Much is known to us about our new coach with regard to his personality and track record. Not much however has been discussed around what style of play or recruiting strategy he brings that speaks to his success. I, and presumably many others, could use a crash course in the sport as well as what Buzz does and looks for in creating a formidable squad. Anyone here then willing to possibly step into a role of explaining some of these facets, namely any philosophy(s) used during his tenure at Marquette and how or why some players flourished under it?
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So long as he brings wins ("Puts the ball in the hoop more than the other team," is how our esteemed AD put it), I could care less if he has our players moonwalking around the court and shooting their free throws granny style.
I get that. Win first, ask questions later is the attitude many fans have with regard to the basketball team. Nonetheless, a site like this wouldn't be unnecessary if everyone thought "score more touchdowns" was an ample explanation for football as well. There are many here however, who would like to get into the sport a little more and would benefit with discussion and explanation to the degree we offer elsewhere.
I get what you're saying. I just don't know enough about the sport or Buzz himself to offer much more insight. I'll wait for ltrepeter2000 to get on that one.
I believe in his presser he said strong defense, make more FTs than the opponent attempts. Sounds like what Seth wanted to do, except effectively.
His philosophy is to score more points than the other team.
Other than that, I don't know
As long as he succeeds at that first part, I don't care about the how.
Like Rev said on twitter yesterday all his players are a bunch of bad asses. No more soft players, that's why Thompson is gone.
me waiting for Rob to tell me the answer...
He likes big east style basketball which means scrappy hard-nosed guard play and big men who will punish you in the paint on both ends of the floor. Marquette was a rough and tumble team that played aggressive defense. As for recruiting he's recently developedan ability to land top 100 guys out of high school. But his Marquette teams were made up of a lot of JUCO kids who developed together as a team and some who went to the NBA. He's great at getting underrated kids to overachieve as a team.
That is the essential quality needed at VT to compete with the ACC....has already worked well for Tony Bennet
Sounds familiar!
#InBudWeTrust
Well, he just brought 2 players.
For starters, he brings himself, 2 elite recruiters, and Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce....
he brings
Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce
he brings
Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce
jinx you owe me a coke
Buzz's teams are known for playing tight defense, preventing easy transition baskets, and in your face half court defense. His teams are regularly Top 50 in several key defensive statistics, such as Field Goal Percentage Defense, Assist to Turnover Ratio, and Three Point Field Goal Percentage Defense which is why you see him pushing to recruit as many of the 6'5 to 6'7 lanky 2/3 Hybrid type players. He wants players that can play that up tempo style of defense all game long.
On the offensive side of the ball, he expects his big men to be able to create their own shot in the lane, so expect JVZ, Pierce (hopefully) and Barksdale(if he can stay healthy) to have big seasons. Its also another reason you have seen him on the JUCO trail to try to get Atwood or Henry. Buzz teams are usually led in scoring at the four or five spot. He also expects these same players to know when to kick the ball out to open shooters, which is where kids with pure shots like Bibbs, Hill (Hopefully), and Hudson come in.
His teams usually are not as focused on offensive rebounds as their first concern is to be in the right place defensively to prevent easy baskets.
In terms of recruiting, its always going to depend on what he needs to replace, but at any point in time, he wants to probably have four solid big men, six to eight wing type players and then a couple floor generals.
There is also this thread with Videos of Buzz showing you a lot of what you asked for:
http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2014/march/25/get-coaching-mind-buzz-w...
To give you an idea statistically of what to expect:
Buzz's team scoring offense at Marquette:
2013 72.2 PPG
2012 68.1 PPG
2011 75.4 PPG
2010 75.2 PPG
2009 73.1 PPG
Buzz's team scoring defense at Marquette:
2013 68.7 PPG
2012 62.6 PPG
2011 65.9 PPG
2010 68.8 PPG
2009 64.6 PPG
As far as shooting percentage Defense:
2013 42.3%
2012 40.4%
2011 40.2%
2010 43.8%
2009 45%
What does this stat tell you? It means that Buzz teams are fairly good at keeping teams from shots in the lane, which usually are closer to 50% made from that distance. They force outside jump shots which limits chances for the opposing team.
