Gaucho Hoops Season Update, by Gaucho Freg

Head Coach
Joe Pasternack is in his fifth season at the helm of the Gauchos, boasting a 93-36 record.  Pasternack has recruited extremely well, especially in the transfer market with at least one transfer making a major impact each season up until this year as his lone transfer, Zack Harvey from Cincinnati, is out for the year with injuries.
In year one, he led UCSB to its greatest turnaround season ever with 23 wins versus just 6 the year previous. Last year he led the Gauchos to their first NCAA tournament since 2011 where they narrowly lost to #5 seed Creighton 63-62 in the first round.  UCSB has won at least 20 games each of his seasons, albeit with soft OOC schedules.  Prior to UCSB he was the associate head coach under Sean Miller at Arizona.  He was also the head coach for the University of New Orleans in the post Katrina years.
I describe Coach Pasternack as not simply a basketball coach, he is a program builder.  In addition to their on-court success, he has spearheaded significant fundraising resulting in improvements to the Thunderdome including new locker rooms, new practice court, chair back seating, new court and video board.  He and his staff also lead efforts to get fans to the games.  One of the hardest working individuals in the sport at any level, UCSB is lucky to have him.
Pasternack has assembled a terrific staff, including Associate HC John Rillie, an Australian who played at Gonzaga in the 1990s and helped coached the Aussie team to a bronze medal in Tokyo.
 
Overview and Roster
The Gauchos are coming off a very successful season in which they lost in heartbreaking fashion in the first round of the NCAA tournament—Amadou Sow, the strongest finisher for UCSB, missed a layup with just ~2s left in the game which would have given them the lead.  UCSB was picked to win the Big West Conference again this year.   
UCSB is experienced and deep in the frontcourt but are tasked with replacing one of the best backcourts in school history including Jacquori McLaughlin now with the Dallas Mavericks on a Two-Way.  The team is definitely missing McLaughlin and his backcourt mate Devearl Ramsey, the pair started together for three seasons.  Despite some gaudy numbers due to a soft schedule, the Gauchos have been turnover prone and their defense has suffered significantly.   It’s been a sluggish start to the season for the Gauchos. They are 5-2 but they’ve played an extremely soft schedule, SOS rank of, which includes games vs. a D2 and a D3 program.  They were easily handled by the one good team they played in Washington State and also lost to previously winless UT Arlington. 
 
UCSB is anchored by1st Team All Big West Center Senior Amadou Sow.  The team returns two starters, Sow and HM All Big West PF Miles Norris plus reigning 6th Man of the Year, Junior Guard Ajare Sanni. Sow has played all of his years at UCSB while much of the roster began their careers at different schools.   While Sow starts at the 5, he often plays the 4 when center Robinson Idehen comes in off the bench.  Miles Norris last year was an effective stretch 5 but has struggled a bit this year as he’s tried to play a more traditional PF role.
Joining Sanni in the backcourt are Point Guard Ajay Mitchell, a true freshman out of Belgium, and Wing Josh Pierre Louis.   All three are new to starting roles and the offense & defense have been clunky & inconsistent at times.   This, combined with Miles Norris trying a new role, explain, at least in part, their struggles.  The Gauchos, like many teams at this time of year, are very much a work in progress.

Probable Starters
Point Guard Ajay Mitchell #13 Freshman 6’4” 180lb, 6.7 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3.1 ATO, 42% from deep.  26 mpg
Highly touted recruit out of Belgium who was rated a 4* prospect by 247 sports.  Took over the starting PG role two games ago.  Has impressive ball control stats, especially for a freshman, and has looked the part.  Has had one bad game, vs. UT Arlington which, not coincidentally was a loss, otherwise has been the most consistent player on the roster after Sow.
 
Guard Ajare Sanni #3   Junior, 6’3”, 180 lb    9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 24 mpg
The Big West 6th Man of the Year last season, Sanni has had a bit of a rough start to the season, perhaps trying too hard to fill the shoes of McLaughlin.  An excellent shooter last year and his freshman year at UOP, Sanni has struggled with his shooting this season, only 29% from the field and 24% from three.  His defense, not a strong point to begin with, has also struggled.  Is third on the team in assists and likely just a matter of time before his game returns to form.  WCC fans may remember him from his freshman year at UOP two years ago.
 
Wing Josh-Pierre Louis  #2  Junior  6’4”, 185 lb,  10 ppg on 55% shooting, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.5 ATO, 26 mpg
One of the best athletes to ever put on a Gaucho uniform, his production has taken a jump in a starting role after coming off the bench last year. He plays great defense, brings high energy, and can absolutely ignite the fans and his teammates with his thunderous finishes at the rim.  His production  and decision making are inconsistent though and can have limited impact vs. higher level competition. Not a threat from deep.  He is second on the team in assists and sports a 1.5 ATO ratio, a big improvement over last year in both areas.
 
