The obvious concern for K-State fans heading into this one is K-State will be looking ahead to Monday night's game against KU. I don't think that will be the case, but with 19-22 year olds you never know for sure.
My three biggest concerns going into this one are post defense, rebounding, and possible foul trouble for Dean Wade. Georgia does have some big, strong physical posts. They killed Arkansas on the offensive glass, particularly in the second half. If the Wildcats get pounded on the offensive glass like they did against Baylor this one will go down to the wire as Georgia is more solid defensively than Baylor is.
Georgia's best player Yante Maten (#1), a 6'8", 240 pound power forward who averages 19.9 points and 9.4 rebounds. Georgia plays him at both the 4 and 5. He can score on the block and can step out and shoot a jumper. If he is at the 4 for most of this game it means Dean Wade will draw the defensive assignment, hence my concern for possible foul trouble.
Offensive Concepts:
Georgia is not an explosive team. Arkansas was the first time in 8 games they scored more than 65 and it took 2 overtimes to get there. However, they are solid. The Wildcats will not be able to sleep walk through this one. Mawien has played better the last 2 games, but neither Brodziansky for TCU or Lual for Baylor are known as being bangers. Georgia does have a couple of posts who are physical which has given Mawien trouble this year, so it will be interesting to see how he responds.
My three biggest concerns going into this one are post defense, rebounding, and possible foul trouble for Dean Wade. Georgia does have some big, strong physical posts. They killed Arkansas on the offensive glass, particularly in the second half. If the Wildcats get pounded on the offensive glass like they did against Baylor this one will go down to the wire as Georgia is more solid defensively than Baylor is.
Georgia's best player Yante Maten (#1), a 6'8", 240 pound power forward who averages 19.9 points and 9.4 rebounds. Georgia plays him at both the 4 and 5. He can score on the block and can step out and shoot a jumper. If he is at the 4 for most of this game it means Dean Wade will draw the defensive assignment, hence my concern for possible foul trouble.
Offensive Concepts:
Secondary Break:
Claxton (#33), another one of the lefties, is a 6'11" player who can shoot the 3. He is shooting 46% from 3 on the year. (No other player is above 38%). Georgia likes to use him at the top of their high/low with Maten in the post as his ability to shoot the ball stretches the floor.
Final Thoughts- Georgia will give you a traditional look from a player's positioning on the floor perspective on their secondary break, meaning a post on the block, a post at the top of the key, 2 guards on one side of the floor, and the other guard on the weak side free throw line extended.
- When the point guard dribbles down on the strong side (himself and another guard on the same side), they look to reverse the ball through the post at the top of the key and look hard at the high low. Maten can be a handful in the post in this situation.
- When the point guard dribbles down on the weak side (he is the lone guard on that side of the floor), they immediately go into a side pick and roll. They typically did not look for the roller, unless it was Maten. Instead, they concentrated more on getting the ball to the post on the block ducking into the lane.
- They set up in a 1-4 high look and initiate the offense with a pass to the post at the elbow. The point guard sets a screen for the wing, who looks to curl off the post for a hand off. If the hand off is not there, the post passes back out to the point who is now on the wing and follows his pass for a side pick and roll. If the ball gets reversed to the opposite wing and then the corner, the wing will make a shuffle cut to the basket off of a screen from the post and then the post sets a ball screen for the man with the ball in the corner.
- When a guard, usually #3, starts at the block and Maten (#1) starts on the wing on the same side, it should be a tell to the Wildcats of what is coming. In this set, when Maten reverses the ball to the post at the top of the key, the guard moves up to the elbow and sets a backscreen for Maten who makes a waterfall cut to the basket. On the pass from the top of the key to the wing, the post will set a down screen for the guard who had just set the screen for Maten. This is a common screen the screener set many teams run.
- If Maten's intial pass goes to the corner, the guard at the block will still set a back screen for Maten who makes a shuffle cut to the basket, and then the guard pops out looking for a quick 3.
- They ran several possessions of traditional high/low offense.
- Flex Action - They ran a flex cut for both Maten and a wing. When the flex cut was made by a wing, on the ball reversal back to the point guard, the player in the corner and the post at the elbow set a double screen for the player who made the flex cut.
Claxton (#33), another one of the lefties, is a 6'11" player who can shoot the 3. He is shooting 46% from 3 on the year. (No other player is above 38%). Georgia likes to use him at the top of their high/low with Maten in the post as his ability to shoot the ball stretches the floor.
Georgia is not an explosive team. Arkansas was the first time in 8 games they scored more than 65 and it took 2 overtimes to get there. However, they are solid. The Wildcats will not be able to sleep walk through this one. Mawien has played better the last 2 games, but neither Brodziansky for TCU or Lual for Baylor are known as being bangers. Georgia does have a couple of posts who are physical which has given Mawien trouble this year, so it will be interesting to see how he responds.
