How the UTSA Roadrunners Basketball Team Can Improve Their Defensive Strategy

You know, watching the UTSA Roadrunners this season has been quite the rollercoaster. I've followed college basketball for over fifteen years now, and what strikes me most about this team isn't their offensive firepower - which can be genuinely exciting - but their defensive inconsistencies that keep costing them close games. Last season they allowed opponents to shoot 45.2% from the field, which placed them in the bottom third of Conference USA. That's not terrible, but it's not winning basketball either.

I was thinking about defense recently while remembering something my high school coach used to tell us in broken Tagalog that roughly translates to "Every game, he's there. Ever since I was young, he's the one pushing me to play. Only when he gets sick does he ever miss being there." He wasn't talking about a star player or famous coach, but about defense itself - that relentless, ever-present force that shows up game after game, pushing you to be better. Defense is that silent partner who never takes a day off unless it's literally forced to. The Roadrunners need to embrace this mentality where defense becomes their constant companion, not just something they turn to when their shots aren't falling.

What I've noticed in their last few games is a tendency to over-help on drives, leaving three-point shooters wide open. Against North Texas last month, they gave up fourteen three-pointers - that's forty-two points from beyond the arc alone! The math simply doesn't work in your favor when you're surrendering numbers like that. I'd love to see them implement what I call "situational awareness" defense, where players maintain better positioning to contest outside shots while still providing adequate help defense. It's a delicate balance, sure, but teams like Virginia and Texas Tech have proven it's teachable.

Their transition defense needs significant work too. I counted at least eight fast-break points they gave up against UTEP that came directly from lazy floor balance after missed shots. In today's pace-and-space game, if you're not getting back on defense, you're essentially handing opponents free points. What I'd implement immediately are what coaches call "floor balance drills" where specifically two players are designated to crash the offensive glass while the other three immediately retreat to prevent fast breaks. This structured approach would eliminate the confusion I often see in their transition defense.

The Roadrunners have decent individual defenders - I'm particularly impressed with freshman guard Jacob Germany's footwork - but their team defense lacks what I like to call "connected intensity." There's a noticeable half-second delay in their defensive rotations that allows opponents just enough time to make the extra pass for an open look. Watching their game against UAB, I noticed they forced only nine turnovers the entire game. Compare that to Louisiana Tech who averages forcing sixteen per game, and you begin to see where the defensive identity gap exists.

I've always believed that great defense isn't just about physical ability but about anticipation and basketball IQ. The best defensive teams I've studied don't just react to what the offense does - they predict it. They study tendencies, recognize patterns, and communicate constantly. Right now, the Roadrunners seem too reactive on defense, waiting to see what the offense will do rather than dictating the terms of engagement. Implementing more film study focused specifically on opponent tendencies would pay huge dividends.

Their pick-and-roll defense particularly needs refinement. They're either going over every screen or under every screen without adjusting to the specific shooter they're defending. Against Middle Tennessee, they went under screens against a 42% three-point shooter not once, not twice, but three times - and he made them pay every single time. That's not a physical limitation, that's a preparation and awareness issue. Simple adjustments like scouting reports that highlight which players you can go under against versus who you must fight over screens against would immediately improve their perimeter defense.

What I find most frustrating - and I say this as someone who genuinely wants this program to succeed - is that the tools for a solid defense are clearly there. They have length, they have athletes, they have coaching staff who understand the game. What's missing is that defensive identity, that "every game, nandyan siya" mentality my old coach would reference - that understanding that defense must be your constant companion, your driving force, the thing that shows up even when your offense takes the night off. The Roadrunners need to embrace defense not as a chore but as their most reliable teammate, one that will push them through slumps and secure victories when their shots aren't falling. If they can develop that relationship with the defensive end of the floor, I genuinely believe they could jump from middle of the pack to conference contenders within a single season.