We’re three months into the 2013-14 season and the more vocal critics of the new hand-check and block/charge rules are beginning to quiet down. (See C.J. Moore and Matt Norlander’s recent columns.) Compared to last year at the same point in time, fouls are up by only four while scoring has increased by six, and most games have been completed in less than two hours.
I happen to think that the rule changes are the best thing to happen to college basketball in a long time. Eventually the players will more fully adapt, learning that defense is played with one’s feet and heart, not with arms, hands, and hips.
In any event, some coaches are turning to various forms of the zone defense in an attempt to cut down on fouls and keep their starters in the game. In early December, using statistics compiled by Synergy Sports Technology, The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen reported that the use of zones was up by a 6% since last year with Top-25 teams facing zones on nearly 24% for their half-court sets.
If that news sparks your interest in the zone defense, here’s an in-depth look at the most comprehensive match-up ever devised.
Click here to read Rediscovering Gene Sullivan’s Matching Zone Defense, Part I
Coach: Wow! This is more complicated than the article in Time this week on quantum physics. Clearly a labor of love for you! Stump
Mark I don’t know what Steve Fisher is doing at San Diego State but it is fun watching in San Diego.
Carl, thanks for visiting the site. I, too, enjoy San Diego State. Love their style of play.
when will part 2 come out? loved part 1.
Coach, thanks for reading the post. Probably not until next fall. Have some other topics I want to explore first, then I’ll double back to the match up. Thanks again!
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Mark,
I went to Gene Sullivan’s basketball camp at Loyola academy after 8th grade in 1966.I played at Loyola Academy under John O’Loughlin’s bother, Coach Jimmy O’Laughlin, using Sullivan’s offense on Freshman Sophomore teams in 67 and 68. I was the only Sophomore on the ’68 varsity. It was one of the saddest days in my life when Geno went to Notre Dame just before that season started, as I never had him as a Coach. But beyond that was not seeing him regularly. Genius, yes. Yet, an even better man. Everybody respected and loved Gene Sullivan. My basketball team pals and I were counselors are Geno’s (aka Johnny Dee’s) basketball camp in Indiana for 8th graders in 69 and 70.
The old quote that I see about Austin Carr’s scoring record is a game day quote, but at camp in ’69 Geno in his morning class room session at camp offered this: My situation is I have one All-American (Carr) , how do I get him 35 shots a game? He altered his offense to get Carr open. And he explained it to 8th graders, and the counselors. So, to see Carr break the record we knew was Geno’s doing. Carr took 45 shots in the record setting game. In my Junior year of H.S. we got a new coach from DePaul Academy which had just closed. Jimmy O’Laughlin was the assistant. For one game against a bigger, stronger team Jimmy convinced Coach Gleason to use Sullivan’s offense, instead of Ray Meyer’s turd of an offense. We beat the snot out of Gordon Tech. So, what did Gleason do? He never used it or spoke of again. We used the turd. He lost my respect. And largely took the joy out it for me.
We all knew we could be successful coaches on the back of Sullivan, he was that good. We did not go into coaching.