While most of the NCAA Tournament hoopla focuses on star power and big scoring efforts, the survivors are paying more attention to the other end of the court.
Teams that depend on offense don’t last long. Nerves, pressure and tougher competition take their toll on field-goal percentages. The goal seems to shrink. Jump shots from 17 feet feel like NBA 3-pointers.
LSU won the Southeastern Conference regular-season title for the first time in 21 years. It’s not a coincidence that the Tigers led the league in rebounding and placed second, to Florida – another Sweet 16 team – in field-goal percentage defense.
LSU opponents shot just 40.6 percent; Florida, 40.5.
“Since I’ve been at LSU, we have always been about defending and rebounding because on different nights, the offense can come and go,” LSU coach John Brady said. “Every night in the NCAA Tournament you can certainly defend. I don’t know if every night you can shoot the ball as you would like.”
LSU shot only 35.3 percent from the field Saturday, but its defense was enough in a 58-57 victory over Texas A&M. The Tigers limited Texas A&M to 41.5 percent shooting and kept the game tight until the final seconds, when Darrel Mitchell threw in a game-winning 3-pointer.
“Shooting the ball is tough, it’s a difficult thing,” Brady said. “But I feel like defending and rebounding is all about effort. If you are a good athlete, you can defend if the demand is placed on you and you are held accountable.
“I always thought that if you can sell your team on defending, it breeds unselfishness throughout the team.”
Duke has won with much the same formula.
“Over the years, one of the main reasons that we have done well is we’ve been a very good defensive team,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
It’s happening again. The top-seeded Blue Devils, who face fourth-seeded LSU tonight in an Atlanta Regional semifinal, limited Southern to 35.5 percent shooting and George Washington to 30.9 percent in victories last weekend.
Duke’s 6-foot-9 Shelden Williams recently was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top defensive player for the second consecutive year. Although he can’t match the accolades bestowed on All-America sharpshooting teammate J.J. Redick, Williams might well be the key tonight.
Another top seed, Connecticut, led the rugged Big East in field-goal percentage defense. Georgetown, the Big East leader in scoring defense, punished No. 2 seed Ohio State on Sunday.
UCLA has its best team in years. Why? Because the Bruins, who face Gonzaga today in the Oakland Regional, are playing their best defense in years. They bought into coach Ben Howland’s demand for toughness.
“They are hard-nosed,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the Bruins. “They are like a team out of the Big East. That’s totally (Howland’s) mark. That’s his influence.”
Texas, which faces West Virginia tonight in an Atlanta Regional semifinal, is hyped mostly for its offensive firepower but the Longhorns limited Penn and North Carolina State to 53.0 points and 35.8 percent shooting in victories last weekend.
“I don’t think people look at our defense,” said sophomore center LaMarcus Aldridge, the Big 12 defensive player of the year. “I think our defense is underrated.”
It won’t be for long if Texas continues to win.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey contributed to this report.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
