UNI 70 - Furman 54
Takeaways:
Shooting has to improve. Right off the bat we have the unavoidable issue of the shooting numbers. Bob Richey has said that this team is a good shooting team, but they have yet to apply it in the first four games. It is at an unsustainable level, 4-for-30 in the game at UNI, and 24.8% overall. Charles Johnston was 3-of-7 this game, and only a desperation contested three from Bronson was the other three to go down.
Get it inside. Furman came out with the point of getting it inside with their size advantage down low. Then, they got away from it, gave up quick possessions on contested threes or tough passes and trailed by 12 at halftime. When the game was out of reach, the offense slowly went back to pick and roll with Bowser or Johnston underneath, which was successful again. If the team can’t shoot, they can’t let the offense get away from feeding it inside.
Post defense. With shooting numbers like the Paladins had, you might think shooting issues were the deciding factor in the game. But it really was the post. UNI only made 6 threes on the night, but they continuously backed down bigger guys and made layups around the basket.
Turnovers somewhat improved. We’re still in the double digits here with the turnovers, but they weren’t backbreaking. The way the lead got out of hand was missing quick threes with no rebounding underneath.
So what’s wrong with the offense?
The Princeton offense is reliant on back cuts and handoffs, for guys to come off and drive the ball or hit a three. It worked really well last year with some adjustments, as PJay Smith and Nick Anderson were pros at coming off the handoffs to shoot threes. The Paladins struggled in a similar fashion to start conference play last year, before Coach Richey made adjustments. Teams were playing deep on Ben VanderWal, not worrying about him shooting the three.
This year, the shooters seem more suited to be stand still, off the catch guys. They are not effective moving around and trying those off-balance shots. Tom House has especially suffered the extra attention given to him without the gravity of Anderson and Smith from last season. It’s also noticeable that no one on the perimeter, aside from Wilkins and Abijah Franklin in spots, is willing to drive the ball towards the paint. If the first look isn’t there, they back it out and swing the ball. This really is a crucial part of the Princeton offense, to keep the defense honest and put pressure on the them. If no one is driving, or back cutting, then the defense can creep up and keep guarding the perimeter tightly. Finally, it doesn’t seem like Alex Wilkins is the type of point guard to run this form of the offense. Bob has mentioned that he doesn't quite know the playbook yet, which is part of the slow starts, but as a ball dominant guard, the Princeton offense sometimes takes the ball out of his hands and puts it into the hands of the bigs on the key. The Paladins need Wilkins at his best to reach their goals.
What needs to change?
It’s hard to say what should change, and I would trust Coach Richey to make some adjustments like he did last season. He knows his team the best, and will know how to make adjustments to fit them. It may help to go to a more pro-style offense, with a large load of pick and roll paired with shooters ready to catch and shoot on the perimeter. Ben is a big positive on rebounding and defense, so while he’s in, put him in the dunker spot. Similar to the below photo, you can see the guard and big in a pick and roll, with another guy in the “dunker spot”:
Pick and roll can create havoc, cause the defense to collapse and open up guys like Asa Thomas and Tom House to shoot more standstill threes. It puts the ball in the hands of Alex Wilkins and Cooper Bowser mainly, who have been the most consistent scorers on the team. Mix in a little pick and pop with Charles Johnston as well. A great mind like Coach Richey can scheme up even more options off of that as well. Even if the staff chooses to adjust the Princeton offense, we need to see more pick and roll, like we did at the end of the UNI game. More feeding the post and more back cuts from the off-ball guys will just make the game easier.
There’s a lot to adjust, and again it all starts with making shots. No offense can overcome the inability to put it in the basket. Bob Richey has made adjustments before, and it led to a great run to another SoCon Final. It’s too early to make final judgements on the team, especially as they shoot the worst that they probably will the entire season. This year we’ll have to see how Coach Richey adjusts the offense to fit the build of the new team.