Some chatter over at GWHoops.com about how GW lets teams get back into games from the three point line. Even with some of the recent close games, I have to say I'm pleased overall with the start to this season, seeing GW stay focused on the road, and hoping they can keep up the intensity as things start to get tougher.To the three point accusations. Over the years it appears Hobbs prefers opponents shoot from deep. Kenpom defensive style stats show that Hobbs encourages opposing teams to live and die by the three. I don't know how much our annual two games against the Lutz long-bombers skew these numbers but the 3PA/FGA ratio indicates that opponents have tended to take significantly more 3s than 2s against us over the last 6 years compared to the D1 average. Gotta wonder the role this may play in Hobbs era BCS blowouts when teams tend to not only live, but thrive from downtown. The Providence game is the most recent and visceral memory.
Year - GW Defense 3PA/FGA [Rank] - D1 Defense 3PA/FGA Avg.
2010 - 40.5 [331] - 32.6
2009 - 39.9 [325] - 33.1
2008 - 42.9 [332] - 34.4
2007 - 38.7 [298] - 34.2
2006 - 35.3 [241] - 33.2
2005 - 37.4 [294] - 33.0
2004 - 34.8 [237] - 32.7
Is forcing (allowing?) opponents to take far more shots from three point land a good strategy?
Source: www.kenpom.com
Comments
I've long disagreed with this philosophy and in some ways see it as a cop-out by Hobbs that gets him off the hook from making actual coaching decisions. I'm reminded of the Vanderbilt game. All week leading up to that game we knew that they were a fantastic outside-shooting team that would take advantage of a trapping zone that left shooters open. We didn't make any adjustments though and predictably got blown out of the gym. By refusing to make adjustments Hobbs gets to say "we played our game and we lost" instead of "I made a decision that didn't work"
I've also liked when we have long & agile F/Gs who can trap as well as play perimeter defense. I'm thinking about guys like Pinnock, Hall, Williams, Elliott. Hopefully in the coming years Smith, Ware, Pellom, and Kromah, all over 6'5", will also be able to trap and be tall enough to contest would be zone-beaters (not to mention the stellar on-the-ball lock-down D of Bynes and Johnson).