Hands off: MVC coaches continue to teach how the NCAA wants defense played

Indiana State basketball coach Greg Lansing doesn’t enjoy blowing a whistle during scrimmages. It’s become necessary in recent seasons.

“Our two (graduate assistants) wear a whistle and I wear a whistle in practice now and we try to lock in on some of the ways you’re going to have to play,” Lansing said. “You have to teach it that way.”

Missouri Valley Conference coaches are preparing for another season in which officials are directed to continue limiting physical defensive play. The “freedom of movement” directive is designed to keep defenders from using their hands to hold and push offensive players, with and without the ball, to inject more scoring and pace into the game.

“You try to keep your hands off and stay ahead of the ball, try to play defense with your body, not your hands,” Wichita State freshman C.J. Keyser said earlier this fall after officials worked a practice and answered questions. The Shockers play host to Long Beach State on Sunday night.

“Hands off” is a good shorthand way to think about defense in 2016-17. Officials are telling coaches and players to operate as if the person with the ball is protected by a cylinder around their body.

“The biggest difference is the hand-checking,” Illinois State coach Dan Muller said. “And the emphasis on getting both hands out. That’s the most common foul. The most difficult thing to do is guard the ball.”

Coaches are adjusting in different ways. Some call more fouls in practice. Some teams watched the 23-minute NCAA video describing rules changes and emphasis points. Some coaches aren’t changing much at all.

“You used to be able to, from a defensive standpoint, go invade someone’s personal space and you can’t do that anymore,” Missouri State coach Paul Lusk said. “We remind them and we’re conscious of it.”

The changes appear to work. According to Sports Illustrated’s research, scoring rose from 67.5 points a game in 2012-13 to 73 last season. The number of possessions rose from 65.9 to 69, all while turnovers and fouls per possession declined.

“It’s unclear whether those decrease were because there was less time to foul on each possession, or defenses were acclimating to the new rules or referees were simply calling fewer fouls,” wrote Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated. “Regardless, a situation where pace and offensive efficiency increased while fouls-per-possession decreased is a positive development.”

Coaches say they can adjust to changes. Their biggest hope is that they can count on officials to call games in a similar manner throughout the season.

“They’ll try to be as consistent as possible,” Lusk said. “It’s not an easy job. If that’s the way it’s going to be called, be consistent with it at the start of the season and the end of the season, at the start of the game and the end of the game.”

Bradley, with a roster full of freshmen, committed 744 fouls last season with 29 disqualifications, both tops in the MVC. The team and coaches watched the NCAA video and instruction on rules is a regular part of practice.

“We’ve been a very tight whistle in practice,” Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. “I think basketball is a game of athleticism and fluid athletes making plays in the air. I do like the idea of letting these players make plays.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Hands off: MVC coaches continue to teach how the NCAA wants defense played."