Press Virginia

[bbwvfan]

In recent days, Anotherwvufan has been challenging me on my opinion that WVU's use of the press this year was a mistake.

WVU did not have the quality of depth this year that it had enjoyed the first 3 years it had been used. Since its installment, Huggs has stated its effectiveness was based on the fact that our 10 were better than your 10.

This year, WVU did not have a quality 10.

So... do I base my opinion on facts? Always...

When you have a bench short on quality, is it preferable to keep your best players on the court? There can be no debate. WVU had a huge drop off at guard and center this year. In Press Virginia, WVU was ranked #341 in fouls/defensive play. Could we afford to have Dax, JC or Sags get in foul trouble this year? No.

Press Virginia did not just stop at midcourt. Huggs has his point man set up traps early in the opponent's possession once the offense crosses. Our trapping defense lead to wide open shooters all season long. WVU's FG% defense was ranked #74. That put us behind our conference rivals... TT, BU, KU and UT. Outside of KU and UT... you won't find a whole lot of 4star and 5star players filling those rosters.

Even worse for our defensive stats this year, our 3pt FG% was ranked #317. Again, easy for teams to break our press and half court traps lead to wide open looks for our opponents all season.

A positive for our defensive pressure... opponent TO's. WVU ranked #5 in the country. WVU's opponents averaged 16.5 TO/gm. This number was down from last year's average of 20/gm. The next best rival... TT... averaged 15/gm. OSU was 3rd in conference at 14.5.

Our scoring defense was not tops in the conference. TT and KSU... teams with similar athletes and composition to ours... finished higher.

Most troubling for me, and one of the clearest facts defining the lack of impact of this year's press... our 2nd half scoring deficit. I was asked if WVU could have won games without the press? I now say... hell yes.

In almost every game WVU lost this year, their 2nd half scoring deficit lead to the outcome. Why was the 2nd half deficit so pronounced this year? Lack of quality depth... WVU starters on the bench in foul trouble... opponents not having to go deep into their bench... WVU wearing down in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Anotherwvufan]

I’d be interested to see how this board thinks. I won’t go into hours of research like bbDad, but from watching most home games in person, I did note the momentum changes and scoring runs this team had with turnovers, and easy scores from the press.

I agree that this team did not have the depth we had last year. Your stats prove the point that we were not a good half court team. We had two experienced pressing guards. Steals blocks and offensive rebounds are what helped us get to the B12 finals and the sweet 16.

No excuses, press/ no press we are far from the talent level we faced against nova, Kansas, or Kentucky. I was impressed with the 15 game win streak, #2 ranking and good finish. I’m really proud of how this team exceeded my expectations. I doubt this success would have come without Press Virginia.

Finally, from a fan perspective, the press makes the game more fun to watch

 

[bbwvfan]

How long did it take you to type your post Another? That is how long it took me to research for mine. LOL...

My stats had nothing to do with our half court defense had we been playing straight up man. As I stated, our half court defense fell victim to two faults... 1. We continued to try to trap 40 feet away from the basket early in the opponent's possession, and 2. Because so much time/energy was spent on pressure/traps, the kids did not work on the fundamentals of help defense enough. Instead of playing disciplined man defense, our kids played helter skelter.

In fact, when Press Virginia was rendered useless in many of our games... Huggs peeled back the press, and WVU ran very good man. You had one of the greatest perimeter defenders in the country. Why not utilize his talents better. We've all seen what Dax can do in straight up man. Why not utilize his talents better?

Most people who understand basketball know that the Press was successful or not successful because of the head of it. That was the role played by Harris and West. You know this right? Their predecessors... Adrian and Holton taught you that... or should have.

Another keeps bringing up the talent disparity between WVU and blue bloods like UK, KU or Nova. Didn't our HOF coach tell WVU fans and media when he was hired there was no reason top talent couldn't be recruited to Morgantown? Has the press helped us overcome the disparity against those opponents?

Beilein had what kind of athletic talent at WVU? He had no trouble beating Nova. The Huggs team that beat UK in the Elite 8 certainly didn't have 5 future 1st rounders on it like their opponent.

Glad you enjoyed being a ticket holder this season. Going 15-1 was pretty much expected wasn't it? WVU was a heavy favorite to beat A&M... was expected to give UofV a tough game in Motown. The rest of the schedule was garbage. One of the weakest non-conf in the country. One of the main reasons WVU landed as a 5 seed. Our HOF coach put that weak ass schedule together for you to enjoy. Would have been a huge disappointment for all WVU fans if they hadn't gone 15-1... but, maybe not Anotherwvufan...

 

[Anotherwvufan]

We can argue until we are blue in the face while nobody else seem to care. Similar to the argument about the 3-3-5 in football. The only way to know is to run it the other way. We can speculate as much as we want.