Me after reading this:
So far, Buzz appears to be bringing the lunch-pail mentality to Tech basketball.
We've needed that attitude on the bball side for quite some time.
Stoked with how things are developing for this team. Haven't been this excited since Seth's early days in the ACC.
One question, though. How do our current players fit into Buzz's scheme and do you see any players jumping ship knowing they are a bad fit? Do we have some current tools that Buzz may be able to coach up?
Funny part is that I thought the one that would benefit the most from Buzz coming in was Thompson, welp...
That said, if Barksdale can stay healthy, he could transform himself next year from third tier European club afterthought to looks for the second round of the NBA draft. The talent and raw attributes have always been there, but Buzz will maximize them, especially when it comes to scoring down low. JVZ is another that instantly benefits, as more of the offense should go through he or Barksdale. The last that I will be interested to see how it pans out is Wood. He could be the true Buzz success story if he finally turns into the player we expected a couple years ago.
If there were any others that would be headed out, I agree that Smith or possibly Mueller would be atop the list as I don't know if they have the ability to play the up tempo defensive style that Buzz prefers.
What has been said about Buzz not liking to start or play freshmen significantly is/has been true, I am just not sure with this current roster that Buzz will be able to hold to that.
If he does hold to that:
PG: Wilson/Mueller
SG: Smith/Emelogu backed up by Bibbs
SF: Wood backed up by Hill
PF: Barksdale backed up by Kirby
C: JVZ backed up by Pierce
I could see Hudson being asked to Redshirt possibly as he would be extremely unlikely to see a lot of playing time.
From what I have heard Bibbs will start out at the the 3 and battle Emelogu for the starting spot. Also Smith will likely be a backup at the 2. Wood could play the 3 or the 4 and Hill is a pure SG. Agree with rest though and Hudson probably redshirting.
If I had to choose today it would be
PG-Wilson/Mueller
SG-Hill/Smith/Emelogu/Will Johnston sees the court from time to time
SF-Emelogu/Bibbs/Wood
PF-Barksdale/Wood/Kirby
C-JVZ/Pierce
Hudson redshirts.
I can't recall a time where we had so much depth.
Hudson redshirts!?!? Hmmmm...
I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't redshirt either and honestly I hope he doesn't. He is a great talent.
I would like to see Emelogu and JVZ get beat out for their starting spots. JVZ is soft and doesn't have an offensive game outside of dunking. Emelogu might be better this year, but he doesn't look like a player that has a high basketball IQ. Some of the shots he throws up make you scratch your head.
I disagree about JVZ, his offensive game has really come along since he got here. In the second half of the season, he was making some very nice post moves and handled himself really well defensively. I think he's going to become a beast for next year. Hopefully Emelogu improves his shot selection and he will be an integral piece of the rotation.
Yes- I saw every game and JVZ was anything but soft. A guy who wants to violently dunk everything in your face can't be soft and the effort he gave on D was tremendous. His post offense also improved dramatically. He needs to work on that baby hook though
Biggest thing he needs to work on is his free throws. Easily cost about 3 games last year when he couldn't make them at the end when teams knew they could just foul him. As long as Dave Jackson gets to come back which at this point, who knows what Buzz is going to do, I think JVZ will progress really well. He has challenged him everytime he is in the weightroom to get quicker and get stronger.
JVZ averaged 1.7 blocks per game. He has stone hands and no touch, but he is a presence inside defensively and is steadily improving. Remember, he still has two years of eligibility left and is still developing. Many big men take a lot longer to develop. By the time he is a senior, I think we will have a pretty good player.
He is very good at coming in as the secondary defender and getting the block, but as a pure post defender I don't think he's that great. He has a below average jump hook, so unless he develops that and can start scoring consistently from 5-8 feet he's not going to be an important presence. But the two things he needs to improve the most are boxing out on defense and free throws. I equate rebounding to toughness more than anything else, wanting to dunk the ball doesn't make someone tough.
I agree, 5 rebounds a game is not going to cut it as a starting center in the ACC. He definitely needs to work on his positioning and ability to box out to more reliably pull down boards.