Forward Miles Norris  #5  Senior, 6’10”  220lb  9.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 23 mpg
All Big West HM last year, has added 15 pounds to his frame and is trying to put in some more work in the paint in addition to what he has proven as a stretch 4.  He is off to a slow start this year, bogged down by hesitancy to shoot the three when he does have an open look.  Started his career at Oregon, he is a terrific athlete, can elevate.  Similar to Sanni, a bit of difficulty in taking on a slightly different role and should improve as the season progresses.

Forward/Center Amadou Sow  #12   Senior, 6’9”, 235 lb   19.1 ppg on 67% shooting (also 67% from deep), 7.9 rbg, 1.2 bpg, 26 mpg. 
The Gaucho’s best and most consistent player, he earned 1st team All Big West his junior year.  A POY candidate in 2021/22.  Has shot extremely well from deep but just 6 attempts on the season.
 
Reserves (in order of PT)
Point Guard Calvin Wishart #10  Junior, 6’2” 180lb   9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg,  2.1 TO pg, 1.7 spg, 24 mpg
Transfer from Georgia Southern in his first season on the floor with the Gauchos after sitting out last year due to injury.  Was the starter but has come off the bench the past two games and has thrived in that role, including a 23 point performance against Pepperdine.  He is the Gauchos top three point shooter, 1.4 makes per game with an impressive 59% rate.   Is turning the ball over too much but somewhat makes up for that with 1.7 steals per game.  He is physical, in his one year of HS football, he led the state of Minnesota in receiving.

Center Robinson Idehen  #35 Graduate, 6’10”, 230 lb   7.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg. 16 mpg   
UCSB is extremely lucky to have a player of Idehen’s caliber coming in off the bench.  A 5th year player that would start for most other mid-majors, his minutes, scoring and rebounding are all up significantly from last season.  Earlier in his career he was prone to foul trouble and has improved a lot in this area. 
 
Forward Jay Nagle  #1  Forward, Senior.  6’8”, 215 lb  2pg, 2.3 rpg,  2 apg, 11 mpg
His strength is that he knows the UCSB system well but he has lost confidence in his outside shot which which was a strength his first year.  He is shooting 33% from deep and overall this season after shooting 42% from deep his first year. An ongoing challenge for Nagle is his defense as he has always had trouble remaining in front of his opponent.  Has 14 assists vs. just 2 TOs.  He plays fewer minutes against better teams.
 
Guard/Wing Sekou Toure  #0  Senior, 6’5”, 185 lb   2.9 ppg, 3.4 rbg  0.7 ATO 11 mpg
A career reserve, he’s known for good defense and hustle.  He’s struggled a bit this year with turnovers.
 
Guard Cole Anderson #4 Freshman, 6’4”, 185 lb  4.5 ppg, 36% from deep, 8 mpg
Has seen his minutes increase over the season.   Excellent shooter; despite having two seasons impacted by Covid, the 6’4” guard still finished his career as the #3 all-time three point shooter in California high school history. 
 
Forward/Center Jakov Kukic  #14  RS Sophomore  6’10” 230 lb  3.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 6 mpg
Has played just four games, either in spot minutes or in mop-up duty.

Forward Ariel Bland  #23  Freshman  6’7”, 215 lb  4 ppg, 2 rpg, 5 mpg
Athletic, has played just two games (it was initially thought he would redshirt).  His upside may see him get more PT as the season progresses.
 
Injured: 
Guard Zach Harvey.  The transfer from Cincinnati is out for the season.

Videos of Gaucho Hoops Practice

https://www.youtube.com/c/GauchoHoops/videos

Gaucho Hoops Pics and Video in Indianapolis

Chief and his Gaucho kids:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM0_38ZMBJf/

Walking to Lucas Oil Stadium:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM1ALXqs8_I/

Pregame Gaucho Greeting:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM1ApHZswWv/

Gauchofreg getting interviewed:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM1AzgNMZyc/

UCSB vs CU pre-game:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM1BLdQM3nh/

UCSB  vs CU highlights:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CM1BWxlsrii/

Gaucho Hoops logo

Gaucho Hoops Overview, by Gaucho Freg

Team Overview
UCSB is 6-3 coming off their best win of the season, on the road at UT Arlington, 72-68, where they were 6 point underdogs. This was their fifth straight victory with all but the UTA win over teams ranked well below 200 in the composite computer rankings plus NAIA Menlo; the Gauchos are getting healthy on cupcakes. To their credit, two of the victories were on the road (Bakersfield the other).
Besides the light schedule, a ton of credit to the turnaround lies with the leadership and stellar play of Junior Jaquori McLaughlin.  His decision making, scoring, ability to get to the line and much improved defense are night & day from his first four games.  Mucho the remaining credit goes to the team defense which is vastly improved.  The first four games, which included three losses, the Gauchos gave up 74.5 ppg and in their three losses, they gave up an average of 79 ppg.  In their 5 game winning streak, Gaucho opponents are averaging just 65 ppg.
Shout outs too to Amadou Sow who had his best game of the year vs. UT Arlington.  The Sophomore is maturing and playing smarter and leads the team in scoring and rebounding.  Also to Matt Freeman who has been every bit the perimeter threat he was rumored to be, shooting over 50% from deep and has really stepped into a leadership role as well.  He’s a cocky bastard and I love it.

