I expect several teams now to use zone defenses against us. I think we will see that with Missouri next. We were totally destroying Tenn. and in the second half they switched to a zone and for a while it brought our offense to a halt. That is when we didn't score and Tenn started coming back. Fortunately, for whatever reason, Herro seems to have a better outside shot away from Rupp and by this time of the season I would think our team understands how to play against the zone. However, I still have seen where we settle sometimes, or slow down and our offense, and hopefully the team now recognized taking it inside is our strength.
Get ready for a zone
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Good...need to see some more zone before the tourney anyway. We have the guys to shred a zone IMO so the more in game reps against it the better.
1. PJ has been shooting something like 50 percent from 3 lately and would shoot over any zone. Keldon and Herro and, yes, Baker, are terrific shooters who'd get open looks against a zone.
2. It's much harder to prevent offensive rebounds from a zone than a man-to-man and that's something Kentucky is elite at doing, rebounding on their end.
3. Hagans can't be stopped from penetrating a zone. Johnson and Herro are excellent at getting to the rim off the dribble.
Kentucky is ideally suited to beat zones.
2. It's much harder to prevent offensive rebounds from a zone than a man-to-man and that's something Kentucky is elite at doing, rebounding on their end.
3. Hagans can't be stopped from penetrating a zone. Johnson and Herro are excellent at getting to the rim off the dribble.
Kentucky is ideally suited to beat zones.
I don't disagree, but we have still looked shaky against zones this year.
Maybe it's because we haven't been able to practice it much.
I am not too worried about it. If Cal really cared about that zone he would have put PJ at the free throw line and told him to go to work passing in and out and driving. Instead, we had Hagans there, which was weird and confusing. So, in some ways, I think Cal, with a big lead, was just somewhat experimenting with his zone offense. It, admittedly, didn't go well, but in tighter games you will likely see UK have Washington at the top of the free throw line, where he will probably abuse most teams.
Games have ups and downs and you knew Tennessee was going to make their own runs at points in the game. The zone has weaknesses which we can take advantage of. During a zone the other team doesn't block out as well after a shot and it should help our offensive rebounding. If they collapse on PJ then someone else should have an open shot if he looks for them. We didn't penetrate the zone very well in that game but Hagans is excellent at that and Herro not bad either. Cal will work on it I'm sure. You don't have to take all 3 point shots when the other team goes into a zone, just penetrate and when the zone collapses find the open man.
Not worried about a zone at all.
Once we put PJ in the middle of it like it should have been instead of Hagans, we handled it without a problem.
Plus, our shooters are gonna shoot and force the opposing team back to man.
Once we put PJ in the middle of it like it should have been instead of Hagans, we handled it without a problem.
Plus, our shooters are gonna shoot and force the opposing team back to man.
Did see a new wrinkle or at least one I have not noticed in our man coverage. Our PG was "hiding" behind the screener and waiting for his man to move right or left and then followed him. The person guarding the screener was laying off about 6-7 feet in the lane and picking up the screener on the pick and roll. It worked really well as Tennessee 's pick and roll offense was not a factor.
At UT specifically you have to think they start zone and plan to play it the whole game.
This should be a good zone offense team with Johnson, Herro and Hagans ability to break it down and with PK at free throw line extended. Problem is we don't practice zone defense in practice or ever in a game so it is really hard for our guys to get any practice unless it is in a real game. It takes a half sometimes to adjust to a zone.
Yes because last year their screener set illegal picks all the way down the floor and they were able to get inside the paint with ease.
That's one thing the NBA has that the college game doesnt. You want to improve the product on the floor? Outlaw stupid zone defenses.
Tennessee is obsessed with running having the person who threw the inbounds pass go down the court and walk, hands up, in front of the guy defending the point guard. Annoys the hell out of me.
Not sure if we see zone as much as the sagging D that LSU played. UT for some reason played solely man and pressured Hagans until they got behind by 100. More teams will likely play off Ashton and help against PJ and Reid. Teams will definitely try to make us beat them from the perimeter like LSU did.
In reality, Tennessee played really dumb defense and they were super late to adjust. They let PJ just abuse them and basically refused to double team him.
The MO of every defense should be to make Hagans beat you with his shot. He isn't consistent enough to do it. UK will adjust to it and find other ways to get other players the ball, but it is smarter make us make that adjustment than to let PJ Washington eat your lunch every time down the court.
End of the regular season around the corner, and suddenly a zone is going to slow us down? That's funny, considering several teams have thrown zone at us and we've handled it just fine - much better than last year's team that would literally stand around and freeze when a zone hit them.
As long as we post a guy at the FT line behind the front line of the D we will be fine .. for some reason there has been possessions where we stand all stand around the 3 pt line and act surprised or confused on how to attack .
I was thinking the same thing. Zone has been thrown at UK several times this year. If you, as a head coach, need video to deploy a zone against UK, you just aren't very good or paying attention. I still believe UT's run had more to do with Cal and his stall ball than the zone of UT.
Exactly! I noticed the same thing. I thought it really took Tennessee out of their offensive flow.
I agree, yet it continues to stop us. Hope we see alot more of it before the tournament.