RE: DePaul thoughts

From: Brad Holdheide
Date: 30 Jan 2003 - 02:08 PM EST

WOW! I've been saying this for 3 months and no one's been listening. At
least someone finally agrees with me.

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Shinkle [SMTP:address@hidden
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 11:48 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] DePaul thoughts

This is not a direct response to Carey's comments, just more food for
thought ....

Consider the starting lineup:

1 - Barker
2 - Williams
3 - Stokes
4 - Maxiell
5 - Flowers, Hollman, Johnson or Land

That's a deliberate, ball-control, half-court game (on both ends) lineup.
The offense comes from Stokes' mid-range game and penetration, Max's
turnarounds and Field's spot-up 3's. Barker orchestrates and contributes
as needed. It's not that bad a group to use in a slow-paced game,
*except* that (as many others have noted) it's 4 on 5, with the 5th guy
getting in Stokes' way more than anything else.

So, step 1 is to change how the 5 spot is used. Find out which of these
guys (plus Hicks) can operate out of the high post. They have to be able
to do 3 things: Hit a jumper from the foul line when open, pass the ball
quickly when not open, and *storm* the offensive glass when someone else
puts up a shot. The guys who can *and will* do so play; the others do
not.

Now, consider this lineup:

1 - Moore
2 - Bobbitt
3 - Kirkland or Stokes
4 - Hicks or Kirkland
5 - Hicks or Maxiell

Can't you just *feel* the pace of the game pick up, by simply looking at
the names? Yes, it's a Juco newcomer and 2 or 3 freshmen, but even if
they're somewhat out of control, they *will* change the game speed.
Either Hicks or Kirkland mans the high post, or they become a 4th
perimeter player to further open up the middle.

The point is, what happens now when (for example) Bobbitt enters the game
for Williams as the first sub by himself? He's a "fish out of water" who
looks like he's playing a different game than the other guys, because he's
bouncing and moving and (as a result) sticking out like a sore thumb. The
same thing happens, to a lesser degree, when Moore subs for Barker by
himself. These guys have to play *together*.

So, step 2 is to sub Bobbitt, Moore and Hicks and/or Kirkland as a group.
Let them extend the defense (maybe even press a bit), and tell them to
just "go" on offense. Change the pace of the game.

This is what I'd try. It may blow up in a huge fireball, but right now
I'd take that over the Chinese water torture we're getting from the
"center by committee" and the 34.9 second offense. What I don't know is
whether this team is capable of making a significant adjustment in the
offense at this point.

Randy '78

P.S. -- I know, I've oversimplified a bit. Barker in particular is trying
to play at a faster pace and create some penetration. But this offense
*has* to maximize the weapons that it has, and (for example) Bobbitt
trying to play at a slow pace, and (for another example) Stokes trying to
penetrate a clogged lane, are never going to work.

-----Original Message-----
From: Carey Hoffman [mailto:address@hidden
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 10:07 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: [UC Basketball] DePaul thoughts

I don't think it's a stretch to say the more physically
gifted team won
last night's game. Marquette and Louisville still have to
play at DePaul, a
prospect that doesn't get any easier after the confidence
boost the Blue
Demons get from last night.

I'm sure things happen for a reason (usually some blown defensive
assignment you can't pick up on when watching the game on
TV), but there
are things going on I don't understand. Perhaps others here
have a better idea.

For instance, they said in the radio pre-game that Eugene
Land reports his
leg is doing much better and that he would be ready to play.
Yet he only
plays one minute at the end of the first half. I like the
chances that his
maturity and ability to hit the 10-foot jumper make him the
best fit in
last night's game.

Why is Armein Kirkland allowed to make numerous mistakes down
the stretch,
but not Tony Bobbitt? Bobbitt's shot looked on in a game
where his offense
could have taken a lot of pressure off the defense (for long
stretches, it
felt like every defensive series in the half-court was a
must-stop, because
UC was already trailing and simply couldn't score at the
other end). And
once you go to the press, isn't Bobbitt a guy you want out
there with his
long arms and ability to come up with loose balls? It appeared the
second-half sin that got him banished to the bench was when
he crashed the
defensive glass and interfered with Maxiell getting a
rebound, resulting in
DePaul coming up with the loose ball. It hurt, but it was an
effort play
(how many times have we heard that the guards have to rebound
for this
team?) I'm beginning to look at Bobbitt as an Eric
Martin-like character,
reliving Martin's junior year tribulations. I just hope the
end result
turns out as well as Martin did.

On the whole though, conventional wisdom suggests last night's loss
increases the chances they'll beat Marquette on Saturday.
I'll watch with
great interest to see what kind of defensive adjustments the
staff will
make to get them ready for Wade and co.

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