Defensive Stoppers

[mhettel]

Lots of discussion recently about our current defensive stopper (Stan) and recent defensive stopers (Sato & Cage).

But I'm wondering if our best defensive player isn't Sean Miller?

He's the single link between all 3 of these guys, and i think this is a role we can count on during his tenure as coach, and i'd expect other teams to adopt a similar approach.

25 years ago, the idea of a bullpen closer was crazy. The job of a specialist that pitches one inning (or less) 50+ times a year has grown into a real, premier MLB job. Guys get to the HOF by doing that now days.

I beleive Sean Miller has created that role on our team. We had some good defensive players prior to Miller, and certainly some guys deserve mention, but how do you explain the transformation of Stan?

Miller WILL have a perimeter defensive stopper in the lineup for the rest of his coaching career (most at XU, I hope). he doesn't recruit that player, he CREATES him.

People generally consider defense as somthing you need CLOSE to the basket, but we're learing that great defense away from the basket is really the key.

In my mind it's one of 2 things: a) a coincidence that we've had Sato, Cage and Stan for the last 7-8 years as great perimeter defenders. or b) Sean is gonna find the guy on the roster that best fits that mold and creates a defensive minded guy.

Sean Miller is a really good coach, in case you have not noticed. I have a whole other opinion about how having a former PG as coach is a reason why we see such balance on offence and such a spread out attack.

Defensive stopper is here to stay. It's gonna be a bigger and bigger role across basketball.

[Masterofreality]

People don't realize what a big injury it was in Sean's first year when King Cole got hurt. With Sato graduated, Cage was going to be "that guy", but when King went down, Justin had to move back closer to the basket because some other guys were weak defensively close in. D Finn then got the defensive stopper role which he did fairly well, but he was barely 6:0 ft and guys could still shoot over him.

Creating the role, is one thing. Sean has done that and made it an integral part of his pack-line strategy, but the bigger part is getting a guy to buy in to it because A) It WILL affect their offensive numbers, B) It gets no Sportscenter highlight. Sean has been able to acquire the buy-in. Dante Jackson may be our next "designated defender." We'll see.

Maybe the Xavier Way of "All for One, One for All" creates the climate. Whatever, it's refreshing to see from all sides.

[finalfourorbust]

I am beginning to think Sean just may prove to be the best coach that Xavier has had. Most head coaches establish an identity as either an offensive or defensive minded coach, but, Sean seems to do both at a very high level. He has an offense that has 6 players averaging in double figures and seems to be able to adjust to whatever tempo that the opponent tries to establish and his defenses regularly hold their opponents way below their average.