Attn: Do not Zone UW

[NikeHawk21]

This may sounds counterintuitive, as UW has been shooting rather poorly, and is a post driven team, but I think Zoning them is a very very bad idea.

I've watched them play a lot this year, and they've absolutely dominated when other teams try to zone them. Their team just has too many smart players and really good passers, they can pick apart a zone. Hayes operates in the middle and is a really good passer. If Iowa zones a lot I think they get a lot of easy offense, which isn't smart, considering they are really struggling in half court offense against man to man.

The blueprint has been laid to beat this team. Man to man defense and Double Happ in the post or force him to the middle. If Iowa can get out in transition and get up into the 70s/80s, we will have a very good chance.

 

[SpiderRico]

I don't anticipate zoning Wisky all that much. Fran likes the zone against teams like Maryland that have good quick guards that can get in the lane either on their own or with tons of on-ball screens. Or against teams like Purdue that have a ton of size.

We'll play some zone, obviously, because Fran likes to mix up the defenses....but I don't anticipate going solely zone like we did for the most part against Maryland.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I don't anticipate zoning Wisky all that much. Fran likes the zone against teams like Maryland that have good quick guards that can get in the lane either on their own or with tons of on-ball screens. Or against teams like Purdue that have a ton of size.

We'll play some zone, obviously, because Fran likes to mix up the defenses....but I don't anticipate going solely zone like we did for the most part against Maryland.

Agreed on playing zone to stop quicker guards, but there are a couple more factors that might lead Fran to try it.

UW shooting poorly from the outside. Although they dont have the "size" of a Purdue, they have been a post driven team. Happ likely leads the league in points in the paint. Iowa has played really well the last two games in the zone so Fran may want to stick with it.

 

[NEIChawk]

Ya'll better lay off the "shooting poorly" talk....they may go off like JBo did the other night....

I'm not sure what the answer is. Happ and Hayes work hard down low, rebound, rebound, rebound

 

[Hawkfnntn]

This may sounds counterintuitive, as UW has been shooting rather poorly, and is a post driven team, but I think Zoning them is a very very bad idea.

I've watched them play a lot this year, and they've absolutely dominated when other teams try to zone them. Their team just has too many smart players and really good passers, they can pick apart a zone. Hayes operates in the middle and is a really good passer. If Iowa zones a lot I think they get a lot of easy offense, which isn't smart, considering they are really struggling in half court offense against man to man.

The blueprint has been laid to beat this team. Man to man defense and Double Happ in the post or force him to the middle. If Iowa can get out in transition and get up into the 70s/80s, we will have a very good chance.

Makes sense to me. They don't have a ton of dribble driving guards looking to slash to the hoop. Too bad man to man isn't our strength. I thought we were fairly fortunate that MD wasn't able to hit more 3s then they did. They had a ton of good looks against us. Sometimes they just don't go down. Risking a bunch of open looks to their shooters doesn't appeal to me a ton either.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

It's not going to matter what "defense" (loose use of the word) Hawks play -- Wisconsin is not going to lose 3 in a row and Iowa is not going to get 3 quality wins in a row.

Enjoy that outstanding night on offense and all-around great effort at Maryland - it is a harbinger of 2018 - but prepare for an equally sloppy performance at the Kohl Center that will leave many going WTF? This team is just not ready for that level of consistent success.

Hawks won't be able to match up in the half court and won't be able to break into a transition game. I see this one being close for about 8 minutes before Happ and Hayes begin to dominate and Koenig / Showalter go off.

Double-digit loss 77-63.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Good post players have eaten our lunch most of the season. Happ is good. He's physical and he is good around the basket with great touch. Both Hayes and Happ will absolutely pound you down to the bucket. They did to MSU. I just don't see Cook, Wagner, Pemsl and Kreiner handling them down low. If you double, open threes. You get Cook in foul trouble and Iowa becomes pretty weak defending the post against a big.

I agree about the zone...but the reality is...we may need to keep the ball out of the middle. Put Baer, Williams, Wagner and Uhl on the perimeter to close out and hopefully our length bothers their shooters. Wisconsin will eventually exploit a zone...Hayes in the middle or the seams. They share the ball.

 

[loesshillshawk]

I will guarantee you that we will play more zone than man. Right now pressing back to zone is our best option to win. We cannot contain guards off the dribble.

 

[deanvogs]

I will guarantee you that we will play more zone than man. Right now pressing back to zone is our best option to win. We cannot contain guards off the dribble.

Agreed, We have pretty much become zone 75% of the time or more. The team just stinks at M v M and having 3 poor defenders on the floor at all times almost dictates zone D. Jordan, Pete, Cook and Pemsl are just so bad at man D that I don't see that happening.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I will guarantee you that we will play more zone than man. Right now pressing back to zone is our best option to win. We cannot contain guards off the dribble.

Wisconsin's guards don't beat guys off the dribble much though. Koenig is a shooter and Showalter is a defensive minded guy who shoots 3s. I think Moss can check Koenig in Man to man.

IMO, which was the point if this thread, if we play primarily zone, we will get beaten bad in this one.

 

[atomicblue224]

We are already in this, how do we get out of this zone?