Bobcat Attack - Ohio Basketball - The difference between this year and last

Ohio Basketball Topic

Topic: The difference between this year and last

Page: 1 of 1

mail

person

berniebobcat

3/9/2020 9:03 PM

This team has improved defensively and the coach has given them more to work with as well. The occasional zone and trap press have resulted in confusion and turnovers and the man-to-man is quicker as well. Reading up on Boals, he has been characterized as emphasizing defense in prior stops and it shows. Rebounding has improved as well and when things are clicking, ball movement is better too.

Whatever happens in Cleveland, to my eyes we have fundamentally improved compared to the recent past. Add a couple more pieces and I believe we will be a really good team, maybe as early as next year.

mail

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead

3/9/2020 9:30 PM

berniebobcat wrote:expand_more

Your eyes tell you the defense is better, but by any actual metric the defense is worse this year. It just seems better because we are scoring more and not playing from behind as much.

It's actually our offense that saw a great improvement this year.

Defensive efficiency went from 101st last year to 199th this year.

Meanwhile offense efficiency went from 278th last year to 165th this year.

mail

JSF

3/9/2020 9:35 PM

But the defense has improved. It was threatening to drop below 300 a couple months ago.

mail

OUVan

3/9/2020 9:50 PM

JSF wrote:expand_more

But the defense has improved. It was threatening to drop below 300 a couple months ago.

Exactly right. Boals even said as much. Take a look at the defensive metrics from the Ball State game forward.

mail

person

berniebobcat

3/9/2020 10:16 PM

Stats aside, it was obvious to me that as the year progressed, we got better. I don’t recall Saul’s teams ever pressing and rarely if ever changed up with a zone. The last 3 1/2 minutes of the Miami game would not have happened last year. When we ramp up the intensity, other teams struggle. My point really is that Boals emphasizes defense more than Saul did.

mail

person

BillyTheCat

3/9/2020 11:21 PM

The defense has drastically improved, the entire team has improved. But the biggest improvement as the year has progressed has been the Free Throw Defense.

Last Edited: 3/9/2020 11:29:51 PM by BillyTheCat

mail

OhioCatFan

3/9/2020 11:29 PM

BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more

The defense has drastically improved,Mathews entire team has improved. But the biggest improvement as the year has progressed has been the Free Throw Defense.

mail

person

GoCats105

3/9/2020 11:53 PM

To me, I've just never seen this team's breaking point. Last year, if the opposition got out to a double digit lead with a certain amount of time left, it felt like the game was over and it usually was. I didn't feel that way this year.

They're just tougher. Plain and simple.

mail

Andrew Ruck

3/10/2020 8:16 AM

To me the biggest difference is obvious. Last year at point guard we had a turnover machine that could neither make good passes nor shoot from outside. This year at point guard we have an elite distributor of the ball who is also developing an outside shot. It's really that simple.

mail

OUVan

3/10/2020 10:48 AM

Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more

I think Preston's patience at PG also plays into our improved defense because the other team has to work hard for full possessions. Playing defense tires teams out considerably more than playing offense. Last year we had too many one or two touch possessions to count. Another factor is our freshmen missed a ton of time early in the season so it's taken them some time to get acclimated to the defensive (and offense).

mail

person

Alan Swank

3/10/2020 11:00 AM

Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more

I'll add this. Based on the last few games Preston has greatly reduced the number of times he's left his feet with the ball.

mail

person

allen

3/10/2020 11:06 AM

Alan Swank wrote:expand_more

Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more

I'll add this. Based on the last few games Preston has greatly reduced the number of times he's left his feet with the ball.

Boals seems to be a greater teacher, our guards are more disciplined. He is also a better game planner, while the record is not much different, we are much more competitive than we were last year, minus an all-Mac big and depth lost due to transfers.

mail

person

Obc2

3/11/2020 11:23 AM

A big difference is Jordan playing this year.

mail

FearLeon

3/11/2020 11:59 AM

I'll simplify it and this is not to rattle the Saul supporters, because this season on the board has been the best in several years. One of the big differences from this year to last year is in-game coaching. Not only from a schematic point of view, but getting in guys faces as well. Boals does not hand out participation trophies and it's obvious. I've seen him punch his hand through the scorers tables five times this year. You want that passion out of your coach.

Regardless of what happens Thursday, year one of the Boals era has been a monumental success.

mail

FearLeon

3/11/2020 12:04 PM

Alan Swank wrote:expand_more

Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more

I'll add this. Based on the last few games Preston has greatly reduced the number of times he's left his feet with the ball.

This is a hell of a great point.