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DEE-fense!

C

citygriz

Well-known member
you see it at the big dance, you see it in the nba, and, yes, it's certainly a CLEE-chay--but teams don't win championships that don't play defense.

last year, montana did not play defense.

more than their ability to slash to the basket or get their own shots, i'm hoping our new jaycee recruits are tough defensive customers, with the athleticism and desire to defend on the perimiter. i'm hoping our entire team comes back with fear and loathing on the defensive side of the ball.

we'll have more talent than any other big sky team next year--probably the only team with two three-star high school recruits. we'll have weary unsuspecting travellers gawking at us in airports--7', 6'11, 6'10, 6'9, 6'8, 6'7. we should have the talent in basketball to treat the rest of the league like we have in football the past decade.

but unless we ratchet up the defensive intensity, define ourselves with as a team with a strong defensive profile, we'll be right back where we were last year--a couple games either side of .500.
 
That was quite a surprise this last year. It was really important to Larry, so I thought Tinks would see what was needed to move to the Sweet 16. Instead we seemed to drop the desire for a strong defence.
 
How is it nonsense? I'm just curious if its nonsense because of who first said it, or if you really believe the Griz have no chance of making it to the sweet 16.

Inside defense seemed to be a huge problem for us last year along with perimeter defense. I noticed the inside defense problem more honestly (think of the last shot Pacific made to beat us at home). Too many easy layups for guys that should've had their shots swatted as soon as they came into the paint. I'm hoping Dave V gets more playing time next year and will step up to stop the easy buckets inside against the Griz.
 
The defense was not good last year. I'm not sure that it was due to lack of desire. Lack of execution was certainly a problem though.
 
Dexter,

Could it possibly happen? Sure.

But even for a program like UNLV, it's been something like 15 or 16 years since they even won one tournament game, up until this year. That puts it into perspective for me.

As I've said about 900 times, the only reasonable expectation for Griz hoops fans is for the team to make it to the Dance. Even one tournament win is icing on the cake. I'd love for the Griz to win two and make it to the Sweet 16. But I don't expect to see it happen in my lifetime.

My only point is that we shouldn't expect it. And we sure shouldn't fire coaches for not achieving it. But I'll let Wayne Hogan rest in peace.

Go Griz!
 
The Griz could make it to the sweet 16, but to do it, a team has to put together a complete season. You can't just coast through your non-conference schedule, keep your head above water during conference, and survive the tournament. If you do, the best you can hope for is a 16 seed, free trip, and bouncing in the first round. If you want any chance of a win you have to get a decent seed like 12.

Hustle is the difference between an average team and a good team, and a good team and a great team.
 
last time we had this sweet 16 discussion was back in the kennedy era, when all the naysaying bobbleheads were nattering and nodding, "it can't be done! this is montana! forget about it!"

then along comes a montana kid who never in his life took no for an answer, and lo! we're virtually tied with boston college at the half, 20 minutes away from a sweet 16 berth if one of our perimiter shooters gets hot, a la eric hays against u.c.l.a.

alas, it didn't happen, the montana kid moved on to yet another improbable triumph as a head coach in the n.b.a., and all the resident naysayers could return to their sweet peaceful lazy existence, belching, farting and swigging beer, knowing they wouldn't ever be challenged to achieve or dream beyond their wildest but limited imaginations.
 
I have seen the light, brutha!

Why stop at the Sweet 16 though? Elite eight! Final four! Hell, we're only forty minutes away from victory, you short-sighted swill-sucker!
 
AllWeatherFan said:
Oh God, please don't start with the Sweet 16 nonsense again.
Click to expand...

Hardly. If UOP can come within seconds of the Sweet 16 and George Mason can make the Final Four, anything is possible. Anyone who says that the Griz can't make the Sweet 16 is going to look like a freaking FOOL when it happens within the next three years.
 
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