Junior point guard Robert Sandoval looks to push the ball up the court and lead the fast-paced Cougar offense like he did against Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Photo by Steven Mercado
Azusa Pacific’s men’s basketball team is off to a 3-2 start to the 2013-14 season, winning back-to-back road games on Friday Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30. The Cougars are thriving with their fast-paced offense, which primarily looks for scoring options through the break.
Ten of the 15 players on the current men’s basketball roster have been with the program for at least two years. With most players currently in their third year as a Cougar, the team’s experience brings a sense of comfort and chemistry to the team that makes the offense flow. But according to head coach Justin Leslie, it’s the defense that needs work.
“We have to defend and get stops in order to run,” Leslie said. “It’s hard to run on made baskets. It’s hard to run when teams are scoring on you. We have to be a team with a defensive mindset. We’ve already shown when we’re able to defend, we go out and score pretty easily and can start playing downhill and get the ball rolling there. If we’re not defending, there is nothing that’s going to work offensively for us there.”
Junior guard Robert Sandoval and junior forward Andy Jones are currently in their fourth year with the men’s basketball program. The two bring fluidity and familiarity to the offense, but they know, more so than most of their teammates, that the success of their offense begins on the defensive side of the ball.
“It’s the most important thing to be able to come out and put your stamp on the game and impose your will on the opponent on the defensive side, that could just throw them out of sorts on their offense,” Sandoval said. “If we can bring the energy on defense, transitioning over to offense is going to make it easier to get stops, steals, tips or whatever we can get to get into our running game and score.”
The Cougars’ offensive system consists of Sandoval or anyone who fills in at the one spot pushing the ball down the court, looking for the players running their lanes wide, and if the break fails, setting up the motion offense. The fast-paced offense is one that gets the crowd going, which gives the Cougars energy on the court.
“It’s fun, we like [running this offense]. We can get points up on the board and it works off our strengths,” Jones said. “The program recruits to fulfill the needs of a fast-paced team and we develop our guys to fill the roles in a fast-paced team.”
Sandoval said the crowd’s energy affects the mindsets of the team. It all starts with one play.
“You get a nice dunk or something, the crowd gets energized and we think, all right, come on. Let’s get this stop on defense and let’s do this again,” Sandoval said. “We want to keep pounding it down their throats. The crowd’s energy brings a lot to the offense.”
During the offseason, the Cougars have worked hard on different aspects of their game and each player has built his skill set to be able to contribute to the success of the offense, according to Leslie. The players bring a diverse set of positives to the team. Now, it is up to the Cougars to put them to good use through the offense they know and love.
These talents must be paired with good team chemistry, which Jones and Sandoval say is there with the experiences and the amount of time the players have spent together.
“With people you’ve been playing with, you know if he’s going to cut to the hoop, or if he’s going to be popping out,” Jones said. “You get to know people’s tendencies after being together for two or three years.”
Leslie knows the team has the talent and chemistry to be great, but it comes down to all of the little things in order to be a top contender in the conference. He thinks the process of getting to where they need to be could possibly last until January, but it is up to the veterans to step up and lead the team in making the right decisions on the court.
“Everybody on this team has been a scorer of some capacity in their careers. In that regard, it lends itself to a lot of potential, but potential doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get on the same page and get better with execution and an understanding of what might be a good shot for [them] may not be something that they should take in order to get a better shot for a teammate. Those are going to be situations that ultimately dictate how good we are,” Leslie said.
The halfcourt motion offense that the Cougars run has a deeper meaning than just players setting screens and cutting to get open, according to Leslie. The system teaches the players to be selfless and caring toward others, which is an attitude the players share with each other.
“One of the reasons we play a motion offense is because it’s the most unselfish type of offense. In order for someone to have success in a motion offense, a teammate has to set a screen and a teammate has to give a pass, so two guys have to give of themselves so one guy can be successful,” Leslie said. “It’s one of those things where it’s a lesson that we can apply to the areas of our lives. If we’re willing to give of ourselves and do those little things, it’s a way you can start to experience a little bit of success and the details that others won’t recognize.”
The Cougars head to San Rafael, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 5 to face Dominican for their first conference matchup of the season.