Outlook for the remainder of the OOC season
The upcoming game at Southern Utah represents the most difficult remaining game on the OOC schedule and the only one that UCSB may not be favored.  The Thunderbirds rank 181 in the composite rankings and are a Top 100 team in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings. 
Win or lose, it will probably be a very difficult game.  Two days later, the Gauchos play at Idaho State representing their biggest trap game of the OOC.  The Bengals are not good this year, #287 in the composite rankings but winning on the road, at elevation, with wintry mountainous travel inbetween on a short rest is not easy.
Moving along Candy-Cane Lane, the Gauchos return to home to take on consecutive 300+ teams in Southern and Merrimack.  These should be easy double-digit victories.  After Christmas they travel to Louisiana to take on the rebuilding Cajuns who lost by 25 earlier this year to UCI but managed to lose by just 12 at Arizona State.  That should be another victory for the Gauchos but may not come easy.  They host NAIA Westmont January 2 to close things out.
I’ll go with the Gauchos losing just one more this year to finish their OOC at 11-4 but I’d like to say they’ll go undefeated.

Player Update
Devearl Ramsey:  #4 PG, RS Junior.  6’0”, 185 lb   5.8 ppg on 27% shooting (17% from deep), 3.4. apg/3.3 TOpg, 3.8 rpg, 30 mpg
No other Gaucho struggled more than Ramsey to start the season. Even now, 9 games into the season, he remains in a massive shooting slump, going just 1-10 from the field vs. UTA.  While a deft ball handler that usually can handle defensive pressure well, his decision making often puts him into situations that limits his options and leads to turnovers.  I’ve called this out before but the higher turnover rate could be due in part to his teammates not doing what their supposed to, something that is not as easy for us fans on the side to make that distinction.
On the positive side, his defense seems to be better than earlier in the year and he seems to possess the speed and strength he had last year (could also be the softer competition) that seemed lacking vs. the P12 teams early in the year.
I might be guilty of wearing rose colored glasses but I am feeling very positive about Ramsey coming back to form soon.  We know his shooting is far better than it has been and when that comes back, the confidence goes up and, probably, better decision making will follow.

JaQuori McLaughlin:  #3 Guard, RS Junior  6’4, 190 lb    13.7  ppg on 49% from the field (33% from deep), 4.1 apg, 1.4 TO pg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 spg, 33 mpg. 
Much of the blame for the poor defense by the Gauchos vs. UCLA, Rice & OSU lay on Jaquori’s shoulders as he repeatedly got burned by his opponent.  He has since turned that around and has become UCSB’s best player.  His stats speak for themselves but his A/TO ratio may be the one that stands out the most, he is just playing very smart out there.  The Gauchos are on this 5 game winning streak without Heidegger and JRoq is the biggest reason for it.

Brandon Cyrus:  #11  Guard/Wing, RS Junior, 6’5”, 190lb.     6.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg. 25 mpg Shooting 40% from the field and just 18% from deep. In the preseason practices & scrimmages, Cyrus showed to be strong in finishing at the basket and did well defensively but wilted vs. the P12 competition. For a player coming from a major conference, he has played very tight against higher level competition, not producing on offense or performing as a defensive stopper fans hoped he would be.  He missed a couple games due to lower body injuries and since his return has been pretty good again on defense and showing some decent mid-range game.  Still not finishing with as much authority as anticipated and is not shooting well at all from deep.   While I don’t think he’ll ever be an outstanding three point shooter, I do expect his moves to the hoop to improve.  He is not playing to his potential right now.

Matt Freeman:  #2  Forward, GT (Oklahoma) 6‘10”, 220 lb     11.1 ppg, 53% fg (51% from deep), 3.2 rpg
Freeman has been a steady contributor on offense and is now third in scoring with 11 ppg and shooting an outstanding 51% from deep.  While he is a liability on defense, especially vs. more athletic teams, he plays smart and with a ton of confidence.  As mentioned before, he is providing much needed leadership and experience, especially needed in the absence of Heidegger.

Amadou Sow:  #12  Forward/Center, Sophomore, 6’9”, 235 lb     15.9 ppg on 56% shooting (43% from deep), 8.3 rbg, 1.2 bpg, 27 mpg. Sow struggled a bit and was undersized vs. the P12 teams but has been absolutely terrific vs the rest of the schedule.  To Sow’s credit, he still pulled double digit rebounds vs. the P12 schools, was just limited offensively.   Rumors of him improving his perimeter shot were accurate, he is shooting 43% from deep and is coming off a perfect 3-3 from the field vs. UTA.  Just a sophomore, his decision making, patience and feel for the game are really improving.   Expectations were high for this preseason first team All Big West player and he is certainly meeting them. 

