BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
One statistic that encompasses a lot of what Gophers coach Richard Pitino preaches as “good defense” doesn’t show up in the boxscore or even with advanced statistics numbers.
Deflections are not just about taking the ball away from an opponent, either with a steal, block or just a tipped pass. It measures how active and intense a team’s defense is during a game.
Pitino learned the importance of deflections coaching on his father’s staff at Louisville. Rick Pitino won a national title with the Cardinals in 2013 putting emphasis on it — having members of his staff track deflections on a chart to look at during the game. Minnesota has the same philosophy.
“We have a board,” Pitino said, “and to the left there’s a column with deflections for every player.”
Length is a big reason why the Gophers (10-1) are getting more deflections than last season.
Not surprisingly, the Big Ten’s top shot blocker, Reggie Lynch, leads the team with 45 deflections. His near 7-foot-3 wingspan instantly transformed the defense this year.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-basketball-team-riding-high-on-length/406426926/
Go Gophers!!
One statistic that encompasses a lot of what Gophers coach Richard Pitino preaches as “good defense” doesn’t show up in the boxscore or even with advanced statistics numbers.
Deflections are not just about taking the ball away from an opponent, either with a steal, block or just a tipped pass. It measures how active and intense a team’s defense is during a game.
Pitino learned the importance of deflections coaching on his father’s staff at Louisville. Rick Pitino won a national title with the Cardinals in 2013 putting emphasis on it — having members of his staff track deflections on a chart to look at during the game. Minnesota has the same philosophy.
“We have a board,” Pitino said, “and to the left there’s a column with deflections for every player.”
Length is a big reason why the Gophers (10-1) are getting more deflections than last season.
Not surprisingly, the Big Ten’s top shot blocker, Reggie Lynch, leads the team with 45 deflections. His near 7-foot-3 wingspan instantly transformed the defense this year.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-basketball-team-riding-high-on-length/406426926/
Go Gophers!!
