Iowa State is the new Press Virginia

[Malty Flannel]

It hit me last night listening to Settles. Early in the game he said, regarding what its like to play against us, "Iowa State makes you hate playing basketball" and he meant it as the highest complement. We are the team that everybody absolutely hates to play. Coaches lose their minds every game against us. High major players get flustered against us. Fans constantly complain about us. TJ has made this program into a monster.

The only recent comparable team I could think of was Huggin's Press Virginia squads from a decade or so ago. Obviously our play styles are quite different, but the impact is just about the same.

 

[Cyched]

TJ needs to hit the booze and pepperoni rolls to get to Huggins’ level

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Huggins' teams played defense like horny spider monkeys. When you got done playing, you had to point to a doll and tell a jury where the bad man touched them.

I prefer to think of our style as 'mob enforcers running a training exercise in fast forward'.

 

[Gunnerclone]

We are way more UVA than WVU

 

[Malty Flannel]

What impresses me most about our defense is how we really aren't handsey at all. Our footwork is so good staying in front of people and just body checking and cutting them off. Huggin's teams just grabbed and held and hand checked you all game.

 

[DesertClone1]

We are way more UVA than WVU

Little faster paced than they were, but i thought the same exact thing.

 

[alarson]

What impresses me most about our defense is how we really aren't handsey at all. Our footwork is so good staying in front of people and just body checking and cutting them off. Huggin's teams just grabbed and held and hand checked you all game.

And very much played "refs can't call them all" defense so much to the point it often swung around and somehow the other team would end up getting more fouls called because they were being judged to different standards

 

[Gunnerclone]

Little faster paced than they were, but i thought the same exact thing.

Ya not offensively, just defensively. Even then I think the way we work our system to create turnovers is different from UVA which seemed to be geared toward creating bad shots and being really good on the glass. Tamin is such a unique athlete that it makes what we do unique imo.

 

[JP4CY]

WV would press, we tighten up on D around paint and baseline, then jump passing routes to the perimeter.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

We are way more UVA than WVU

100%.

This is modified pack line that Kyle brought with him. This isn't 40 Minutes of Hell or Press Virginia.

 

[Billups06]

What impresses me most about our defense is how we really aren't handsey at all. Our footwork is so good staying in front of people and just body checking and cutting them off. Huggin's teams just grabbed and held and hand checked you all game.

Agreed. Rob and Ward still seem to reach/get a little handsy out by the 3 point line, when it's completely unnecessary. Good for a couple fouls a game.

Watch TJ's reaction after one of those fouls; he'll smile, put his hands in the air as if to say "I've told you this a thousand times".

 

[Statefan10]

100%.

This is modified pack line that Kyle brought with him. This isn't 40 Minutes of Hell or Press Virginia.

Our trapping in the corners is what's mostly different. Virginia plays more straight up than us.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Our trapping in the corners is what's mostly different. Virginia plays more straight up than us.

Yep. Watch the good UNI teams from 2010-16. It's a carbon copy with better athletes.

 

[Cy4All]

When I read the title I thought we don't press like WVU did. Then I realized you more meant the frustration level our defense creates is similar to press Virginia. Total agree with that take. Teams, coaches and players get tired of fighting every possession and it shows especially late in the half.

 

[enisthemenace]

I think we do a great job of funneling the ball where we want it to go. Opposing offenses have to consciously go against the grain visually. We make it look like there is an opening, but in reality we are putting them where we want them, which is no bueno for them.

Our bigs are very good guarding up top, also. What Hasan Ward does up top, against guards, is not normal.

We’re not invulnerable though. BYU showed that. A team with multiple shooters and relatively good ball handlers can pick us apart if they are patient. Patience is just not easy to do against the defense we employ.

 

[rosshm16]

What impresses me most about our defense is how we really aren't handsey at all. Our footwork is so good staying in front of people and just body checking and cutting them off. Huggin's teams just grabbed and held and hand checked you all game.

This is the key difference to me. Homer fans of our opponents will probably disagree, but we play pretty clean defense by Big 12 "physicality" standards. Those WVU teams fouled you all over the court knowing at most only one of them is going to get called. We also don't full-court press all that much (although I don't think that's the point OP was making).

 

[riceville98]

We are way more UVA than WVU

UVA is the team comp that I thought of as well

 

[exCYtable]

What impresses me most about our defense is how we really aren't handsey at all. Our footwork is so good staying in front of people and just body checking and cutting them off. Huggin's teams just grabbed and held and hand checked you all game.

Jess mentioned this in the game last night and I can confirm. You don't truly understand just how intense and elite this defense is until you sit near courtside. I watch most games on TV, but got some really good seats last Saturday against TCU and their defensive effort was UNREAL. It looks great on tv, it looks overwhelming up close in person.

 

[8bitnes]

It hit me last night listening to Settles. Early in the game he said, regarding what its like to play against us, "Iowa State makes you hate playing basketball" and he meant it as the highest complement. We are the team that everybody absolutely hates to play. Coaches lose their minds every game against us. High major players get flustered against us. Fans constantly complain about us. TJ has made this program into a monster.

The only recent comparable team I could think of was Huggin's Press Virginia squads from a decade or so ago. Obviously our play styles are quite different, but the impact is just about the same.

"Press Virginia" made me hate watching basketball and it often wasn't basketball being played out there. That's a comparison I hope to never see made about ISU again

 

[gocy444]

If that also gets us a natty I'm sold.