No zone area

[Nacho]

SMU should never play any type of zone defense again. No 1-3 , 2-3, box and 1, triangle or you name it. It's an open invitation to be destroyed by the 3. That said, even using the 1-3-1 and 2-3 at times against Rice, SMU played the 3 much better. It is obvious that the coaches have been stressing this. Go man the whole game.

[ponyte]

Man defense is physically more difficult and we have no depth. To go man an entire game invites a tired team without the ability to compete at the end of the game.

It is a trade off at this time. Until we get more depth, our players have to use a defense that doesn't completely wear us out.

I would love to see man the entire game and maybe we will get back to that level of talent where man D an entire game is possible. But for now, we have to keep our top 5 players at a pace that doesn't deplete them before the end of the game.

[Higher Authority]

They had to go zone against Rice, because Harris was killing SMU down low when he came into the game. However, zone defenses invite 3s, which we all know is scary for SMU. And Rice is a good 3-point shooting team. I thought SMU did a real nice job collapsing on Harris and still bouncing out on the perimeter to guard the 3.

[Nacho]

I agree with the comment about the play of the D in the second half. Harris is a stud who if he were a couple of inchers taller would be a first round NBA PF. An amazing player who is unstoppable down low one on one.

My comment was meant to be more of a generic, we can't play zone and expect to win, if the other team is allowed to stand free shooting 3s at will. I did see some real hussle on D to defend the 3 that I haven't seen from this team or for that matter from any SMU team in a long time.

[50's PONY]

Anyone besides me ever wonder why we don't go after guys like Michael Harris (Hillsboro) and J.R. Harrison (Gainesville)who are right here in our own back yard instead of going to Georgia and Florida? Give it some thought!!!!!!!!!!!

[Owlfred]

You guys ought to run that 1-3-1 you ran against us on Saturday more often. That's what won you the game.

At the onset, SMU was running a man defense that put pressure on the 1 and 2 positions to take away the three. But our Coach Deer-in-the-headlights actually managed a successful strategy to counter that by continually lobbing the ball in to Harris. Consequently, Rice led 29-24 and had the ball when SMU switched from a man to a 1-3-1. SMU then went on a 16-1 run to take a 40-30 lead just before the half. The Rice players were like Willis -- deer in the headlights -- against that 1-3-1, failing to get a shot off on two occasions during that SMU run, taking bad shots, turning the ball over. Dement hade SMU running the 1-3-1 the way it's supposed to be done, matching up on the outside and sagging on the inside. Properly executed, with discipline, the old 1-3-1 can still be a great tool. It was the difference in the game Saturday night.

I'm not sure Willis Wilson even knows what a 1-3-1 is!

[Charleston Pony]

while I'd like to see us deep enough to play more man defense, you have to mix things up during a game to kep the other guys off guard. Sounds like Dement did a good job switching up the D at the right times Saturday. I've always thought having a deep roster is a key to playing great defense, because it is exhausting and will absolutely affect a team's offensive performance.

[Pony_Fan]

Ponies can't play man D all game...it's way to exhausting and it's very important to give the opponents different looks. 1-3-1 has not worked most of the year until the Rice game...you'd think they would have scouted it and worked it well. Harris was doing great down low and then nothing.

We have played too tight in the past and never got out to defend in time. The wings were always open and knocked down there shots. I don't think I have seen any 2-3 zone at all...you have to change things up. I'd even like to see a 3-2 defense or a box and 1 on the hot shooter. I don't think I have ever seen a triangle and 2.


Here's most of the defenses team's use

(half-court man-to-man)
(1-2-1-1 full-court match-up press)
(2-2-1 full-court zone)
(1-3-1 half-court trap)
(1-3-1 match-up zone)
(2-3 zone corner trap)
(3-2 zone)
(box-and-one combination)
(triangle-and-two combination) against 2 good scorers


[This message has been edited by Pony_Fan (edited 02-25-2003).]