Main Reserves
Sekou Toure:  #0  Guard, Sophomore, 6’5”, 185 lb     4.7 ppg, 4.2 rbg  18 mpg
Forced into spot starter and 6^th man roles with the injuries to Heidegger and Cyrus, Toure has played extremely well.  His athleticism is an asset and he has played solid defense.  His game acumen, while still a bit of a handicap, is improving.  He has demonstrated some good finishing skills of late, with a nice Euro-step in his tool chest. His three point shot has been terrible (0-5) and the coaches have slapped the red light on that shot.  Something for him to work on but overall the future is bright for this sophomore.

Robinson Idehen:  #35  Center, Junior, 6’10”, 230 lb    4.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg. 12 mpg  
While he is the biggest and strongest guy on the roster, he frequently gets lost on defense and makes silly fouls trying to get caught up.  He’s been efficient on offense and has a couple nice moves to the hoop in his repertoire but his numbers have dipped a bit since the start of the season.  Still has a lot of work to do on his defense to stay out of foul trouble and make stops and if he can get that fixed, he should see his minutes bump up.  I still think that he paired with Sow can be a tough matchup for Gaucho opponents, I think its on Idehen to get better defensively so the coaches want to throw that out there. 

Jay Nagle:  #5  Forward, Sophomore.  6’9”, 210 lb    3 ppg, 41% from three, 12 mpg. 
A similar player to Freeman but does not have the have the same confidence that Freeman has.  Despite having grown an inch since his freshman campaign Nagle is averaging just one rebound per game and is shooting a lower % inside the arc than outside it.   Needs to get stronger as he has trouble on defense too.  On the positive side, has a nice feel for the game and plays smart within the system as demonstrated by a 2.3 A/TO ratio. 

Roberto Gittens:  #1  Guard, JC transfer Junior, 6’5”, 220 lb  2 ppg, 1 rpg, 8 mpg 
Has played just 7 games in spot play.  Decent shooting form but a little sluggish on the floor.  Would be great to see how a super fit Gittens would look out there but doesn’t look like we’ll see that this season. 

Injured
Max Heidegger:  #21 Guard, Senior. 6‘3”, 180 lb    14 ppg, 50% FG, 30% from three, 81%FTs, 3 apg, 31 mpg.  Max started out on fire this season but had taken a more passive, faciliatory role his last three games before getting a concussion at the end of the Portland State game.  He’s missed three games and there is no public timetable for his return.  With this being the second season in a row dealing with a concussion, it would not surprise me if we don’t see him til the new year as the priority has to be that he's in the clear.  Get better Max, its a joy watching you play.

Instagram Videos of Gaucho Hoops Practices

Check out the Gaucho Hoops Instagram site to find videos of women's and men's basketball practices.  Also, bonus video of the baseball team's blue/grey scrimmage played under the lights for the first time ever.

https://www.instagram.com/gauchohoops/

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/gauchohoops/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogQ-nIF1ex ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogYq5ilHmN ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogY5isl_Fw ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogZHqqF9HN ... auchohoops

https://www.instagram.com/p/BogZRnyF4Fu ... auchohoops

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice Video, 10-1-18

UCSB Gaucho Hoops Practice, 10-1-18

I took contemporaneous notes, recorded basic drills before turning off the recorder, and got a short interview with Coach Pasternack.

Ramsey’s jumper is solid.

Idehen’s as quick as most 3’s and his wingspan is huge.  He’s more than capable and assertive on offense.  At this point, he will get the most minutes in the post, as long as he minimizes his mistakes guarding the high ball screen.  He's really fast in flashing, and hustling back to guard his man.  He just needs to learn to better read the screener and ball handler.

Gauchos have many different variations on the fast break offense, more than say, Coach Williams' teams.  They certainly practice transition offense more.

Even 5’s have to sprint on breaks.  There are plays where the 5's will get the ball if they beat their defender downcourt.

With Heidegger and McLaughlin out, Ramsey ran the point most.

Lakoju was limited to drills, but they did include fullcourt drills.  Heidegger was under the weather, and McLaughlin held out of full practice for cautionary reasons.  All 3 will be at full strength for the season.

Davis and Terrell played point on some drills.  That would be a tall lineup.

They practiced against 2-3 zone defense, even if they don't play one.

Toure can shoot the 3, with good results and good form.

Coach really emphasized reversing the ball

Freshmen look good and seasoned, as did Idehen.  A person from Mars wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the three freshmen, Idehen, and the rest of the players.  There is no drop off in talent at all between the older players and the underclassmen (which could be even truer if you include McLaughlin and Ramsey as underclassmen).

