What are the differences between NCAA men's and women's basketball when it comes to strategy, tactics and Xs and Os? Please comment. Thanks. PS I know almost nothing about basketball strategy of any kind, so, even if you know just a little, your comment will enlighten me.
My brother-in-law, who is the new head basketball coach at LaSalle, would say (and has said) that the x's and o's in the men's game versus the women's are the same, particularly among top teams. If he was to change over and coach women, he insists the x's and o's he teaches would not change. That said, he believes there is a tremendous change in strategy from high school to college, due to most good high school teams are centered around a specific player. Women's ball use to be very similar as there just weren't enough good players. And don't get him started on the pro game, which he thinks is an injustice to the intent of the game.
Women's basketball mainly plays a game of zone defense, it looks more like a mens game in the early 50's before they changed the basketbal to a smaller size. Women's basketball after the change still plays mostly zone defense, and while the fg% & ft% has gone way up with the change, it looks like 70's basketball for the most part without the dunks. In many ways the game is better than most mens games, as the better players are there for 4-5 years, and in the mens game most of the better players are gone by the end of thier jr year. The NBA has hurt the NCAA game bad since 92.
Women are not required to cross the center line within 10 seconds. That's one difference. I used to ignore womens' sports totally, but over the last 5 years or so, watching softball and (LSU womens') basketball I have come to realize that there are some pretty good athletes out there. I watch some LPGA to get a glimpse of the 2 or 3 hotties that are on the tour. The NBA? It's an abomination. I never watch ESPN Sportscenter during the NBA regular season because it's 90% NBA and the other 10% are Michael Jordan references.
I think you've been picking my brain. :lol: Even the few hotties on the LPGA tour thing, those women have the most beautiful swings too. Great WBBall teams lpay a lot of man to man, just like the men and while they don't dunk off the back door alley oop they do run it. They can stroke the threes in the women's game as well.
Thanks for the insight, Everybody. I, like SF, follow LSU Softball and Lady Tiger Basketball. I have never been to a Lady Tiger Gymnastic event, but something tells me that I would enjoy that.
and it used to be 30 mins of hockey. not this year. one bright spot but now it will be all nba. maybe both could strike together.