Molinari

[ajb5856]

Why didn't we send a double team at their big last night? Last year we were relentless in sending the double teams and it created turnovers. We were relentless in pressuring the ball last year. It created turnovers. I thought the defense was pretty good last year. GATA.

Enter Jim Molinari and the pack defense. Miles seems to be letting Molinari run with his show and a lot of the principles seem in direct conflict with what we ran last year.

Combine the Craig Smith loss with the addition of Molinari and the staff seems a bit off right now, and the team is playing accordingly. Fix it Miles.

[hhcmatt]

Why didn't we send a double team at their big last night? 

 

They're a good shooting team and they wheeled out a 6-8 freshman. We can't really leave guys open on the perimeter and that guy shouldn't be able to beat us multiple times.  We did adjust to a zone after about 3 times in a row.

 

We'll adjust. I wish we could adjust a little faster on the fly.

[jimmykc]

This team appears to need a scapegoat, and Molinari makes a pretty good lightning rod.

[Norm Peterson]

Molinari.  He looks Italian.  I wonder if he has a good recipe for Alfredo sauce.

[jimmykc]

I think the Italians should go-and and he should take Calipari and the Pitinos with him. And the obnoxious Vitale man too.

[tbowman]

Glad someone is at least bringing this up.  I'm surprised at how quickly it's being discounted. 

 

The run at the end of last season was predicated on defense.  NU dominated teams defensively.  

 

So why the change to the pack defense?  Makes no sense to me.  And it certainly isn't working all that well with teams dominating Walt inside and lighting us up from three.

 

If what they were doing last year worked then continue doing it.

[ajb5856]

Glad someone is at least bringing this up. I'm surprised at how quickly it's being discounted.

The run at the end of last season was predicated on defense. NU dominated teams defensively.

So why the change to the pack defense? Makes no sense to me. And it certainly isn't working all that well with teams dominating Walt inside and lighting us up from three.

If what they were doing last year worked then continue doing it.

This is my feeling exactly. Maybe things will get better as guys figure it out, but right now the guys are tentative and look as if they're unsure. As you mentioned, Walt is getting absolutely abused on the defensive interior. We are thin inside. Everyone knows that. Last year we sent the hard double team. It's great that we added a defensive mind in Molinari, but the decision to completely shift to his pack defense seems a little questionable at this point. I'd like to see us pressure the ball more again. We do have Benny and Tarin to pester people. Id like to see us send the hard double team again. And I don't even care if we give up 3s because we are giving up 3s anyway.

But I guess I'll just sit back and watch the guys getting paid make the decisions. It's not like our defense has been bad so far this year. It's just the fact the we are getting eaten alive inside already, B1G teams with a solid post are going to absolutely have a hayday against us in the paint.

[Silverbacked1]

Glad someone is at least bringing this up. I'm surprised at how quickly it's being discounted.

The run at the end of last season was predicated on defense. NU dominated teams defensively.

So why the change to the pack defense? Makes no sense to me. And it certainly isn't working all that well with teams dominating Walt inside and lighting us up from three.

If what they were doing last year worked then continue doing it.

This is my feeling exactly. Maybe things will get better as guys figure it out, but right now the guys are tentative and look as if they're unsure. As you mentioned, Walt is getting absolutely abused on the defensive interior. We are thin inside. Everyone knows that. Last year we sent the hard double team. It's great that we added a defensive mind in Molinari, but the decision to completely shift to his pack defense seems a little questionable at this point. I'd like to see us pressure the ball more again. We do have Benny and Tarin to pester people. Id like to see us send the hard double team again. And I don't even care if we give up 3s because we are giving up 3s anyway.

But I guess I'll just sit back and watch the guys getting paid make the decisions. It's not like our defense has been bad so far this year. It's just the fact the we are getting eaten alive inside already, B1G teams with a solid post are going to absolutely have a hayday against us in the paint.

Yeah see it is your fault because you are sitting back, dude stand up and cheer.. I am kidding of course, but I do wonder about that myself. Are we planning for the future line ups with this d?

[hhcmatt]

If what they were doing last year worked then continue doing it.

 

What exactly do you think we were running last year? GATA is slang for "Pack Defense". It seems to work for Izzo, doesn't it?

Coach Mo's main problem is that he's not Craig Smith. How could he be? Kenya isn't Ben Johnson. Nobody on this team is (good or bad) Ray Gallegos.  

 

The real important things are that we have our facilities and we have Tim Miles. Hopefully it will be a long time before we need to replace either.

 

If you want something to point at, read Lee B today. I think he hit it out of the park.

[tbowman]

 

If what they were doing last year worked then continue doing it.

 

What exactly do you think we were running last year? GATA is slang for "Pack Defense". It seems to work for Izzo, doesn't it?

Coach Mo's main problem is that he's not Craig Smith. How could he be? Kenya isn't Ben Johnson. Nobody on this team is (good or bad) Ray Gallegos.  

 

The real important things are that we have our facilities and we have Tim Miles. Hopefully it will be a long time before we need to replace either.

 

If you want something to point at, read Lee B today. I think he hit it out of the park.

 

 

Are you suggesting they are playing the same defense as last year?  I admit I'm not an expert, but the defensive approach looks significantly different to me this year from last year.  I maintain this is the major problem with this team.  Maybe someone with more hoops knowledge can comment?

 

There's little substance that I agree with in that article.  Smith was not a major factor during their run last year.  I agree Petteway is being scouted better, but is still putting up his points.

 

This NU looks nothing defensively like they did last year.  If they are missing anyone it is Gallegos.  

 

But the excuses are plenty for a team that (as the article states) returned 90% of its production.  

