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Scouting Baylor


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The thing about TP guarding Heslip is that Baylor runs him around quite a bit and sets multiple screens for him on offense. Whoever guards Heslip will exert a ton of energy on D. May need TP to have all the energy he can get for offense. Who guards him then? I think Benny and Ray will pick him up the majority of the time.

Excellent point but someone has to contain Cherry the point guard.

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The thing about TP guarding Heslip is that Baylor runs him around quite a bit and sets multiple screens for him on offense. Whoever guards Heslip will exert a ton of energy on D. May need TP to have all the energy he can get for offense. Who guards him then? I think Benny and Ray will pick him up the majority of the time.

 

Good post. Further, Heslip drives to the basket and puts the ball on the floor a lot more than he used to. Watching him against ISU, he did a decent job of flopping around screens too in hopes of drawing fouls. That's a little scary if Petteway is the guy guarding him.

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Perhaps this has been posted and I missed it, but I read that only one at-large team has a worse defensive efficiency rating than Baylor (NC State).

 

Apparently there are a lot of gaps in that zone.

They're at 191.  Quickly scrolling through the teams below them, I didn't notice ANY at-large teams ranked lower.  A few auto bids, but I didn't notice any at-larges (could've missed one.

 

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/stat/defensive-efficiency

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Nebraska's Offense:

I think Pitchford is very important because he is a 6'10" perimeter shooter. I think Pitchford's height is a big factor vs a zone. It is a lot different for a transitioning zone to get out and contest a shot at the 3-point line, when the shooter is 6'10", than it is when the shooter is 6'2" or 6'3".

Plus, if one of Baylor's big guys have to defend the 3-point line, that opens up the lane for Petteway and Shields to take it to the rack.

I believe that Gallegos is going to be interesting to watch. I think being left open in the zone could be exactly what he needs, in order to heat up from downtown. If he gets a couple of open looks, and knocks them down, then, all of a sudden, his confidence is back. And he has shown that if he starts heating up, he is very capable of going 4-of-6 or 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

Petteway, Pitchford, Shields, and Gallegos have all shown that they are very capable of shooting from outside, if they have an open shot. Now it's just a matter of them executing that and knocking those shots down.

The key to beating any zone is good ball movement as well as players moving without the ball (instead of just standing around watching the ball). That means setting screens (especially back-screens), as well as back door cuts to the basket. In a zone, the backside wing has alot of space to cover, so backdoor cuts to the basket can definitely be an effective way to stress the defense. Making outside shots will force the defense to extend, which will open up lanes for these other things to happen.

Movement, movement, movement. But, more importantly, moment with a purpose. That means that these guys have to have their eyes open, so that they can find the open man in the zone and make the defense pay. (This is especially important for Webster).

How do you beat a team that has great length? Shot-fake and pivot. Shot-fake and pivot. Get them in the air and draw contact. Get them in foul trouble. I also believe that Nebraska will be able to get out and score in transition...Nebraska's defense will lead to offense.

Baylor's rotation is only 8 players deep. It is very important that Nebraska doesn't just take quick shots in the offense. They need to move the ball around. Make the defense work. Against a zone, the 1st open shot isn't always the best shot. The longer the defense has to work each possession, the more fatigued those big bodies will get. I believe that Petteway and Shields will be able to draw contact when taking it to the basket.

Nebraska's Defense:

So while most people are focusing on the challenges of Nebraska's offense vs Baylor's length...I think equal attention should be given to Nebraska's defensive potential in this matchup. Nebraska is 1 of the best defensive teams that Baylor will have faced this season.

Leslie Smith isn't 7'1", but he is stout enough that he will be a force in the paint...also Pitchford and Rivers have both been much more effective down low over the last few weeks.

Baylor is heavy on the screen and roll offense. The fact that Nebraska's starting lineup is 6'3", 6'6", 6'7", 6'7", 6'10" (all athletic wing-type players) is a plus for Nebraska in this regard, because they should be able to switch most screens (if needed) without creating major mismatches.

Brady Heslip is as good a 3-point shooter as anyone in the Big Ten, maybe in the country. Fully capable of hitting 6+ in a game. I expect Nebraska to smother him. He isnt really a threat to drive to the basket, so I expect Nebraska to have Petteway and Gallegos guard him for most of the game. I also believe Parker will be a nightmare for their PG...I believe Parker will turn him over, which will be an opportunity for Nebraska to score in transition...AKA...beat them down the floor and score ahead of them, before they can get their defense set...(which helps Nebraska negate Baylor's length advantage).

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I believe that Gallegos is going to be interesting to watch. I think being left open in the zone could be exactly what he needs, in order to heat up from downtown. If he gets a couple of open looks, and knocks them down, then, all of a sudden, his confidence is back. And he has shown that if he starts heating up, he is very capable of going 4-of-6 or 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

 

The corner is going to be open a lot.

I don't recall Ray just sitting in the corner waiting to shoot a 3.  If he can simply do that, we're on to something.

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Which comes first? We hit a few outside shots to open up the inside of the zone or do we attack the zone with dribble drive to open up the outside?

 

Trick question?  The answer is: Walt Pitchford 3 pt make.

 

 

How many games is it that he has taken that first shot? Hits it fairly regular, too.

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If you go to Youtube and type in Baylor 1-3-1, there are a few short clips of what TA&M did a few years ago to the Baylor zone. Also watched a video of MSU going against a Nwestern 1-3-1 back when they had Shurna. Seems like maybe running ray across the baseline to load up a side might be a good idea. Same thing with maybe having a big inside and then flashing another big or a wing player to the middle which could be an open shot or even a kick out. I would definitely like to see quick ball movement against these guys though. Anything to shift their zone around for 25 to 30 seconds a trip could pay dividends for us in the 2nd half.

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