Early on during the Kansas/Hoyas were playing smart inside, inside, outside basketball. It took Kansas about ten minutes to realize they needed to step their defense up.
According to Jesse Newell of the Newell Post and Kenpom.com Joshua Smith posted 17 points and 13 rebounds in UCLA's 77-76 loss to KU on Dec. 3, 2010. Smith — up to 350 pounds now — has actually greatly improved his offensive efficiency since then. He has three main offensive skills: 1. He's a great finisher at the rim, making 72 percent of his 2-pointers overall and 74 percent of his combined layups and dunks; 2. He gets fouled often, drawing eight whistles per 40 minutes (18th nationally); 3.
He's outstanding on the offensive glass, grabbing 13.5 percent of his team's misses (109th nationally).
The junior is an OK shot-blocker and a horrible defensive rebounder, but his strong offensive game more than makes up for that. He has battled foul trouble all year, though (7.3 fouls/40), so that will definitely be something to watch.
In my opinion and knowing guard play and my team's guard play as well. Over the years, I've always felt the guards could do a better job at getting their big's the ball on a consistent basis which can help solve some of the fouling problems with the Hoyas big men. The "frustration fouls" I call it. Silly fouls start happening. Your big is using lots of energy getting himself open, but you have to know this as well and make a better effort to get your big men the ball. Great players find a way to get the task at hand taken care of. I don't know if they're not used to getting the ball inside or simply just don't know how to get the ball inside "consistently." (knowing all the the different kinds of passes to make).
You make your big's better by encouraging and giving the them the ball where and when they want the ball, but make sure you have this locked in at all times especially in crucial situations to make the great play. "You're going to get to the (free-throw) line," he said. "You're going to get the opposing team's frontcourt in foul trouble. You're going to be able to play inside-out, and by playing inside-out, you're going to have more driving opportunities. You're going to make people guard more of the floor."
One thing I've noticed in the in the 2007 Final Four game against Ohio State when Oden went out of the game in early foul trouble Hoyas guards should of quickly recognized this and immediately went to their legit center, Roy Hibbert, but:
“Hibbert was tremendous… he more than held his own against the younger, more celebrated Oden. Problem was, he spent too much time as a spectator… When Hibbert was out, the Hoyas were simply lost.” …Hibbert played only 24 minutes. Oden, also in foul trouble, only played 20 minutes as the marquee big man match-up was reduced to a game of small ball. …Yesterday, Roy Hibbert’s Georgetown career came to a close. Hibbert would do this despite being whistled for two fouls in the first 10 minutes of each of his previous seven games.
Why?
Frustration fouls led to silly fouls, maybe one or two bad calls as well, but anyways foul trouble has appeared, and it's not a good situation to be in especially, so early in the game a game as important as a Final Four.
Against Davidson: With Davidson not having any player taller than 6’8’’, Mandel’s narrative would be a great one – except for one tiny detail. Georgetown’s “Goliath” spent most of the game on the bench — again. Hibbert was whistled for his 4th foul while there was still 11:37 left on the clock and the Hoyas maintained an 11 point lead. With Hibbert’s absence, the help of nine offensive foul calls and 30 total free throw attempts, Davidson would prevail behind a brilliant late shooting display by Stephen Curry. Georgetown became only the 2nd team in NCAA tournament history to shoot over 60% from the field and still lose. After the game ESPN broadcaster Digger Phelps remarked: “I thought the X-factor in this game was Roy Hibbert getting into foul trouble. First two minutes of the game – he’s got two fouls [and] he’s down on the bench. He doesn’t play but 16 minutes for the whole game. When you look at Roy Hibbert on that bench – that to me was the reason why they lost that game.”
This is another reason why I'm sold on my legit & true center carrying my team. Two weeks prior to the 2007 Big East Tournament.
Playing for seeding
1. Georgetown (20-5, 10-2, 2): The Hoyas are playing like an elite team. I had them at the top of the league in my preseason ratings but gave John Thompson III a hard time for much of the season. Once the Hoyas found Roy Hibbert, they started winning. And on Saturday, Georgetown won despite getting next to nothing from Hibbert. Hibbert and Jeff Green have established themselves as the league's best 1-2 punch. Georgetown is clearly playing the conference's best basketball.
Doing some research I found this comment from an Ohio State University fan that sounded all too familiar. Jared in Arizona: "I am a firm believer that Thad Matta intentionally designed his offense specifically so Greg Oden wouldn't develop his game and thus he stays for a year, maybe more. Think about it. The only time that Oden has been involved this year is on the offensive glass. He'll either go out and set the high pick and then roll, looking for the offensive rebound, or he will have single coverage on the block and won't get the ball.
He'll just try and get the offensive rebound after another 3-point shot. Greg Oden has even said he's not ready to make the jump because he can't post up as good as he thinks he should. Well how is he going to improve when nobody's giving him the ball?
This is what Matta wanted to happen and Greg Oden has paid the price for it. Actually we all paid the price for it. How does Thad Matta explain not giving the ball to Greg Oden when he's being guarded by one 6-7 guy? Thad Matta has lost serious karma points for this ingenious trick he has put on Oden."
NBA sage Marty Blake a league scouting staple for more than 50 years, tells a story about sitting in the stands with then-U.S. Olympic coach John Thompson at the 1988 European championships in Rotterdam. Thompson had coached Patrick Ewing at Georgetown a few years earlier and had Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo on his Hoyas roster at the time.
Blake asked Thompson what qualities he looked for when recruiting centers. Blake remembered Thompson telling him, "I want him to get position with his back to the basket. I want him to be able to give the ball to the guard cutting through, to rebound and start the fast break, to throw the ball to the forward in the corner if (the center) is covered. And invariably the kid will say, 'Coach Thompson, I can't throw the ball to the forward in the corner because I want to be the forward in the corner.' "
ESPN Stats & Info
Kansas had 46 free throw attempts against Georgetown, tied for its most in a game over the last 15 seasons.
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