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Worst loss in Mooney era, 12/08/2024, & future prospects of UR basketball

A couple examples:
  1. In an earlier game this year, we were clearly drilled in practice to have the strong side guy guarding a wing help on a dribble drive from the top of the key. If the driver kicked to the wing player, the plan was clearly for the guy guarding whomever was in the corner to slide up one, leaving the guy wide open in the corner. The defender giving the initial help would then have to scramble to the guy in the corner. The result was about 15 open shots from the corner or drives from the corner. I think we got lucky in that the opponent missed a number of the shots, but they were wide open chances.
  2. Our weak side wing defender is constantly overhelping into the lane, leaving a simple cross-court kick pass for wide open threes. It's abysmal. There's no way there should be two feet in the lane. You simply can't get there in time, and even if you do, the close out is completely out of control, and then its scramble-rama time.
  3. Last game, the concerted effort to double Johnni Broome, sometimes with Mikkel Tyne, which was never going to be effective. Ever. Broome could be kneeling and still pass it over Tyne.
I just don't have a lot of hope in any of it -- the players aren't good defenders (excluding DeLonnie and Mikkel on-ball defending, which I think is good), they don't appear to have the attitude to be or become good defenders, and they are being coached to a scheme that exacerbates rather than masks the deficiencies.

It's not great to be back in 2018/2019. And even then, I liked what I saw from Buck, Sherod, Gilyard, and Golden and had hope for the future. I really don't know who the good players are on this team. And I don't love the tape on the incoming class either.
Yes, Yes, and Yes. This is what I see every game I watched and it blows my mind that this is what we are trying to do. The weak side wing defender overhelping is so bad, I'm sure when other coaches scout us, they are licking their lips at the wide open looks they are going to get.
 
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I nominate Kneepad and 97 to donate an hour of their time to do a zoom call and review these defensive principles and provide a "Self Scout" to the staff. I assume we do a self scout? Well you know what they say about assuming.

What are coach in waiting Peter Thomas' specific duties on the staff?
I'm just glad someone else noticed the defensive breakdowns that I was seeing. I thought I was going a bit crazy here, thinking am I the only one seeing this. It does blow my mind that coaches don't look at the tape and say immediately well this isn't working.

The only plausible explanation is some of our wing defenders are so bad defensively that they see this as a better option.
 
The surprising thing is I thought the defense over the last 2 years was improved, coinciding with Boyden's arrival. This year seems like a major regression in concepts and defensive plans, compounded by poor defensive personnel.
 
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The surprising thing is I thought the defense over the last 2 years was improved, coinciding with Boyden's arrival. This year seems like a major regression in concepts and defensive plans, compounded by poor defensive personnel.
Goose, Dji, Bigelow

Those are good defenders who also had height and athleticism, as well as lateral quickness. Burton was at the least extremely athletic and long, even if he did get taken off the dribble too much.

Replace those guys at the forward spots with Dusan, Tanner, AP AND add into the mix two small guards instead of having at least one taller guard. It is not a great mix at all.
 
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