Great Defensive Team?

[FairWeatherEagle]

We all "like to think" MU is a great defensive team. I do ... (or did) When I read this on ESPN today:

"the Golden Eagles' defensive issues are continuing to crop up. After allowing just one team to score more than one point per possession in their first eight games, they've now allowed four straight opponents to hit at least 1.11 points per possession. According to CBB Analytics, Marquette ranks outside the top 140 nationally in 2-point percentage defense, fast-break points allowed and paint points allowed"

We have an elite defender and a couple of good ones and a coach that gets after it...but ESPN isn't just blowing smoke...they have stats.

So are we really a great defensive team or just "could be"?

[wadesworld]

We are 19th in adjusted defensive efficiency.  Depends on how you define "elite."  I'd say very good.  The weakness is rim protection, but we're able to provide great on ball pressure that keeps teams from getting to the rim a ton.

[Its DJOver]

Bit of both. We're a good defensive team, but at the same three out of the last 4 teams we've played either were or are top 25 teams.  We're always going to look better against Stonehill than ISU. If the trend continues against weaker offensive teams a re-evaluation may be necessary.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Marquette does not have a great defense. It hasn't under Shaka. The defensive pressure is used to create turnovers, set the pace and make easy baskets.

[Uncle Rico]

We all "like to think" MU is a great defensive team. I do ... (or did) When I read this on ESPN today:

"the Golden Eagles' defensive issues are continuing to crop up. After allowing just one team to score more than one point per possession in their first eight games, they've now allowed four straight opponents to hit at least 1.11 points per possession. According to CBB Analytics, Marquette ranks outside the top 140 nationally in 2-point percentage defense, fast-break points allowed and paint points allowed"

We have an elite defender and a couple of good ones and a coach that gets after it...but ESPN isn't just blowing smoke...they have stats.

So are we really a great defensive team or just "could be"?

Could be.

Butler game is the outlier, in that they aren't a top-20 offensive team with regards to efficiency.

Iowa State is 5th, Dayton 14 and Wisconsin 12.  Those are just good offensive clubs.  Butler is 58th and shooting the way they did on Wednesday has usually resulted in wins for them this year.

Marquette won on the offensive end Wednesday.  We'll probably have to have a discussion on the defense if X and Dence average 1.11 ppp. 

Also, Sultan is correct about how Marquette's defense is structured.  It's a give and take

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

After 7 years of defensive purgatory with Wojo, I will gladly take these defensive issues.

[Zog from Margo]

After 7 years of defensive purgatory with Wojo, I will gladly take these defensive issues.

Amen. Take a stroll through MU's Kenpom defensive rankings during the Wojo years. Just remember to whistle past that graveyard.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

What I would love for Scoop Christmas would be for us to actually talk about Shaka's team without bringing up Wojo's team. 

[tower912]

I marvel how MU is 10-2, ranked 9th in the country with a center that sucks, a forward that sucks, a bench that sucks, a defense that sucks.  Except Parham who apparently should somehow shoot more, if that is possible.

Holy Houdini, batman.

[Uncle Rico]

What I would love for Scoop Christmas would be for us to actually talk about Shaka's team without bringing up Wojo's team. 

Our offense is so much better than it was under Mike Deane

[Newsdreams]

Our offense is so much better than it was under Mike Deane

Shaka doesn't call TOs

[K1 Lover]

So far, I think Marquette can best be described as a team that lives and dies by turnovers.

Of the 12 games we've played, there are only TWO in which we didn't win the "points off turnovers" battle. Guess which games those were. That's right — Iowa State and Dayton. Interestingly, we still had fewer turnovers than them in both cases, but it was ultimately being the team that could convert more which mattered most in the end.

We're a solid defensive team, and you could even argue that our defense is our offensive identity. However, that also raises a very clear weakness; if we can't find a way to score during other team's possessions, then winning is likely going to be an uphill battle. And if that can be realized by an amateur basketball fan like myself, then it's definitely not going to be a secret to any of our future opponents. I think we can expect everyone from now on to have a game plan meant to exploit our dependence on turnovers. But if any of them manage to pull it off successfully, you can best believe they'll probably end up winning too.

[MUDPT]

So far, I think Marquette can be best described as this: live by the turnovers, die by the turnovers.

Of the 12 games we've played, there are only TWO in which we didn't win the "points off turnovers" battle. Guess which games those were. That's right — Iowa State and Dayton. Interestingly, we still had fewer turnovers than them in both cases, but it was ultimately the team that could convert more which mattered most in the end.

