Miles said Cincinnati runs a full court press...could be ugly!

[bkamler]

I am loving our freshman, even the walk ons. However, as a team there is no evidence that our players have been coached on how to break a press. If I'm coaching against the Huskers I would press and press some more.

As a general rule we take forever to in bound the ball which allows the D to set up. Then we throw in to one side or the other and make lateral passes back and forth slowing advancing the ball while giving the D chances to steal it and running time off the thirty second clock.

On occasion I have even seen the ball laying under the basket after the opponent scores before we even pick it up to in bound it.

It might be ugly folks if the coaches don't coach them up on the press. It isn't rocket science...you in bound as fast as possible and if the guy who receives the pass on the move can't fly by the D before it sets up then he passes it right back to the in bounder who should be darting by at full speed to receive the pass. Then you should have a numbers advantage and you make them pay for pressing!

I am afraid that if we stay with our previous press approach we are doomed against about any athletic team with size. But no matter what Go Big Red!

[jimmykc]

Although we won last year, it was ugly too, as I recall.

[Dead Dog Alley]

Although we won last year, it was ugly too, as I recall.

Unless you appreciate the inner beauty of clutching, holding, grabbing, pushing, shoving, swiping, bumping, tripping, and hacking, then, most Cincinnati Bearcat games of the last 25 years have been ugly.

[Dean Smith]

I am loving our freshman, even the walk ons. However, as a team there is no evidence that our players have been coached on how to break a press. If I'm coaching against the Huskers I would press and press some more.

As a general rule we take forever to in bound the ball which allows the D to set up. Then we throw in to one side or the other and make lateral passes back and forth slowing advancing the ball while giving the D chances to steal it and running time off the thirty second clock.

On occasion I have even seen the ball laying under the basket after the opponent scores before we even pick it up to in bound it.

It might be ugly folks if the coaches don't coach them up on the press. It isn't rocket science...you in bound as fast as possible and if the guy who receives the pass on the move can't fly by the D before it sets up then he passes it right back to the in bounder who should be darting by at full speed to receive the pass. Then you should have a numbers advantage and you make them pay for pressing!

I am afraid that if we stay with our previous press approach we are doomed against about any athletic team with size. But no matter what Go Big Red!

I don't want to always be a contrarian but if it was always that easy and simple to break a press, everyone would be doing it and no one would be pressing. Personally I did like to get the ball out as fast as we could but you can't go so fast as your team is not in position. If that happens you are basically throwing you ball handler under the bus or at least telling him, "Good luck" and then standing back and wishing him the best.

A quick reversal like you suggest in your pass back many times is effective, but regardless of what press breaker you run you have to teach your players how to break a press. If they don't know how to do that, the best press breaker in the world won't help. And really all real press breakers do the same thing by giving your ball handler three passing options. One forward pass up a the sideline on one side of the trap, one option splitting the trap, and one safe option backwards out the opposite side of the trap. Your scenario might be effective against some teams and not against others. Regardless, it's always necessary to have a plan B.

And yes, we need to get a lot better at breaking presses.

[PimpMario]

Miles said we beat them in a rock fight last year.

[Huskerpapa]

I have extreme confidence that press break is being taught to our team.  Thing is, there are a number of ways to break a press.  Would I like to see us more aggressive with the press break?  Perhaps, but I do understand that being aggressive fits the agenda of many press teams.  They want to speed up the pace, we appear to want to control the pace...right, wrong or indifferent.

[AuroranHusker]

Miles said we beat them in a rock fight last year.

 

It was a real Rim Clanger: Throwing Rocks at the Iron.

[lanigan123]

I want us to push the ball more. Press usually gives you a numbers advantage. Pass crisply and get some layups

[hhcmatt]

I want us to push the ball more. Press usually gives you a numbers advantage. Pass crisply and get some layups

 

The problem with Cincy is that you need to make layups against a 6-10 or 6-9 guy who has a good chance of blocking your shot and starting a break the other way.

[royalfan]

Speaking of presses, it is annoying that we rarely one run.  An annoyance press that is not going to get beat for easy stuff should be ran all the time IMO.  Give them a chance to turn the ball over.  IMO, it is a really bad flaw in Miles coaching, especially when we play small.   And Molinari certainly is not going to suggest it. 

[hskr4life]

Speaking of presses, it is annoying that we rarely one run.  An annoyance press that is not going to get beat for easy stuff should be ran all the time IMO.  Give them a chance to turn the ball over.  IMO, it is a really bad flaw in Miles coaching, especially when we play small.   And Molinari certainly is not going to suggest it. 

 

I would agree and disagree.  I want to run the soft press and believe that we have the team to run it.  We don't have a lot of big guys that will struggle getting up and down the floor and therefore I believe we should run.  However, we are currently only giving up 61.4 PPG and if you take away the Nova score, we are only allowing 55 PPG.  That is a pretty good defensive number and therefore I believe that we are doing something right.  Its tough to change a defensive philosophy especially when it is working pretty well.

[royalfan]

I personally don't care about the points against number.  I care about point differential number, and doing what we should to have that number as high as possible.