I really don't understand BU's passion for that weave out front. It almost seems like that when we get into trouble, we start the weave up. The thing I dislike the most about it is that it doesn't look like we are trying to accomplish anything out of it. We set about 4-5 screens out top with SM, JC and AW, TW or TCS running back and forth for about 20 seconds and still get a bad shot or a turnover out of it. What's the advantage to it? Our bigs become complacent, as they are not getting utilized, our guards become tired, and to me, it's very easy to defend. In the home loss to N Iowa, the road loss to Mo ST, and this SIU game, the weave was worthless.
N Iowa was jumping the screens ahead of our guards because they knew they were coming, MO St. switched to a 3-2 zone, and SIU utilized a very good backside trap in which they allowed that screen to be set, but then the weak side defender absolutely left his man to run behind our guard and trap him from behind, all three of these defenses shut down that weave.
We do not have the passers on this team that we had last year.
Against SIU after that weakside player came over to trap, they're were several occasions that 2 players were wide open, if the ball handler would have just reversed the ball, instead of continuing to dribble aimlessly head on into the man that switched the screen, and then get trapped from behind.BU didn't reverse the ball off that screen once, we just allowed ourselves to be trapped, and usually threw the ball directly into the hands of the trappers. Crouch was especially dissapointing tonight with regards to ballhandling/decision making.
I thought AW was very good last night, he didn't settle for the 3, and knocked in all his free throws. Once he starts keeping his head focused on the rim and finishing those drives to the bucket he'll take his game to another level, that's easier said than done though when you're getting fouled hard though, but overall AW played pretty well, and showed some toughness by continually going to the rack.
SM was good, not great, but very solid for a freshman, and is going to be very very good by the time he graduates.
Both AW, SM, and little bit of R Austin were the few bright spots in this game. BU has got to find a way to keep getting better, and please scrap the weave.