We could easily go 10 deep, with Blackmon, Moore, and Kupchak on the outside looking in.  Toure and Nagle are just too good to redshirt, so they probably won't?  It's up in the air and a lot can happen til November.  Blackmon can rebound on offense, Moore can shoot in the perimeter, and would be in the rotation and even start on many Div. 1 teams.  That indicates our depth, and doesn't even take into account we have potential all-BW players.  With little drop off from 1 through 10, will a few emerge as go-to players?  Heidegger is an obvious candidate because he's already established as a mid-major all-American, but it's a tossup on who else will step up.

Nagle and Toure are composed freshmen, and can play both offense and defense.  Nagle's strength is obviously his perimeter shot, but he was more athletic than I thought.  Toure is a lock down defender, but his perimeter shot is WAY better than I thought it would be, both in form and in results.

Cyrus can score, especially driving to the rim and has an effective mid-range game.  On the scout team sometimes, he is a terror vs. the rotation players.

Idehen is the tallest but also fastest player when running lines.  He has to clean up some mental mistakes guarding the high ball screen, but he is well rounded in other aspects of the game.  I saw him knock down 8 three point shots in a row, 9 out of 10 at the top of the key.  He actually is a better shooter from 22 feet than 10 feet, even if the offense won't allow him to shoot the 3.  He is an obvious future pro player, maybe even NBA level.  As I speculated, the doubters from other BW teams will be disappointed if they think he is merely a juco bust.

Sow is athletic, but he was gassed.

Transition defense picks up at half court

One lineup was 6’5” and over.  That is a tall lineup, but probably won't happen much since, Heidegger and McLaughlin were on the sidelines

Terrell's shot is more stable.  It was getting better as last season progressed, and he's on the same improvement trajectory.

Bigs flash to the high post a lot from the opposite low post, with some high-low action.

Defending high ball screens is an emphasis

Blue vs gold scrimmage was very competitive.  No one gets anything free.

We have a lot of potential

“Potential doesn’t mean anything.  We were picked to finish 6th in the big west.  Nobody outside this gym respects us.  We lost four double digit scoring seniors, who are now pros.
How you practice every single day determines how the season goes.  Honor the process." - Coach Pasternack

Sow, Toure and Robinson have range to the three point line, surprisingly.

So does Nagle, unsurprisingly.  His touch is as featherly as advertised.  He shoots a set shot, kinda like Dell Curry, Steph's father, only he's 6'8".

I watched Coach P improve Sow's free throw shooting to 90% in real time.  He really monitors every detail, coaching every nuance of their shooting, and asking for feedback on how it feels.

Videos coming.

Gaucho Hoops Poker Chip Golf Ball Marker

Gaucho Hoops All Access - UCSB Men's Basketball Practice

October 22, 2016
UCSB Men's basketball practice at the Thunderdome

Eric Childress fully participated in this practice, unlike the last one I attended.  Max Heidegger did not practice again, but he's no longer wearing the boot.

After a shoot around, practice started with a 3-man weave vs. 2 defenders, and would end in the other direction with a 2-on-1 fast break drill.

They changed up the 3-man weave drills to develop new skills.  For instance, passing would be incorporated into the drill instead of dribbling.

The players looked much sharper than the practice I attended a couple weeks ago.  Their cuts were crisp, and they hustled to the next drill.

Clifton Powell is playing better.  His footwork has improved.

They practiced the 4-out offense, where the 4 player trails.

They were sluggish in Thursday's scrimmage, but looked much better today after Coach Williams dug into them.  A bright spot in Thursday's scrimmage was that Ami Lakoju finished everything down low.  His jump hook has improved immensely.  You could count on him to be athletic, defend, block shots, rebound, be strong, and take up space underneath.  It looks like he has added offense to his game.

In the inside-out game, after the post player passes it back out, he comes out and sets the pick for the player with the ball (the recipient of the pass), i.e. he "follows the ball."

They worked on finishing drills for the post players, with the defender using pads to push the finisher out.  A point of emphasis was to finish with two hands, not just a one-handed layup, which players tend to do when anticipating contact.  Coach Kevin Bromley worked with the big men on this drill.  Later on, the drill was done with the defender not using pads.  There was a lot of contact.  See video below.

The wings also performed shooting drills.

Later on, they worked on out of bounds plays.  Things got more physical as scores were being kept with the Blue teams vs. the White teams.

Jalen Canty just blew up Sam Wolters with a huge screen.  Ouch.

Gabriel Vincent is not just shooting outsider jumpers.  He is driving more to the rim.

Coach Matt Stock was emphasizing the use of the forearm when defending against the out of bounds play.

Tyler Jackson was fully participating in 4-man weave drills, so that's encouraging.

The missed 4-man weave layups and missed free throws were tallied up.  That resulted in more wind sprints for all the players as punishment.  As fast as we know Jalen Canty is (see Youtube videos of him out-running opponents' linebackers and defensive backs in high school football highlights), he finished last among the big men in sprints.  That is encouraging.  That means, not only are our post players big and beefy, but they can also run.

They then ran the Kentucky drill.

