Rank our players DEFENSIVELY, thus far into the season ...

[megablue]

I know it's very early and they can (and MUST) all improve, but how do you rank our players, based on what you've seen ?? On-ball defense. Subject to change, of course, but here's what my list currently look likes:

Wagner
Thiero
Mitchell
Edwards
Burks
Sheppard (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)
Reeves
Dillingham (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)

Insufficient playing time:
Bradshaw
Onyenso
Ivisic
Hart

 

[Pelosigalore]

Wagner and Thiero are decent
Everyone else stinks

 

[WeWant9]

Agree with Wagner and Thiero as the top 2. After that, I think you can take your pick on the rest, and it seems to go game to game.

 

[JonathanW]

Theiro
Wagner
Sheppard
Dillingham

 

[megablue]

Agree with Wagner and Thiero as the top 2. After that, I think you can take your pick on the rest, and it seems to go game to game.

Actually ... that's kinda how I see it, but went ahead and ranked them anyway.

 

[Kuhldaddy]

Dillingham has the ability to be a great on the ball defender
Worst defenders are Edwards and Reeves.
Seeing it in person Saturday was eye opening.
Edwards is atrocious.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Wagner….



…..Thiero





The rest aren’t good.

Reed makes up for it with quick hands but he still isn’t a great defender.

 

[WeWant9]

Actually ... that's kinda how I see it, but went ahead and ranked them anyway.

Defense won’t be this teams calling card. I said it before the UNCW loss, and I’ll stand by it still (for now), but I do think the defense will at least be serviceable during league play. It just won’t be your typical Cal defense team.

 

[megablue]

Defense won’t be this teams calling card. I said it before the UNCW loss, and I’ll stand by it still (for now), but I do think the defense will at least be serviceable during league play. It just won’t be your typical Cal defense team.

You may certainly be right, but I sure HOPE you're wrong. We cannot count on offense and shooting to carry us through a tournament run. Shooting off-nights are probable, if not certain, against quality competition in pressure games.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Wagner, Dillingham, Sheppard, and Reeves all have shown the ability to stay in front of their player......sporadically. Need more consistent effort from all.

Nobody is boxing out, and our rebounding is atrocious.

 

[ala_kat2]

I know it's very early and they can (and MUST) all improve, but how do you rank our players, based on what you've seen ?? On-ball defense. Subject to change, of course, but here's what my list currently look likes:

Wagner
Thiero
Mitchell
Edwards
Burks
Sheppard (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)
Reeves
Dillingham (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)

Insufficient playing time:
Bradshaw
Onyenso
Ivisic
Hart

How can you rank Michell and Edwards ahead of Sheppard? Shep does gamble but he might lead the team in steals and rebounding (just behind Dillingham in rebounds per game per minutes played) amongst all the guards. And he has a pretty good number of blocks.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

Most of our defensive issues are help & off ball defense. There aren’t many guys anywhere who play lock down on ball defense. Guards are ridiculously skilled nowadays with how they finish. Most of the open looks teams get are because of screen & cutting action away from the ball. That’s a communication issue but should get better if we can add rim protectors. That being said, the worst on ball defenders are Reeves & Edwards.

 

[JJBlue06]

Wagner
Thiero
Mitchell
Reed








Dillingham
Edwards

 

[megablue]

How can you rank Michell and Edwards ahead of Sheppard? Shep does gamble but he might lead the team in steals and rebounding (just behind Dillingham in rebounds per game per minutes played) amongst all the guards. And he has a pretty good number of blocks.

My rankings are based on ON-BALL DEFENSE and the ability to stay in front of their man and prevent him from driving to the lane/rim and getting open for three-pointers. Shutting down your man from getting a good look is what I think of when I think of good defense, trying to force opponents deep into the shot clock. I'm not saying I'm correct, but these are my observations. As I mentioned, I think Sheppard and Dillingham gamble a bit too much ... going for steals and trying to be disruptive. I would like to see them simply do a better job of staying tight on their man, as well as with most all of the guys, excepting Wagner and Thiero. My two cents ...

 

[aceman509]

You can spend time ranking on-ball defense only if you want but I think that is not a super relevant discussion because 80% of our defense and the defense in college comes down to help defense. Its pretty rare for teams to run straight up iso one on one offense these days and even rarer for a defense to allow an offense to drive into the lane one on one without any sort of rotational help

 

[jameslee32]

Shitty unless creating turnovers that lead to that great transition game.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

Being able to score into the 90s is great but defense wins tournaments,how many 60 ro 70 point games do you see in the big dance to ones in the 90s

 

[kybassfan]

I know it's very early and they can (and MUST) all improve, but how do you rank our players, based on what you've seen ?? On-ball defense. Subject to change, of course, but here's what my list currently look likes:

Wagner
Thiero
Mitchell
Edwards
Burks
Sheppard (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)
Reeves
Dillingham (perhaps great potential, but currently gambles too much)

Insufficient playing time:
Bradshaw
Onyenso
Ivisic
Hart

That’s a pretty good list. Wagner busts his ass on defense. Makes a few mistakes but can’t accuse him of not working.

I’d like to say a word on Reed because that list makes him look bad. Reed is basically a thief. He likes to pick your pocket and that can and will get you beaten on occasion. He gets defense. Pretty good fundamentals. Not top of the charts on lateral quickness but not bad either. The issue is, he has to fit into the team. We are poor on weak side help or rotating off. Till the team gets better at that, his emphasis needs to be clock expiration while moderating his need to pick pockets

 

[Greatestalltime]

Edwards D is so bad it makes everyone on the team’s D worse. Fans too.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Shep may gamble too much, and I agree. However, he’s averaging like 3 steals per game. Not to mention, he leads the team in blocks and is a 6’3” guard. At best. If that stinks, then sign me up for stinky ass defense! 🤣

He may be a little slow laterally, but will improve. By end of season he will be an absolute defensive menace! Also, OP needs to be a little more specific in what he’s actually asking. Very vague question IMO.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Dillingham has the ability to be a great on the ball defender
Worst defenders are Edwards and Reeves.
Seeing it in person Saturday was eye opening.
Edwards is atrocious.

He sure is! And we have posters claim that he’s a good defender! Lulz Mind blowing Cal didn’t switch someone else onto the White kid that abused Edwards over and over again. To say Edwards has been a disappointment is being generous. Crazy because I believe he’s our oldest freshman.

Reeves?! Man, terrible defender and rebounder. Wouldn’t mind seeing his minutes get cut. Maybe not a popular opinion. However, if he isn’t scoring he’s damn near useless. At this point, he is what he is.