The press served us well this year. Most of our losses were due to our failure to keep a lead and score in the last minutes of games. Press Virginia is our identity and I am glad we have it and our great coach.

Feel free to put in the last word bbDad, you always do.

 

[mad2mc]

Great or Elite?

 

[bbwvfan]

Great or Elite?

Our press was neither...

 

[mad2mc]

Our press was neither...

Coach - Great or Elite? Some say ‘Great’, others say’Elite’.

 

[Slaton10]

Well back from VACATION boys and what a finish to the Tourney....

So my thoughts vary about the Press...first is and I know many will be saying that I am throwing mud in some convoluted way that will come back to my love for Dana but trust me it has nothing to do with it....I back Dana only from the perspective he will never be judged in the same manner Huggins is...our future HOF Coach..speaking of that....it appears our last Head Basketball Coach who literally saved the program from a dumpster fire and led the program to a NIT Championship Sweet 16 and Elite 8 and which nobody made any investment for him to stay thinking in the back of their minds Huggins would come home...well he did...and Jon Beilein just had his team play for a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP for the SECOND TIME!.....Huggins in case you have forgotten...has NEVER played for the NC...so who is more of an ELITE Coach?


As far as the current scheme..first I don't understand why Huggins can't recruit shooters that can be consistent from outside the arc..or depth.

I don't want to hear its Wv its tough to get kids to Morgantown BS...

Villanova who just won the NC for the SECOND time in 3 years has an Athletic Budget of $31 million dollars and its campus is in nowhere Radnor Township Pa!!

Excuse the diatribe...but as we have seen over the last few years with the AVERAGE talent Wv brings in and their AVERAGE ability to consistently shoot the rock their scoring percentage average is always at the bottom of D1 due to the wear down factor...and has shown that it is unsustainable in BACK TO BACK games or games played within 2 days of each other...

IMHO no matter if they can go 10 deep other than Arkansas back in the day its never going to produce a NC for this program...history tells us so...

I say scrap the Press...play hard from Mid Court...cut the rotation down to 8 ....and learn how to shoot the ball..

 

[bbwvfan]

Coach - Great or Elite? Some say ‘Great’, others say’Elite’.

He is considered a future HOF Coach. He must be elite... right?

It would be nice if he ever did anything for us that would be considered so...

 

[bbwvfan]

Well back from VACATION boys and what a finish to the Tourney....

So my thoughts vary about the Press...first is and I know many will be saying that I am throwing mud in some convoluted way that will come back to my love for Dana but trust me it has nothing to do with it....I back Dana only from the perspective he will never be judged in the same manner Huggins is...our future HOF Coach..speaking of that....it appears our last Head Basketball Coach who literally saved the program from a dumpster fire and led the program to a NIT Championship Sweet 16 and Elite 8 and which nobody made any investment for him to stay thinking in the back of their minds Huggins would come home...well he did...and Jon Beilein just had his team play for a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP for the SECOND TIME!.....Huggins in case you have forgotten...has NEVER played for the NC...so who is more of an ELITE Coach?


As far as the current scheme..first I don't understand why Huggins can't recruit shooters that can be consistent from outside the arc..or depth.

I don't want to hear its Wv its tough to get kids to Morgantown BS...

Villanova who just won the NC for the SECOND time in 3 years has an Athletic Budget of $31 million dollars and its campus is in nowhere Radnor Township Pa!!

Excuse the diatribe...but as we have seen over the last few years with the AVERAGE talent Wv brings in and their AVERAGE ability to consistently shoot the rock their scoring percentage average is always at the bottom of D1 due to the wear down factor...and has shown that it is unsustainable in BACK TO BACK games or games played within 2 days of each other...

IMHO no matter if they can go 10 deep other than Arkansas back in the day its never going to produce a NC for this program...history tells us so...

I say scrap the Press...play hard from Mid Court...cut the rotation down to 8 ....and learn how to shoot the ball..

If the press is scrapped, Another won’t enjoy watching them as much...

Isn’t he an attorney? Where the fuck he get his degree?

He won’t respond to comments asking about Huggs’ ability to recruit. What’s up with that?

 

[Anotherwvufan]

If the press is scrapped, Another won’t enjoy watching them as much... very true, we would lose our identity Press Virginia, that is who we are. Guarding full court also makes the game more interesting and fun to watch.

Isn’t he an attorney? Where the fuck he get his degree? WVU. And he got to sit throug the Catlett years.

He won’t respond to comments asking about Huggs’ ability to recruit. What’s up with that?[/QUOTE
I’ve responded with the same excuse you and Slaton give for Holgerson. Has B.B. recruiting ever been better.