No. 2 Scoring Offense in Big XII hoops

[pressvirginia]

2014-15 Big XII men's basketball - Scoring Offense

1. Iowa State (77.8)
2. West Virginia (72.6)
3. Oklahoma (71.5)
4. Kansas (71.1)
5. Baylor (69.1)

No, not much separation between 2-5, but still crazy to think when WVU's team FG percentage (.408) ranked 9/10, just ahead of Texas Tech (.405).

Free throw percentage (.662) finished 8/10. 3-point FG percentage (.316) ranked last in league play.

Shows how important it was to get more shots than opposition, to score off turnovers and of course offense rebound.

Thoughts on the offense moving forward? What would you like to see more of? Less of?

Or is it fine as is?

 

[Clyde0926]

2014-15 Big XII men's basketball - Scoring Offense

1. Iowa State (77.8)
2. West Virginia (72.6)
3. Oklahoma (71.5)
4. Kansas (71.1)
5. Baylor (69.1)

No, not much separation between 2-5, but still crazy to think when WVU's team FG percentage (.408) ranked 9/10, just ahead of Texas Tech (.405).

Free throw percentage (.662) finished 8/10. 3-point FG percentage (.316) ranked last in league play.

Shows how important it was to get more shots than opposition, to score off turnovers and of course offense rebound.

Thoughts on the offense moving forward? What would you like to see more of? Less of?

Or is it fine as is?

I'm sticking with the idea that if we hit more outside shots it makes us more difficult to defend in every way. Look we don't have the big bangers down low so help them with knocking down shots.

 

[skygusty]

I'd like to see Adrian and Holton taking more 12 foot shots, Williams dunking more often, having a couple of legitimate 3 point threats, and saying WOW a lot about the newest recruits. Would like to see a point guard with the pull up jump shot in his bag of tricks and 15 guys playing defense like last year. I can't wait to see how this team develops.

 

[Jp WVU]

We needed to improve our perimeter shooting and this recruiting class addressed this issue.

 

[BackpageNews]

Imagine what the average would have looked like if The guys were true scorers.

 

[mtneerinraleigh]

Imagine what the average would have looked like if The guys were true scorers.

or if we made all of our layups! lol

 

[BackpageNews]

or if we made all of our layups! lol

As simple as it sounds, rebound the ball and make your free throws and layups will equal wins. True for grade school through college.

 

[michi-mountie]

How about more lay-ups and dunk off fast breaks and press created turn-overs?

 

[pressvirginia]

Getting more free throw attempts and making more would be ideal. Energy expended on defense likely has some to do with the misses.

Being the aggressor on offense and getting the opposition in foul trouble is that dual threat. Take completely uncontested, what should be high percentage shots at the line. Make them & give yourself a chance to set up the press.

It seems drawing fouls improves as basketball IQs advance with experience. Some guys - like a James Harden at the pro level - are experts at this.

 

[pressvirginia]

The bread & butter will likely again be crashing the offensive glass. Gimmes in transition should be important & aplenty.

Dunks/quick cash-ins rev up the crowd & demoralize the opposition's will. Some of those steals-then-transition-buckets spark runs that mean the difference in the game. As we saw in 2014-15, some opponents show the tendency to give up when they're repeatedly/aggressively taken out of what they want to do.

If the 3-balls aren't even mildly consistently made, I'd like to see fewer of them & instead a concerted effort to go inside whether dumping down to Williams & Holton in the low post or having the guards drive it in, finish or draw a foul. If driving lanes or penetrating ability isn't quite there, go with the off ball curl screens that get a guy attacking the rim downhill off the bounce pass. Fouls often result that way.

Should see a lot of improvement from the year 1 to 2 guys and contributions from the newcomers. In replacing Staten, the leading scorer of two years, I'd expect Williams will become the focal point of the offense. He can hurt you both in high and low post situations.

What'd be kind of a wild card is if Holton could develop into Williams' consistent running mate in the front court offense. Gotta stay outta foul trouble. If Holton could bring out a 4 away from the paint by showing ability to hit a 3 - or even showing ability as a passer off pick & roll high post - things may really start to click.

 

[Vernon]

The bread & butter will likely again be crashing the offensive glass. Gimmes in transition should be important & aplenty.

Dunks/quick cash-ins rev up the crowd & demoralize the opposition's will. Some of those steals-then-transition-buckets spark runs that mean the difference in the game. As we saw in 2014-15, some opponents show the tendency to give up when they're repeatedly/aggressively taken out of what they want to do.

