San Diego State will try to apply what worked against Jimmer Fredette against UConn's Kemba Walker.
“Hopefully,” Fisher said, “(that) will help us a little bit in terms of an initial thought process.”
The Aztecs can put size on Walker with 6-8 Billy White or 6-7 Kawhi Leonard. Plus, they possess a level of defensive sophistication that allows them to absorb game plans and make subtle tactical adjustments on the fly.
San Diego State has a half-dozen ways to defend ball screens in their man-to-man, from a simple switch to a hard double-team to less aggressively “corralling” the dribbler.
“You have to do a lot of different things against Walker on the ball screens, and not hang your hat on any one thing,” said TV analyst and former college coach Bill Raftery, who has worked several UConn games this season and will call Thursday’s for CBS. “What works one time might not work the next. Great players find ways. You just have to make them work for everything they get.”