Big East News

[UCGRAD4X]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...-1-done-2-none

Big East recommending two or none rule for high school players among other things.

Below that article is one about Duke adopting zone defense being the turn around for this season. The reasoning sounds a lot like the issues Xavier has had.

I know some are saying the zone contributed to the loss. Maybe the zone isn't the problem but how good you are at it. Maybe they should have used it more in league play and gotten better at it.

Just a thought.

[sirthought]

I can appreciate the Big East's suggestions. It sounds like a compromise between what is here now and what baseball does with young prospects.

While I don't think it will really go anywhere, I like the idea of the NCAA + USA Basketball trying to take control over the AAU and non-school-related basketball programs. It may sound like taking on too much, but if there is an overall system of compliance and expectations, kids just might be getting better training and information to prepare them for college or other avenues.

[paulxu]

What happened to Holyland of Hoops?

[xudash]

What happened to Holyland of Hoops?

It's back up Paul.

[smileyy]

I know some are saying the zone contributed to the loss. Maybe the zone isn't the problem but how good you are at it. Maybe they should have used it more in league play and gotten better at it.

I'm surprised that zones didn't see more action this year, given Tre and JP's um...talents...as on-ball defenders.

[muskienick]

I'm surprised that zones didn't see more action this year, given Tre and JP's um...talents...as on-ball defenders.

For a kid who supposedly doesn't play defense too well, JP Macura seemed to have a boatload of steals (49 to lead the team by 17 more than the nearest Muskie "thief") and blocked shots (3rd on the team behind only Sean O'Mara and Tyrique Jones).

[smileyy]

Sure and none of that really speaks to his ability to stay in front of his man.

[dubbledxu]

For a kid who supposedly doesn't play defense too well, JP Macura seemed to have a boatload of steals (49 to lead the team by 17 more than the nearest Muskie "thief") and blocked shots (3rd on the team behind only Sean O'Mara and Tyrique Jones).

Id like to see a stat about how many fouls he had going for steals too.

[muskienick]

Sure and none of that really speaks to his ability to stay in front of his man.

Even when Xavier switched to the 1-3-1 zone, it was JP whom the coaches put out on the point where he routinely caused a lot of havoc for the ball-control guard of the opposing team. Is JP as quick-reacting as Paul Scruggs in the man-D? Probably not if measured by the number of times the staff see-sawed him back and forth (defense/offense) with Scruggs during key portions of a close game. But the fact remains that only points to the advancements made by Freshman Scruggs as the season wore on rather than any grave inabilities on JP's part, especially when we realize that practice was used primarily during the last third of the season when the D-1 high-major game had gotten a lot "slower" for the highly regarded Scruggs. I would have to guess that JP could play significant minutes for most highly regarded programs that routinely receive high seeds (i.e. those with lower numbers) to the NCAA Tourney.

[muskienick]

Id like to see a stat about how many fouls he had going for steals too.

Do statisticians actually categorize fouls based on the exact situation of the infraction? (I.e. Fouled to stop the clock; fouled to force free throws instead of an easy lay-up; fouled because of a failure to keep the opposing player in front of you; etc...)