M.I.A: Defense

[InWuWeTrust]

Kenpom stats don't lie.

[WSUwatcher]

Stats don't lie, InWu, but they can give a deceptive picture. For much of the season WSU has been a top 20 team in Kenpom on DEFENSE as well as offense. I didn't happen to look where they were before the SMU debacle, but a game like that one in which the other guys can't miss will do bad things to you statistically -- just as in baseball a closer who has 17 good outings, giving up a couple of runs, and then gets lit up for four without retiring a batter, would see his ERA triple (from barely over 1 to well over 3) based on that one disastrous appearance. It doesn't mean he's a mediocre or bad pitcher; it mostly means the numbers paint a deceptive picture.

We can all agree that the Shocks need to get better defensively. Marshall seems to think so too, which means that it's likely to happen, especially as McDuffie regains his form. But I also remember a really good WSU team not too many years ago that went to Omaha and got absolutely boatraced in early March by a bunch of Jayboys who were tossing in threes from all kinds of implausible places. That same team didn't give up more than 72 the rest of the way as they reached the Final Four, and defense and toughness were keys to their success. (Granted, the return of secret weapon Ron Baker helped, too, but this year has a potential big addition too in the person of McDuffie, who is not nearly the player yet he was expected to be before his injury.)

So it's a little bit early to panic about defense or anything else.

[asiseeit]

We really need ZB to give us stellar defense. That is his ticket for PT and his value to the team
because he is a liability on offense. If he can't fulfill that role as a defensive stopper then we need
to give MM that chance to be the guy at the THREE position and sub ZB in for him a few minutes
at a time with the role of busting his tail every second defensively. AR is so valuable because he can
play any of the perimeter positions. I know many of you are calling for LS to play 35-38 minutes a
game. I, for one, am not in that camp. Jones needs to be given a few minutes just to see of he is
going to be "on" or not but he HAS to play hair on fire kind of defense while he is in there and be all over
the opposing teams PG - in his grill ! Everyone needs to step up their defensive intensity a little bit.
We have the depth that allows everyone to bust their tails on defense every minute they are on the
court. That is what it takes. One guy taking a rest can make the other four look bad and should be
yanked immediately if it's a matter of stamina. I love the defense WVU plays. They make the opposition
very uncomfortable on offense cause they have FIVE guys in the grill of the guys they are guarding. We
can do that because we have the depth.

[GreatWhiteBuffalo]

The metrics would dispute you.

60th in the nation in Def. efficiency
45th in Def. effFG%
6th in Def Reb%
42nd in Block%

not so good in:
326th Stl%
272nd Turnover %

Difference is we are used to be in the Top 10 of these metrics.


The ESPN article broke it down pretty well from other coaches comments about their defense:

1. Not overly talented, but the sum is greater than their parts.
2. Good in "Team" Defense, but opposing teams can exploit one-on-one matchups or use ball screens to get mis-matches
3. Have a couple defensive liabilities that play a lot of minutes.
4. WSU is susceptible to guards who can create off the dribble.
5. WSU struggles with top ball-screens.

This team has spent to much time partying, thinking up stupid names to call themselves (hyenas), reading their news clippings and sunning themselves in the media attention. They are soft and lazy. They have forgotten how to "Play Angry". Perfect example was L.S. instead of fighting through a ball screen late in the game, went under and the guy stepped out and hit a 3.

I remember the year when SIU was good, they came in to Koch and were down by about 20 points at half. They came back and beat WSU. The SIU coach was asked what he told their team at half and he said he told them to come out and put every ounce of energy into playing defense, play hard every minute, don't leave anything left in the tank. I have not seen that type of intensity by WSU this year.

I agree with this. We are worse than we have been previously which doesn't necessarily make the team "bad." It is not, and should not be, acceptable by WSU standards though. I would like to see this team make it a bit more difficult for the scorers to GET the ball. Look at what K-State did to Trae Young. That guy SHREDDED WSU. KSU was able to hold him to 20 points on a ridiculously bad shooting percentage and they forced him into 12 turnovers. WSU has to find a guy that can do that to an opposing scorer. 3G wants that to Keyser, but the kid just isn't ready. I had hoped Brown would be that guy, but every year he looks less explosive than the year before. Is he hurt?

I don't think the team does a very good job of identifying the opponents' hot hand and taking that away. This needs to improve. I also don't see an overall "want to" on defense for this team. It's almost like they believe they can out-score anyone at any time and just rely on that. This is a tough habit to break. Ask Lon Kruger, he has had four years worth of teams at Oklahoma that do the same thing. When they are on (see vs WSU at IBA), they can't be beat. When they are not? They get housed by K-State. 3G has to find a way to make defense important to this team.

[shocker43]

I don't understand why we are having problems this year. We didn't lose a single rotation player, and I don't imagine it is the coaching staff. Marshall has said that they haven't changed anything defensively since he has been at WSU. I know we've had some injuries, which is the best explanation I can come up with. Are they taking off defensive possessions because they think they can make it up on the other end of the floor? Is there a lack of communication? I don't get it.

I will say, I'm not super concerned about the defense against SMU. Milton went off making mostly contested shots. I'm not sure we could have done anything different when he was hitting the deep shots. The pick and roll defense was terrible, though. Maybe its time to ditch the hard hedge on screens?

[Stickboy46]

Watch some of the videos that Taylor Eldridge put up.

