Welcome to the “D” Glen Smith Spectrum
On November 14, Utah State hosted in-state rival Weber State in their season opener. The visiting Wildcats dominated the first half, using hot shooting and a significant rebounding advantage to take a 47-29 lead into the locker room.
Utah State coach Stew Morrill surely had some choice words for his team at halftime, many of which may not be fit to print. His team clearly got the message, as they overwhelmed Weber State in the second half. An aggressive 2-3 zone forced 11 turnovers and a field goal percentage (FG%) of just 17% over the final 20 minutes. The Aggies made up an 18 point deficit in just 9:36 and coasted to a 72-61 victory. In the process, they established an identity that has led Utah State to its best season in four years.
Since USU’s last NCAA appearance in 2011, the Aggies have languished in the middle of a depleted WAC in 2012 and 2013 and the bottom of the Mountain West last year. Offense was never the issue in any of these disappointing seasons. Last season, USU averaged a healthy 1.1 points per possession, good for 3rd in the MWC, yet finished 8th in the conference. No team during this 3-year stretch finished with a defense in the top half of Division I.
This season, the script has flipped. The 2015 Aggie squad averages 1.04 points per possession on offense, the worst mark of the last 4 years. However, the defense has stiffened up, allowing just 0.98 on the other end. This renewed commitment to defense has the Aggies sitting in a tie for 4th place in the Mountain West, a tremendous accomplishment considering that the three teams ahead of them all may be headed to the NCAA tournament.
Utah State excels at two particular things on defense: perimeter defense and preventing opponents from getting out in transition. These two responsibilities fall primarily on the Aggie guards, who have done an admirable job despite having spent less time in the USU program than their frontcourt counterparts.
Living By The Three
Much has been made of USU’s ability to shoot the three-pointer. The Aggies lead the conference in three-point FG% with 39.6%, and guard Chris Smith is third in the Mountain West at 47.2%. They have made double-digit threes in one-fifth of their games this season while shooting less than 25% just once.
However, their domination of the three-point line extends to the defensive side of the ball. USU is second in the MWC in defending the three-ball, allowing only 30.2% of attempts to go down. Much of their success comes from the aggressive defense of the backcourt. 2.8% of opposing three-pointers are blocked, which is the 8th highest rate in the country. All of this is even more remarkable considering that USU often runs a 2-3 zone on defense, which is often vulnerable to good outside shooting.
Getting Back On Defense
This Aggie team has had rebounding issues this season. Part of this has been strategic. When shots go up, three or four players will get back on defense rather than chase after rebounds. This hurts their rebounding numbers, but dramatically helps the overall defensive scheme. Opponents’ effective field goal percentage (eFG%, a statistic that adjusts for the fact that three-pointers are worth more than two-pointers) is 11% higher when they shoot in the first ten seconds of the shot clock. By getting back rather than rebounding, USU forces opponents to settle for a slower half-court offense, which the Aggies are very good at defending.
Coach Morrill has utilized this strategy for years. Last year’s team was even better at preventing these fastbreaks, while the previous two seasons brought strong interior defense. This season, USU ranks in the top 50 nationwide in lowest percentage of transition shot attempts and non-transition eFG%. Essentially, teams can’t run and shoot quickly, and they shoot poorly when they are slowed down. No defense over the last four years has combined the two quite like this year’s team.
Utah State basketball has had its best season since their last NCAA tournament appearance, built largely on their stout defense. If “defense wins championships”, then this team has a chance for postseason success and maybe, just maybe, a ticket back to the Big Dance.
Kevin Floyd
@KFloyd34
“Men in Blue” Thursdays @ 5:30 PM MST
