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Saturday, March 24
He who hesitates is lost vs. Owls
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
Temple's matchup zone does a number of things to a team mentally. It can make it hesitant, overly cautious and unsure. It can make teams rush passes and shots, for fear that any opening they see will soon disappear.
Worst of all, the Temple zone makes teams think, which can be fatal in a game of reaction and instinct.
|  | | Temple's zone funnels you where they want you to go, then brings the hammer down. |
Temple's matchup zone plays with man-to-man principles. The Owls do not just play an area, they "match up" in a man-to-man sense with any player that comes into their area. That's what makes a matchup zone tougher to spot, because it is played with strict man-to-man principles.
Temple is the only team in the country that plays this type of a zone defense. Even thougher for opponents is it never has the same look to it.
This year, for instance, it appears different from last year. Last year it had a 1-3-1 look with a big guy running the baseline. But because Temple's big men aren't as mobile and don't have the ability to roam the baseline, it has more of a 2-3 look.
This year's edition plays angles really well. The Owls force foes into positions on the floor based on their personnel and what offense teams run.
Temple will invite teams to pass the ball into an area where it want the ball to be thrown. Then the Owls will invite teams to drive the ball into an area they want that player to drive the ball. At that point, they run right into Kevin Lyde. And, at the same time they're sitting on a team's outlet guy, who should be its release in these situations, Temple is ready to step in front of a pass.
The Owls get very good backside action with their defense. They have the ability to funnel players into certain areas of the court and then funnel passes into certain areas where they are able to get a lot of steals. They wind up forcing teams to take quick shots. And when players take quick shots, their teammates aren't expecting them and aren't in position to rebound. That plays right into Temple's hands because they will come down on offense and be patient, forcing you to guard them.
Ultimately, if teams aren't careful, they could end up playing 70 percent of the game on defense.
Earlier this season, the Owls had trouble containing penetration and they were giving up open 3s because they had a lot of new players. Their perimeter players hadn't learned the complicated slides and they weren't covering up as well. It took a while to evolve into the kind of defense they always played. But, now that they're playing it better and better, they're a much more dangerous team.
There are many theories on the right way to attack John Chaney's defensive scheme. Jim Harrick, when he was at Rhode Island coaching against Temple in the Atlantic 10, relied on penetration -- to a point. A team wants to penetrate a zone, but not penetrate into a spider web.
So, Harrick wanted his team to take one hard dribble into a gap, collapse the zone and kick it out for an open shot. Other coaches just run their man-to-man offense against Temple's matchup zone.
There are some steps teams can take to neutralize the Owls' advantage.
Don't dribble too much, take the ball to the baseline (unless you have a shot).
Don't stand around, make cross-court passes or take quick shots.
Be strong with the ball, hit the high post to collapse the zone, move the ball and yourself, make pass fakes to move the zone.
Flash into open areas, dribble penetrate into the gaps of the zone (but not too far) and kick it to open shooters.
Be ready to shoot as the ball arrives.
Rebound against the zone.
Most importantly, hit open shots.
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Temple winds up forcing teams to take quick shots. That plays right into the Owls' hands because they will come down on offense and be patient, forcing you to guard them. Ultimately, if teams aren't careful, they could end up playing 70 percent of the game on defense. ” |
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— Jay Bilas |
More teams would use the matchup zone if more coaches understood it. Coaches teach what they were brought up to understand. Most zones play the ball. Temple plays you. The Owls make opponents do what they want you to do. They don't react to the ball. They make teams react to them. Since a lot of coaches don't have any idea what Temple is doing, very few install the defense.
I've looked at this defense pretty closely and I have trouble figuring it out. I can see what they're doing on certain possessions, but by the time you can apply that knowledge the possession is over. And it differs from possession to possession. They throw so many different looks at you. You can't think your way through this, you have to react quickly against it. And due to the reduced number of possessions you get on offense because of their deliberate attack, you don't get that many cracks at their defense. By the time you've figured it out the game is over.
It's a stifling thing. Temple does it better than anyone else because Chaney knows how to teach it and the Owls practice, and practice. Like Duke's man-to-man defense, Syracuse's zone or Kansas' point-zone, it's very easy to say you want to run it. It's another thing entirely to communicate it to your players and implement it.
For all the inscrutability of the defense, though, what has gotten them to the Sweet 16 is the fact the Owls are knocking down shots. Temple was winning games over the years when they were scoring in the 50s. If you combine the great shooting of Quincy Wadley with a defense that frustrates the heck out of you, it's a potent combination.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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