UMass Defensive Effort - Or Lack Thereof - Continues To Frustrate Frank Martin
UMass men's basketball head coach Frank Martin again expressed frustration in his squad's defense following the 101-100 OT loss to Bowling Green over the weekend.
UMass head coach Frank Martin did not mince words following Saturday’s 101-100 overtime loss to Bowling Green, stressing many of the same issues he’s been stressing on for weeks.
The core problem, in Martin’s view, starts on the defensive end.
“We’re getting exposed in league play,” said Martin, whose team has now dropped three straight MAC games to begin conference play.
“Our inability to defend anybody that can drive the basketball. We’re not very good on the perimeter defensively and we haven’t been for a while.”
Those issues didn’t begin with conference play either, according to Martin.
“All you’ve got to do is hit rewind,” he said. “Boston College, we’re in total control, and they just decided to drive us and got back in the game. Charleston, same thing. Green Bay, same thing. We foul, foul, foul.”
Martin maintains his frustration is not rooted in scheme, but in individual accountability.
“Someone’s got to own defensive responsibilities,” he said. “That’s not a structure thing. That’s an individual desire to own.”
Martin called this stretch, which has seen his team lose three of four with the only win coming against Division III UMass-Boston, its first real encounter with adversity this season.
“We haven’t been any good in practice,” he said. “We didn’t play well against UMass Boston. Didn’t play well at Eastern Michigan. Didn’t play well (Saturday).”
Martin said the issues go beyond a single position group.
“We get beat at the point of attack and we get beat on the help,” Martin said. “The help never gets beat. That’s been a rule everywhere I’ve coached. Right now, our help is non-existent.”
Martin made it clear he was looking for someone to step forward and embrace the challenge of guarding Bowling Green guard Javontae Campbell, who finished with 47 points.
“Nobody asked for the matchup,” Martin said. “That’s what I mean by adversity. Nobody wanted it.”
Martin isn’t as worried about the offense.
“We’ve scored all year,” Martin said. “The problem isn’t offense. We haven’t defended the guy with the ball all year. Not once.”
He does still believe his team has a chance if somebody steps up as a leader.
“We’ve got good dudes in the locker room,” he said. “But who’s going to stand up and stare adversity back until everyone else follows?
“What’s bad is that we haven’t fixed our problems. What’s good is we’re that close.”
But until those problems are fixed, Martin doesn’t anticipate different results.
“Our lack of desire to be competitive defensively is really bad. If we don’t get that fixed, we’re in trouble.”
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