UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Explains Decision To Steer Away From 2-Big Lineups Vs Lafayette
In your UCLA Bruins' 68-50 victory over the visiting Lafayette Leopards on Friday, coach Mick Cronin made a series of adjustments that allowed them to bounce back from a measly first half where they trailed 33-30 at the break, to a dominant 38-17 second half.
Specifically, with how well Lafayette shot from behind the 3-point line and operated both on- and off-ball screens, the Bruins found themselves forced to begin to "switch everything," a basketball term dubbed for when defenses swap who they're guarding in accordance with screens being set on them.
In layman's terms, offensive player B, who is guarded by defensive player B, sets a screen for offensive player A, who is guarded by defensive player A, the defensive players would swap who they're guarding, resulting in defensive player A guarding offensive player B, while defensive player B guards offensive player A.
This strategy is effective when you have quick, versatile defenders on the floor, as slow-footed big men are often easily beaten by quicker guards and wings, especially out on the perimeter. Cronin explained his approach, per the Bruins' official site:
'I just thought we needed to try to be able to defend them with a bigger lineup. We’re not going to play many teams where the five spends all his time at the three-point line. I just thought we needed to try it. Aday [Mara] – all we have to do is throw him the ball. You can’t guard him. But it was tough in the second half because I decided to go small and switch everything.”
Cronin's comment suggests that while in most situations, he'd love to have big man Aday Mara out on the floor given his offensive prowess, because he chose to switch everything, he was forced to also go small, leaving Mara on the bench.
This also explains the separate concern of why Mara only played 11 minutes, which was worrisome on the surface.
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