I didn't say he was a great defender...I said he was a presence inside. He is a threat to block shots. Of course, he can be abused inside by a good post player also. I never said he was a great rebounder, because he isn't. He just has some good raw athleticism and has potential. He needs to get stronger, especially with the ball. He misses alot of dunks and easy shots. He has alot of room to improve offensively but the talent is there.
I completely disagree with you regarding JVZ and his ability to score. You don't shoot 50% from the floor if you have hands of stone. The bigger problem with getting JVZ involved offensively was the way our offense ran (or didn't run) this last season. When we make a focused effort to get the ball to JVZ in the paint, you saw him put up good results. Too often though, we never were able to work the ball inside to him. He averaged almost 10 points per game for the last ten games of the season primarily because we made the effort to get him the ball. This does not take into account his dreadful 36% free throw shooting. The whole team just about needs to spend all summer at the line, not just JVZ.
^^^This!!
JVZ repeatedly loses the ball in the post. He is not strong with the ball. With the type of shots he takes, he should be at 50%. Most of his shots are layups or dunk attempts. He definitely has the length, leaping ability and athleticism to improve as a scorer. He will never be a big scorer however, especially now with the new talent coming in. I am not sure what you are seeing in JVZ...he is VERY raw as an offensive player. For an ACC big man he is very limited offensively. He has no range outside 8 feet. Don't get me wrong...I like JVZ and think he has good value and potential, but you seem to be overestimating his offensive ability.
I have heard the criticism from multiple sources...I am not alone in saying he needs to work on his hands. Maybe I should rephrase it...instead of "hands of stone", it should be "weak hands".
There are not that many big men in the ACC that have a 50% shooting percentage from the floor that average 6 or more points a game. There are usually one or two at the most on any roster in the ACC that shoot that well while scoring that often. I am not "overestimating" his ability by expecting to get 10 PPG on 50% shooting next year. He proved he could do it in a James Johnson non offense. He and Barksdale will now be the centerpieces of the 4 out 1 in offense that Buzz wants to run, especially when looking from the corner pass to the down low pass. The kids in the ACC that have the combination of range 10-12 feet from the basket scoring ten or more points on 50% shooting have a major theme in common, they usually are in the NBA after one or two years(see Jabari Parker, James McCadoo, Rodney Hood). JVZ is what I would consider that next tier down, one that will take all four years to develop and will likely be a fringe player in the NBA at best because of his length.
I personally don't see it in him. I thought Raines was much better than him last year but we were a dysfunctional team that didn't know how to handle adversity properly so Raines didn't play. The problem here is that he's had 3 years of college coaching and still isn't anything special, to me he has the same flaws as he had 2 years ago. Add to that the fact that Buzz doesn't have a particularly great history with centers. He loves 2-guards and forwards.
There are actually 9 forwards or centers who shot over 50% in ACC play.
To compare JVZ to Jabari or Hood is not a good comparison. Jabari Parker and Hood have a much more varied offensive game than JVZ. They both have mid to long range games and take many more shots than JVZ. JVZ's shots are mostly confined to inside the paint, (which isn't a bad thing), but it is not a fair comparison. Hood shot 169 three's and Jabari shot 106. Hood hit 42% and Jabari 35%... JVZ attempted one 3 the entire season. I don't see how you can mention them in the same breath.
I guess we can agree to disagree...I think JVZ is very limited offensively, although I think he has some potential and can be an asset for the team in other area's.
I don't disagree that he can't score 10 ppg in the future...it will just be inside the paint.
Ok so there are nine in the ACC out of 15 schools, that's less than one per roster so to even have one is rare. That says there are about 21 forwards and centers in the ACC that don't manage 50% shooting. We happen to have one. Could he have done more, sure, as can be seen by his turnover number of 1.4 per game. That's 27 possessions in ACC play, which if he scores a basket per possession would have had him a whole lot closer to 10 ppg. You seem to think I consider JVZ a star, I don't. I consider him a middle of the road ACC Center, which by the numbers is exactly what he is. I also think that in Buzz's system he stands to show significant gains in his offensive numbers because so much of the Buzz offense is predicated on the movement of the center around the lane to get him open opportunities.
