PJ Star article Friday 12/21

[Da Coach]

Cole-Scott in BU's stocking
Bradley leaves Butler loss with better feel for juco transfer's abilities

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/122107/BRA_BF91F6BN.071.php

The article says this about the ticket situation for the VCU game--

tickets: Saturday's game against Virginia Commonwealth (7-3) is approaching a sellout, said BU ticket manager Rob Bogardus. A few hundred Priority III $12 upper-bowl tickets are available.

[dogsrus]

Cole-Scott in BU's stocking
Bradley leaves Butler loss with better feel for juco transfer's abilities

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/122107/BRA_BF91F6BN.071.php

The article says this about the ticket situation for the VCU game--

tickets: Saturday's game against Virginia Commonwealth (7-3) is approaching a sellout, said BU ticket manager Rob Bogardus. A few hundred Priority III $12 upper-bowl tickets are available.

I like his comments, attitude and honesty. Go TCS.....we NEED you.

[BU ICEMAN]

I was stunned when I read this:

"I was never really taught help defense (before coming to BU),"

Are you kidding me?

[thefish7]

Ice -- I think he's talking about team defense... and isn't that what most high school and JUCO players lack? Experience against good opponents in a disciplined help/team defensive system?

[BU ICEMAN]

Why should anybody at this level or heck, any of those levels, not understand team defense? If you ask me, those are basic concepts and all part of being a complete player. I can't imagine that team defense is such an advanced concept that it can only be fully comprehended or coached at the D1 level.

I don't buy that one bit. As a player you better know what to do if you get beat, if a teammate gets beat, how to help on the ball, how to help off the ball, where to be on the floor, etc. That goes at any level HS, JUCO, D III, D II, D1, pros, whatever. If that's not getting taught at any of those levels, then it's time to find a new coach.

[thefish7]

Well, I think that's easy enough to say-- but isn't it what we always complain about with the incoming players (and particularly JUCO transfers)? Inadequate team-play skills, usually on defense?

EDIT -- I'm not disagreeing with you that it's what should be taught, just that I guess I thought that's kind of the expectation with JUCO transfers. That they'll need to do some growing when they get here, particularly in relation to playing as a team...

[BradleyBrave]

Why should anybody at this level or heck, any of those levels, not understand team defense? If you ask me, those are basic concepts and all part of being a complete player. I can't imagine that team defense is such an advanced concept that it can only be fully comprehended or coached at the D1 level.

I don't buy that one bit. As a player you better know what to do if you get beat, if a teammate gets beat, how to help on the ball, how to help off the ball, where to be on the floor, etc. That goes at any level HS, JUCO, D III, D II, D1, pros, whatever. If that's not getting taught at any of those levels, then it's time to find a new coach.

Well, believe it. I don't think it's that far-fetched to think that TCS is just now learning what the correct way to play helpside defense is. Not every kid comes from a high school program that has a coach like a Chuck Buescher, or that plays that style of defense. Do you think that a majority of the Chicago Public League coaches know how to coach true man-to-man helpside defense? No. It's the 'And 1' league a majority of the time. Also, a lot good high school coaches play a lot of zone defense. Some great HS programs play a half-court 1-3-1 the entire game. You certainly aren't going to learn how to play true helpside defense playing in that kind of a system. So before you run all of these coaches out of jobs, or slam TCS for being honest and saying he's never been taught this way, you might want to see what kind of system he's coming from.

[ph]

BU really needed one of those pre-season, out of the country trips.... We could of figured out player's potential much earlier than now..

[Anthony Parker is my Hero]

That and offenses are taught to exploit all of those defenses, especially at the DI level.

Although sometimes ours doesn't, but offense is rare this time of year.

[Guinness]

Buh. Am I the only one that thinks TCS isnt that great? Too many bad passes/rushed shots.

[Anthony Parker is my Hero]

Not necessarily great, just not ready to write him off yet. Heck this time Franklin's junior year, he was fresh off suspension and wondering when he'd score his first points.

[mrcoachdude]

IMHO......Most teams are taught help defense in basic terms....but there is a little more intricate help defense that JL uses and needs to be taught....

Most teams help...but who is helping the helper?...etc...

[BradleyBrave]

Not necessarily great, just not ready to write him off yet. Heck this time Franklin's junior year, he was fresh off suspension and wondering when he'd score his first points.

Agree 100%. WF looked pretty lost the first month or so, especially when he was getting limited minutes. If (and it's a big 'if') TCS can get his perimeter shot going, he could be a ton. Athletically, he's as gifted as anyone we have. It's almost as if he's too athletic, as sometimes he's going a little faster than he seems be able to control. I think he's going to be fine.