Marquette Men's Basketball: Zone Defense Makes Paradise Jam Contested

The zone defense was Marquette’s Achilles’ heel in the 2010-2011 campaign and proved to be nearly fatal at the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands Monday evening.

Nonetheless, the No. 16 (AP)/No. 17 (ESPN) Golden Eagles (5-0) won a tournament for the first time with Buzz Williams as head coach.

But despite the 95-73 victory over Winthrop in the first round and the 96-66 victory over Ole Miss in the second round, many were left with a sour taste in their mouths after the 59-57 championship-game victory over Norfolk State—a team Marquette had dismantled 99-68 on November 14.

The Golden Eagles never trailed during their time in the Virgin Islands. But it shouldn’t have been as exciting of a finish as it was.

Up 27-11 with 7:30 left in the first half against Norfolk State, it looked like Marquette would extend to five its streak of winning games by 20-plus points.

But Norfolk State had tricks up its sleeves.

Having already played Marquette once this year, and having seen it operate as a well-lubricated offensive machine in the first 12:30 of this game, Norfolk State decided to switch out of the man-to-man defense that Marquette had diced its way through and shift to the zone.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Marquette hit 53.2 percent (33-of-62) of its field goals and 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from beyond the arc.

On Monday, Williams’ squad hit only 35.7 percent (10-of-28) from the field and 22.2 percent (2-of-9) from deep in the second half, when it competed against a strict zone defense.

Against the zone defense, traditionally, Williams’ teams assume the fetal position. The player movement and crisp passing that make his teams so effective offensively turn into a stagnant and motionless offense.

The highly contested game, and the first experience against the zone for Williams’ 2011-2012 squad, will serve as a great learning tool for Marquette.  After four straight 20-plus point victories, it was a good sign to see that Marquette can handle itself with the game on the line.

Hopefully Williams and his coaching staff spend additional practice time working against a zone defense. They are certain to see it again this season.