Every big loss like this has one thing in common. Running clock waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early in the game. FSU last year, Washington, today...I know there are more instances that aren't as prominent in my mind at the moment. When will Buzz learn that when you are up you have to keep playing with what got you there?
With 10:30 or so to go, Dieng fouled out, and Van Treese and Jennings both had 4 fouls. Did they both manage to stay in the game because they played smart? No. It was because we stopped attacking. We started clock managing. We were winning that game because we attacked, we drew fouls, and we kept them on their heels because they couldn't defend. Suddenly, we are doing nothing but draining clock and putting up a bad perimeter shot.
Bottom line, until the other team gives up and starts putting in the end of their bench, you keep at their throat. Time and time again, we have failed to do that. Honestly, talent-wise I really feel we are a top-ten in the country team. But intelligence-wise, we're probably barely a top-100 team. Buzz has to fix that. This one is all on him. As are all the other huge blown second half leads.
+1000
It was pretty ironic that what I thought was a smart move at the time, running clock and making Louisville come out of the zone, was ultimately our un-doing.
funny in a demented way.
The problem is that taking the air out of the ball on the offensive end also lead to a let-down defensively. At one point UL scored on three straight possessions where we looked listless on defense.
It's a major flaw of Buzz's. You can almost see when his teams start stalling the other team keeps punching and MU looks like they're deer in headlights.
The other thing is once you shut it down, if the other team starts making a run it's almost impossible to turn it back on. You start backpeddling hoping time is on your side.
Buzz also always waits too late to call a time out to stop the other teams momentum. After Louisville scored 5 points in less than 20 seconds, he should have called a time out. Buzz doesn't, Cadougan turns it over and Louisville scores to make it 7 points in less than 27 seconds. Crowd goes crazy with the turnover and Louisville's energy goes way up. By waiting to call TO he gave them more points and more momentum. Plus, we finish the game with 1 time out left. They go on a 25-4 run to end the game and we still have 2 TO's left with 4 seconds to play. He needs to use TOs more effectively.
Quote from: brewcity77 on January 15, 2011, 01:19:11 PM
Every big loss like this has one thing in common. Running clock waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early in the game. FSU last year, Washington, today...I know there are more instances that aren't as prominent in my mind at the moment. When will Buzz learn that when you are up you have to keep playing with what got you there?
With 10:30 or so to go, Dieng fouled out, and Van Treese and Jennings both had 4 fouls. Did they both manage to stay in the game because they played smart? No. It was because we stopped attacking. We started clock managing. We were winning that game because we attacked, we drew fouls, and we kept them on their heels because they couldn't defend. Suddenly, we are doing nothing but draining clock and putting up a bad perimeter shot.
Bottom line, until the other team gives up and starts putting in the end of their bench, you keep at their throat. Time and time again, we have failed to do that. Honestly, talent-wise I really feel we are a top-ten in the country team. But intelligence-wise, we're probably barely a top-100 team. Buzz has to fix that. This one is all on him. As are all the other huge blown second half leads.
I couldn't agree more! Didn't Buzz even say at the beginning of the season that we can't win if we don't play like ourselves...and slowing the game down is not us. Learn from it Buzz! Please
I know it was on the road but there was a glaring difference in how we handled the game down the stretch compared to the ND game at home.
Against Notre Dame we had our foot on their throats and then we stepped down real hard and pulled away for a twenty-two point win.
We needed to do that today. I get not attacking with 24 seconds left on shot clock but I do not understand EVER having a shot clock violation or Jimmy forcing a fade away at end of shot clock. We needed to keep the pressure up like we did against Notre Dame. I was telling my buddy that exact thing and thinking that we were just waiting for the game to end rather than putting it out of reach. This is not the first time this has happened. It appears to happen on the road. As if the coaching staff and players are afraid to lose the game rather than take it into their hands to win.
This game hurts, no doubt. But it does not doom the season. I know I am more optimistic than most but I believe this could set a fire under their arses and could most definetely be a teaching point, whether for basketball or life in general (Well there is the positive spin).
The team Has to pull out that win on the road. If confronted with the same scenario, I hope they keep the pressure up, win or lose, it is better than waiting for the final horn to blow and coasting to the victory.
With about 6-7 minutes left, I was about to conclude that the word 'relentless' once again applied to MU, as it has teh last two years, because they were flat out whupping UL's collective ass, and seemed to be coming harder every time. Then it all fell apart. Ball movement slowed, defensive intensity declined, (Knowles unbelievable shooting played a big part as well), and it was done. They completely lost the intensity battle the last 5 minutes or so, and that was enough. Just play!
The silver lining I suppose is that they showed just how good they can be. Play 40 minutes instead of 35, and they probably win that one by 20 or more. Plenty of positives to take with them, but just an inexcusable loss.
Quote from: Norm on January 15, 2011, 01:38:47 PM
Buzz also always waits too late to call a time out to stop the other teams momentum. After Louisville scored 5 points in less than 20 seconds, he should have called a time out. Buzz doesn't, Cadougan turns it over and Louisville scores to make it 7 points in less than 27 seconds. Crowd goes crazy with the turnover and Louisville's energy goes way up. By waiting to call TO he gave them more points and more momentum. Plus, we finish the game with 1 time out left. They go on a 25-4 run to end the game and we still have 2 TO's left with 4 seconds to play. He needs to use TOs more effectively.
I hate to pull a "I said this" but you are 100% correct. The timeout should have been taken after the 3 went in, prior to Juniors turnover. I said it on the scoop live blog thing.
I have no problem running the clock, but MU didn't get the paint touches when doing.
Buzz says in the post game the loss was on him - and it really was - poor coaching....