we do? Ran Mo out top for a ball screen. Makes perfect sense…6’11 “NBA” type player vs. 6’3" PG.
@slyboogie2 Please start naming your threads more effectively. ‘Last night’s game’ doesn’t really qualify. At the very least, say something about the team Michigan played, etc.
One of the better games I’ve seen in the first half. Really spiraled away in the second. JB needs to start trusting the kids and getting the seniors some more rest or we’re going to see major issues down the road.
But seriously, that Mo dunk where he went behind the back and was fouled. Nobody clipped that? Nasty. It was like he determined he’d had enough and got p.o.'d. Need more of that.
I have said the same many times, we struggle to create mis-matches and even when we do the ball never comes or it comes late.
It is spot on when we stop making the 3 ball; the crazy good shooting in the first half gave a false sense of security.
Still not as bad as that one player from Texas (Allen, I think?) who shot the ball like a girl…or to be more fair, like a women’s collegiate player. His shot from distance looked like a chest pass. Its crazy what some guys can get good at repeating.
Then again, Zak has that awful form where he loads the ball up from around his knees and chucks it…
Under / over on when X will take his next shot?
Seriously, it’s gotten that bad. Mike Griffin and Dugan Fife think X should shoot more.
lol. good question. we’ve got three cupcakes lined up next. hopefully he takes a few.
That has been a bit bothersome to me as well…it’s one thing to not shoot often, but even as he drives it doesn’t seem his eyes are anywhere near the basket… So he essentially becomes a poor-man’s Tum-Tum Nairn.
This kid knows how to put the ball in the basket, not sure why his mindset isn’t there yet.
I’ll definitely give him some time/benefit of the doubt that its all part of the learning curve, but he’s certainly had opportunities to put the ball up.
Ball movement is UCLA’s strength…they remind of some of the top NBA teams. (Warriors, Spurs, Cavs) It’s where the game is now. The ball just never gets stuck. Combine that with length and you have a final four team. Michigan plays a similar style and I think they learned a lesson about their own tempo in that first half. They can play that way and need to continue to do so. Coach B’s offense is a natural fit for this style of play, except they do get stuck and break down too frequently into one-on-one. Each player has to trust their teammates, give up on the me ball, and stay with the rotation. If they play with this mindset, they will perform greater than the sum of their parts and become a true team.
Game was played at Michigan’s normal tempo. U-M avgs 62 possessions per game… this was a 64 possession game. UCLA averages 75 possessions per game.
There was absolutely no defense played though, really by either team, which is why you see such a crazy score in a low possession game.
Hadn’t checked the stats…wow, it sure seemed different then that in that first half. Well, then that’s good, keep it up…i still believe that their success will come with five players in double figures. They have the players to make that happen…
http://mgoblog.com/content/ucla-postmortem-bad-defense-good-offense-or-both
The grading system is a little subjective, but it would appear that UCLA’s hot shooting had more to do with poor defense than I originally thought, even if UCLA was still hitting at an elite clip. Here’s to hoping Donlon fixes it/no other opponent is as good at exploiting our D as UCLA was.
They made some ridiculous shots…the first half ‘makes’ were bombs and many were defended properly…2nd half slightly different. You tip your hat to a team probably going to the finals.
Yeah, the article acknowledges the anecdotal ‘bombs,’ but doesn’t include a ‘grade’ for undefended, but crazy deep shots. I agree, though, you cant deviate from your defensive scheme just to contest 30 ft shots.
What is heavy contested? if I contested the shot you can’t take it.
I think it’s basically ‘contested well enough that you shouldn’t have taken the shot’
Ok, i get it.
Interesting but not surprising.