If the 3-balls aren't even mildly consistently made, I'd like to see fewer of them & instead a concerted effort to go inside whether dumping down to Williams & Holton in the low post or having the guards drive it in, finish or draw a foul. If driving lanes or penetrating ability isn't quite there, go with the off ball curl screens that get a guy attacking the rim downhill off the bounce pass. Fouls often result that way.

Should see a lot of improvement from the year 1 to 2 guys and contributions from the newcomers. In replacing Staten, the leading scorer of two years, I'd expect Williams will become the focal point of the offense. He can hurt you both in high and low post situations.

What'd be kind of a wild card is if Holton could develop into Williams' consistent running mate in the front court offense. Gotta stay outta foul trouble. If Holton could bring out a 4 away from the paint by showing ability to hit a 3 - or even showing ability as a passer off pick & roll high post - things may really start to click.

I've enjoyed your basketball posts, always good to have some solid hoops discussion.

 

[pressvirginia]

glad to be here

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

The bread & butter will likely again be crashing the offensive glass. Gimmes in transition should be important & aplenty.

Dunks/quick cash-ins rev up the crowd & demoralize the opposition's will. Some of those steals-then-transition-buckets spark runs that mean the difference in the game. As we saw in 2014-15, some opponents show the tendency to give up when they're repeatedly/aggressively taken out of what they want to do.

If the 3-balls aren't even mildly consistently made, I'd like to see fewer of them & instead a concerted effort to go inside whether dumping down to Williams & Holton in the low post or having the guards drive it in, finish or draw a foul. If driving lanes or penetrating ability isn't quite there, go with the off ball curl screens that get a guy attacking the rim downhill off the bounce pass. Fouls often result that way.

Should see a lot of improvement from the year 1 to 2 guys and contributions from the newcomers. In replacing Staten, the leading scorer of two years, I'd expect Williams will become the focal point of the offense. He can hurt you both in high and low post situations.

What'd be kind of a wild card is if Holton could develop into Williams' consistent running mate in the front court offense. Gotta stay outta foul trouble. If Holton could bring out a 4 away from the paint by showing ability to hit a 3 - or even showing ability as a passer off pick & roll high post - things may really start to click.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

WVU can't be a one-horse shay. I LOVED last season's team for its ferocious pressing from beginning to end of the game. But you have to be able to do something when you make the other guy turn the ball over. I don't go by shooting percentage; I go by possession percentage. If you score 40% of the time, does it really matter whether you did it on the first or third shot? The point total is the same.
I though Huggins did one of his best jobs last season. But Devin Williams needs to continue, as he did last season, so that the defense is aware of him. Then a couple of someones have to be able to pop in 3's. That makes the opponents crazy because they can't crowd the paint without dying to the 3's and they can't be tight on the outsider shooters without opening up the paint points. It's like football: You have to be good at all 3 sides of the ball, not just one or two.
I have much more faith in Huggins than I do in Dana simply because Huggins has shown that he CAN get WVU to be a Big 12 and NCAA tournament contender, but Dana has not . . . yet.

If Dana succeeds, I'm happy because that means WVU succeeds. But this is his FIFTH season. It's way past time for conclusive results. I hate dumping a coach because that means more years of letting the next guy try to figure out how to win.

Since WVU isn't going to get Nick Saban or Urban Myer to come to Morgantown as head coach, our best hope is for Dana's learning curve, particularly in critical stages of a game, to escalate.

 

[pressvirginia]

Good points. I agree, Huggins turned in one of his best career coaching jobs in quickly assembling, molding and unleashing Press Virginia. An about face from the 2 prior seasons in terms of success, playing style and attitude. He'd not pressed since early years at Cincy. The throwback instantly steered the program back in the right direction. Football, to your points, could stand to do the same, but that's another discussion.

When they pressed for 40 minutes against Shepherd - an exhibition game - I thought gee that's odd to insist on for a meaningless exhibition contest. If they're doing that to Shepherd for 40 minutes, it's not going to be something that's just on occasion.

Maybe with more experience & with the new guys FT% will increase, but I'm just not sure if being a good foul shooting team coincides with playing with such defensive intensity, force and pace for entire seasons. The 3s to me should improve or if not be attempted at less frequency. Yes, important to open up the lane & to counter zones, but they have the least likely chance of going in for any team. Poor shot selection often is tied to 3s & settling a lot on perimeter attempts.

I believe the offense will continue to evolve & show its multi-facets inside & out. Am content with the positives including offensive rebounding, dialing up D.Williams and scoring points off turnovers. Can't wait to see what Ahmad & Myers bring as well.