Not on the ball

While there are many things on which to blame the loss at Yale this weekend (terrible free-throw shooting being the most popular reason), the single most notable atrocity was simply the on-the-ball defense.

There are a few Quakers who night in and night out allow their men to blow by them to the basket. However, at the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Saturday everyone wearing a Yale uniform had blow-by speed.

Even the usually-solid Ibrahim Jaaber was guilty -- Yale point guard Eric Flato blew past Jaaber on multiple occasions. Once the first defender is beat, any team with a moderate ability to pass the ball can get an easy layup, as an inside defender must either yield a five-foot jumper or help and allow an easy layup.

On Saturday it was astounding how often Elis were streaking uncovered to the basket, and it wasn't just Flato. In a slightly unrelated incident but a similar result, Mark Zoller went swiping for a steal 60 feet away from Penn's hoop (shortly after he successfully took one away) and about 5 seconds later the five-on-four turned into an easy basket.

The Quakers are not all Olympic athletes, but in the Ivy League they can't play afford to play that kind of on-the-ball defense and expect to sail through the conference slate.