We're a solid defensive team, and you could even argue that our defense is our offensive identity. However, that also raises a very clear weakness; if we can't find a way to score during other team's possessions, then winning is likely going to be an uphill battle. And if that can be realized by an amateur basketball fan like myself, then it's definitely not going to be a secret to any of our future opponents. I think we can expect everyone from now on to have a game plan meant to exploit this vulnerability. But if any of them manage to pull it off successfully, you can best believe they'll probably end up winning too.

If Marquette is scoring during other teams' possessions, they are the greatest team in the history of basketball.

[DoctorV]

This is the best defensive team in the Shaka era, imo.

Marquette has had 3 elite defenders very banged up in the last month- Chase and Zaide missed time, Stevie has been hampered and hasn't been as big a pest as he is when fully healthy.

If/when all the pieces are healthy and playing to their abilities this years team will be firing on all cylinders defensively.
There have been a few outlier halves, in tough places to play on the road, where the team hasn't looked like itself defensively and paid the price with an L.

This years team will also shoot better from the outside, it has been in a funk shooting the 3 recently.
When those shots fall it really helps everyone on the defensive end, the confidence and energy rises, the ultimate EGB if you will.

It's much easier to win games when you hold the opponent in the 60s or low 70s, and the years team is fully capable of that

[K1 Lover]

If Marquette is scoring during other teams' possessions, they are the greatest team in the history of basketball.

That's correct. Just to be clear - I am, in fact, suggesting that we need to make opponents score on their own basket.

[GoldenEagles03]

This is the best defensive team in the Shaka era, imo.

Marquette has had 3 elite defenders very banged up in the last month- Chase and Zaide missed time, Stevie has been hampered and hasn't been as big a pest as he is when fully healthy.

If/when all the pieces are healthy and playing to their abilities this years team will be firing on all cylinders defensively.
There have been a few outlier halves, in tough places to play on the road, where the team hasn't looked like itself defensively and paid the price with an L.

This years team will also shoot better from the outside, it has been in a funk shooting the 3 recently.
When those shots fall it really helps everyone on the defensive end, the confidence and energy rises, the ultimate EGB if you will.

It's much easier to win games when you hold the opponent in the 60s or low 70s, and the years team is fully capable of that

I think so too, but year 1 is close.

Big Ten DPOY in Morsell and a real shot blocker in Kuath. They were good.

[FairWeatherEagle]

Marquette does not have a great defense. It hasn't under Shaka. The defensive pressure is used to create turnovers, set the pace and make easy baskets.

I think this is a good thought. Good defense has a purpose beyond having better numbers than the next team. It's to win basketball games. Our defense is ball pressure and turnovers specific, not blocked shots or rebounding (though nice to have). We do it to transition and score and deny possessions. If a team has a defensive identity like that and can score (like MU surely can), the sky's the limit.       Just be consistent please MU.

[Zog from Margo]

Am I missing something? MU's Kenpom D rating is 18. In 7 years under Shaka's predecessor (who shall remain nameless because some "knowledgeable" fans thought he was a good coach), MU's highest ranking, which was an aberration, was in the 40s. Usually, they were closer to 100. Top 20 seems solid and the trend on D seems pretty positive.

[MUfan12]

Two distinct defenses. Middling to bad in eFG, elite forcing turnovers.

Much like the three point shooting, there's volatility in depending on TOs. Have to get much more solid in the half court.

[Zog from Margo]

Two distinct defenses. Middling to bad in eFG, elite forcing turnovers.

Much like the three point shooting, there's volatility in depending on TOs. Have to get much more solid in the half court.

Thanks.

[DoctorV]

Ignore the last 6 minutes, if you can.

Until the 6 minute mark in the 2H, or for 34 minutes of ball, Marquette held Xavier to 50 pts on their home court.

Elite defense. Stretches of complete utter lack of concentration have negatively skewed the overall quality of the D.

That more on the coaching staff than on the team, IMO. They will get better

[CTWarrior]

Defense from about 12-13 minutes left to the end of the game was pretty horrible.  For a while it wasn't noticeable because we were scoring every time too.

[brewcity77]

This defense isn't just steals. We force shot clock violations regularly and have one of the longest defensive possession length averages in the country because we also have a good half court defense. That stretch of allowing more PPP was against three top-20 offenses. And our defense is up to #17 because it's really hard to make great offensive teams look merely good.

[tower912]

Neither the stats nor the eye test support the OP's theory.