Ami appears to have a decent jumper from the elbow (high post).

Coach Williams and Coach Stock mentioned the flathead and switching.  I have no idea what that means.

But the coaches were telling the players to move while the ball is in the air.

What I noticed with all the coaches were they coach all the players individually as well as collectively.  The walk-ons received just as much attention as stalwarts Gabe Vincent and Eric Childress.  The coaches were constantly grabbing teaching moments, whether the players were starters or walk-ons.

Christian Terrell is a natural passer.  He sees the court better than most freshmen.

At one point, Coach Williams yelled "WTF are you running?" after players got lost on offense.  lol

There is room for improvising on offense.  If a cutter recognizes a mismatch in the post, he can halt and reverse, letting the passer hit the post.  But the passer has to also see the mismatch, and not just drift outside, posing no threat.

Wow, our interior defense has the potential to be real tough.  There's a lot of length and beef in the lane.  And depth.  Penetrators not coming in strong will get rejected.

Coach was adamant with the 3-2 zone defense that the ball does not go into the high post.  "This is where we lose games, when the ball gets into the HOUSE (high post)." Because once the ball gets to the high post, the passer can pass it down low or to the weak side for an open perimeter shot.  Defending the house meant the weak side wing or defender at the top of the zone had to prevent the entry pass.  Communication is key.

With the 3-2 zone defense, the wing defender should be positioned and square to steer the ball into the trap up top.  The bigger you are, the better the communication has to be if there is a deficiency in quickness.  With Alex Hart up top, Christian Terrell and Jarriese Blackmon at the wings, the top part of the 3-2 zone defense is very long and intimidating.  I saw a lot of deflected passes.

With the help defense, due to the rotation of the ball, the weak side defender cannot be in help position, but he has to be able to get to help position quickly.  A lot of real estate has to be covered when the ball swings weak side and the defender must close out on the shooter.

When the ball goes to the corner, it is essential to prevent the entry pass into the high post.  If the weak side defender cheats to the perimeter shooter, the top of the circle defender has to defend the high post.

In our zone offense, the ball goes from corner to corner, with the three guards twisting, or circling.  The two post players must always be opposite-diagonal across the lane from each other.  There's always the high-low pass option.

In the offense against the man-to-man defense (Big West schools play more man than zone defense), then the two post players may sometimes end up both in the high post.

JD Slajchert may be a walk-on player, but he might be one of the leaders on the team.  He's always encouraging his teammates, and communicates loudly.  So even if you may not see his name in the box score, he's got to be one of the more valuable bench players with his presence and knowledge.

With practicing closing, Coach Williams reminded the players to eat right and have the discipline to get to bed early (it was a Saturday).  He said it was important for each player to transition from role to role, whether as a passer, a screener, a dribbler, a shooter, a defender, or a rebounder.

After practice, a few players worked on their perimeter shot, including Sam Walters, Alex Hart, and Felix White.  The first two are natural catch-and-shooters, shooting in rhythm.  White has a good stroke, but needs to work on his footwork and squaring up.   The placement of his right foot isn't consistent.

Here is video of the practice session.


https://youtu.be/IVZGbA6tGhk

Gaucho Hoops All-Access - UCSB Women's Basketball Practice

November 22, 2016
UCSB Women's basketball practice at the Thunderdome

Coach Bonnie Henrickson and her staff put the team through some shooting drills, before running the St. Joe's drill.  It's a transition offense drill, and forces the players to play through fatigue.

The drill starts with a 2-on-1 fast break, and then moves in the opposite direction with a 3-on-2, and then reverses again with a 4-on-3, incrementally adding one player in the opposite direction, until it ends up being a 5-on-5 drill.  The goal is to pass and move, and not stand around.

It looks like the Gauchos run the motion offense.  It requires a high basketball IQ, and the ability to recognize how defenses are playing.  The goal is to take what the defense gives you, and if they cheat in one area, then take advantage and go the other direction.  It requires constant motion and recognition.

The point guard is key to this offense.  Coach Henrickson was urging her point guards "To be a point guard," and to not give up their dribble prematurely.

Other points of emphasis were the player with the ball to wait for the screen, and not just run at it (presumably to avoid a moving pick foul).  The person with the ball can be late, but not early in waiting for the screen.

The Lady Gauchos will run more this year, and try to push it and get "numbers" (having the offense beat the opponent's defense down the court) if it's there.  If the numbers advantage isn't there, then it's up to the point guard to pull it back and start the halfcourt offense.  But the point guard shouldn't call the offense until she crosses the halfcourt line.

Coach Henrickson also emphasized the point guards to lead with a calm voice, and to sometimes slow down so her teammates can catch up to her.  In other words, the point guard can get upcourt fast, but that doesn't help if her teammates haven't caught up to run the offense.

Tal Sahar really stood out as an overall player:  she's athletic, aggressive, and a good perimeter shooter with range.  She will redshirt this year after transferring in from Seattle.

