Texas A&M
The Battalion Sports
Tuesday, April 19,1983/The Battalion/Page 11
locum confident
bout 3-4 defense
dder.
f ® in I
j iiiii
nfora
lor*
by John P. Lopez
Battalion Staff
Back in the days of Ed Simoni-
andCo., the Texas A&M foot-
llteam was recognized as hav-
at8;! rone of the most lethal de-
ises in the country.
Frii The Aggie 4-3 defense was
onsa [i strong, hard-hitting and
ire important, took Texas
Altoa share of the Southwest
inference championship in
15. In a word, the Aggie de
rive team was overpowering.
But those days are gone.
If the Aggie coaching staff
i its way, however, Texas
:M will once again be a feared
fensive power in 1983 — but
tin the 4-3 defense.
Texas A&M defensive coor-
Btor R.C. Slocum said the
iarcnfties are hoping to improve
:ir defense by implementing
3-4 alignment this spring,
lead In the 3-4 design there are
reedefensive linemen, includ-
anoseguard, four lineback-
and four men in the secon-
ry. It is used primarily to take
(vantage of speed and quick-
—something Texas A&M is
tded with.
,s
f whal
rorto.
today
Slocum said he thinks the new
defensive scheme fits the Aggies
perfectly.
“When we were successful
with the 4-3 we had much bigger
guys,” he said Monday. “We
could be successful with it be
cause we had people like Ed
Simonini, Tank Marshall and
Jacob Green out there.
“But I’m real pleased with it
(3-4). The players have adjusted
well and it fits our personnel
well. On the edges you’ve got
more speed and the four line
backers makes it easier to adjust
to the pass.”
One reason Slocum and the
Aggie coaching staff decided
more linebackers should be in
the action is because of a study
conducted at the end of the 1982
season.
“We did an in-depth study on
our personnel after the season
to try and find the scheme that
fits us,” Slocum said. “The big
thing that stood out to us was
that we’re very thin on the de
fensive line. We’ve got a limited
number of defensive linemen
and more good linebackers. So
we started to look at the 3-4.”
The main advantage in run
ning the 3-4, Slocum said, is that
the offense will never know what
to expect from the Aggies.
“It gives us a chance to mix up
who’s dropping,” he said. “And
from down to down, the offense
won’t be sure which linebacker is
coming and which is dropping
— it could be that neither rushes
and it could be that both rush.
“I think it will work better for
us than anything. I can see it
becoming our dominant de
fense in the future. We’re really
excited about it. We’re still ex
perimenting to see what fits us
best. And I think it will help our
offense too.”
If the new alignment is suc
cessful next year, Slocum said, it
won’t be one player who carries
the load. But he did add that the
noseguard will play an impor
tant role. Most teams that run
the 3-4 defense put one of their
best linemen at noseguard. The
noseguard can be either quick or
big.
“Really, what you’d like to
have is a big guy that’s also
quick,” Slocum said,
JBA playoff wars
onight; Hawks at
open
Boston!
■ United Press International
pile the Boston Celtics have the edge in over-
to mi I playoff experience, their first-round oppo-
ni'lilts, the Atlanta Hawks, have been in the play-
s for the past month — at least according to
lanta Coach Kevin Loughery.
“You have to look at Boston as the most experi-
ted playoff team in basketball,” Loughery says,
urguys played hard ... we deserved to be in the
lyoffs. We’d been in a playoff situation for the
mil im
i lent!!
•ning,1
whatli
'Utpl it month — we had to keep winning.”
ra s utfl Until Sunday, the Hawks didn’t know whether
nentpi' [yy b e playing Boston or New Jersey in the
bning round, but it was obvious they preferred
ilaythe Nets, whom they beat twice during the
jular season. Atlanta won only one of six games
,di e [' tinst the Celtics.
er sol The Celtics, who haven’t had a mini-series since
l 17, posted a 56-26 mark and tuned up Sunday
er attilia 114-101 triumph over the 76ers.
|‘l think we’re ready to go,” Boston Coach Bill
feel B- chsays.
tierm The Hawks, 43-39, are in Boston tonight for
me 1 of a best-of-three Eastern Division pre-
mpuKj lihary series, with the winner to face Central
a wasti
me to 1
:y can
jlacef
mam
r’s suf
ig'
bout
Id atp
:k’s
;h, To
Division champion Milwaukee. The Denver Nug
gets, 45-37, take the league’s highest-scoring
offense into Phoenix in Game 1 of a Western
Conference mini-series against the Suns, with
Midwest Division champion San Antonio awaiting
the victor.
Atlantic Division champion Philadelphia meets
the winner of the mini-series between the New
Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, with Game 1
slated for Meadowlands Arena Wednesday night.
Defending NBA champion Los Angeles, which
won the Pacific Division by six games over
Phoenix, will meet the winner of the Seattle-
Portland series, which opens Wednesday night at
the Kingdome.
“Phoenix is playing very well and it 11 take a hell
of an effort to win,” Denver Coach Doug Moe
says.
The Suns, 52-29, struggled past San Diego in
their regular-season finale, but Coach John Mac
Leod isn’t worried. Phoenix relies on balanced
scoring and its own powerful forward duo of
Maurice Lucas and Larry Nance, who ranked
fourth in blocked shots.
V V
ooiaooo
O
Sophomore defensive tackle Ray Childress breaks away
from his man and rushes David Mangrum of Baylor.
Childress and the Aggie defense are experimenting
with the 3-4 alignment this spring (Shown in inset).
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