Coaching Analysis of Thursday NCAA Men’s Tournament Games
Mar 20, 2021 8:38 pm
Coach ,
Well if today is anything like yesterday we are in for a treat.
The Madness has begun. With multiple double-digits seeds already advancing. Here is the lineup of games for today!
Iona vs. Alabama
Alabama
Rick Pitino is back in the tournament and this matchup should be a lot of fun. We have talked a lot about Alabama’s offensive proficiency in recent weeks. Can Iona pull off the upset? Coach Charlie Henry, assistant coach on the Crimson Tide staff, discussed how they build their attacking mentality into their offensive system in this clip.
A 2 seed in the tournament won the SEC regular season and conference tournament. They shoot the most 3 pointers in the field. As much as they get credit for the offense the difference this season on the defensive side of the floor with a top 10 defensive team.
Assistant Coach Charlie Henry breaking down their attack mindset in their Dribble Drive Attack Offense.
Assistant Coach Charlie Henry Spread Offense
Iona returns to the tournament with Rick Pitino. Iona likes to get up and down as well and shoot 3 pointers. Will Iona be able to crack the tough Alabama defense?
UCLA vs. BYU
UCLA - The Bruins are coming off a great comeback win versus Michigan State. One of the key possessions of the game was late in the 2nd half the missed FT where they got the offensive rebound and got a 3 point play. UCLA prides themselves on Defense and Offensive Rebounding.
BYU - Is always one of the top 3 point shooting teams in the country with their continuity pistol offense. UCLA will be challenged in this west coast battle.
Norfolk State vs. Gonzaga
Gonzaga - Is the number # 1 overall seed and the favorite to win the tournament they boast the top offense in the nation. Their defense is at an elite level as well. What makes them so tough is their balance on the perimeter and their post play.
Norfolk State coming off their win in the first four games. If Gonzaga goes zone Coach Jones will be ready as he has some great zone sets he shared with us during the Virtual Summit Coaches Clinics.
Zone Sets Clinic from Coach Jones Norfolk State
Michigan vs. Texas Southern
Michigan - # 1 seed Juwan Howard has Michigan back on top like his days as a player. With his experience in the professional game the run a lot of ball screen actions
Texas Southern Coach Jones made a nice half time adjustment in the first four games going to the press. They will definitely be tested with their ball screen coverages in this matchup
Brandon Chambers Pick and Roll Coverages
Drake vs. USC
Drake won their first NCAA Tournament game in over 40 years. They advanced to face USC who may have the top player in the tournament in Mobley. USC length will cause lots of problems for Drake. Look for Drake to have to make lots of perimeter shots with the Mobley brothers patrolling the inside.
Drake Wide Box OB Play
USC - Led by Conference player of the year Mobley and future lottery pick will to take advantage of their height in this one and pound it inside.
UCSB vs. Creighton
UCSB - Will be put to the test vs. the Creighton 5 out offense of Coach McDermott that runs a lot of DHO and stagger screens. Joe Pasternak’s team should be able to control the glass and score efficiently on the offensive end. Pasternak’s squad does not turn the ball over or take bad shots, They will defend you like crazy and try to slow it down versus Creighton's potent offense.
Coach Pasternack shows their “Wildcat” Drill that helps define their culture of defense and builds their ball screen defense.
Creighton - Coach McDermott teams always run great stuff and are really tough to defend. This game will come down to can UCSB stop Creighton. If they make life tough this could be one of the upsets of the day.
Ohio vs. Virginia
Virginia - The defending national champions will look to control the pace with their Blocker-Mover offense and Packline Defense.
The Pack Line is designed to keep the ball out of the paint and force tough outside shots.
Virginia Playbook from their National Championship
Ohio - Four different Bobcats attempt at least three 3 pointers per game, with all four at 34% or higher. And we all know how “stretch-bigs'' have given Virginia fits this season. The Bobcats have one to stretch Virginia's Packline.
Saint Bonaventure vs. LSU
LSU - ranks sixth in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Tigers average more than 80 points per game, with the fourth-ranked scorer in college basketball, star guard Cameron Thomas, leading the way.
Watch for LSU to push the pace in this game and be aggressive at the rim because St. Bonaventure prefers a slow style and does not have a deep bench.