The frontcourt looks much taller this year also.

The point guard must also recognize who the halfbacks and fullbacks are in the offense.

It's also harder for the point guard to make the entry pass from the top of the key, as the angle isn't there.  They must also recognize which teammate is hot, and feed her.

On defense, staying in front of the opponent is key and the bias is to steer them to the sideline.

They practiced the Stanford out of bounds play, where the ball goes to the corner off the double pick.

More Coach Henrickson tidbits:  "Don't jog!  If you're not open, cut!"

They then practiced end of quarter scenarios, where they would execute 2 possessions for 1.

She urged the players to play to their strengths.  For example, if finishing with the left hand is a problem, drive and finish to the right.

Practice ended with the 3-woman weave drill.  Here is video of the drill.


https://youtu.be/6MTAv4bNih0

Gaucho Hoops All-Access at a Practice

Notes from UCSB men's basketball practice on 10/7/2016


https://youtu.be/WuH5Ztyewls


One of the first drills was practicing the hand off.  The post player executes a jump stop, pivots, and hands off the ball to a curling perimeter player.  The ball should not be tossed up, but handed off to avoid turnovers.

The next drill was executing and defending the entry pass into the low block.  The post players would practice establishing position and defending the position.  Simultaneously, the perimeter players were making and defending the entry pass, so all four players were getting coached up on offense and defense.  The perimeter defender is supposed to open up his hips and then defend the cutting offensive player (the give-and-go).  The post player on offense needed to chop his steps and shield the defender to maintain balance before receiving the entry pass.

In the high post offense, a wrinkle was added to include a backdoor cut and feed.

The next drills incorporated the previous drills to run the transition offense, without and then against a defense.

Note:  Clifton Powell has an uncanny fade away jumper over his right shoulder (he's right handed).  He just gets so much lift that it is hard for the defender to get a hand in his face.  When he received a pass down low after a cut, he would use that move to get separation from his defender, and rise to release a feathery turnaround jumper.

Powell and athletic power forward Felix White have major hops.  White blocked several shots from out of nowhere.  He is a very gifted athlete.  He may be "raw" and played against weak competition in high school, but I think the high-major schools missed on him.  He is going to be a good player.  Coach Bromley stayed after practice to help him practice finishing post moves with his back to the basket.

Coach Williams strongly urged the players to "Catch the ball, and only dribble it if you are going somewhere.  If you dribble the ball without purpose and pick it up, we are ****ed!"

Other tidbits:
"If I'm up top, and the wings are covered, bigs--you come up."

Direct, hard cuts to the basket were demanded instead of rounding off cuts.

The bigs were coached to hold the ball high when switching sides, consistent with how UNC post players are coached.  This highlights the passing option.  I mentioned that Fresno City College players switch ball sides by swinging their arms low.  But Coach Williams said Fresno City College has a dribble-penetration first offense, while the Gaucho offense is a pass-first offense.

The next drill was an out of bounds play along the baseline.  Included was the UCLA out of bounds play.

Note:  Jarriese Blackmon's 3 point shot looks more solid this season.

Next came a defensive rotation drill.  The goal is to close out on the right shooters when the ball is reversed.  It's not a trapping defense, but a baseline drive will attract two defenders to stop dribble-penetration.  Everybody else has to rotate to the right perimeter shooter.  Communication is key in this drill.

Coach Williams mentioned he can field a big lineup without sacrificing much quickness.    An intriguing lineup in one of the drills had Gabriel Vincent, Christian Terrell, Maxwell Kupchak, Alex Hart, and Ami Lakoju.

When players were talking out of turn and not paying attention to the coaches, all players had to run wind sprints across the Thunderdome floor as punishment.  "Don't listen = run wind sprints."

Note:  Terrell resembles former Gaucho Michael Bryson, but he is bigger.  Clifton Powell resembles former Gaucho Chris Brew, but Powell is also bigger.

Another coaching nugget yelled by Coach Williams:  "Don't stand around looking for the ball.  Go backdoor!"  "Post players don't stand around in the corner!  Move toward the basket when the ball is reversed."

Next was a 5-4 with a twist transition offense.  I believe this is the offense they will run against a zone defense.  Pass and cut into a 2-man twist.

Note:  during drills, Canty wasn't engaged.  But once the drills were put together in full court drills, he woke up.  He's a good passer.

Coach Williams:  "The best 3 point shot is after an offensive rebound, or when the ball goes inside-out."

They then ran a 45-second 3-man weave drill.  The goal was to complete 8 layups full court in under 45 seconds.  Only two players managed to beat the clock, while the goal was to incrementally increase that number daily.  Overall, this team is speedier than previous teams, especially the post players.

They finished off with free throws while fatigued, and players who committed turnovers during the drills had to stay extra to work on their shot.

Coach Williams finished practice reminding them to eat a good breakfast and lunch every day.  Listening to the coaches instructions was emphasized.

