Film breakdown: Baylor’s new small-ball zone defense shows promise

By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer

A lot of basketball comes down to a simple equation: tall guys beat short guys.

But what happens when there aren’t any tall guys left?

Such is the dilemma faced by Baylor head coach Scott Drew and Baylor men’s basketball. In the wake of starting center Josh Ojianwuna’s season-ending knee injury, the Bears were left with seven rotation players who, on average, stood just a hair over 6-foot-4. The only player closer to seven feet tall than six feet is fifth-year power forward Norchad Omier at 6-foot-7.

That lack of size can cause a host of defensive problems, particularly for a team that frequently used Ojianwuna’s wingspan as a deterrent in the pick-and-roll game. During Monday night’s loss at No. 6 Houston, Drew’s top option was a 1-3-1 zone, which the Bears first tested in November against Sam Houston State.

“We spent a lot of time going into Gonzaga working on our switching man, and after that, we spent more time on our zone,” Drew said after that game, a 104-67 victory. “The blessing of that is, now we have two defenses we can play, and we can mix stuff up from there.”

The Bears have run primarily man defenses throughout Big 12 play. The transition back to a primary zone look was rocky at times but a necessary adjustment for a team that simply doesn’t have the personnel to guard opposing big men on an island.

Baylor opened the game with freshman guard Robert O. Wright III in the center of the zone. In that configuration, the freshman guard will inevitably face a lot of attacks in the high post; if offenses can successfully make an entry pass to the elbow, other defenders will be forced to collapse, opening up the wings for cutters and open shooters.

Freshman wing VJ Edgecombe also got plenty of runs in the middle of the zone. The projected top-5 NBA Draft pick was allowed to roam free most of the night and finished with two steals.

Late in the first half, a miscommunication on the back end led to multiple wide-open Cougars. Former Bear LJ Cryer missed the corner 3-pointer, but Baylor’s lack of size led to an offensive rebound and three second-chance points for Houston.

When Omier sat, Baylor dropped the zone look in favor of a switch-everything-that-breathes-man scheme. The off-ball defenders largely held up, but again, a miscommunication led to an open 3-pointer. (This time, it was Jeremy Roach fighting over a ball screen before switching, leaving Langston Love in a literal lurch.)

Ultimately, the 1-3-1 look with Edgecombe roaming in the center was by far the most feasible defense the Bears put on display Monday night. The freshman wing is an aggressive, high-effort defender whose explosion, burst and short-area quickness allow him to recover quickly from off-ball gambles.

That strategy only works if Baylor can communicate at a higher level to create defensive cohesion. If they consistently rotate well enough to let Edgecombe create havoc plays, the Bears are fast enough to blaze teams in transition. If that risky brand of defense begins to falter, there aren’t many alternatives.

Baylor was already skating around the NCAA Tournament bubble before Ojianwuna’s injury; now, they’ll need a lot to break right to make it back to March Madness. The Bears will get the rest of this week to implement their new defensive schemes before hosting West Virginia at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Foster Pavilion. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.