https://247sports.com/college/maryl...s-Virginia-in-Big-TenACC-Challenge-125435931/
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon worked on pressure defense in the preseason more than any time in recent memory.
He’s been hesitant to use it in games so far, but if there was ever an opportune time to break it out and catch a team by surprise it would be for the No. 24 Terps’ primetime matchup against No. 4 Virginia in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, according to Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams.
Williams, who helped Turgeon implement his patented 2-2-1 fullcourt press in practice last month, laid out his blueprint to beat the Cavaliers on The Basketball Coaches DC Podcast this week. Specifically, Williams wants to see the Terps press, attack the offensive glass and run after rebounds.
Admittedly, dictating tempo against the Cavaliers is easier said than done. But Williams, who went 3-1 against Tony Bennett in his career, said there’s no sense trying to beat them at their own game.
“You want to get into a halfcourt game with them?” Williams asked. “No way.”
Williams pointed out that Syracuse used a fullcourt press to complete a stunning 15-point second half comeback against the Cavaliers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He also mentioned that Dayton had success with a three-quarter court press against them last week. Virginia has scored just 18 points on 32 possessions against press defenses, which ranks in the eighth percentile nationally, this year according to Synergy Sports.
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“I always thought that whatever pressure you want to do in the backcourt you can do because they’re that type of team that wants to run their offense,” Williams said. “So once they get it over halfcourt, they’re going to set up. They’re not taking a [quick] three like Carolina or Duke or someone like that.”
Only two teams -- Wisconsin and Wright State -- get out in transition less than Virginia, according to Synergy Sports. Williams said he’d send four players to the offense glass and dare the Cavaliers to get out and run.
The Terps rank sixth nationally in offensive rebound percentage, while Virginia ranks 31st in defensive rebounding.
“You almost want them to fastbreak so they don’t run that damn halfcourt offense all the time against you,” Williams said.
Williams has no illusion of the game turning into a track meet, but he thinks increasing tempo could help wear Virginia down. Bennett only played seven players in the Cavaliers’ 53-46 win over Wisconsin Friday.
“I would really try to run every time I got a rebound against Virginia,” Williams said. “Not that we were going to score, not that they don’t do a great job of getting back, but make them sprint back and hopefully you tire those guys out so those jumpshots don’t go in at the end of the game.”
Turgeon, who is 1-6 against Bennett with the one win coming in overtime in Terps’ final ACC home game, has more or less allowed the opposition to dictate tempo this season. But if there was ever a time to flip the script this could be it. Some have speculated that Turgeon, who downplayed his team’s chances against Virginia after Friday’s 104-67 win over Marshall, has been waiting for an opportune time to bust out the fullcourt press. If that’s the case, there might be no better time to unveil it than in a no-lose game in November against a top-five team.
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon worked on pressure defense in the preseason more than any time in recent memory.
He’s been hesitant to use it in games so far, but if there was ever an opportune time to break it out and catch a team by surprise it would be for the No. 24 Terps’ primetime matchup against No. 4 Virginia in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, according to Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams.
Williams, who helped Turgeon implement his patented 2-2-1 fullcourt press in practice last month, laid out his blueprint to beat the Cavaliers on The Basketball Coaches DC Podcast this week. Specifically, Williams wants to see the Terps press, attack the offensive glass and run after rebounds.
Admittedly, dictating tempo against the Cavaliers is easier said than done. But Williams, who went 3-1 against Tony Bennett in his career, said there’s no sense trying to beat them at their own game.
“You want to get into a halfcourt game with them?” Williams asked. “No way.”
Williams pointed out that Syracuse used a fullcourt press to complete a stunning 15-point second half comeback against the Cavaliers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He also mentioned that Dayton had success with a three-quarter court press against them last week. Virginia has scored just 18 points on 32 possessions against press defenses, which ranks in the eighth percentile nationally, this year according to Synergy Sports.
Sports.
“I always thought that whatever pressure you want to do in the backcourt you can do because they’re that type of team that wants to run their offense,” Williams said. “So once they get it over halfcourt, they’re going to set up. They’re not taking a [quick] three like Carolina or Duke or someone like that.”
Only two teams -- Wisconsin and Wright State -- get out in transition less than Virginia, according to Synergy Sports. Williams said he’d send four players to the offense glass and dare the Cavaliers to get out and run.
The Terps rank sixth nationally in offensive rebound percentage, while Virginia ranks 31st in defensive rebounding.
“You almost want them to fastbreak so they don’t run that damn halfcourt offense all the time against you,” Williams said.
Williams has no illusion of the game turning into a track meet, but he thinks increasing tempo could help wear Virginia down. Bennett only played seven players in the Cavaliers’ 53-46 win over Wisconsin Friday.
“I would really try to run every time I got a rebound against Virginia,” Williams said. “Not that we were going to score, not that they don’t do a great job of getting back, but make them sprint back and hopefully you tire those guys out so those jumpshots don’t go in at the end of the game.”
Turgeon, who is 1-6 against Bennett with the one win coming in overtime in Terps’ final ACC home game, has more or less allowed the opposition to dictate tempo this season. But if there was ever a time to flip the script this could be it. Some have speculated that Turgeon, who downplayed his team’s chances against Virginia after Friday’s 104-67 win over Marshall, has been waiting for an opportune time to bust out the fullcourt press. If that’s the case, there might be no better time to unveil it than in a no-lose game in November against a top-five team.
