DePaul coach Oliver Purnell against Marquette. (Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE, US PRESSWIRE / February 6, 2012) |
During some hot-blooded full-court scrimmaging near the end of practice Thursday, Oliver Purnell did not like what he saw. The DePaul coach whistled play dead. He called the group wearing white jerseys to the sideline and lined them up for sprints.
"That's not how we play!" Purnell reminded them.
It was a stern but even rebuke, a teaching moment that likely occurs on hundreds of campuses daily. But it resonated given the task at hand: The Blue Demons can't diverge from script much Saturday against Notre Dame, a club proctoring tests of patience that opponents more accomplished than DePaul are failing.
The Blue Demons want to play fast but must play smart as well, a tricky balance for a young-but-potent roster to strike on the road.
"It's very difficult, but that's our style," guard Jeremiah Kelly said. "We don't want to change the way we do things. We want to get Notre Dame to speed them up and play our tempo. If we can play our tempo the whole game, that would be an advantage for us."
The Demons rank third in the Big East with 74.6 points per game and 10th in the country in adjusted tempo, according to statistician Ken Pomeroy, averaging 73.3 possessions per game. Notre Dame ranks 318th in tempo, averaging 12 fewer possessions and more often than not dragging teams down to its preferred pace.
DePaul simply isn't going to get as many shots as it typically does. Which is where the smart part comes in: Any attempt must be a good one.
"Even though we want to push it on the offensive end, shot selection becomes important," Purnell said. "They're going to take good shots. It's really important we understand shot selection, particularly on the road versus them and the way they play. It's very important.
"(It's) defending their 'Burn' offense and being patient and giving them only one shot and not being frazzled by the fact they're holding on to it. And on the other end, hunting for good shots. We can't go up there and shoot a low, low shooting percentage."
Composure, however, hasn't been the Demons' most reliable ally.
DePaul has posted double-digit leads in two of its last three games and halftime leads in all three. And the Demons have lost each time.
"We just have to stay poised, stay disciplined and try to put a 40-minute game together," Kelly said.
It will be a colossal confidence boost if they do, but as those practice sprints Thursday underscored: Easier said than done.
"That's not how we play!" Purnell reminded them.
It was a stern but even rebuke, a teaching moment that likely occurs on hundreds of campuses daily. But it resonated given the task at hand: The Blue Demons can't diverge from script much Saturday against Notre Dame, a club proctoring tests of patience that opponents more accomplished than DePaul are failing.
The Blue Demons want to play fast but must play smart as well, a tricky balance for a young-but-potent roster to strike on the road.
"It's very difficult, but that's our style," guard Jeremiah Kelly said. "We don't want to change the way we do things. We want to get Notre Dame to speed them up and play our tempo. If we can play our tempo the whole game, that would be an advantage for us."
The Demons rank third in the Big East with 74.6 points per game and 10th in the country in adjusted tempo, according to statistician Ken Pomeroy, averaging 73.3 possessions per game. Notre Dame ranks 318th in tempo, averaging 12 fewer possessions and more often than not dragging teams down to its preferred pace.
DePaul simply isn't going to get as many shots as it typically does. Which is where the smart part comes in: Any attempt must be a good one.
"Even though we want to push it on the offensive end, shot selection becomes important," Purnell said. "They're going to take good shots. It's really important we understand shot selection, particularly on the road versus them and the way they play. It's very important.
"(It's) defending their 'Burn' offense and being patient and giving them only one shot and not being frazzled by the fact they're holding on to it. And on the other end, hunting for good shots. We can't go up there and shoot a low, low shooting percentage."
Composure, however, hasn't been the Demons' most reliable ally.
DePaul has posted double-digit leads in two of its last three games and halftime leads in all three. And the Demons have lost each time.
"We just have to stay poised, stay disciplined and try to put a 40-minute game together," Kelly said.
It will be a colossal confidence boost if they do, but as those practice sprints Thursday underscored: Easier said than done.
