This teams defense
- Thread starter LXWildcat
- Start date
Every basketball player is familiar with zone defenses and have played at some point before getting to College. Back to the OT, we will likely never find out as cal would rather lose playing M2M the whole game rather than win playing a zone.
Yeah, a zone might work. But even using zone principles, the biggest key is still moving your feet and staying in front of the man coming at you. I agree with others, that is what they need to keep working on. They're not terrible defensively- the potential is obviously there. It's just a matter of working on that lateral movement and improving their quickness. I've seen some improvement, it's just not enough. They're strong enough offensively that they've been getting by with being less than stellar on defense. They have to get serious about it in SEC play because the conference will be defending us stronger than we've seen so far. Shots won't come easily, so defense must improve. I'm sure Calipari has been telling them this.
I tend to think a team that is poor defensively is a team that's poor defensively regardless of whether they are in man to man or zone. Going to a zone won't magically help things.
It's kind of a shame because rim protection has been a huge reason why our defense hasn't been good since 2015. You'd think our team with all these 7 footers would be better.
It's kind of a shame because rim protection has been a huge reason why our defense hasn't been good since 2015. You'd think our team with all these 7 footers would be better.
Zone defense is used for 2 main reasons. The other team is more athletic and your guards can't stay in front of their guards. The other is to "somewhat" protect players from foul trouble.
On the flip side it exposes you to the 3 point shot and offensive rebounds. I hated playing zone and rarely used it. On the rare occasion I did I played a 1-3-1. You have to be extremely sound and tied together to make a zone successful.
With that said I prefer man to man.
On the flip side it exposes you to the 3 point shot and offensive rebounds. I hated playing zone and rarely used it. On the rare occasion I did I played a 1-3-1. You have to be extremely sound and tied together to make a zone successful.
With that said I prefer man to man.
We've had solid defensive teams without dominant rim protection. The 2011, 2017, and 2019 teams were all pretty good on defense and lacked a shot blocking 5 in the best 5.
Even with a good shot blocker in 2020 and a fantastic defensive 5 in 2021, neither teams were able to play elite defense. I tend to think some of our defensive deficiencies are baked into Cal's system these days.
Last edited:
Biggest issue is help defense. Too much focus on their own man rather than stopping the ball and then closing out on their man. This should improve significantly with time..
Good post.
A lot of people think it's easy to play a good zone and automatically think it would improve the team on the defensive end. It takes a lot time and practice to be somewhat successful with it.
A good Coach with good shooters/rebounding would eat up a zone full of young players at this level.
I personally don't want our opponent to slow down the ball against this group.
I think using a zone defense for this team would have to be highly situational, using 1 - 3 - 1 OR 2 /3 would have to be something used more of as a disruption tactic for a couple possessions or against a particular team we have matchup problems with. And I can't think of anyone that falls into the latter.
Suddenly going 1 - 3 - 1 or 2/3 would be shocking and i would think immediately force a timeout from the other team. It might be something to have as a gimmick, but to use regularly, nah. I don't think it's needed, just let them keep playing man to man and get as good as they can doing it.
Suddenly going 1 - 3 - 1 or 2/3 would be shocking and i would think immediately force a timeout from the other team. It might be something to have as a gimmick, but to use regularly, nah. I don't think it's needed, just let them keep playing man to man and get as good as they can doing it.
I agree with all of that, but will add a third reason, to switch things up and cause the other team time on the shot clock to get a shot off. If you always play the same, they know how to attack it.
But that said, I am generally anti-zone. It also hurts your rebounding which is not a strength for us.
If this team gets a lock down defense, no one will touch this team shooting the way they are.
This is what Little Ten Stoops needs to get through his skull also…defense is for losers. Just score points.
Defense (more specifically interior defense) is the main reason why we haven't had as much success post 15 than we did pre 15.
Instead of debating zone or man to man, I think the bigger question going forward is why this continues to be the case.
This season teams are shooting 49.9% from 2 against us. This is 168th in the NCAA.
Lets look at these rankings from 2010 to 2015.
2010 = 6th
2011 = 8th
2012 = 1st
2013 = 8th
2014 = 49th
2015 = 2nd
Post 15?
2016 = 11th
2017 = 131st
2018 = 90th
2019 = 8th
2020 = 25th
2021 = 56th
2022 = 73rd
2023 = 100th
2024 = 168th
It's clear as day we need to improve in this area.
Instead of debating zone or man to man, I think the bigger question going forward is why this continues to be the case.
This season teams are shooting 49.9% from 2 against us. This is 168th in the NCAA.
Lets look at these rankings from 2010 to 2015.
2010 = 6th
2011 = 8th
2012 = 1st
2013 = 8th
2014 = 49th
2015 = 2nd
Post 15?
2016 = 11th
2017 = 131st
2018 = 90th
2019 = 8th
2020 = 25th
2021 = 56th
2022 = 73rd
2023 = 100th
2024 = 168th
It's clear as day we need to improve in this area.
Cal is not a zone coach. Never has been. Never will be.
We haven’t had the personnel to play defense the last 3 seasons.
We do now. Cal is a great defensive coach. This team is going to improve on defense every week.
Cal is not going to play a zone and call it something else, (ball line, pack line or any other line).
Cal is going to play straight up man, switch everything, don’t gamble, defense.
Play great first shot defense and rebound. That’s his formula and it’s not changing.
We haven’t had the personnel to play defense the last 3 seasons.
We do now. Cal is a great defensive coach. This team is going to improve on defense every week.
Cal is not going to play a zone and call it something else, (ball line, pack line or any other line).
Cal is going to play straight up man, switch everything, don’t gamble, defense.
Play great first shot defense and rebound. That’s his formula and it’s not changing.
IMO our players don't move their feet good enough to play good defense and have a tendency of leaving their feet way to often. You've got to fall in love with defense to be really good at it. I got a bigger thrill out of making a great defensive play than making a good offensive play because it got in the opposition head much more.