Things to Expect Out of Coach Martin.

#1

LawVol13

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#1
1.) Discipline, discipline, discipline: Expect this team to be vastly more disciplined and more fundamentally sound than last year's team.

2.) Excellent Half-Court Defense: Expect this thing to finish in the top half of the league in most defensive categories. With Pearl's half-court defense, most teams could reverse the ball two or three times and get whatever shot they wanted. Also, there were just way too many uncontested layups on missed rotations. Expect that to improve by a long shot.

3.) Expect games in the 60s. : It's clear that Martin isn't going to be a fastbreak first team, as Coach Pearl was with great success. Expect many half-court slugfests this season.

4.) Expect Improvement out of Several Players: Bruce Pearl had trouble recruiting players that suited his system. However, he did recruit players that fit a motion offense. Trae Golden immediately comes to mind. He showed great natural instincts in the open floor last year but sucked, like everyone else, in the pathetic half-court sets we saw last year. Luckily, a motion offense is all about instincts, and that's a good thing for Trae.

5.) Finally, Expect to be Competitive: First, our league isn't that good from top to bottom, so we should be able to compete with most of the teams in the SEC. Also, Martin's style is conducive to staying in games that you might not have any business staying in. Don't be surprised if one of these non-conference games that many have chalked down as a blow-out loss turns into a barn-burner.
 
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#2
#2
I would add- expect some growing pains and expect to win a game or two we have no business winning. Play sound defense against a team that has a bad night shooting the ball and you can win against just about anyone.
 
#3
#3
I just don't want to be embarrassed. With all things considered, I'd be happy with 15-16 wins, ecstatic with 18.
 
#5
#5
1.) Discipline, discipline, discipline: Expect this team to be vastly more disciplined and more fundamentally sound than last year's team.

2.) Excellent Half-Court Defense: Expect this thing to finish in the top half of the league in most defensive categories. With Pearl's half-court defense, most teams could reverse the ball two or three times and get whatever shot they wanted. Also, there were just way too many uncontested layups on missed rotations. Expect that to improve by a long shot.

3.) Expect games in the 60s. : It's clear that Martin isn't going to be a fastbreak first team, as Coach Pearl was with great success. Expect many half-court slugfests this season.

4.) Expect Improvement out of Several Players: Bruce Pearl had trouble recruiting players that suited his system. However, he did recruit players that fit a motion offense. Trae Golden immediately comes to mind. He showed great natural instincts in the open floor last year but sucked, like everyone else, in the pathetic half-court sets we saw last year. Luckily, a motion offense is all about instincts, and that's a good thing for Trae.

5.) Finally, Expect to be Competitive: First, our league isn't that good from top to bottom, so we should be able to compete with most of the teams in the SEC. Also, Martin's style is conducive to staying in games that you might not have any business staying in. Don't be surprised if one of these non-conference games that many have chalked down as a blow-out loss turns into a barn-burner.

You can't say this enough. It will be refreshing to see.
 
#7
#7
Great post, Law Vol. I am excited to see how Martin coaches up these guys...

Can Woolridge step his game up this year????
 
#8
#8
"We've done a lot of installation. This week we've spent a lot of time on the offensive side of the ball going over our set plays. We'll spend 15 minutes going over an offensive set and then look at in a live situation. Really though, it's about understanding the defensive side of the ball," Martin observed.

"We'll put them in position to be successful on the offensive side of the ball, but there are so many intricacies with our defense; weak-side defense, post defense, pressuring the ball the way we want to. I think that's the most important thing for us right now. Leading into the next couple of weeks we'll start to spend more time on the offensive side."

This is my kind of basketball. I love defensive minded teams.
 
#9
#9
Great defense will win you championships in any sport. Results don't lie. That being said, if this team plays with the effort Pearl's first few teams played with, (diving for balls etc) we will not get blown out by anyone, period.
 
#10
#10
Great post, Law Vol. I am excited to see how Martin coaches up these guys...

Can Woolridge step his game up this year????

Thanks for the kind words. I don't really see any reason to think Woolridge can be a contributor. I hope he surprises us, but I don't really see it. I think Kenny Hall will be the guy to watch. I think he has the potential to take a step this year.
 
#12
#12
Thanks for the kind words. I don't really see any reason to think Woolridge can be a contributor. I hope he surprises us, but I don't really see it. I think Kenny Hall will be the guy to watch. I think he has the potential to take a step this year.

