Quote Originally Posted by jayhawk05:
I can't bring myself to begin to mess with SEMO, but would like to hear your thoughts about the LaSalle play. LaSalle was a side I originally had circled but havent added it to my card. Thanks man!
I’ve commented on this a few times before this year, but the way that Delaware operates from an offensive standpoint isn’t really the strongest type of team for me to back in any situation, let alone one that is going to come within a few possessions in terms of a value standpoint. The Saddler kid is now attempting 38% of this teams shots, and while he isn’t the most efficient player, any person who attempts that many shots is going to put up some good numbers. Along with Saddler, they’ve also found another scoring threat in Hagins, but not as much of a threat as most would think. He’s attempting 21% of the team’s shots (yes two players account for almost 60% of their shot attempts), but he’s no more than an in the paint type of player, and from what I’ve seen, most of his attempts are coming on Saddler’s misses. Other than that, this team outside of them is made up of a few role players, primarily in the game for a defensive presence. LaSalle is young, but they haven’t really played anyone in this latest five game winning streak and not generally the type of team I like playing on the road laying any kind of chalk. However, the defense has been absurdly good, especially on the perimeter. Four of the five starters are currently "on the board" in terms of forcing turnovers, and three of those come at the guard position. Coincidentally, their two best on the ball defenders rank in the top 100 (out of about 3,800 players), and those are the two that will be guarding Saddler and Hagins as I’ve noted above. If Saddler and Hagins shot attempts are down, Delaware is going to need another source of offense come from somewhere else not only from the standpoint of shooting more than normal, but the standpoint of producing more than normal. Really, this game comes down to two things. One, will Delaware get caught up in the up and down hectic pace that LaSalle wants to play at? My answer is yes, I believe so. When you have a few players hoisting tons of shots, and the rest of your team is young, and have little crowd or cheering section, more than likely you aren’t going to be able to slow them down. And two, how well does Delaware defend LaSalle’s shooters? It sounds so cliché, but if you’ve read any of my analysis for the better part of the past two or three years, this Delaware defense really allows a crazy # of shot attempts b/c they sit back in a man-to-man (I would almost call it a modified match-up zone). They rarely, if ever take chances on getting steals and when they do occur, it’s more a product of the offense turning the ball over or forcing mistakes upon themselves (something LaSalle just doesn’t do against these types of defenses). Take a glance at what they’ve done this year. They played Pitt tough and lost to Villanova in OT, two teams that don’t look to take risks defensively. Four out of their last five games have come against a majority of teams who like to slow the pace, and incorporate a style that allows you to get shots within your offense (ranking #319, #322, #247, and #277). When you get in the flow of your offense, you’re bound to get good looks, and as long as that flow continues and nothing is drastically changing, then you are going to have opportunities to score, also noting the fact that with their pressure defense, they’re getting a ridiculous amount of “extra” opportunities. Both this year and last year with the youth, Delaware has gotten worse as last year they were dead last at #345 in forcing turnovers, and this year they stand at #344. LaSalle has been crazy good from the perimeter this year, so it’s something to keep an eye on. Both teams have had more than a week to prep, so I’ll be curious to see if either coach makes any changes. If they don’t, then this line is a clear indication of what’s going to happen tonight, and LaSalle has numerous advantages here, especially if they can play as fast as they want.
Hot Forum Topics
