Defense Blows

ScottGreene22

Heisman
Mar 18, 2018
11,172
15,043
0
Pitino Coaches this team tonight we win that game……………………………………………
 

king of cali

All-Conference
Nov 24, 2005
6,955
3,877
0
Was the defense really that bad? Without going back and watching the game again, i thought UK was ok on defensive end. Definitely room for improvement. Duke had 2 players making NBA level shots. Not much a defense can do when a guy is making 17 foot fadeaways.
 
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TortElvisII

Heisman
May 7, 2010
51,700
96,942
66

TortElvisII

Heisman
May 7, 2010
51,700
96,942
66
Duke 16

Ohio 128

Bob Morris 275

MSM 330

C Mich 333
N Fl 337

Albany 342

Southern is 302.
 

WildcatNC

Heisman
Sep 20, 2004
9,599
17,787
113
My complaint about our D is not utilizing zones occasionally when it's needed. We don't need it often because we are rarely outsized or outmanned in the paint. The Duke game we were. We would probably have a few more Championships if other coaches refused to play zone when we have poor shooting teams. They do the smart thing and play to our weaknesses though.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Maybe Duke shoots well enough to win anyway, maybe not. I'd still like to be utilizing the strategy that gives us the best chance to win a game. I feel like clogging the paint and lanes would have shaved enough points to make it an even game or toss up.
 
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Bluefaithful

All-American
Mar 30, 2009
5,081
7,970
113
Don't worry, as soon as we keep getting better and keep winning. Toppin gets in game shape and becomes the defensive stopper we know he can be, these negative nannies will go away.

Go Cats!
 

Montana81

Heisman
Aug 12, 2004
82,726
29,410
113
gonzaga being 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency tells me all i need to know about those rankings. they’re clearly flawed. Gonzaga is not better on defense than us.

No we’re not great either but we’re better than they are. Duke didn’t quite drop 80+ on us and Alabama won’t drop 90+ on us.

And watch, despite the fact this stuff is supposedly adjusted for sos, when conference play starts Gonzaga’s d efficiency and kenpom rating in general will miraculously begin to sky rocket like it does every season.

I’m not saying they’re not always good. i think they’ve been easily one of the top 3 programs in the country for about 6 or 7 years now. but that conference consistently makes them look much better than they are.
 
May 27, 2007
31,887
24,978
113
Well TBH, our game vs Duke was 73 possessions. Their game with the Zags was 79.

Duke scored more points per possession vs us (1.08) than they did Gonzaga (1.06) (albeit not a huge difference)

They did give up a boatload against Bama (1.13) and Texas (1.14) but they also completely shut down UCLA (0.89) and everyone else they played.

Also the efficiency margin isn't going to skyrocket. That's not what has been happening the past few years. It's just been high going into conference season because they did well the past two years out of conference against some pretty good teams. Beating little sisters of the poor even by 30-35 isn't going to move the needle all that much.
 

Montana81

Heisman
Aug 12, 2004
82,726
29,410
113
Well TBH, our game vs Duke was 73 possessions. Their game with the Zags was 79.

Duke scored more points per possession vs us (1.08) than they did Gonzaga (1.06) (albeit not a huge difference)

They did give up a boatload against Bama (1.13) and Texas (1.14) but they also completely shut down UCLA (0.89) and everyone else they played.

Also the efficiency margin isn't going to skyrocket. That's not what has been happening the past few years. It's just been high going into conference season because they did well the past two years out of conference against some pretty good teams. Beating little sisters of the poor even by 30-35 isn't going to move the needle all that much.
their adjEm is 29.61 right now i think. i’m willing to bet it’ll be in the mid 30’s by selection sunday. that’s a pretty dramatic increase. if i’m wrong i’m wrong. i’m going off memory the last few seasons as far as where they were before conference season. if you have a way to look that up id definitely look at it. i don’t have a problem admitting if i’m wrong on that.
 
May 27, 2007
31,887
24,978
113
So December 29th 2020 (2021 season) their EM was sitting at 30.85.
On February 27th 2021 their EM was sitting at 36.44.

So that was a dramatic increase. Tho they did outscore their conference opponents by 0.32 per possession. I mean even against weak WCC that's pretty good.

My thing is tho, this follows very closely to the Vegas line. So as this EM was growing so was their lines in their games.

Now it's entirely possible that everyone is just overrating teams that are feasting in these non power conferences but I'm just not so sure that's the case. And when it was all said and done, they did make the final game.

So it's certainly possible but that would mean basically any rating system along with Vegas is vastly overrating and given the success of last season I can't really say they did. Least not in that year.
 
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fatguy87

All-American
Oct 8, 2004
13,764
9,093
0
So it's certainly possible but that would mean basically any rating system along with Vegas is vastly overrating and given the success of last season I can't really say they did. Least not in that year.
If one is so certain that Gonzaga is consistently overrated by Vegas spreads, then they ought to bet. There's a fortune to be had if that's the truth.
 
May 27, 2007
31,887
24,978
113
If one is so certain that Gonzaga is consistently overrated by Vegas spreads, then they ought to bet. There's a fortune to be had if that's the truth.

Yep this is true.

Not pointing to anyone in this thread and not just with Gonzaga but in general with sports.

Well I think Team X is overrated.
Well okay care to put your money where your mouth is and bet.

Hmm......maybe I'm not so sure anymore lol.

I'm of the mindset that Vegas is a good proxy for true talent level. Obviously, they miss too. There's only so much accuracy you can get here but that's why I look at things like Kenpom, Sagarin, BPI etc etc and if they all agree with one another about a specific team, I'm inclined to think that team is what they say they are. Or around that mark.
 
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May 27, 2007
31,887
24,978
113
Duke has a lot more talent — UK stayed with them most of the game

TBH I'm not sure we did. We stayed with them for a half. The first part of the second half tho they went on a 14-2 run and managed to maintain that lead despite two key players cramping up or going out with injury.

They actually pushed their lead out to 14.

Now we did go on an 11-0 run to make the game closer, but I'm not so sure we really stayed with them most of that game.

Not that it matters too much. Play that game 10 different times and it will go 10 different ways.
 
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pinecreek

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2016
764
1,704
0
Hmmm…..Duke beats Uk….Duke beats Zags……Alabama beats Zags worse. Duke loses to Ohio State… If UK beats Ohio State might be a wash.