This video popped up on YouTube with two former long-time and good coaches (Norm Roberts, an assistant at Kansas for years, and Matt McCall, who's a lesser known former coach of UMASS and somewhere else), singing the praises for Otzelberger and the team. So fun to hear. What Roberts says about our defensive philosophy hits home and his insight as a former coach who scouted ISU for years is interesting. Love seeing this from national media:
Ex-Coaches Speak High Praise for TJ Otzelberger and the Team After St. John's Win
- Thread starter Chitowncy
- Start date
Norm Roberts talks about Iowa Sates "wall off" defense. Watching the teams defense reminds me a lot of Tim Floyd's hands off defense philosophy. During Floyd's tenure I think the fans would cheer "HANDS OFF DEFENSE" clap-clap-clap. That chant would get in the refs heads and they wouldn't call fouls. Frequently the Cyclones would only have 4 fouls in the waning minutes of the half and commit fouls 5 & 6 to disrupt the opponents offensive possessions.
It also helped that Floyd's teams had Kelvin Cato to block and alter shots at the rim.
This should be forwarded to the St. John's knob-slobbering announcers from yesterday. And while we're at it, to Pitino as well. At the very least it would help him realize the name of the team that outplayed and outcoached him yesterday.
I don't know this for certain, but I have a strong feeling our "wall off" defensive principles come mostly from Kyle Green who works primarily with our bigs.
I believe Green is to TJ as Heacock is to Campbell... enormously valuable.
I believe Green is to TJ as Heacock is to Campbell... enormously valuable.
