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Phantom Warrior
02-11-2017, 08:52 AM
According to most rankings, this year's team is extremely efficient overall in terms of offense but at best mediocre in terms of efficiency on defense. Historically we also had teams that fit the opposite profile - very efficient on defense but mediocre in terms of efficiency on offense.

My question: while obviously we'd love to have an MU team that was extremely efficient on both ends of the court, which would be your priority - to have a very strong team defensively and, lets' say, an average teams offensively, or vice versa?

I am guessing that I am in the minority in that I have always loved to have a team that was very good defensively, even if it was average offensively.

I've always figured that in terms of offense, there will be a few off nights when nothing is dropping. But defense is usually more consistent, and, therefore, more reliable.

But on top of that I just love watching really good defense. I find it just as aesthetically pleasing as really good offense.

I guess that is one reason I have become pretty bearish about this year's team: mediocre defense (I'm being pretty kind here, I think) bothers me a lot more than mediocre offense.

Maybe part of that was watching MU during the McGuire era. I loved it when his teams would beat some previously high-scoring team something like 72-64 or 66-58. Al had some terrific offensive talent: Brute Force, the Dream, Chones, McNeill, Luke, Earl, Lloyd, Bo, Butch, et al, but those teams were just so damn good on defense. It was beautiful to watch them shut down opponents.

Anyway, I'm curious what other posters' priority would be between good offense-poor defense and good defense-poor/mediocre offense.

IrwinFletcher
02-11-2017, 10:11 AM
I posted a similar question on Dodd's board a while back. Would you rather win a game 56-53 (see Madison's wins against Nebraska and Rutgers where neither team made it out of the 50's in regulation) or win a game 86-83?

I watched much of the second half of the Duke/NC game. Now granted, you have elite athletes and bball players, but the defense was atrocious/non existent. Guys blowing buy their defenders, wide open looks for 3. Those teams just have the ability to shut down lesser teams due to athleticism and length, not necessarily good coaching and schemes. Ultimately, I think this is what wojo would like to get to and guys like Cain, John and Eke fit that mold. Long, athletic guys who can disrupt an offense.