I understand the differences in Parker and Hood's game versus JVZ and I did little to compare them other than to say they are an entirely different tier of player. JVZ is a four year, give you 10-12 PPG and maybe 7-8 RPG kind of player and its more so because of the offense he will be in going forward that it will work out that way. He compares statistically with most of the nine centers/forwards you looked up.
JVZ last year in regards the ACC was 29th in rebounds. He ranked 9th in shooting percentage. He isn't a world beater but he is the best in regards to interior play on the team right now unless Barksdale steps up. Two years from now he might be behind Pierce but I don't see that happening next year.
Not sure what we are arguing about...I like JVZ. I think he could actually play in the NBA (or at least overseas or the D-League)
He has length and athleticism...he can block shots. If he develops just a little bit of an offensive game and puts on a few pounds of muscle, he can be a player.
He has a long way to go but has two years to do it.
Lets just agree that we like his potential, ok?
Sure. He definitely will play in Europe if he doesn't make it as a role player in the NBA. I was shocked at the number of people that are able to play in Europe. Terrell Bell is a professional basketball player as one example. I liked Terrell as a Hokie but I didn't foresee him having a four to five year or more professional basketball career once he left Tech.
True...It looks like Bell is playing in the UK. He starts for Worthing Thunder and averaged 18.5ppg and 9.5 rebounds. Not bad!
http://basketball.eurobasket.com/team/United-Kingdom/Worthing_Thunder/3499
I hope to see Erick Green get a shot in the NBA with the Nuggets next season also. Looks like he averaged 11 ppg with Siena in the Italian Leagues.
http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=005159&se...
Green getting a shot in Europe isn't surprising. Hell as much as I loved Deron Washington, I was surprised to see he is still playing in Europe as well. Playing in the Italia Lega Basket Serie A
Malcolm Delaney is doing well for Bayern Munich (yes, they have a basketball team as well). Here's a recent article about his success and him wanting to play in the NBA - Malcolm Delaney - Let me just say it would be awesome if I had Bastian Schweinsteger and Franck Ribery coming to my games.
Just ran into Dorenzo Hudson about half an hour ago and he said he is playing for Frankfurt and that him and Malcolm are about 2 hours away from each other. Even though that article doesn't really paint the picture really well, Bayern is one of the top teams in the EuroLeague. Zo also said that Jeff Allen is in Italy. So pretty much all of that class is still playing basketball besides JT.
The move to Italy for Allen must have been after his season in Israel finished up because he was the starting center for Hapoel Afula, where he was averaging 20.6 points and 13.7 rebounds. JT didn't do himself any favors with going to play that season in Charlotte for the 49ers. He probably would have been better off trying to make it in Europe at the same time the rest of his class went over there.
Yeah, I don't think he was interested in continuing playing though. He has two bad knees and has a daughter to provide for, so I'm sure his priority is his family.
As for Allen, I'm a little surprised he is even still over there. I know he was hating it for the first couple years he was overseas.
Not so fast my friend....Before you assume Hudson is going to redshirt...watch this video a few times. This is a big time posterizing dunk...the guy has NBA athleticism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnKa3gF5wM
This ought to get you excited.
Regardless of the dunk and his athleticism, if he isn't going to see the court than he should redshirt. Buzz already has his own limitations on playing freshmen, so when you have a logjam at a position usually the least developed end up with a redshirt and right now of the group at the two/three Hudson is the least developed. It may end up being that no one redshirts but I wont be surprised if he does.
I think Buzz is going to let these guys come in and compete...Its not like Hudson is a 2 star prospect. He is a legit player also. Its not exactly a stacked team he is coming into. You could be right...but with our lack of depth I would be surprised if he is redshirting any of this years recruits.
Buzz Williams runs a modified version of whats called a "4 out/1 in high low Motion Offense", similar (but modified) to what Bill Self runs at Kansas. Added onto this he will have set plays that will flow into this base offense which will be used in the middle or end of the motion. There is alot of freedom in this offense where players make the reads.