Gaucho Hoops Interviews Coach Derek Walker On Jalen Canty

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Thanks for taking this interview Coach Walker.  How many years did you coach Jalen Canty?

Derek Walker ("DW"):  I had the privilege of coaching Jalen 3 years at St.Patrick-St. Vincent.  He's a good student, athlete, and young man.

GH:  So why did Jalen re-commit to basketball after he committed to  Washington State to play football?

DW:  Jalen originally committed to play football at Washington and Washington State.  He's a monster on the football field--he had something like 20 sacks his senior football season.  Some comparisons of Jalen include Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers, who also played basketball in college.  But Jalen loved basketball, so he enrolled at Casper College, played another year at City College of San Francisco, and then signed with UCSB.

GH:  Jalen will play the center position--can he also play the power forward position?

DW:  Yes he can play both interior positions, but he is a true 5, a traditional post player who plays inside.  He blocks shots, he rebounds on both ends of the floor.  He has good hands and it wouldn't surprise me if he grabs 12 rebounds per game.  He has good feet so he can guard.

GH:  I read Jalen lost a lot of weight once he started playing basketball at CCSF.  How tall is Jalen and how much does he weigh?

DW:  He's 6'8" and weighs 260 pounds.  He has long arms and moved well with the extra weight.  Now that he's slimmed down, he moves even better.  He has really good feet,  There are Youtube videos where you can see he is outrunning [football] defensive backs and linebackers.

GH:  Wow!  He's much faster than I thought he would be.  Can he pass out of the post?

DW:  Yes, he's a good passer.  He'll become a better passer now that he won't see as many double-teams.  In high school, Bakari Hendrix, a former star post player for Gonzaga, was the big man coach.  Jalen benefited from that coaching.

GH:  What makes Jalen stand out as a player?

DW:  At CCSF, he played with better players, controlled the paint, and was in better condition.  He rises to the occasion, and plays better against better players.  Although he was still double- and triple-teamed at CCSF, it wasn't as often as the double teams he faced in high school.  He's a good athlete, with fast, quick feet, and good hands.

GH:  What type of leader is Jalen on the court?

DW:  Jalen leads by example.  He's more quiet than most leaders.  He plays to the level of competition  He's very coachable.

GH:  Did you counsel Jalen at all during the recruiting process?

DW:  He and his family narrowed the decision to a few schools.

GH:  Why did he choose UCSB?

DW:  He looked at the rotation and the roster, and saw he could get minutes.

GH:  Did Gabriel Vincent influence his decision at all?

DW:  They're very good friends, and he looks forward to rejoining as teammates.  Gabriel is a great kid--the whole family is.

GH:  Several former Gauchos have actually played in the NBA recently, some from northern California.  We all know Big Alan Williams signed a 2-year contract with the Phoenix Suns.  Many compare Jalen's game to Big Al's game.

DW:  Yes, that certainly didn't hurt UCSB's recruiting--the ability of Coach Williams and his staff to coach up an NBA post player.

GH:  UCSB also has a reputation for developing NBA-quality wings:  James Nunnally is from Stockton, and Orlando Johnson from Seaside.  And 7'3" center Greg Somogyi recently was the last player cut at the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason camp.

DW:  Yes, OJ was from Palma.  I got the chance to see all those players at various tournaments.

GH:  How does Jalen stack up in the weight room?

DW:  Jalen is naturally strong,  He can just walk into the weight room and throw up 250 pounds.

GH:  Yes, there is a difference between weight room strength and basketball strength.

DW:  Jalen has both.  He has a high booty, and a strong lower base.

GH:  Sounds like he has a strong core.  So moving him off the low block is pretty much impossible.

DW:  Yes.

GH:  Sounds like he is comfortable playing with his back to the basket.  Can he face up?

DW:  Yes, he can play facing the basket, but he is a post player who knows who he is.  He doesn't roam the perimeter and shoot 3's, like many post players do these days.

GH:  Sounds like he is an old-school school post player.

DW:  Yes.  I really appreciate his game because I grew up playing basketball in the 80's and 90's, when post players played in the post.

GH:  What makes Jalen special?

DW:  He has a good defensive slide, so he can help against penetration.  His teammates on the perimeter will appreciate him backing them up.  He has great timing so he can block shots with either hand.  He's right-handed, but he has more blocks with his left hand.

GH:  Thanks for the great interview Coach Walker.

DW:  You're welcome.  I look forward to watching Jalen play this season.

.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOxAb5_pZCI

CSUN vs. UCSB: Gaucho Hoops on Audio at Halftime Tonight

Catch Gaucho Hoops give our commentary on Big West hoops at halftime of the Matadors vs. Gauchos audio broadcast tonight:

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/csun.portal?mode=link&eventId=85936&broadcastType=audio#

Gaucho Hoops podcast, episode 2 (recruits)

A new season begins for Gaucholocos

Here is a reminder of what happened last season for Gaucho hoops: