Nebraska's Defense

[NUdiehard]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:17 PM, Breslin Petteway said:

No experience with it, but I like it. We have an identity and guys seem to know where they need to be. The way I see it is there is always someone at the rim to take away layups, and we do our best to run guys off the three point line. That leaves the mid range, the shot all teams are taught to avoid.

 

I think that our biggest issues come from quick skip passes that create long close outs, and giving up open corner threes. Games where we are just a step slow rotating can lead to open threes. If I remember rights B1G teams seemed to have some success with this last year, but when we had Bando, Gary, Sammy G flying around we were deadly. We don't have that length this year obviously, but Sam and Jamarques sure fly around and play great defense. 

 

I think teams make the baseline drive a part of their offense in today's game, and we are often in great position to make steals out of that rotation. I'm no expert, but it's just nice to have an identity on that end of the floor, one I think puts our guys in a pretty good spot to make steals and be aggressive. 

 

It's not just a matter of being a step slow (although that often is part of the problem).  The problem is that once you get in to league, the coaching is better and the scouting is better (same with Creighton), and coaches have figured out how to attack this defense.

 

In our defense, the off-ball defender ALWAYS helps in to the paint.  This makes us susceptible to the swing pass or the skip pass.  But in addition, the better coached teams in league play are positioning an offensive player behind Nebraska's off-ball defender to SCREEN him from closing out on the 3 point shooter.  This is done over and over and over again.  So even if the Husker defender was playing fast and with great effort, it is impossible for him to run through that screen and get to the shooter. 

 

Overall, I feel the coaching staff has done a good job and they clearly are trying to make the best out of the less athletic defenders on the team. But man, giving up wide-open 3 point shots from the corner over and over and over again does become a bit maddening. 

[Ron Mexico]

On 11/10/2023 at 12:02 PM, basketballjones said:

It's not sort of, it definitely is no middle, force baseline. 

 

It is, at its core, a match-up zone. They're essentially in a 2-3 and they pass off/switch screening actions (hence why I would slip/back-cut everything). But when the ball gets slotted and over, they're full forcing baseline and not allowing middle. They're kind of "icing" everything, in a way. 

 

My biggest beef is why they force themselves into rotations/scrambles before they have to. I think they can accomplish everything they want without doing that - just my opinion. 

Great description.

When we are facing a team like Iowa that doesn't have a dominant center then there is no need to double down in the paint.

If we are going to run zone then we needed to switch to 1-3-1, 3-1 and a chaser (chaser is best defender) or similar to protect against the 3.

Either Lawrence or Hoiberg needed to be on Perkins (15 assists!) like glue to force the ball from his hands. The goal is to pressure the ball.

 

I love our matchup zone as our base defense, however when we are getting beat at the perimeter we need to change it up to protect the perimeter.

[royalfan]

Message board overreactions both ways wear me out.  That being said, teams are getting into the teeth of our defense far too comfortably on the road in the league so far.  Just because we have some pretty good help concepts a lot, does not mean we don’t have to take giving resistance very seriously staying in front of our guy.  

[royalfan]

3 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

Great description.

When we are facing a team like Iowa that doesn't have a dominant center then there is no need to double down in the paint.

If we are going to run zone then we needed to switch to 1-3-1, 3-1 and a chaser (chaser is best defender) or similar to protect against the 3.

Either Lawrence or Hoiberg needed to be on Perkins (15 assists!) like glue to force the ball from his hands. The goal is to pressure the ball.

 

I love our matchup zone as our base defense, however when we are getting beat at the perimeter we need to change it up to protect the perimeter.

Agree with most all of this.  

[89Husker]

5 hours ago, NUdiehard said:

 

It's not just a matter of being a step slow (although that often is part of the problem).  The problem is that once you get in to league, the coaching is better and the scouting is better (same with Creighton), and coaches have figured out how to attack this defense.

 

In our defense, the off-ball defender ALWAYS helps in to the paint.  This makes us susceptible to the swing pass or the skip pass.  But in addition, the better coached teams in league play are positioning an offensive player behind Nebraska's off-ball defender to SCREEN him from closing out on the 3 point shooter.  This is done over and over and over again.  So even if the Husker defender was playing fast and with great effort, it is impossible for him to run through that screen and get to the shooter. 

 

Overall, I feel the coaching staff has done a good job and they clearly are trying to make the best out of the less athletic defenders on the team. But man, giving up wide-open 3 point shots from the corner over and over and over again does become a bit maddening. 

You are right, this is happening on the backside screen, but doing that involves 3 offensive players. That should free up a defender to cheat and be ready for this cross-court pass. But that top defender needs to recognize when his man goes to set that pick and make adjustment. 

[basketballjones]

On 1/15/2024 at 10:02 AM, Fullbacksympathy said:

Man.  I think you worded this articulately but there’s no way I’d change our defensive philosophy from the last two seasons. 
 

Teaching good m2m is about 75% help rotation, regardless of how extreme the help is.  We’ve beaten two top 10 teams in the last two seasons with this sort of defense.  I think it’s mostly awesome.  It’s definitely a variant of m2m.  Every m2m worth its salt has one on ball and four in zone after every pass.  This version has extreme help in rotation.  I agree with you that it’s difficult to sustain but it sure is a thing of beauty when it’s done right.  I also agree about offensive tempo and intention.  
 

But I’m not sick of this defensive philosophy at all.  I love watching it. 

This defense, when played at 100%, can literally beat anyone and that is an awesome thing to have in your back pocket. 

This defense, at 99% makes you liable to be beat by nearly any common opponent and even some worse opponents. 

 

That is not a gamble, risk/reward proposition, I would be willing to engage in. 

[hhcmatt]

49 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

This defense, when played at 100%, can literally beat anyone and that is an awesome thing to have in your back pocket. 

This defense, at 99% makes you liable to be beat by nearly any common opponent and even some worse opponents. 

 

That is not a gamble, risk/reward proposition, I would be willing to engage in. 

 

Hope you've seen this one before, friend-o.