VCU is turning opponents over on 28.1 percent of possessions this season.
The seasons may change, and the powers that be can rewrite the rule book, but Havoc marches on, hopefully, deep into March.
Havoc, Shaka Smart’s signature style of play, appeared to face one of its stiffest challenges this summer when the NCAA adopted a new, offensive-friendly interpretation of the block-charge rule and called for additional emphasis on hand-checking and other defensive contact. The NCAA rules committee’s goal was to increase scoring, which had dipped to a 30-year low last season. The committee sought more “freedom of movement” for offensive players.
Havoc is many things. Much like Smart’s swarming defense on the court, Havoc has become ubiquitous; it’s everywhere. It’s no longer just a fancy name for a defense. Havoc has come to define the entire program. But it all starts on the floor. Havoc is 40-minutes of adrenaline-junkie basketball. It’s full-court defensive pressure the likes of which has seldom been seen in college hoops.
Led by its electric head coach and headband-wearing Havoc monster Briante Weber, VCU has led the nation in defensive turnover percentage and steal percentage each of the last two seasons. Much of VCU’s success the last two seasons had been predicated on forcing turnovers and turning them into easy baskets. The Rams also used the cumulative effect of their press to transform their opponents’ legs to Jell-O down the stretch.
Given Havoc’s high-intensity properties, it’s an inherently physical defense. Every game, VCU aims to walk a tightrope between sound defensive positioning and excessive contact. Many wondered if the new rules would dull the bite of the Rams’ attack, that faster whistles would mean more VCU fouls and the eventual need to tone down the pressure.
With half a season of data at our disposal, we can declare Havoc alive and well. Its heartbeat has never been stronger. Not only has Havoc been its usual, offensive-terrorizing self, but at times, you could argue it’s been better than ever. For example, Havoc fueled a 37-2 run in an 82-52 rout of Virginia Tech. The Rams scored a school-record 42 points off turnovers that night. While that’s the most fetching example of the Rams’ defensive pressure this season, it is hardly an isolated incident.
VCU currently ranks sixth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, and from Nov. 29 through Jan. 9, enjoyed a stretch where the Rams held nine of 10 opponents below 70 points. VCU ranked 45th in defensive efficiency last season and 19th in 2011-12.VCU is fouling at the same rate (19.7 per game) as last year, and opponents’ free throw attempts are up just slightly, from 20.4 last year to 21.2 in 2013-14.
Meanwhile, Havoc continues to force bushels of turnovers. For the third straight season, the Rams lead the nation in turnover percentage. Heading into Wednesday’s game at Dayton, the Rams were turning opponents over on 28.1 percent of possessions, virtually identical to last season (28.5) and up from 2011-12 (27.3).
Similarly, Weber, the Disruptor-in-Chief, continues to blow up offenses. Although Weber has taken on additional offensive duties this season as point guard, he’s arguably better than ever on defense. Weber is averaging a career-high 3.8 steals per game, and the Chesapeake native leads the nation in steal percentage (7.3) for the third straight season.
So, a word to VCU’s opposition: If it’s Havoc that you fear, you could be in for some sleepless nights. Havoc lives.
Jan 22, 2014 @ 13:46:33
Thanks for the details. In a word: Coaching. The players are trained physically to play in Beast mode 40 minutes a game and have the awareness and discipline to play hard nose, aggressive D in line w/ the rules. Gr8 to see… Go Rams! -sf
Jan 23, 2014 @ 22:56:11
Been watching college hoops a long time. The only thing I have ever seen that resembles Havoc is Nolan Richardson’s 40 minutes of hell, when he was a head coach at Arkansas. He recruited a lot of long, athletic wing players who could run like gazelles. Guys like Scotty Thurman and Corliss Williamson. They came at you in waves…there was not so much one chief disruptor like we have in Weber. They just never let up. This was in the early to mid 90’s. Nobody else played that style. He won a national championship with it in ’93 I believe and the following year lost in the finals to UCLA. It was, up until Havoc, the most effective full court press at the college level I have ever seen. I think Shaka is a better coach overall than Richardson but obviously I am biased. Richardson had more talent than Shaka has ever had. Richardson had Mcdonalds All Americans on his team that he convinced to buy into the system and it worked quite well for a while. He won a lot of games with it, just like Shaka is doing w/Havoc. Great article – was wondering how the rule changes had impacted us…nice to see not at all !
Jan 24, 2014 @ 11:51:21
Good piece. But disaggregation paints a possibly different picture. Thus far, all of our losses have been non-home losses in which the Rams had substantially more fouls called on them as compared to the three losses incurred at the same point during last season. It makes sense that we’re getting somewhat of a pass at home, and tighter calls on the road under the new rules.
Jan 26, 2014 @ 08:34:26
That’s a good point, although – and I admit I say this without looking – I imagine that’s generally the case in other years as well.
Jan 31, 2014 @ 12:11:06
I didn’t look at all road vs. home games for this season as compared to last, but in our four losses (all of which have been on the road) we had a relatively high number of fouls called on us.
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Jan 28, 2014 @ 22:04:23