[BlackcatAlum]

I know and most of you should know that coach Cal only runs the man-to-man defense. Now I've watched Syracuse play several times this season and they are long, but not as long as Kentucky or more athletic than Kentucky. So why in the heck does Cal not run the 2-3 zone or triangle and 2 defenses? Our man defense was eaten alive in our two losses and our perimeter defense is average at best. We are very big and athletic, so I don't see why we couldn't run a defense like Syracuse's and have the same success.

Thoughts?

[PhiSlamaJama-JP4236]

I am hoping he's saving it for tourney time..surely he won't stick with man to man when it's crunch time and "it ain't workin"...adapt and overcome

[outdoorsman43]

I really don't understand why coaches stick to a man-to-man only. I mean, sometimes a man-to-man defense just isn't going to work. Why not have a 2-3 zone or at least some kind of zone in the arsenal? It really doesn't make any sense to me. Billy Gillispie did this as well. I just don't get it.

[theVILLE]

Man to man D, not rebounding, and perimeter shooting is what got them beat on there two loses

[Stardust]

I know and most of you should know that coach Cal only runs the man-to-man defense. Now I've watched Syracuse play several times this season and they are long, but not as long as Kentucky or more athletic than Kentucky. So why in the heck does Cal not run the 2-3 zone or triangle and 2 defenses? Our man defense was eaten alive in our two losses and our perimeter defense is average at best. We are very big and athletic, so I don't see why we couldn't run a defense like Syracuse's and have the same success.

Thoughts?

Hmmm, how many threads were about this same topic over the last two years????

I have no issue with the Cats D. I have issues with 2/22 shooting from the three point line. We have no outside shooting and that lost the USC and UT games, not defense.

[ComfortEagle]

Hmmm, how many threads were about this same topic over the last two years????

I have no issue with the Cats D. I have issues with 2/22 shooting from the three point line. We have no outside shooting and that lost the USC and UT games, not defense.

Agreed.

[BlackcatAlum]

Hmmm, how many threads were about this same topic over the last two years????

I have no issue with the Cats D. I have issues with 2/22 shooting from the three point line. We have no outside shooting and that lost the USC and UT games, not defense.

So you're saying that you are satisfied with our defense?

We have been getting killed on back door cuts and Wall & Bledsoe get beat off the dribble every time, which leads to easy baskets or Cousins/Patterson picking up silly fouls that could have been prevented.

Our perimeter shooting hasn't been great either, but it will come around. We cannot expect to shoot that great from 3 every game. We're just on a slump right now shooting-wise.

[Wildcatk23]

Hmmm, how many threads were about this same topic over the last two years????

I have no issue with the Cats D. I have issues with 2/22 shooting from the three point line. We have no outside shooting and that lost the USC and UT games, not defense.

As bad as we shot. If we hadnt of gave up at least 25 layups we would have still beat tennessee. They got to the glass at will on back door cuts and just easy passes.

[Hoot Gibson]

The problem with the Cats' defense on Saturday was not that they were playing man. The problem is that they came out loafing in the first half. They did not hustle back on defense and UT got nearly every loose ball. Had they played a zone with the same effort, the result would have been the same.

When a team has superior size and athleticism, nothing beats a good man to man defense, IMO. Zones are good for hiding weaknesses, but well coached opponents eventually find those weaknesses anyway. Playing a man defense makes it easy to determine who is hustling and doing their job and who is dogging it.

Part of the reason that Kentucky leads the nation in rebounding is their defense. When UK plays up to their potential, nobody is better defensively but they are still very young and tend to go on cruise control too often.

[BlackcatAlum]

The problem with the Cats' defense on Saturday was not that they were playing man. The problem is that they came out loafing in the first half. They did not hustle back on defense and UT got nearly every loose ball. Had they played a zone with the same effort, the result would have been the same.

When a team has superior size and athleticism, nothing beats a good man to man defense, IMO. Zones are good for hiding weaknesses, but well coached opponents eventually find those weaknesses anyway. Playing a man defense makes it easy to determine who is hustling and doing their job and who is dogging it.

Part of the reason that Kentucky leads the nation in rebounding is their defense. When UK plays up to their potential, nobody is better defensively but they are still very young and tend to go on cruise control too often.

I agree... however, I'm just saying that I wish we had another defense to go to when the man was getting eat up. You throw another defense at a team then the offense has to adjust. Now if our 2-3 defense was as sticky as the Syracuse defense was, then I think we could create a ton of turnovers. But, playing a 2-3 would allow more offensive rebounds.

Maybe its just our players getting lazy and thinking they're too good to play defense, I don't know. But it really ticks me off seeing us give up easy baskets within' 5 foot of the bucket.

[Aslan]

Considering how young this team is, they play great defense. At the start of the season, they played NO defense, none. They've made drastic improvements on the defensive end. Personally, I hate the 2-3. You give up tons of open three's and don't rebound well out of it. Man for man, UK is more athletic than any team in the nation. So they should play man to man. If anything, I think UK should press more. There athletic, quick, and have a lot of delpth. Wall/Bledsoe are at there best in the open floor, not half court sets.

[Stardust]

The problem with the Cats' defense on Saturday was not that they were playing man. The problem is that they came out loafing in the first half. They did not hustle back on defense and UT got nearly every loose ball. Had they played a zone with the same effort, the result would have been the same.

When a team has superior size and athleticism, nothing beats a good man to man defense, IMO. Zones are good for hiding weaknesses, but well coached opponents eventually find those weaknesses anyway. Playing a man defense makes it easy to determine who is hustling and doing their job and who is dogging it.

Part of the reason that Kentucky leads the nation in rebounding is their defense. When UK plays up to their potential, nobody is better defensively but they are still very young and tend to go on cruise control too often.

Excellent post. I don't care what defense we would have played. If you don't play inspired, you won't win period.

Everone got on BCG last year and absolutely ate him up for staying with M2M because that is his style of play. Now, we are teh #3 team in the nation, we lose a game at a very tough place to play, and now we want to switch defenisve strategy that has won us more games than we have won in many years????

It's personnel. We have the players to play the style we want. But, with Freshman, you don't always get consistent effort. We have all know that this team does not have a consistent three shooter. You don't win a National Championship without being able to shoot the three. Shooting 2/22 from beyond the arc has to be fixed before we worry about the defensive set we play. Bottom-line, as bad as we shot, a little more effort period on the defensive side and we would have won that game Saturday.

[Scotty doesn't know]

I really do think after the UT loss that Cal my impliment using the zone defense a little more often to confuse the offense. I know that by tourney time you want to be as unpredictable as possible so I am sure Cal has something they are working on in practice. Trust in the gatherer.