The defense

[Halldan1]

Willard has been saying all summer that the team will be concentrating on defense this season.

I like that because I think defense helps keep teams in games with a chance to win down the stretch against superior competition.

Last season our defensive efficiency was bad. 8th in the league and 146th in the country. Certainly not a good showing, especially for a coach who originally made his reputation on that side of the ball.

During the season we gave up 68.0 PPG. In Big East play counting the tournament game 72.8 PPG.

Neither figure impressive.

Losing three of our weakest defensive players in Gibbs, Mobley and Sina should help. The additions of Gordon, and possibly Anderson and Carter could also help along with the return of Nzei.

Finally, the reduction in the shot clock should aid quality defensive teams.

With all that said above what are your predictions?

Here's mine

For the season 65.5

In Big East play 69.0

 

[Shuathelete]

68
73

 

[HALL85]

67 and 70

You should concentrate on defense EVERY year, not just in Year 6. Another dumb comment from Willard.

Starters are more athletic, but can they play team defense? Toxic culture results in bed defense, which explains last year. Freshmen and first year players rarely play great defense. It takes time to learn, so I expect little out of Carter, Nzei, Singh, etc. Anthony and Ish have yet to show they have talent or smarts to play D at a high level. My guess is they will be average defensively in the conference.

 

[Bobbie Solo]

defense? what name so?

 

[SPK145]

For the season 67.0

In Big East play 70.8

 

[Shuathelete]

I think willard said we would concentrate on defense last year too. I just dont think it panned out.

 

[Halldan1]

Actually I talked to him at Big East Media Day last year and he said how the offense was far head of the defense and he expected that to continue all year because of the skill levels of his players.

 

[Rimas]

More of Willard blaming players for his incompetence...jackass

 

[Shuathelete]

Actually I talked to him at Big East Media Day last year and he said how the offense was far head of the defense and he expected that to continue all year because of the skill levels of his players.

Right, which is why the focus was on defense (the "problem area") no?

 

[sami]

Actually I talked to him at Big East Media Day last year and he said how the offense was far head of the defense and he expected that to continue all year because of the skill levels of his players.

More of Willard blaming players for his incompetence...jackass

Uh, is it far fetched that freshmen that excelled in the AAU circuit might be more advanced offensively than defensively? And what exactly is he blaming players for in that statement, that he expected superior offensive players given their skill? I don't give KW any passes, but that's just criticism for the sake of criticism.....

 

[pmulcahy96]

I think we can all agree that the defensive effort must improve this year in order to have any success.

 

[cernjSHU]

Uh, is it far fetched that freshmen that excelled in the AAU circuit might be more advanced offensively than defensively? And what exactly is he blaming players for in that statement, that he expected superior offensive players given their skill? I don't give KW any passes, but that's just criticism for the sake of criticism.....

But here is the problem, the offense wasn't good last year.

 

[Piratz]

I don't know. He coached up Gonzo's players to play excellent team defense. Last year's team played pretty good defense when they wanted to.

Hard to evaluate or project anything with this guy because he has such a poor command of his team and it wanes as the season progresses. .

I expect us to be a better defensive team this year because everyone's a year older and you probably have a larger number of good individual defenders.

 

[Shuathelete]

I don't know. He coached up Gonzo's players to play excellent team defense. Last year's team played pretty good defense when they wanted to.

Hard to evaluate or project anything with this guy because he has such a poor command of his team and it wanes as the season progresses. .

I expect us to be a better defensive team this year because everyone's a year older and you probably have a larger number of good individual defenders.

i was going to call on you for our defensive rankings. You still have them handy from year 1?

 

[Halldan1]

Year 1. Defensive efficiency in the (OLD) Big East

#4 per Ken Pom

Unfortunately counter balanced by #16 offensively.

 

[sami]

But here is the problem, the offense wasn't good last year.

Never claimed the offense was good, just that it was nonsense that saying at media day that the offense is expected to be more advanced than the defense before game 1 isn't "blaming the players" and a stupid post altogether.