The GSW, the BE and recruiting

[GumbyDamnit!]

You can't help noticing the change in makeup and success of some of the BE teams so far this year.

X - out Stainbrook and Dee Davis. In Reynolds/Farr and Sumner. Change from a plodding half court team to a dynamic team with attacking guards, athletic bigs and interchangeable wings with some length (Blueitt, Abel, Macura). Spread the floor and get after you on defense.

PC - Out DeRosiers and Harris. In Bentil, Fazekas and Bullock. Dynamic, long lead guard and a team that can spread the floor, switch on D and get after you with quickness and effort.

G'town - Smith, Hopkins out and Derrickson, Cameron joins Copeland, Peak and White. Long, athletic, interchangeable along the wings. DSR as the lead. Much more dynamic.

Butler- Chrabasz (not a prototypical 5 by any means) and Martin can stretch the floor to join Lewis, Jones and KD to spread out a D and attack from outside in.

SHU - Skilled mobile big in Delgado and 4 guard/wings who can all attack. They may need another year but the makeup of their team is undeniable.

Nova - The 4 out, one in is the cornerstone of JW's philosophy. Mobile big, spread the floor, switch on D. But even his recruiting is changing. He's adding more length to his normal bevy of guards. Bridges, Paschall, Delaney, Spellman. All long, athletic who can fire from deep.

CU with McD and Wragge, SJU last year with 4 out, one in.

The only team that may not follow the blueprint currently is Marq. But the best Marquette teams in the past were the ones with Matthews and Butler, and Jae Crowder and those were perfect examples of what now works in this game. Terrible to say but I wonder if Wojo would be better served playing Ellenson at the 5 solely and sending Fisher to the bench for backup duty. Then again what MU seems to lack is that one stud lead guard.

I think the Golden State Warriors are validating what many have suspected is happening with the game of basketball. Spread it and fire from deep. Granted they have Steph Curry but gone are the days of teams like the Celtics with McHale and Parrish and we are no longer the Conference of Ewing, Mutombo, Wennington, and Pinone. Our best players are long, can shoot, can play and guard multiple positions and can take advantage of the shortened shot clock and freedom of movement rules.

So far so good but am loving the style of play we're seeing from this conf this year.

[Edrick]

Just a small correction, but Chrabascz plays the 4 for Butler. Tyler Wideman starts at the 5 and is averaging 10.7/6.1. Martin is playing 6 man at mostly 3 (Jones can play point) but some 4.

[stever20]

I think the change isn't just the Big East, but it's all over college basketball...

and nothing symbolized it more than last Wednesday. Cincy and Butler played a game and it was 50-43. In just the 2nd half. It was up and down, really fun to watch. That right there tells you a whole lot about where college basketball has changed and where it's going. 1-2 years ago, that's a rock fight.

I guess it's somewhat comparable to college football with all the spread offenses. The question is, is there something out there that's the equiv. to Jim Harbaugh or Nick Saban. I'm seeing that less in basketball than we see in football.

[Friar82]

Add Ladonte Henton to the list of departures (Desrosiers, Harris, Chukwu) at PC since last season. "Buckets" was a stat stuffer (+2000pts; +1000 rebounds) for the Friars.

[warriorfan4life]

I think Marquette is fine playing Ellenson and Fischer together at the 4 and 5, as Ellenson has an inside-out game and is comfortable spreading the floor and allowing Fischer to park on the interior. However, if forced to bench one of the them (if neither is in foul trouble or injured), it would easily be Ellenson in my eyes. Fischer is the rock of the Marquette team and does a good job of controlling the inside on both ends of the floor. He is a traditional, back-to-the basket player, but runs the floor very well and moves pretty well for a guy his size. Marquette will likely look different next year with Ellenson in the NBA, and play exclusively 4 around 1 with Fischer on the inside, and then I believe that Fischer will get his just due for the overall impact he has on games.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I think the change isn't just the Big East, but it's all over college basketball...

and nothing symbolized it more than last Wednesday. Cincy and Butler played a game and it was 50-43. In just the 2nd half. It was up and down, really fun to watch. That right there tells you a whole lot about where college basketball has changed and where it's going. 1-2 years ago, that's a rock fight.

I guess it's somewhat comparable to college football with all the spread offenses. The question is, is there something out there that's the equiv. to Jim Harbaugh or Nick Saban. I'm seeing that less in basketball than we see in football.

UVA & SD State are two that come to mind.

[stever20]

I think the change isn't just the Big East, but it's all over college basketball...

and nothing symbolized it more than last Wednesday. Cincy and Butler played a game and it was 50-43. In just the 2nd half. It was up and down, really fun to watch. That right there tells you a whole lot about where college basketball has changed and where it's going. 1-2 years ago, that's a rock fight.

I guess it's somewhat comparable to college football with all the spread offenses. The question is, is there something out there that's the equiv. to Jim Harbaugh or Nick Saban. I'm seeing that less in basketball than we see in football.

UVA & SD State are two that come to mind.

Good point. Even there though- Fisher won't be around much longer. Interesting parallel between Harbaugh and Bennett.

[jckund]

This is interesting... and something I've thought about with Nova (4 out, 1 in) but not really the other BE teams. It's true though and college hoops has been shifting that way in general. More mobile, better shooting big men combined with guards that can penetrate. It works with the Warriors but again it really depends on personnel. They have Curry and Green. The Grizzlies or Spurs wouldn't be able to execute the same way. As such, a team like Marquette shouldn't be playing that way (they should play to their strengths, which appears to be playing both Ellenson and Fischer). Tough to say whether this 4 out, 1 in model will result in a new winning formula for college teams... Wisconsin/Kentucky were both very successful last season without playing this way.

[GumbyDamnit!]

This is interesting... and something I've thought about with Nova (4 out, 1 in) but not really the other BE teams. It's true though and college hoops has been shifting that way in general. More mobile, better shooting big men combined with guards that can penetrate. It works with the Warriors but again it really depends on personnel. They have Curry and Green. The Grizzlies or Spurs wouldn't be able to execute the same way. As such, a team like Marquette shouldn't be playing that way (they should play to their strengths, which appears to be playing both Ellenson and Fischer). Tough to say whether this 4 out, 1 in model will result in a new winning formula for college teams... Wisconsin/Kentucky were both very successful last season without playing this way.

Agree with a lot of what you say but overall BB has become a perimeter dominated game. The teams with the guys that are most capable with the ball in their hands, are the most dangerous. You see teams in the NCAA with the best lead guard going on runs (see UCONN in 2 of the past 5 years with Napier and Walker). And the 3 pt line has become the great equalizer vs. height. Wisc's best player was a do everything big who thrived as much on the perimeter as he did inside. UK is UK. They usually just overwhelm you with talent at every position and let the best players play. Also interesting is that I think Duke won that game last year when they took out Okafor and inserted G. Allen. Jones and Allen spread the floor and took over with quickness and tenacity.

I know you need height; I'm not blind to that. But I guess my overall point of the post is to point to teams like X (without Stainbrook) and Gtown (without Smith), PC (without Harris & Derossiers as slow front court players), and maybe even Nova (without Pinkston), and I think all are arguably better teams this year because it allows them to spread the floor and extend defensively. That style seems to fit the new rules of the game and the shorter shot clock as well.

[stever20]

the 3 point shot thinking has totally changed..
this year 77 teams are taking at least 40% of their shots as 3's...
5 years ago that number was 35
10 years ago 29

heck- just last year the number was only 45. New rules really changing that big time.