Low Beats Long

The difference in the Bryant/Brown game

We all know how crucial height can be in basketball, but, as Brown showed in defeating Bryant, 75-56, Friday night, it’s not everything.

In fact, sometimes it’s better to be closer to the ground.

The major thing I noticed when I laid eyes on the Bryant Bulldogs for the first time this season was just how much height and length they put on the floor. Indeed, Bryant is the fourth tallest team in Division 1 college basketball this year. Brown, meanwhile, is 270th.

But Brown, which outrebounded Bryant, 43-34, negated that height disadvantage Friday by doing a better job getting down into a defensive stance and playing more physical and focused than did the Bulldogs. You don’t believe me? Well, first-year Bryant head coach Jamion Christian certainly thought so.

“I am just disappointed with our ability to do anything correctly,’’ said Christian, noting how hard and physical Brown played. “You’ve got to go out and play with a level of toughness and physicality and fight, and we just didn’t have any response for that tonight.’’

Indeed, Bryant’s players were often standing upright while trying to play man-to-man defense, while the Brown players, not surprisingly, had their knees bent and were in a more athletic position. I can’t tell you how often I have heard Brown coach Mike Martin implore his players in practice to get low and wide in their defensive stance, into what he calls their “eagle” position.

It may seem like a small point, but getting into a good, low, athletic stance is a huge part of being an effective defensive player, even when not involved in the immediate action. My old mentor used to call it, “being in position to be in position.” In other words being ready to move quickly before you know you have to. That way you are ready, for example, when the man you are guarding goes from being stationary on the weak side of the floor to cutting hard to the ball.

Christian was quick to point out that Friday’s performance was not the norm for his team, but most likely a result of how young it is. Bryant is among the least-experienced teams in the country.

“It’s a tricky thing,’’ said Christian. “I mean you get a few guys who play well on offense, and suddenly it becomes like an adventure defensively. It’s hard for young, talented players to understand that you have to play a complete game and you’ve got to play a complete season. We are just working with our young team to understand that you have to show up every night. We came in arrogant tonight. I always say, ‘Be humble, so you there’s no need to be humbled.’ And we definitely got humbled tonight, and got punched in the face.’’

I asked a few Brown players after the game if their ability to consistently play lower than the Bryant players was the key difference in the game, and they agreed.

Now, to complete the story, I should mention that this Brown team is also among the least experienced teams in the country, but it returns nine players from its roster last season, including four of Friday night’s starters. Bryant, meanwhile, in addition to having a first-year head coach - or, in many ways, as a result of having a first-year head coach - has an overhauled roster, with only six players returning. Only four of those six played Friday night, for a combined total of about 20 minutes.

So that culture - that “be in position to be in position” culture - is just not there yet.