Everyone figured out how much more important D is yet

[Ky_Bred_Cat]

I think, percentage wise, an elite defense gives the best chance to win a tournament. I could be wrong. Assuming that's so, it explains why so many coaches play the #"s and go with that. It's hard to imagine this UK team going so cold that defense prevails. But if it does, we're doomed when it happens.

 

[The_Answer1313]

Studies have shown that offense matters more in college basketball. That if you could only have one, you should take offense.

That being said, teams like UK that are just so imbalanced rarely does well in the NCAA tournament.

You need both.

 

[$Z71$]

My argument with this statement would be how many times has our defense been better than our offense but we still lost in the tournament because our offense couldn't buy a bucket. I'll tell you the answer, too many times to count.

 

[bigbluedon]

Until they have a bad shooting night. Defense is more consistent. Defense shows up

No it doesn’t. Just look at our team. The poster above nailed it. A good offense beats a good defense. And you say what if you are missing shots? And I say what if the defense can’t guard anyone and they score every time down. See how that works? Offense rarely misses every shot the whole game.

 

[Rockfly78]

No it doesn’t. Just look at our team. The poster above nailed it. A good offense beats a good defense. And you say what if you are missing shots? And I say what if the defense can’t guard anyone and they score every time down. See how that works? Offense rarely misses every shot the whole game.

It’s two schools of thought. I’m a defense guy. Kinda old school I guess. I like the attitude of a team of dogs. I like the toughness. I’m not a big fan of finesse teams in any sport. Not everyone agree with me and that’s fine.

 

[$Z71$]

It’s two schools of thought. I’m a defense guy. Kinda old school I guess. I like the attitude of a team of dogs. I like the toughness. I’m not a big fan of finesse teams in any sport. Not everyone agree with me and that’s fine.

Basketball is evolving quickly. Look at the NBA, higher scoring than ever and defense is often times non existent. I know a bad defensive team doesn't when it all statistically. At this point though our defense is what it is, 29 games in its not changing now. Let's flip that script and be the first to win on offensive firepower.

 

[cats#1again]

In 2022 everyone complained about the outdated offense. This year's team is barely more efficient offensively and a lot less efficient defensively.

Points per 100 possessions:

Year	Points Scored	Points Allowed
2022	120.0	94.3
2024	122.8	102.4

This team would dump truck that team

 

[Rockfly78]

Basketball is evolving quickly. Look at the NBA, higher scoring than ever and defense is often times non existent. I know a bad defensive team doesn't when it all statistically. At this point though our defense is what it is, 29 games in its not changing now. Let's flip that script and be the first to win on offensive firepower.

I’d love to be the team that flips the script. But seeing a god awful .500 arky team score over 100 in our own barn doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy.

I get more pissed at seeing the other team score than I do seeing my team miss a shot. It’s just me. Defense is a choice. It’s all effort and focus. No excuse to lack in those areas. You don’t even have to be good at basketball to play good defense

 

[$Z71$]

I’d love to be the team that flips the script. But seeing a god awful .500 arky team score over 100 in our own barn doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy.

I get more pissed at seeing the other team score than I do seeing my team miss a shot. It’s just me. Defense is a choice. It’s all effort and focus. No excuse to lack in those areas. You don’t even have to be good at basketball to play good defense

At a lower level or Rec ball level I agree. To be able to guard high level D1 athletes you do have to be good. Effort alone without the skill set isn't enough at the highest levels.

Give me the best defender in D3 who gives 110% effort and a D1 guy will score at will on him. On certain plays I do see the lack of effort argument, but over all I don't see it as an effort problem. It's not like are players don't want to be better at D, they just lack the skills to be consistent with it. Blame the AAU circuit, it's a lost art in the modern game. Like I said watch the NBA, defensive minded players are very few and far between.

 

[ukcatz12]

This team would dump truck that team

Doesn't matter how this team would far against that team. The only thing that matters is how that team fared against its opponents and how this team fares against its opponents. That team was almost as efficient on offense and much more efficient on defense. It was also a 2 seed and looked like the best team in the country in February, something this team has never done.

 

[Rockfly78]

At a lower level or Rec ball level I agree. To be able to guard high level D1 athletes you do have to be good. Effort alone without the skill set isn't enough at the highest levels.

Give me the best defender in D3 who gives 110% effort and a D1 guy will score at will on him. On certain plays I do see the lack of effort argument, but over all I don't see it as an effort problem. It's not like are players don't want to be better at D, they just lack the skills to be consistent with it. Blame the AAU circuit, it's a lost art in the modern game. Like I said watch the NBA, defensive minded players are very few and far between.

To your point about the game changing and the lack of defense across the board I have my own personal opinion on that……

This country has gotten soft. It’s soft as a whole but I will stick to basketball talk here. It’s taken a long time and it was a slow burn. But these athletes are softer now that they were 20 years ago. The coaches aren’t as hard on the players and they don’t pine for the physicality the way coaches used to. The “old school” approach used to produce dogs but old school is no more. The officials won’t allow physical play like they used to. It’s just an evolution of human behavior in my opinion more so than an evolution of the game.

I also don’t think “modern basketball” is a thing the way everyone else says it is. There’s nothing new about this game. The three point shot is not new and neither is the shot clock. The game itself hasn’t evolved but athletes approach to it has. It’s kind of like “what’s old is new again” except this time it’s really stuck. Pitino was doing the “modern basketball” thing in the 90s before it was cool.

But hey it really is fun to watch. I love this team if just like to see someone take some
Pride in their defense.

 

[cats#1again]

Doesn't matter how this team would far against that team. The only thing that matters is how that team fared against its opponents and how this team fares against its opponents. That team was almost as efficient on offense and much more efficient on defense. It was also a 2 seed and looked like the best team in the country in February, something this team has never done.

Almost is what got them beat
There's no comparison in offense no matter how many times u say that stat

 

[ukcatz12]

Almost is what got them beat
There's no comparison in offense no matter how many times u say that stat

I mean that’s a pretty objective stat and the point of that stat is to normalize offensive comparisons. It measures points scored per 100 possessions. This team scores more raw points per game because the pace is so high. But given an equal amount of possessions the 2022 offense would score just a tiny tiny bit less.

And given the fact that the 2022 was substantially better at defense it was probably the more well rounded team.