His freshman year, he called Hall the best NBA prospect he's had.
 
#13
#13
Sounds like a John Chaney Temple Owls team from back in the day. Grindout defensive team, not pretty to watch at times, but wreaked havoc on the floor. No one liked playing them because they were physical, tough as nails and played hard from end to end. Is this what we're to expect?
 
#14
#14
1.) Discipline, discipline, discipline: Expect this team to be vastly more disciplined and more fundamentally sound than last year's team.

2.) Excellent Half-Court Defense: Expect this thing to finish in the top half of the league in most defensive categories. With Pearl's half-court defense, most teams could reverse the ball two or three times and get whatever shot they wanted. Also, there were just way too many uncontested layups on missed rotations. Expect that to improve by a long shot.

3.) Expect games in the 60s. : It's clear that Martin isn't going to be a fastbreak first team, as Coach Pearl was with great success. Expect many half-court slugfests this season.

4.) Expect Improvement out of Several Players: Bruce Pearl had trouble recruiting players that suited his system. However, he did recruit players that fit a motion offense. Trae Golden immediately comes to mind. He showed great natural instincts in the open floor last year but sucked, like everyone else, in the pathetic half-court sets we saw last year. Luckily, a motion offense is all about instincts, and that's a good thing for Trae.

5.) Finally, Expect to be Competitive: First, our league isn't that good from top to bottom, so we should be able to compete with most of the teams in the SEC. Also, Martin's style is conducive to staying in games that you might not have any business staying in. Don't be surprised if one of these non-conference games that many have chalked down as a blow-out loss turns into a barn-burner.

Having 3 SEC-East teams in the top 10 worries me. Hope we have success, but I think we're in for a difficult year record-wise.
 
#15
#15
Sounds like a John Chaney Temple Owls team from back in the day. Grindout defensive team, not pretty to watch at times, but wreaked havoc on the floor. No one liked playing them because they were physical, tough as nails and played hard from end to end. Is this what we're to expect?

i hope so. I used to love watching those teams play. Always a fan of defense.
 
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#16
#16
I'm already expecting #1-3. I'm not letting myself expect #4, but if we get it, that will be the key to #5.

Part of me says "well, they didn't do crap under Pearl, why is the light coming on now?" Another part says "remember how bad Pearl was at recruiting to his own system?"
 
#18
#18
Really good post, LawVol. Agree on all points including Woolridge. Am also hoping for a consistent surprise from him - not once every 10 games.

I will give Pearl the props that he took the program to its highest level, just like Meyer did for UF in football. However, the foundation was flawed and it caved in after 6 seasons just like Meyer's did. Once the "once in a decade" athlete(s) move on it all falls apart. It also proved that character matters - both in players and coaches. Like who we have in all major sports at UT now.
 
#19
#19
That's what I'm wondering. We need consistent production out of him this year.

If Martin can coach him up on defense, I think he will serve as a competent defender and rebounder. Offensively, he can probably score a few points off of open jumpers and by taking the ball to the rim WITH TWO HANDS. He's gotten stuffed going for one-handed dunks so many times.
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#20
#20
OP is spot on. Martin isn't anything flashy on tv but i think after this season, he will earn the respect of a lot of negavols and the rest of the country. I am really looking forward to seeing how the offense progresses. It might look like a mess at first but anyone that pays attention will see a huge difference. After a baby crawls, you teach it to walk and i expect similar things with this half court offense. Martin will no doubt simplify his system a great deal but will coach these boys up and we'll see a great improvement before sec play starts. I could really see us pulling off an upset against a uconn or memphis team.
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#21
#21
Great defense will win you championships in any sport. Results don't lie. That being said, if this team plays with the effort Pearl's first few teams played with, (diving for balls etc) we will not get blown out by anyone, period.

I have a bridge in Brooklyn I could let you have cheap.
 
#22
#22
I think as long as this team plays hard for 40 minutes, the fans will stay with them win or lose. Hopefully our defense will keep us in games because I really don't see where our points are going to come from. I am cautiously optimistic we can finish around .500 based on our brutal schedule.
 
#23
#23
Expect far fewer turnovers, more assists and a better free throw percentage. Cuonzo's players take care of the ball or they sit.
Check him out at statsheet.com 2010-2011
 
#24
#24
Gonna be intense....
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