[ajb5856]

I'm no expert either but I heard it described that Molinari's pack defense tries to force the offense to make more passes and finally heavily contest shots. Why would you want to force additional passes instead of just stealing the ball? I know that's a ridiculous question but to me we are clearly not being as aggressive in pressuring the ball as last season. Miles said in his presser that the aggressor always wins. We aren't being the agressor right now. I don't know if that is a player mentality thing, a Molinari principle thing, or if it's the players being tentative because they are learning the Molinari way type thing.

[brfrad]

I think the biggest thing that helped us during a hot stretch last year was the fact the Big 10 couldn't shoot the 3.  Nebraska was 7th in the Big 10 in 3 point FG %, but 206th in the nation.  It allowed us to play off the 3 point shooters, because there was a good chance they were going to miss them. 

[colhusker]

This team appears to need a scapegoat, and Molinari makes a pretty good lightning rod.

He is the Barney Cotton of basketball coaches.

[Dean Smith]

I'm no expert either but I heard it described that Molinari's pack defense tries to force the offense to make more passes and finally heavily contest shots. Why would you want to force additional passes instead of just stealing the ball? I know that's a ridiculous question but to me we are clearly not being as aggressive in pressuring the ball as last season. Miles said in his presser that the aggressor always wins. We aren't being the agressor right now. I don't know if that is a player mentality thing, a Molinari principle thing, or if it's the players being tentative because they are learning the Molinari way type thing.

Because you can't steal the ball every time. Your man defence needs to have a focus to build around. If your goal is to steal the ball, that requires some gambling and you will give up a higher number of easy shots. If you just want to disrupt the offense, you will still give up some easy shots but less. If your goal is to not give up easy shots, (which is what the pack-line defense is designed to do) you don't create near as many turnovers but you don't give up easy shots. The goal is to force the offense to continue to work and force a bad shot out of frustration or near the end of the shot clock. As part of my philosophy on no easy shots, I think you need to double the post every time unless he is a complete stiff.

[ajb5856]

I'm no expert either but I heard it described that Molinari's pack defense tries to force the offense to make more passes and finally heavily contest shots. Why would you want to force additional passes instead of just stealing the ball? I know that's a ridiculous question but to me we are clearly not being as aggressive in pressuring the ball as last season. Miles said in his presser that the aggressor always wins. We aren't being the agressor right now. I don't know if that is a player mentality thing, a Molinari principle thing, or if it's the players being tentative because they are learning the Molinari way type thing.

Because you can't steal the ball every time. Your man defence needs to have a focus to build around. If your goal is to steal the ball, that requires some gambling and you will give up a higher number of easy shots. If you just want to disrupt the offense, you will still give up some easy shots but less. If your goal is to not give up easy shots, (which is what the pack-line defense is designed to do) you don't create near as many turnovers but you don't give up easy shots. The goal is to force the offense to continue to work and force a bad shot out of frustration or near the end of the shot clock. As part of my philosophy on no easy shots, I think you need to double the post every time unless he is a complete stiff.

Ok. I hear ya about not being able to steal the ball every time. I was mostly just making the point that so far this year we haven't been as agressive on the ball or as aggressive sending double teams when the ball is caught low. We are getting destroyed inside and are still giving up open looks from 3. Maybe it will come together, I just don't see it the way we are playing it now. A big ten team (or Cincy) with a couple decent 4s/5s will eat us alive.

As a side note, I was quite frustrated in the Incarnate Word game. In the first half alone there were 3-4 possessions where we played solid defense for the entire possession and then they hit a contested/difficult 3 within the last few seconds of the shot clock.

[ajb5856]

Well, well, well...

Husker men aim to shore up defense despite missing pieces

http://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/mens-basketball/article_4087018c-fa7a-5157-aa04-294e2e541964.html

[ajb5856]

The article mentions Cincy's lack of 3 pt shooting ability and the coaches only learning of Abraham's status after shootaround for the IWU game leaving little time for defensive adjustments to be made. I'm guessing we'll see us doubling the post tonight.

[hhcmatt]

Are you suggesting they are playing the same defense as last year?  I admit I'm not an expert, but the defensive approach looks significantly different to me this year from last year.  I maintain this is the major problem with this team.  Maybe someone with more hoops knowledge can comment?

 

I went a bit over my ski tips on this one. My apologies.

[hhcmatt]

The article mentions Cincy's lack of 3 pt shooting ability and the coaches only learning of Abraham's status after shootaround for the IWU game leaving little time for defensive adjustments to be made. I'm guessing we'll see us doubling the post tonight.

 

We're going to live in the paint tonight

[ajb5856]

The article mentions Cincy's lack of 3 pt shooting ability and the coaches only learning of Abraham's status after shootaround for the IWU game leaving little time for defensive adjustments to be made. I'm guessing we'll see us doubling the post tonight.

We're going to live in the paint tonight

And hopefully Cincy continues to clank from the outside. But with our luck, this is the night they become a 3 pt shooting team.

[hhcmatt]

 

 

The article mentions Cincy's lack of 3 pt shooting ability and the coaches only learning of Abraham's status after shootaround for the IWU game leaving little time for defensive adjustments to be made. I'm guessing we'll see us doubling the post tonight.

We're going to live in the paint tonight

And hopefully Cincy continues to clank from the outside. But with our luck, this is the night they become a 3 pt shooting team.

 

 

This is a Cincy team that graduated 3-4 seniors on their first true road game. I know they have the sort of rebounding/inside game that could rip us apart but it's a fairly good matchup for us. We just have to play in the paint like we have a pair.