Post players will get the ball fronting the basket in this offense alot. It is important for post players to also have perimeter skills. Normally, teams with this style of offense normally make their 4 man more of a "small forward role". It is crucial for our 4 in the future to be versatile, which Buzz hinted in this welcome speach, that he wants his players to be able to play most of the positions. If our 4 can shoot the three or handle the ball this is a major plus and strength. If his defender has to play him tight this also opens up lanes for our other post player to get the ball and finish for penetration. Also, the guards and small forward (which in this offense will be labelled a "guard"), 1, 2 and 3 will be interchangeable (1PG, 2G, 3G). The only thing that will differentiate the 1PG from the other two guards is that he will bring the ball up (after opposing team made baskets). In transition this will not be as organized for the versatility of the players and their interchangeability allows for others to bring the ball up and players without the ball to fill the lanes of other positions.
There are advantages to this offense. First this offense allows for great spacing, which allows for better dribble penetration and/or post feeds. Second, this offense isolates the low post. There is more room for our post players to operate and harder for the defense to trap the post. Third, Buzz will also emphasize that this offense attacks the rim. Fourth, after dribble penetration this offense is easy to continue with ease. We will not have to give it up to a point guard to have to "set up" the offense again (he also wants his players versatile to aid to this). Fifth, the two motion concepts in most motion offenses are able to be executed here: "screen the screener" and "staggered screen". Finally, the ball will constantly be in the high post. This is important in reversing the ball. This gets the defense shifting and makes the help defender close out on the person he is guarding. "Close outs" are the most difficult on help defenses because most of the time this player closing out is out of control in running to close out and he isn't sure if the ball handler will shoot or penetrate upon receipt of the ball. This puts the defender in a vulnerable position in which he will have to be first controlled, then be able to challenge the shot, but also stay on the ground and be able to cut off penetration.
This offense is an equal opportunity offense that is based upon sharing the basketball and keeping it moving. Since it is an offense based upon reads, it takes time for a team to be able to not only learn the options, but react to what his teammate wants to accomplish. At the start of the season, players may appear to be robotic while remembering how he should be reacting. As the season progresses, the offense becomes part of the player. He isnt just recalling what he was taught to do. Instead, he automatically reacts without having to think about it.
This is a very very basic overview of the style of offense and Buzz has modified it over the years to handle the toughness of the Big East style of play. I can get into more depth with pictures and terminologies if needed and if there is interest.
As far as defense we will be tough, hard nosed, well conditioned, and lengthy. Buzz will emphasize communication.
As far as recruiting, Buzz will be recruiting versatile players
First, thank you for the informative and helpful post. Second, in regards to a versatile 4 that can play like a 3, do you think Buzz will be able to revive Marshall Wood? I think he could thrive in that role.
I'd guess he and Barksdale would do well as both shoot the 3 well.
But it sounds like both Wood and Barksdale will be solely 4s since they add the versatility to face up against a PF but lack the ball handling of the three guard lineup.
Great write up, and, yes, images/video breakdown would be very much appreciated.
I will try and see if i can put something together here in the coming weeks
http://www.coachesclipboard.net/4Out1InMotionOffense.html
This link provides an excellent summary of the offense in question, there are also a couple videos at the bottom with instructionals from coaches. Its fairly in depth but the top section labeled "4-Out" gives you a general idea of what to expect. It really reinforces how important Barksdale and JVZ will be for the offense to be successful next season.
The 4-out-1-in is designed to spread the floor and use ball screens, cuts and motion. It is good when your strength is guards and forwards. It creates motion and space for your athletes cutting to the basket. It is not normally used to highlight a post player. I would be shocked if Buzz were to give JVZ alot of touches in the post. Barksdale will get more, as he has a midrange game and can step outside as a stretch 4. I think Satchel Pierce is actually a better fit in this offense because of his more refined post game and much better touch than JVZ. The post player needs to be a good passer in the 4 out 1 in. He needs to be able to step out and hit a jumper at times. You don't have to use a true center in this offense. You can put anyone at the high post that you want to isolate.
I coach a travel basketball team. We run a variation of the 4 out 1 in offense. I would frequently put my best scorer, even if they aren't a post player, at the high post area to isolate in a 1-on-1 situation. The players coming in will be perfect for this offense. Devin Wilson should be excellent in this offense also.
