Defense and Rebounding

[J-R-K]

Amongst the Pac-12 teams CU is first in fewest PPG allowed (60.4), first in lowest opponents FG% (38.9), seconds in total rebounds (37.3), and first in rebounding margin (+5.5).

Defensive and rebounding capabilities can be difficult to predict by just looking at a team on paper so I think they are largely overlooked in the evaluation process, hence us having a better season then most people thought we would. This also explains how we can lose 75% of our scoring from last year but still be successfull. If only we could have parlayed these numbers from this year with the scoring from last year we would be a top-25 team. Props to Tad for producing a team that adheres to his emphasis on defense and rebounding rather then just using the phrase as "coach speak" for his weekly press conferences.

 

[Buffnik]

To pat myself on the back, this is what I predicted in the preseason. That we'd be able to overcome a lot of what we lost in offensive efficiency and firepower by making major improvements in defense and rebounding for the 2nd year in Tad's system.

I certainly didn't see us at 18 wins with 4 to play, but that's due more to the weakness of the Pac-12. We're about what I though we'd be as a team, though. Tad's system translates to winning basketball.