Set for a competitive rematch against Rice on Saturday in the Convocation Center, UTSA’s men’s basketball remained locked in during its Thursday practice session.
“It’s been kind of an interesting week. Practice wasn’t bad,” coach Steve Henson said of the practice. “I would have liked a little bit more intensity, but the overall mood was good.”
To warm up, the Roadrunners went through an assortment of positional drills that dealt with either shooting, rebounding or driving to the paint for a quick kickout. The team quickly went into a defensive drill set to mimic the Owl’s pick-and-roll style offense. Working on fighting through the screen rather than switching, UTSA will look to improve its screen and transition defense in the Saturday rematch.
“We have to lock in a little bit better,” guard PJ Carter said of the team’s defensive effort. “You know the defensive side, we just have to clean some things up.”
Defense seemed to be the focal point of the practice, as the ‘Runners ran through multiple scrimmage sets that revolved around transitional defense and a two-man game against the pick-and-roll. Guarding through ball screens will be crucial for UTSA, as the experienced guard play of the Owls relies heavily on shooting off screens.
“They’re shooting the ball very well right now,” Henson said. “We really have to contest their shots, we don’t want to give them the same reads over and over.”
Shifting their focus back to offense, the team worked extensively on inbound plays and transition scoring. Incorporating a game-like intensity, scrimmages were run through at an extremely competitive level, with each five looking to gain an edge.
“Offense hasn’t been a problem this year,” Carter said. “I feel like if everybody just buys in and we play for each other, everything will work itself out.”
Returning from his injury, guard Adante’ Holiman was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. Showing no signs of previous injury, the guard ran through all of the team’s drills and scrimmages with little to no problems.
With one more day of practice to prepare for the Owls, the Roadrunners will look to execute defensively and improve their transition defense heading into the weekend contest.