I agree long term that Pierce is the answer for the post position (until Buzz gets Thon Maker to commit...fingers crossed) but next season I do think that JVZ and or Barksdale will be the focus in that role. Buzz has really strong feelings about freshmen seeing significant playing time. He doesn't like to do it and avoids it if at all possible.
As an example, this last season, Buzz had five freshmen that were a Top 10 Recruiting class.
Here is what he did with them:
John Dawson, 6'2, 195 lbs, G, played in 24 games, zero starts, avg 10.2 MPG, 2 PPG
JaJuan Johnson, 6'5, 185 lbs, G, played in 21 games, three starts, avg 13.5 MPG, 4.7 PPG
Deonte Burton, 6'4, 230 lbs, G/F, played in 32 games, three starts, avg 12.6 MPG, 6.9 PPG
Luke Fischer, 6'11, 230 lbs, C, DNP, Sat out for transfer season from Indiana
Duane Wilson, 6'2, 180 lbs, G, DNP, Redshirt due to injury
While their time on the court isn't insignificant, it also wasn't overwhelming either. This has been how Buzz has handled freshmen getting playing time throughout his time at Marquette after starting a couple freshmen his first year with no so stellar results.
Yeah, but he had upperclassmen to play. He is quickly losing that advantage here. At least one freshman, probably two, will have to play more minutes than any of those guys similarly due to the 200 minute math.
I fully expect to have one or two freshman starting this year. I think you can pencil in Wilson, Barksdale, and probably JVZ...but I don't expect anything to be handed to Smith, Emelogu, or Marshall Wood.
Bibbs, Hudson, Hill, and Pierce will all have a shot to earn playing time and even starting roles if they are better than the veterans.
Who knows?....I am excited either way.
I think the recruits coming in, Hudson, Bibbs, and Hill, will be perfect for this offense. Athletic guys with the ability to take it to the rim are a perfect fit for Buzz. Look at his past players who have gone to the NBA. They were more raw, but very athletic. Jimmy Butler, Wesley Matthews, and Darius Johnson-Odom, were all tough, hardnosed athletic players who like to slash and take it to the hoop.
To me he brings excitement and a fresh face (and a series of more fresh faces in assistants) and a better attitude than JJ did in my opinion he wants greatness and wants to be far better and sets the bar higher to me. Honestly I liked Seth as a coach and was bummed when they fired him and lost interest in the program when they hired JJ as I felt he lacked the ferocity that I liked in seth. But all said and done I feel the program took a massive leap getting the likes of Williams and much better assistants along with him to help get us to a better ACC level team instead of being a bottom feeder. The best thing Buzz brings to me is his recruiting, after reading alot I like what I've seen in what hes done to recruit in the past and I have high hopes for what he will do here in the future!!
What is going on with Hokiesports/the athletic department? Are they waiting for Buzz to finalize all his staff positions before announcing them? Seems after such a big deal was made of Buzz, that other than the Twitterverse, the two new assistants have been sort of left out in the cold.
Apparently as "assistants" they don't need a lot of press.
Hopefully one of the earlier adjustments Whit makes will be to drag the marketing arm of the ath dept into the 21st century. I understand Buzz's focus on recruiting. I don't blame him for that. I just find it odd that nobody at hokiesports.com has the ten minutes it would take to add the new assistant coaches' profiles.
They always seem to be the last to update anything. I'm sure they'll get to it sometime during the summer....
I had seen somewhere that they were holding off on making the official announcements for a little while but never saw a solid date
Its pretty ridiculous if they are already out there making offers, wearing the gear, hosting recruits, and doing the work. At least put a Bio up on the website so that people know they are legit.
Agreed, this should be the #1 reason to get their bios up ASAP, recruits will go look at that to see whom it is they talked to and get more detail on their background. This is a pretty serious goof, IMO.
Just more evidence that Whit has a huge task of updating virtually everything about Hokie sports. A day or two is understandable lag time. Not acceptable, but understandable. Of course, when one examines the stunted, ancient methods of operation that VT athletics continues to use in so many areas, it is not surprising. Don't even get me started on ticket buying experiences... I just have to remind myself that WHit has to prioritize, as the list is extremely long.