How do we avoid anemic starts?

[MuggsyB]

It's going to come back and bite us.  Personally, I'd like to see much better execution in our h-c offense and far more tenacity defensively and on the glass.  Why not play with a concerted effort to get Morsell going to the rim and JLew more in the mid-post?   We can get 3 happy and it leads to significant droughts.  In general let's find a little more venom on this team for 40 mins.   Huge stretch of games coming up, hopefully we're ready.

[tower912]

I am sure if there was an obvious answer that Coach Smart would have implemented it.

[Jay Bee]

Get lucky on treys. Hoping for the best Saturday

[MuggsyB]

Get lucky on treys. Hoping for the best Saturday

Shouldn't we try to get Lewis the ball more in the wide-post?

[5DollarPitcher]

I’m not sure I’d go back and change anything about a 30 point win over a D1 opponent.

[mug644]

I think part of what happens at the beginning of games is the Shaka is both exploring who's hot and considering what weaknesses the other team has. And he knows that he can wear most teams out.

So, MU is aggressive (and somewhat out of control) at the outset, figuring out what might work. And Shaka learns if some players are "ready" for that game.

Best, we find balance and our depth wears teams out. It's happened, basically, in every game except against the Bonnies.

[MuggsyB]

I’m not sure I’d go back and change anything about a 30 point win over a D1 opponent.

I don't think you can glean much from that win.  A slow start on the road or vs UCLA could be problematic.

[5DollarPitcher]

I don't think you can glean much from that win.

You’ve now answered your own question.

[BM1090]

Shouldn't we try to get Lewis the ball more in the wide-post?

Agree with Jay Bee. We need to shoot a lot of threes and make a lot of threes to beat good teams this year. 13-32 vs. Ole Miss. 12-26 against WVU. We’re not going to have much offense if we’re not launching. Fire away with confidence.

[MuggsyB]

Agree with Jay Bee. We need to shoot a lot of threes and make a lot of threes to beat good teams this year. 13-32 vs. Ole Miss. 12-26 against WVU. We’re not going to have much offense if we’re not launching. Fire away with confidence.

But we're shooting like 32%.  Can we not get to the line more and diversify our offense?

[mileskishnish72]

Keep the thread going, Muggs.

[MUfan12]

I look forward to this post again Saturday afternoon.

They're working through it. Did anyone look at those first half lineups tonight and think anything else?

[Phuket MU Fan]

This issue can be resolved by writing a letter.

[MuggsyB]

This issue can be resolved by writing a letter.

LOL.  Sorry if I belabor on things.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

But we're shooting like 32%.  Can we not get to the line more and diversify our offense?

We're getting to the line a ton. 18th best in the country at getting to the line.

[Newsdreams]

We're getting to the line a ton. 18th best in the country at getting to the line.

Yup lots of dribble/driving

[Goose]

Jay Bee

It all starts with us hitting early threes or getting a couple of transition baskets.

[MuggsyB]

Jay Bee

It all starts with us hitting early threes or getting a couple of transition baskets.

Can we not attack the rim Goose?  They don't really have a shot blocker.  I'm hoping for considerably more force and power on our interior attempts.  And we absolutely have to rebound the basketball.  We should also be cognizant of their propensity to flop.

[Goose]

Muggsy

I think our outside game creates our inside game. Making two or three quick threes would open things up.

[NCMUFan]

All that matters is the final score when we end.
I will take a 29-point victory any day.

[MuggsyB]

Muggsy

I think our outside game creates our inside game. Making two or three quick threes would open things up.

True dat.  We also need to be fundamentally much better on the glass.  Catch the ball with two hands and box out.

[Goose]

They have to start rebounding better and do it quickly.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The magic count is 32 for either team: MU counts deflections, UW counts flops.

For the magic number 6, MU counts kills, UW counts handfuls o' nuts.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The magic count is 32 for either team: MU counts deflections, UW counts flops.

For the magic number 6, MU counts kills, UW counts handfuls o' nuts.

Including their own???

[Milkshakes]

Jay Bee

It all starts with us hitting early threes or getting a couple of transition baskets.

Isn’t it easier to get some drive to the hoop first then open the three. Not the opposite?  Not intended to be snarky. Seriously, drive first then the threes.  That is what I don’t get with this scheme.

[Milkshakes]

Just to amend that.  If we had great 3 point shooters.  Fine. 3 first then drive. However, we don’t. So let’s drive
To open the 3?

[MUfan12]

Just to amend that.  If we had great 3 point shooters.  Fine. 3 first then drive. However, we don’t. So let’s drive
To open the 3?

Harder when they're sitting back and daring them to shoot the three.

[BM1090]

Harder when they're sitting back and daring them to shoot the three.

This. Have to make threes to open up some driving lanes. Our best run of play vs. Ole Miss and WVU came immediately after we knocked down some shots. Defenders started closing harder and biting on fakes.

[MU82]

We have had 3 games in which we made more than 30% of our 3's: Ole Miss 41% ... WVa 46% ... JaxSt 38%.

So that's 5 games in which we've shot 30% or worse, which is incredibly bad. (Understatement of the year.)

We have only 2 guys hitting at better than a 33% clip: Elliott (.500), who has taken only 4 and seems to be deep in Shaka's doghouse; and Morsell (.438), who started out unbelievably hot but is 2-for-11 in the last 4 games and was a .267 career 3-point shooter in 4 years at Maryland. In other words, we have no proven 3-point shooters at the college level.

So we certainly can hope our 3-point shooting will get us going, but counting on it is another story.

Markus, Novak, DJO and Rowsey ain't walkin' through that door.

[MuggsyB]

We have had 3 games in which we made more than 30% of our 3's: Ole Miss 41% ... WVa 46% ... JaxSt 38%.

So that's 5 games in which we've shot 30% or worse, which is incredibly bad. (Understatement of the year.)

We have only 2 guys hitting at better than a 33% clip: Elliott (.500), who has taken only 4 and seems to be deep in Shaka's doghouse; and Morsell (.438), who started out unbelievably hot but is 2-for-11 in the last 4 games and was a .267 career 3-point shooter in 4 years at Maryland. In other words, we have no proven 3-point shooters at the college level.

So we certainly can hope our 3-point shooting will get us going, but counting on it is another story.

Markus, Novak, DJO and Rowsey ain't walkin' through that door.

I assume everyone remembers I was concerned with 3pt shooting before the year started.  My hope is that we diversify our attack.  We really need Kolek and Morsell to step up on Saturday.

[rocky_warrior]

Iron supplements would usually be the first step.

[MU82]

I assume everyone remembers I was concerned with 3pt shooting before the year started.  My hope is that we diversify our attack.  We really need Kolek and Morsell to step up on Saturday.

Was a huge concern of mine, too, and for a few other Scoopers as well. In today's college hoops, if you have a 15-point or 21-point or more deficit in 3-point shooting, it's tough to win.

We don't beat Ole Miss and WVa without having our two best 3-point games of the season. Maybe we'll have another Saturday.

[Stretchdeltsig]

They have to start rebounding better and do it quickly.

And defend the basket better during the whole game.

And make free throws.

And for sure make threes.

[tower912]

Hey, at least the start wasn't anemic.   

[Stretchdeltsig]

We played like too many teams of old, we were young boys playing older men. We couldn't shoot, rebound or defend and our coach seemed clueless.