JMU Postgame - Learning From Our Mistakes

Sadly, the DU's lowest scoring game in the Flint era was entirely predictable.  We don't need a game story, since we can just use the game preview written in this space:

"Zone defenses are primarily beaten with quick ball movement, perimeter 

shooting and offensive rebounding.  Bru then has two options:  Flood the 

floor with guards who can't shoot, knowing that Allen, London, Wilson and 

Mojica will all get wide open looks from mid range and beyond.  The 

downside is that none of those guys have hit those looks before, and with only one 

forward on the floor against JMU's height, DU won't get any offensive rebounds."

Done and done.  There's a little more to it:  @MedicSBK on twitter made a fantastic point on twitter that since Damion Lee was playing the 4 instead of the 3, he was the one "flashing" in the zone.  That took Drexel's best shooter, put him inside the arc and in a pass first position.  Bru decided to put his best offensive weapon in a pass first position, and in doing so gave a belated Christmas gift to Brady & Company.  To Brady's credit, his Dukes came out in a 3-2 and not a 2-3 zone, inviting the Dragons to pass the ball into the paint, something the Dragons have resisted doing all season.  That trend continued.

Enough is enough, we can beat the offense into the ground but they seem to be doing a fine job of that by themselves.  Here's where I have a beef, from Adam Hermann's Triangle Piece we see Bru's quote:

“From a defensive standpoint, I can’t ask for much more”

For the first 5 minutes of this game, our wayward Dragons took a 9-0 lead while the Dukes couldn't appear to get out of their own way.  JMU tossed the ball out of bounds, they lost the ball out of bounds and they had an offensive foul in the first 3 minutes, while never even getting off a single shot attempt.  After the five minute mark of the game, after JMU got its footing, JMU scored 54 points in 51 possessions, a 1.05 points per possession pace.  Drexel's offense has only done 1.05ppp or better 3 times this season.

The Dukes shot 62% from inside the arc in this game, which is consistent with what the Drexel defense has allowed since they went to the four guard lineup.  Bru will tell you that his defense doesn't force turnovers, it is just designed to not give up shots.  JMU shot the ball just fine.  As a matter of fact, they shot the ball so well that they turned over the ball 18 times, and still put up 54 points in 35 minutes.

Don't like numbers?  Watch the Dukes run the same play 5 times (hat tip, anonymous emailer) early in the second half and get open shots all 5 times.  Watch how many times Bah has to show on a screen so far from the basket that he, the only big man on the floor, has no chance to get back to the basket in time to guard someone in a paint.  Which is why, despite Mohamed and Damion's best efforts, JMU ended with 26 points in the paint and 13 from the line.  They outscored the Dragons with shots from the paint alone.

“From a defensive standpoint, I can’t ask for much more”

Ouch.