Saint Bonaventure - is led by their defensive effort and three-point shooting ability at 35.4%.
Georgetown vs. Colorado
Georgetown shoots a solid 36.6 percent from the 3 point line. The Hoyas only allow 93.7 points per 100 possessions on the defense, which ranks 42nd overall in the nation.
Colorado’s solid offense scores 114.5 points per 100 possessions for the season which ranks 16th in the NCAA.
UNCG Greensboro vs. Florida State
UNCG has an aggressive defensive approach that ranks as the 65th in the country.
Elite guard, Isaiah Miller, ranks as the sixth-highest steal percentage player in the country, which can help the Spartans against a turnover-prone FSU.
Offensively, UNCG uses a pick-and-roll heavy set used to get Miller, the all-around spark, open for shots.
Florida State shoots from the three-point line 39% as a team at 9th in the nation. This offense is high-powered and 3 point heavy, with five players averaging at least 9 points.
The Seminoles played tough defense and held opponents to a field goal of 39.8% this year, which is ranked the 20th best in the nation. FSU forced 7.4 steals and 5.1 blocks per game, which puts the team at 12th overall for blocks.
Coach Young breaking down the importance of their transition offense and how they want to score in the first 7 seconds
Abilene Christian vs. Texas
Shaka Smart has done a great job this season getting the Longhorns into the dance. This all Texas matchup will be interesting to watch since ACU has been a force in the Southland Conference for the past two years and beating the flagship school of Texas would be a huge achievement.
Abilene Christian- The Wildcats lead the country in turnovers forced at 20.3 and a turnover margin of +6.4 . Additionally, ACU is 2nd in the nation for steals with 9.93 per game.
A big part of Coach Joe Golding’s offensive philosophy is establishing an inside game. Here is a clip of Coach Golding discussing their “B Game” actions.
Texas is coming off their Big 12 championship ready to make a run in the tournament.
The Longhorns led the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +4.4 and defensive rebound with 27.7.
Q and A with Shaka Smart TABC Virtual Clinic
Maryland vs. UCONN
Maryland Maryland’s defense was the reason for their rise into the NCAA Tournament field, and it will be tested against an offense led by James Boucknight, a dynamic scorer averaging 19 points per game. They are that best when they are able to get into the paint and kick out for 3’s.
UCONN The Huskies had the best scoring defense in the Big East this season, giving up 64.6 points per game, and they protect the rim well with a league-leading 5.3 blocks per game
Coach Hurley - explaining his two line closeout drill and his philosophy of how he teaches his close outs to his UCONN Basketball program
Eastern Washington vs. Kansas
Eastern Washington has a good offense with 46.7% shooting from the floor and 36.1% three-point percentage.
Kansas is 60th in adjusted offensive rating and sixth in defensive efficiency. The Jayhawks shot 43.9% from the field for the year, while playing solid defense holding their opponents to 65.9 ppg and 40.4% FG at is 37th in the country.
Grand Canyon vs. Iowa
Grand Canyon is the eighth-best rebounding team in the country, while having the second-best field-goal defense. The Antelopes allow only 37.7% from the field and 61.1 PPG at ninth best in the nation. Assistant Coach Ed Schilling shares his drills that helped get them to the tournament.
Ed Schilling GCU - Player Development
Iowa is the No. 6 scoring team in the nation with an average of 83.8 points. The Hawkeyes lead the nation with 19.1 assists per game. This matchup is a battle of an elite offense vs a solid defensive effort.
VCU vs. Oregon
VCU’s defense is elite at No.11 based on adjusted efficiency. This high powered offense also forces the ninth-most turnovers of any team in the country.
Oregon is a great offensive team, listed at No. 15 in adjusted efficiency. The Ducks boast an excellent 37.9% from beyond the arc this season.
Missouri vs. Oklahoma
Missouri has been shooting 44.9% from the field for the season and 32% from three. The Tigers also grab 35.7 rebounds a game. Their defense likes to edge opponents physically under coach Cuonzo Martin’s principles. Offensively like to push the ball, play in space, attacking the rim, and put pressure on the defense.
Oklahoma Watch Coach Kruger’s turn toward this season is the four-guard lineup. That’s really what started the month back in January with the four top-10 wins. Creating turnovers and great shooting.
Good Luck,
Leigh, Lason and Marc, and the Coaches Community