2008 Woodie Awards
Men's Basketball: 1-2-2 punch
Defensive switch helped Notre Dame beat 'Nova
Chris Hine
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Sports
With a week to prepare for Villanova after struggling to put points on the board against Georgetown, coach Mike Brey decided something needed to change if Notre Dame was going to be successful on the road.
"When you have a week to work on things after a tough loss, and I've been in this a while, and you want to maybe adjust some things, but then you're careful that you don't over-coach and change too many things and screw your team up," Brey said. "But I thought we needed some kind of change before we went on the road again."
In looking at how his Irish matched up with the Wildcats, Brey decided the change he needed to make was on the defensive end of the floor, leaving Notre Dame's offensive game mostly intact.
For most of its 90-80 win Saturday, Notre Dame played a 1-2-2 zone, a departure from the 2-3 zone and man-to-man the Irish normally play. Offensively, the Irish were able to take advantage of Villanova's lack of height and play their inside-out game, getting sophomore forward Luke Harangody touches on most possessions to open the floor for cutters and outside shots.
Brey said the defensive switch came as a result of Villanova's guard-heavy lineup and a need to give his team a new look.
"People get into a rhythm playing against you and say, 'This is how Notre Dame plays offensively, this is how they play defensively,' but you have to keep it fresh and get some new looks," Brey said.
The 1-2-2 allowed Notre Dame to cover more of the perimeter and contain Villanova's guards, specifically leading scorer Scottie Reynolds, who only scored 13 points, with six of those points coming in the final three minutes after Notre Dame opened up a comfortable lead.
Brey also made a slight change in personnel, starting junior Zach Hillesland in place of junior Ryan Ayers. Even though the switch didn't result in a dramatic change in playing time for either player, Brey said it did motivate both players.
"One of the things I think the change in the lineup did was it jacked up two guys," Brey said. "It kind of woke Zach up, and I think it had Ryan play with a little chip on his shoulder, and he was more aggressive offensively. Now, you could also screw up two guys. That day, though, it worked and hopefully they'll continue to do that."
"When you have a week to work on things after a tough loss, and I've been in this a while, and you want to maybe adjust some things, but then you're careful that you don't over-coach and change too many things and screw your team up," Brey said. "But I thought we needed some kind of change before we went on the road again."
In looking at how his Irish matched up with the Wildcats, Brey decided the change he needed to make was on the defensive end of the floor, leaving Notre Dame's offensive game mostly intact.
For most of its 90-80 win Saturday, Notre Dame played a 1-2-2 zone, a departure from the 2-3 zone and man-to-man the Irish normally play. Offensively, the Irish were able to take advantage of Villanova's lack of height and play their inside-out game, getting sophomore forward Luke Harangody touches on most possessions to open the floor for cutters and outside shots.
Brey said the defensive switch came as a result of Villanova's guard-heavy lineup and a need to give his team a new look.
"People get into a rhythm playing against you and say, 'This is how Notre Dame plays offensively, this is how they play defensively,' but you have to keep it fresh and get some new looks," Brey said.
The 1-2-2 allowed Notre Dame to cover more of the perimeter and contain Villanova's guards, specifically leading scorer Scottie Reynolds, who only scored 13 points, with six of those points coming in the final three minutes after Notre Dame opened up a comfortable lead.
Brey also made a slight change in personnel, starting junior Zach Hillesland in place of junior Ryan Ayers. Even though the switch didn't result in a dramatic change in playing time for either player, Brey said it did motivate both players.
"One of the things I think the change in the lineup did was it jacked up two guys," Brey said. "It kind of woke Zach up, and I think it had Ryan play with a little chip on his shoulder, and he was more aggressive offensively. Now, you could also screw up two guys. That day, though, it worked and hopefully they'll continue to do that."