College Hoops Preview: Defense

Get in the passing lanes, don't allow the offense room to breath, keep your feet moving.

It sounds like Eddie Jordan wants to play straight up man to man pressure defense. That doesn't mean full court presses, that doesn't mean he won't throw in the occasional zone to throw off the opponent, but Eddie wants his team to play basketball.

Pressure defense, when done right, forces turnovers.  If a team has foot speed and smarts, it can be one of the most exciting defenses to watch in basketball.  When done right, a pressure man-to-man can be hell on the best opponents, and make a bad offense look downright ragged.

And this fits the current Rutgers team perfectly.

The guards are small, but fast, they can intercept passes and get out on the break.  Easy baskets.  Plus with Kadeem Jack roaming the paint, they can afford to gamble, because Jack's length will lead to blocks.

But this is also a step up on Mike Rice's defense.  When a team man's up to its opponent, and doesn't worry about constant switching, it should cut down on the tons of ticky tack fouls that Rice constantly got called for.  Too often the big men got caught out at the three point line, completely unprepared to defend a guard, but also out of position for a rebound.  That should change.

A pressure defense fits this team perfectly.  And if they can execute, it's another step forward in what could be a promising season.