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Bustout

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The NFL has shifted to offense-first over the past 20 years.  Saban said something similar recently about College Football being offense-focused now too.  My question is - is it happening (or has it happened) in college hoops too?   
 

It seems the teams that win it all, are always ranked high in both O and D in metrics - like KenPom. 
 

IU obviously had CTC ... offense was great, but D was so bad that switching defenses three times in one possession was the solution.  Also - I don’t think CTC was a great, long-term program builder.   S16 one year, nothing for two years, etc.  

Could an offense-first philosophy with a good program builder be where it’s going (or has gone)?   
 

recently, Virginia won it with D, but look at some of the top teams this year .... Creighton, ILL, Iowa, etc. Heavy offense.  
 

I haven’t watched enough Gonzaga nor many other teams outside B1G.  
 

I’m guessing/assuming balance is really a must and you need both to ultimately win it all.   But just curious.  

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Yeah but come tournament time at least some of the offensive juggernauts won’t last long. Iowa is a perfect example-they can beat anyone, but one bad shooting night and they’re done for. And it’s really hard to have 6 great shooting games in a row. When those bad shooting games inevitably come what will they fall back on? Cuz it definitely won’t be their defense.

I think you have to have some semblance of balance with one being elite and the other above average at the least. Gonzaga is no. 1 offense currently per KenPom and top 25 d.

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5 hours ago, madmax said:

Yeah but come tournament time at least some of the offensive juggernauts won’t last long. Iowa is a perfect example-they can beat anyone, but one bad shooting night and they’re done for. And it’s really hard to have 6 great shooting games in a row. When those bad shooting games inevitably come what will they fall back on? Cuz it definitely won’t be their defense.

I think you have to have some semblance of balance with one being elite and the other above average at the least. Gonzaga is no. 1 offense currently per KenPom and top 25 d.

True, but Iowa has a plethora of players that can shoot.  You have to guard them all.  If one player is off, another will step up.

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2 hours ago, IowaHoosierFan said:

Iowa should be a final four team. Can they get there, I doubt it, just don't think Fran can get them there

I think their ceiling is s16 or e8 at best. Hope I’m wrong, but inevitably they will play a team who can lock them up and they’ll miss shots and they’ll lose. Fran, in my mind, is actually pretty similar to Crean. Has a knack for developing a really strong team every three or four years that can win a ton of games, even the Big Ten, but isn’t built for postseason success.

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19 minutes ago, madmax said:

I think their ceiling is s16 or e8 at best. Hope I’m wrong, but inevitably they will play a team who can lock them up and they’ll miss shots and they’ll lose. Fran, in my mind, is actually pretty similar to Crean. Has a knack for developing a really strong team every three or four years that can win a ton of games, even the Big Ten, but isn’t built for postseason success.

Yeah i agree.  Just think though, Iowa could by all accounts return every single player again next year if they all wanted to come back.  Just think Garza Weisman and Bohannon another year older again.  They could be scary good again next year if Garza decides to take his free year

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Could be, but I highly doubt Garza comes back. What little upside he has in the NBA is only going to diminish with time, because there is little he can add to his game at this point. His deficiencies are physical, not skill based. I think he goes pro, probably makes summer league, and hopefully sticks on a roster somewhere or goes overseas.

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On 12/27/2020 at 10:54 PM, madmax said:

I think their ceiling is s16 or e8 at best. Hope I’m wrong, but inevitably they will play a team who can lock them up and they’ll miss shots and they’ll lose. Fran, in my mind, is actually pretty similar to Crean. Has a knack for developing a really strong team every three or four years that can win a ton of games, even the Big Ten, but isn’t built for postseason success.

Now you have me imagining Crean blowing his stack like Fran....and that thought is hysterical. 

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Short answer to me - yes, it’s been moving to offense first. 
You generally can’t win in March without a top 25 D, that’s long-proven, but the game has more and more emphasized shooting, and deep shooting with the metrics, and length and quickness at the wing.
 

The defense first teams in the end will lose, you have to be able to score. Balance remains key but the emphasis leans to offense. We’re seeing that in a microcosm in our games. We need more balanced scoring and the guards/wings to step up their efficiency or we lose. 

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2 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Short answer to me - yes, it’s been moving to offense first. 
You generally can’t win in March without a top 25 D, that’s long-proven, but the game has more and more emphasized shooting, and deep shooting with the metrics, and length and quickness at the wing.
 

The defense first teams in the end will lose, you have to be able to score. Balance remains key but the emphasis leans to offense. We’re seeing that in a microcosm in our games. We need more balanced scoring and the guards/wings to step up their efficiency or we lose. 

I agree and will add this...you have to be good/great at the transition game.  

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Just now, rico said:

I agree and will add this...you have to be good/great at the transition game.  

Yes good point. 
Related also, recruiting and getting the best players. Elite prospects don’t want to go to a program to win ugly. They want to run and gun. They’re looking to programs that are suited to scoring, to a “fun” game.

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19 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Yes good point. 
Related also, recruiting and getting the best players. Elite prospects don’t want to go to a program to win ugly. They want to run and gun. They’re looking to programs that are suited to scoring, to a “fun” game.

Absolutely.  Iowa is a "fun" team.

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1 hour ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Yes good point. 
Related also, recruiting and getting the best players. Elite prospects don’t want to go to a program to win ugly. They want to run and gun. They’re looking to programs that are suited to scoring, to a “fun” game.

Agree. Sounded like Mason Miller likes Creightons bomb from deep offense.  

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