Zags Record



21-5
More Maui Lessons
Written by JRillie   
Saturday, 28 November 2009 13:13

The Zags locked up their first Maui Invitational title in three tries this week, let's review.

Having spoken to the coaching staff after the victory, Coach Few was very pleased with how the young Zags played in Maui.  Maui and the Preseason NIT are really the premier events and to come home with a title is always impressive.

Even with the championship, there were things the Zags struggled with and must improve upon as the season continues.

1) Bench Production.  All of the Zags talented depth is very young, the roster is loaded with freshmen and sophomores.  It's obvious from watching this team that in two years Kelly Olynyk, Bol Kong, Manny Arop, and G.J. Vilarino are going to be a very very good team.  Throw in Grant Gibbs off the bench and Sam Dower coming off his redshirt and that group is talented.  The problem is that there needs to some production off the bench this season.  Currently we're getting about 12 points and 8 rebounds total per night off the bench.  That's just flat out bad.  When the Zags get into foul trouble we're going to be in a tight spot.

2) I still have no idea what GU is doing on offense.  The Bulldogs average only 11 assists per night and we see quite a bit of one-on-one offense, mostly consisting of pick-and-roll.  There does not seem to be a structure or anything reminiscent of the flex happening on a regular basis; at best we see Few call a set play from the sidelines.  I love pounding the ball into the post to Sacre and Harris as they have so far proven that they are real threats in the post.  Goodson needs to find some consistency in his offensive game and continue to improve his decision making.  It's great that he pushes the ball but going to the rim 1-on-3 is not usually the best decision.  If Meech can find a way to score 10-12 points per game and become an effective distributor with the ball in his hands his value will skyrocket and the Zags will become an even greater threat offensively.

3) Finally, it will interesting to see how the Zags react this week.  With the Cougs and Wake coming up it would be great to see the Zags keep up the defensive intensity and the balanced scoring on offense.  Those two games will be great contests to watch; look for GU to continue to get better leading up to conference play.



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written by Rosco, November 30, 2009
Did the coaches have any comments regarding man to man vs. zone defense? If so, any insight into why our perimiter defense looked weak initially against Colorado but picked up considerably over the second half of that game and the following two games?

Our perimiter D has been a thorn in our side for the past 5-6 years come March. I'm hoping the athleticism of this squad from top to bottom will curb this trend. I also think Sacre's ability to get out to the baseline perimiter quickly plays a a huge role in our ability to defend the 3. The transition from center to baseline then back to center was much slower with Foster leading to a guard being forced to cover on occasion. A quick rotation leaves guys wide open on the opposite wing.

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