7 of SMU's 11 threes were contested.

16 of the 18 points shown in this video ... I'm not sure what else we could do (they could have done a better contest on his drive and flip, but that was still a tough shot)

[SB Shock]

Watch some of the videos that Taylor Eldridge put up.

7 of SMU's 11 threes were contested.

It not the made contested 3 that killed WSU, it was the 75% (15 out 20) shots SMU made at the Rim. No team should be able to do that against WSU bigs. WSU big men should be embarrassed.

[Stickboy46]

Taylor Eldridge posted them.

[ShockCrazy]

Ah damn. Well I doubt I can afford a Synergy account. Mostly curious how that compares with our at the rim defense as a whole. Shaq is our only real rim protector.

[ShockerEngineer]

I agree with this. There were several possessions after which I wondered where the help was on the defense because the lane was so wide open.

[Stickboy46]

It not the made contested 3 that killed WSU, it was the 75% (15 out 20) shots SMU made at the Rim. No team should be able to do that against WSU bigs. WSU big men should be embarrassed.

While I agree they shouldn't make 75% at the rim. Some of those happened because we were trying to stop the bleeding from outside because you had to stay within a foot of a player or he would bury it from half court.

[Kung Wu]

BINGO

[SB Shock]

That is a fair point. They better figure it out though because, because it like looks like opposing coach have the book on how to exploit WSU defense.

[bleed yellow]

I don't understand why we are having problems this year. We didn't lose a single rotation player, and I don't imagine it is the coaching staff. Marshall has said that they haven't changed anything defensively since he has been at WSU. I know we've had some injuries, which is the best explanation I can come up with. Are they taking off defensive possessions because they think they can make it up on the other end of the floor? Is there a lack of communication? I don't get it.

I will say, I'm not super concerned about the defense against SMU. Milton went off making mostly contested shots. I'm not sure we could have done anything different when he was hitting the deep shots. The pick and roll defense was terrible, though. Maybe its time to ditch the hard hedge on screens?

It could be a variety of different factors.. Maybe we lost a few coaches that emphasized defense, maybe Marshall isn't focusing on defense anymore because this is one of his best shooting teams. Maybe the game has simply changed so much over the past 4 or 5 years that defenses haven't had time to adjust? I hate to bring NBA basketball into the conversation, but look at what all has happened since Golden State introduced the up-tempo high, high percentage shot. King James has long since been dethroned and shooting 3's from damn near half court is a shot you normally see anymore. I wonder how many teams on every level of basketball have copied the Warriors style of play, I mean why not? It's sort of a run n' gun. You won't beat them to the basket or out score them if they have all the tools they need. It seems that if WSU encounters it, they struggle, unless we are shooting lights out as well.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

WSU is a good D1 team if you are looking at all of D1.
However, when looking at KenPom's top 30 overall, WSU's defense is ranked 22nd of 30, and is ranked behind all but 2 of KenPom's top 15 overall.

Defense is definitely a weakness right now, though I will say that given Marshall's history of strong defensive teams, I'm not ready to say this team can't be strong in this area come March.

[Shox33]

Not sure if anybody else happened to take notice at the end of the telecast with SMU, but ESPN showed clips of 4 different Milton shots/drives/etc. In each clip, the defender had their hands "down" on a 6'6" guard and challenged late after the release. Perhaps the next video session needs to include a defensive highlight reel of Tekele defending the other teams "best" and how he used to work early to deter, take away options head-up, and dictate shot selection for the offensive player. Now Tekele was special, but these guys are talented enough to utilize their skills in one manner or another!

Likewise, if a guy gets hot and is getting his shot anywhere on the floor he wants, why are you ending the game as the defender with 4 fouls in your back pocket . . . get a little physical and disrupt his flow and remove the comfortable "in the zone" sensation!

Quite being nice and "Play Angry!"

[Shaqness]

Not sure if anybody else happened to take notice at the end of the telecast with SMU, but ESPN showed clips of 4 different Milton shots/drives/etc. In each clip, the defender had their hands "down" on a 6'6" guard and challenged late after the release. "

Yeah, I think Eldridge and some on SN are denial about how poor we played on defense.

[Shox The Revenant]

I blame the crappy defense on the disturbing trend of wearing short shorts. It's constricting on the twigs and berries when the players need to perform sudden bursts of lateral movement.

[WstateU]

15-3

[Shockm]

Not sure if anybody else happened to take notice at the end of the telecast with SMU, but ESPN showed clips of 4 different Milton shots/drives/etc. In each clip, the defender had their hands "down" on a 6'6" guard and challenged late after the release. Perhaps the next video session needs to include a defensive highlight reel of Tekele defending the other teams "best" and how he used to work early to deter, take away options head-up, and dictate shot selection for the offensive player. Now Tekele was special, but these guys are talented enough to utilize their skills in one manner or another!

Likewise, if a guy gets hot and is getting his shot anywhere on the floor he wants, why are you ending the game as the defender with 4 fouls in your back pocket . . . get a little physical and disrupt his flow and remove the comfortable "in the zone" sensation!

Quite being nice and "Play Angry!"

If you jump to contest a shot too quickly, especially when Milton or McMurray are 20-25’ from the basket, you open up yourself to a shot fake and a drive to the rim. Against SMU, it is a bigger problem because of their spread out 4-1 offense. The help defense is spread out more than traditional offenses. It’s quite a conundrum.