Iowa State men?s basketball teams under coach Fred Hoiberg have been known as attacking and high-pressure, though really on the offensive end. On the other, it?s largely been wall-off and contain, a more laid-back approach designed to keep opponents from high-percentage areas on the floor and baited into less-efficient shots.
The 20th-ranked Cyclones may be deviating from that a bit this season.
ISU, which hosts No. 18 Arkansas tonight at 8, tallied 16 steals against Lamar on Tuesday to match a nearly 10-year-old high watermark for the program.
?We wanted to be more aggressive on the ball,? Hoiberg said. ?I wouldn?t say necessarily we were out in passing lanes, but pressuring the ball with guys in gaps.?
Hoiberg?s three NCAA tournament teams didn?t rank high in steal percentage nationally. All ranked near the bottom of the country in steal percentage in the country, a function of the defensive design to contain rather than pressure.
This year?s team ranks 172nd nationally after finishing just shy of 300th the last few seasons.
?We sometimes let teams attack us and we don?t attack them,? point guard Monte Morris said, ?but (tonight) coach said he wants me out pressuring more.?
Indeed, it has been Morris at the crux of the dialed-up ball pressure. The sophomore registered five steals against the Cardinals.
?Monte did a phenomenal job being into the ball,? Hoiberg said, ?and just making them uncomfortable.?
It?s a new challenge for Morris to try to harass ballhandlers well away from the basket.
?I could do it always,? he said, ?but our defense is more shrink (the floor) and helping each other out but now I see (Hoiberg) wants me to get out and extend a little bit. I think I can do it.?
He?s not alone in the ability as UNLV transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones has 10 steals. The 6-foot-5 Dejean-Jones has the advantage of an expansive wingspan that allows him to truly trouble offensive players when deployed.
?We?re athletic enough and quick enough on our feet,? Morris said. ?Coach wanted to start with me out there on defense and if I set the tone like that, everything else will fall down the line.?
This certainly isn?t a total overhaul of the defensive philosophy, but rather a small tweak to accommodate personnel. The shift may become more pronounced when ISU can take even more chances on the perimeter after 6-foot-9 shot blocker Jameel McKay is able to erase mistakes when he gains eligibility on Dec. 20.
But the core of the Cyclones? scheme will likely be to protect the paint and guard the 3-point arc ahead of generating turnovers.
?Just being aggressive on the ball and then being there for each other and having the trust of the guy behind you,? Hoiberg said. ?That?s what we worked on this week. If you do your job, know the guy behind you is going to do his job and in turn the guy behind him is doing his job.
?When you have that five guys playing together and with each other, it?s fun to watch.?
The 20th-ranked Cyclones may be deviating from that a bit this season.
ISU, which hosts No. 18 Arkansas tonight at 8, tallied 16 steals against Lamar on Tuesday to match a nearly 10-year-old high watermark for the program.
?We wanted to be more aggressive on the ball,? Hoiberg said. ?I wouldn?t say necessarily we were out in passing lanes, but pressuring the ball with guys in gaps.?
Hoiberg?s three NCAA tournament teams didn?t rank high in steal percentage nationally. All ranked near the bottom of the country in steal percentage in the country, a function of the defensive design to contain rather than pressure.
This year?s team ranks 172nd nationally after finishing just shy of 300th the last few seasons.
?We sometimes let teams attack us and we don?t attack them,? point guard Monte Morris said, ?but (tonight) coach said he wants me out pressuring more.?
Indeed, it has been Morris at the crux of the dialed-up ball pressure. The sophomore registered five steals against the Cardinals.
?Monte did a phenomenal job being into the ball,? Hoiberg said, ?and just making them uncomfortable.?
It?s a new challenge for Morris to try to harass ballhandlers well away from the basket.
?I could do it always,? he said, ?but our defense is more shrink (the floor) and helping each other out but now I see (Hoiberg) wants me to get out and extend a little bit. I think I can do it.?
He?s not alone in the ability as UNLV transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones has 10 steals. The 6-foot-5 Dejean-Jones has the advantage of an expansive wingspan that allows him to truly trouble offensive players when deployed.
?We?re athletic enough and quick enough on our feet,? Morris said. ?Coach wanted to start with me out there on defense and if I set the tone like that, everything else will fall down the line.?
This certainly isn?t a total overhaul of the defensive philosophy, but rather a small tweak to accommodate personnel. The shift may become more pronounced when ISU can take even more chances on the perimeter after 6-foot-9 shot blocker Jameel McKay is able to erase mistakes when he gains eligibility on Dec. 20.
But the core of the Cyclones? scheme will likely be to protect the paint and guard the 3-point arc ahead of generating turnovers.
?Just being aggressive on the ball and then being there for each other and having the trust of the guy behind you,? Hoiberg said. ?That?s what we worked on this week. If you do your job, know the guy behind you is going to do his job and in turn the guy behind him is doing his job.
?When you have that five guys playing together and with each other, it?s fun to watch.?
