Five Lessons: Webb versus Notre Dame

Andrew Force February 18, 2021 @ 09:56 PM

They finally met. The best offense versus the infuriatingly physical defense. Shooters versus Rebounders. Spacing versus Patience. Shockingly, Notre Dame proved to be the tougher shade of green, winning 53-45. The halftime score was 28-24 thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by [player_tooltip player_id="1022626" first="Jaylon" last="Green"]. Webb held a meager two point lead after three quarters, 36-34. Peruse five lessons the trudging test of wills taught us. Knox Webb #0 [player_tooltip player_id="1022626" first="Jaylon" last="Green"]* (2022) #2 [player_tooltip player_id="1029090" first="Lukas" last="Walls"]* (2023) #3 Brandon Winton* (2024) #4 Markeis Barrett* (2024) #11 [player_tooltip player_id="775590" first="David" last="Sanger"]* (2021) #1 Luke Lentz* (2022) Notre Dame #0 Wesley Jones* (2021) #1 Tim Vaughn* (2022) #3 Cole McCormick (2024) #5 [player_tooltip player_id="775640" first="Bryson" last="Smith"]* (2021) #13 Cal Price (2022) #22 DJ Brown (2023)   <h2 style="text-align: center;">The Young Webb is a Dangerous Webb</h2>   Dominant teams often have seniors that dominate, and maybe you can lie yourself into believing that the team’s dominance will dip or plummet once that class graduates. Webb is not that team, that program. Figuring greatly into their current and future success are: sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1029090" first="Lukas" last="Walls"], freshman Brandon Winton, freshman Markeis Barrett. Brandon Winton (freshman) is built like he forgot to leave the weight room during the last two years. Imagining his physical domination in two years is tantalizing. As a player, Brandon is both powerful and capable. He does not lean on his athleticism as much as he should, lowering his shoulder and riding the defender, but that is actually a good thing for his development. Over time, he will do well to develop and hone the skills necessary to beta a bigger, more strong guard. Young players that only get their buckets from strength and size tend to stagnate or even comparatively regress in their upper teens as the competition inevitably catches up with their strength. Though [player_tooltip player_id="1022626" first="Jaylon" last="Green"] is among the best point guards in the state, Winton is clearly being groomed as a point guard. His decision-making is good not yet great and his versatility is key. [player_tooltip player_id="1029090" first="Lukas" last="Walls"] is a terrific guard with a dastardly low-post, technical guard to compliment his wonderful outside shooting. <h2 style="text-align: center;">[player_tooltip player_id="1022626" first="Jaylon" last="Green"] will Get Baseline on You and will Punish You</h2> Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1022626" first="Jaylon" last="Green"], a Knox Webb starter since his freshman season, consistently gets to the baseline on his defender. Heads turn, offensive threats become both forgotten and visually emaciated. Provided there is a man open, and within Webb’s system there are typically three shot-ready players awaiting, Green will find them and the result is often not to the defensive coach’s liking. Green manages to craft a path along the baseline into the lane or even directly into the lane, ready to kick. Notre Dame worked to keep within arm’s length of their shooters regardless of where Green roamed. It worked with varying degrees of success. <h2 style="text-align: center;">Style Points</h2> Notre Dame forces bad teams to play offense forever. Webb, a great team, needed multiple passes, probes, kicks, and a sincere hunt to find the high-quality, semi-open to open looks they are accustomed to finding. Webb players understand the demands and the freedom of their system impeccably. Brandon Winton, a freshman standout guard, is truly developing and thriving in the system with the penetration. He needs to find his shooting pockets a little quicker, but the overall court awareness is strong. <h2 style="text-align: center;">DJ Brown is the Weapon You aren’t Ready For</h2> Much of the Webb focus was deservedly on Tim Vaughn. The junior wing is a handful for the best of defenders. Senior defensive star Smith made his looks count. Sophomore DJ Brown is the one that teams just are not looking to stop...and they should be. Brown’s touch is soft and kind. He will shoot from any depth. While Wesley Jones and Vaughn handle the ball the most, Brown is easily the second-best shooter in a pinch. <h2 style="text-align: center;">The Spartans Would Rather Defend 90’ than 2’</h2> Webb’s perimeter defense is sound, but the best segment of their defensive pressure Thursday was unequivocally the 94’ pressure. With exceptional in-bound ball pressure, Webb forced FIVE five second calls. Frustratingly for Webb, the same success was not delivered under the basket. Notre Dame countless chances in the lane and too often the Spartans were unable to effectively challenge Vaughn, Smith, and even Cal Price in deep. Follow @AndrewForce8.