This year's team

[TulsaRising1]

What makes them different than the past few years? This is the best start in 9 years for TU basketball.

 

[Original TULSAFAN]

Need joiner

 

[URedskin54]

The difference imo is that we are consistently playing with effort on defense for the first time under Haith. But we're doing a lot of little things better too

 

[nevadanatural]

Yes, this matchup zone was new last year and there were frequent breakdowns. We still have breakdowns but they are few and far between.

 

[rusty-c]

We are able to consistently create havoc on the defensive end. Teams just can’t get settled into a rhythm (until we decide to take a few minutes off). We very well may win 20+ games, and have multiple wins over quality opponents. Darn junk defense....

 

[mcane]

If you listened carefully, in a mostly empty arena, the TU team on the bench was cheering, chanting Defense, and yelling out help to their teammates, and the guys on the floor were pointing to each other and yelling both on O and D. This team seems to have a lot of chemistry. And, we've seen their energy with the students at home.
I don't ever recall such active support on the bench. I think this is both about the personalities of the team and perhaps a change in temperament from Haith. I used to think he was passive and laid-back but he is now engaged (and occasionally oops dropping F bombs, a good thing).

 

[nevadanatural]

The announcers today said they couldn’t remember a bench so engaged in a game.

 

[cmullinsTU]

When I was at the K-State game the entire bench was like that, but especially the Greek PG. He was calling out the number of the best shooter on the floor every time they were on defense and I noticed a few times defenders tightened up on the shooter when they’d hear him.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend sitting behind the bench at a game this year, it is fun and they’re very entertaining.

 

[Loca5174]

I really think if we had Magnay last year that we would have won some of those close games and made the tourney. I think his loss was that big. Not because of the player but we had to play differently then what we could have. I am excited for this team going into conference play

 

[TU_BLA]

The confusing part of the zone is there are times we are in it and it looks like a man defense which should make pick and roll sets available. But they’re not. It doesn’t rotate like a normal zone. Heck, our players know they’re supposed to be in a zone but they frequently switch out what are of the floor they’re covering. There were a few times Igbanu and Jeffries switched sides at the bottom of the zone. Same with Igbanu and Horne. It’s really a brilliant concept because offensively you really have no idea where the space is, where the double team or rotation is coming from or which player is rotating to the shooter. It’s so confusing some of our own players occasionally get lost in it. But this team has had to buy in 100% and work their a$$es off at it as well as have an extreme amount of trust in their teammates tone in the right place. It’s good stuff