Deepak is a writer for the Big Ten microsite of RTC. Follow him on Twitter for more about B1G hoops at @dee_b1g.
The full-court press is a dangerous strategy that throws the opposing team out of its rhythm, but once figured out, it leads to easy baskets. That’s what happened in Michigan’s dominating win (78-53) over VCU today. It was clear by the first TV timeout that the Wolverines already understood how to break the Rams’ “havoc” offense. With multiple ball-handlers at his disposal – Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and Nik Stauskas – John Beilein prepared his team to handle a press that forces the most turnovers per possession in the nation. The following are two key observations from today’s game:
- Mitch McGary hit every weak spot of VCU’s defense perfectly. The Rams’ press exposes them on the offensive glass as indicated by a weak 38.9% offensive rebounding percentage, and McGary took advantage of it by pulling down 14 rebounds. He was also at the right spot at the right time throughout the game to help his guards break the defense. Once Burke and Stauskas got past the half-court, McGary consistently attacked the basket with the backdoor to make several easy layups and dunks, helping the the Wolverines build a lead and boosting the team’s early energy. Without Jordan Morgan in the lineup, it was essential for McGary to stay on the court, and he delivered in a big way for Beilein. This game will serve as a great confidence booster for the freshman because the Wolverines need him to be effective against future opponents like Kansas or Florida.
- For the second straight year, the Rams lost to a Big Ten team in the Tournament. Smart is arguably the best coach under the age of 40 in the country and will be a likely candidate for most major job openings over the next couple of seasons. He flirted with the Illinois job last offseason and would have been an excellent candidate to coach the Orange and Blue. But after losing to Indiana and Michigan in the NCAA Tournament the last two years, it is questionable whether his defensive schemes would be as effective in the Big Ten as they are in the A-10 or CAA. The Rams play their man very tightly, but if the ball-handlers are tough enough to lower their shoulder and get past the initial trap, the VCU defense is often helpless in the half-court. The Hoosiers couldn’t figure out the press last season during the first half against VCU, but once they did, they were off to the races to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. The same goes for Burke and company today because they looked extremely comfortable pushing ahead after they figured out a couple of variations of the press. Smart tried to force Burke to the left a couple of times during the second half to trap him, but once Burke adjusted, there was no adequate counter. The “havoc” defense is extremely effective but it needs more variations and adjustments if it were to be applied in a tougher and athletic conference such as the Big Ten.