Bay Area Billiken Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 We are a defense first team as are many of the most successful coaches in the country and they get good players. It isn't going to change. Hey Bay Area, of course you want to play uptempo you live on the West Coast. It's a mentality West runs, East smacks you upside your head. I don't care about this season, just keep learning and building for the future. Yes, the master plan got pushed back a year. Too late to change that. You've got a point re the East-West. Yes, I see these teams run out here, get up and down the floor. And I wonder why our SLU team can't do that. I might be thinking with my heart more than my head, but I still really think our talent at SLU is as good as a team like St. Mary's. And yet they win playing in a 3,500 seat/bleacher de facto high school gym, they go to the NCAA, even make the Sweet 16 last season, and we get The Situation and then debate our plight on this Board. Randy Bennett was Lorenzo Romar's "Defensive Coordinator" at SLU. He has done a truly remarkable job at SMC, taking over a team that was at the bottom of the bottom. His teams play an exciting brand of basketball, caught the national attention last season. I don't see why SLU isn't ahead of a St. Mary's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 You've got a point re the East-West. Yes, I see these teams run out here, get up and down the floor. And I wonder why our SLU team can't do that. I might be thinking with my heart more than my head, but I still really think our talent at SLU is as good as a team like St. Mary's. And yet they win playing in a 3,500 seat/bleacher de facto high school gym, they go to the NCAA, even make the Sweet 16 last season, and we get The Situation and then debate our plight on this Board. Randy Bennett was Lorenzo Romar's "Defensive Coordinator" at SLU. He has done a truly remarkable job at SMC, taking over a team that was at the bottom of the bottom. His teams play an exciting brand of basketball, caught the national attention last season. I don't see why SLU isn't ahead of a St. Mary's. Another team in the West, former SLU Coach Lorenzo Romar's Washington Huskies don't play a slow down game either. UW was ranked 17th before losing at Stanford last night. I might go see them play Sunday night v. Cal in Berkeley. Is it cast in stone that the SLU team must be defense first, conservative on offense? Really, it's been that way just about as long as I've followed the team, with some variances in terms of SLU teams that could points on the board, mostly under Coach Spoonhour. One of the greatest nights of my Billiken fandom was when SLU blew out Cal in St. Louis under Spoon. One of the Old Blues was on my case the next morning, claiming the Billikens were shooting 3 pointers with a 20 point lead against his beloved Golden Bears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I would offer that basketball offense takes skill ---- talent, if you will. Defense and rebounding are always talked about as desire ---- desire can be a learned skill. Given that historically we never have been (and never will be) a program that gets more skill than it can handle (ala Duke, Kentucky, UNC .... even Xavier and Dayton when it comes to athleticism) defense will always ne our equalizer. But I agree, adapt or die. I think a successful coach will always be one that can adap to subtle nuances of the current game. That is kind of why I don't think Penn State will ever contend for a national title given the current regime and bloodline. Look at the Dayton mention for example. They usually lose when talent levels equal out and Gregory has to turn to skills and coaching ability. Dayton kids usually can't shoot outside two to four feet. Chris Wright is the same player now that he was four years ago. They will lose a skill game; they will not lose an athletic contest. Calipari's teams usually lose when talent levels equal out --- he can't coach either. We are still not a team that can impose our will and our style on anyone. We need to be the ones that adapt ---- isn't that what film and startegy and scouting sessions are supposed to be used for? I would assume RM is best suited for his "style" and for that he needs to get "his" players who fit that "style." Time and the jury are still out. If we realize what we expect for next year, then it will be "put up or shut up" time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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