Our struggles down the stretch started with the disappearance of Crowder and DJO.
What happened to them?
I would cite Crowder in particular, with DJO and Buycks not disappearing quite as much. This is the second consecutive game where Crowder contributed nothing.
All day I've been reading what is nothing short of insane analysis and ridiculous assertions about Buzz (calling out Goose).
Here I posted what was the real problem the last year weeks, the disappearance of Crowder and DJO. Yet the basketball IQ around here is so low no one can comment on this?
Ok, now you can go back to bashing Buzz for being afraid of the media after last night's game (that Rosiak is such a meany!), how he looks on TV and whatever else people that know squat about basketball say around here.
AnotherMU--What is the problem with DJO and Crowder? Share your ball IQ with the group.
I do think that we run into situations during games where we have no scoring because DJO seems to have lost all confidence and Crowder isn't getting the ball where he can do something with it.
But I'm not sure the struggles started with Crowder and DJO. Buycks has struggled since the ND game, and even as Otule has greatly improved, we've found it harder and harder to get it to him. Gardner has also kind of hit a freshmen wall ... Opposing teams know what he's capable of and play him accordingly.
The issue the past few weeks is that Butler is the only guy on the court that remained consistent, but, other than senior night, just isn't a guy the will take over a game. You need someone else and the entire team has been struggling.
Why is it you think the blame lies JUST with DJO and Crowder?
DJO is a complete enigma and Jae looks to have hit a wall.....HARD! Could he be injured?
I'm not sure which is more concerning; Jae looking to be physically limited or DJO lacking any sort of confidence, but the combination of the two has sunk this team.
Jae looks slow and tired. DJO pump fakes once, twice, three times then passes to VB or Jr? Then when he does let fly he barely draws iron.
Quote from: Goose on March 06, 2011, 04:30:58 PM
AnotherMU--What is the problem with DJO and Crowder? Share your ball IQ with the group.
DJO ia another version of Vander right now ... big time confidence problem. I think it started with all the blown FTs at USF (or maybe his bad shooting at Nova the game before). Since then he only scores when the game is out of reach or we are comfortably leading. When it's crunch time, he passes the ball instead of shooting. He needs to be a bit more selfless. Buzz needs to get him back into the flow. MAKE him take shots to get his mojo, design plays out of TO for him and make him take the shot.
Last night on Rosiak's blog I asked if the flu bug is going around. Jae's lack of energy makes me think he is either hurt or has the flu. He has hit a wall HARD and that just doesn't happen. My guess is something is up with him (physically) and no one is saying right now.
Junior has improved, Outle has improved and Jimmy has been great. These two are not getting better (and to a lesser degree Buycks). I think they are the struggles and inconsistency of this team.
If these two can get back on track, we can still do something next week. Hope they figure it out soon. Time is up.
AnotherMU, re: DJO not scoring during crunch time since the USF game - were you blacked out/in a coma during the UConn game? It was only a week and a half ago.
Quote from: Jamailman on March 06, 2011, 05:59:58 PM
AnotherMU, re: DJO not scoring during crunch time since the USF game - were you blacked out/in a coma during the UConn game? It was only a week and a half ago.
Close, I was out of the country, only game I've missed in 2011. I'll grant you that game but others he has been invisible.
And, to my point, when he comes to play, we can do real damage. When he doesn't we lose to Cincy at home and at SH.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on March 06, 2011, 06:03:11 PM
Close, I was out of the country, only game I've missed in 2011. I'll grant you that game but others he has been invisible.
And, to my point, when he comes to play, we can do real damage. When he doesn't we lose to Cincy at home and at SH.
Yep, that spurt was the last time we saw a confident DJO in some time, and outside of that spurt he even struggled with confidence within that game.
What was crazy was he came off the bench vs. UConn and there was literally something about his body language and in his eyes where you knew he intended on taking the game over, and he did just that. He was not going to be denied.
How does someone flip that switch so suddenly, then lose it just like that? That's why I say he's an enigma. By far our most talented player, but he's in his head way too much.
Ha! Wow, out of the country, that explains it. Well you missed a hell of a performance. He single-handedly resurrected MU's season from the ashes. It was a sight to behold. I agree, when he's on he's unstoppable, so it's frustrating when he's off for a game or two. However, I think the last two games have been more a factor of playing very good defenses rather than any sort of psychological explanation. Cincy and the Hall simply possess elite defenses, and that's an indisputable fact.
Quote from: Jamailman on March 06, 2011, 07:27:00 PMHa! Wow, out of the country, that explains it. Well you missed a hell of a performance. He single-handedly resurrected MU's season from the ashes. It was a sight to behold. I agree, when he's on he's unstoppable, so it's frustrating when he's off for a game or two. However, I think the last two games have been more a factor of playing very good defenses rather than any sort of psychological explanation. Cincy and the Hall simply possess elite defenses, and that's an indisputable fact.
I missed that one too, I was also out of the country. I was able to listen to the radio broadcast on my iPhone, however. Cost me $20 for the internet connection, but it was worth it to listen to that sweet closing performance from DJO.
Quote from: Jamailman on March 06, 2011, 05:59:58 PM
AnotherMU, re: DJO not scoring during crunch time since the USF game - were you blacked out/in a coma during the UConn game? It was only a week and a half ago.
UCONN was really the last DJO sighting. This team will go nowhere if he does not get going. Witness the last two games, DJO is our best outside threat. He should be launching at every opportunity. Half the time he passes up open looks, no confidence.
This whole "confidence" thing and amateur psychoanalysis of DJO is really overblown. Cincy and Seton Hall are two of the best defensive teams in the country. Maybe he wasn't pulling the trigger because those teams were closing out very well and in reality they weren't open shots he was passing up on. That's a much more logical explanation than trying to mind-read a player's "confidence" level.
Quote from: Jamailman on March 06, 2011, 07:55:48 PM
This whole "confidence" thing and amateur psychoanalysis of DJO is really overblown. Cincy and Seton Hall are two of the best defensive teams in the country. Maybe he wasn't pulling the trigger because those teams were closing out very well and in reality they weren't open shots he was passing up on. That's a much more logical explanation than trying to mind-read a player's "confidence" level.
No sane person can defend some of the looks DJO has passed up over the last two games by saying the teams were closing out better than it seemed. He has numerous opportunities a game where he can pull the trigger immediately, but instead stands there for a split second, waits for the defense to close on him, and pump fakes. Towards the end of the Seton Hall game he nailed a three in a situation he's been pump faking. It felt good to see him do that for once.
You cannot even begin to defen the passive DJO nature lately. Unless you are a complete homer
Quote from: g0lden3agle on March 06, 2011, 08:02:20 PM
No sane person can defend some of the looks DJO has passed up over the last two games by saying the teams were closing out better than it seemed. He has numerous opportunities a game where he can pull the trigger immediately, but instead stands there for a split second, waits for the defense to close on him, and pump fakes. Towards the end of the Seton Hall game he nailed a three in a situation he's been pump faking. It felt good to see him do that for once.
That is such a true statement, I can't believe the looks that he passes up the shot on. At the Cincy game, we were yelling shot the damn ball. (of course he can't hear us, but hey what are fans for!)
Seriously. It's not psychoanalysis. Even JC on the shot he hit against UConn caught the ball ready to rise up to shoot and shot without a thought. Even when DJO is wide open - and he definitely had some wide open looks against Seton Hall- he looks like a pitcher who cant throw strikes aiming a baseball. If someone is closing out he pump fakes, rather than rising up. Seems plain as day that it's confidence, not d.
What about Crowder's lack of energy? Is it defenses shutting him down or is something wrong (physically)?
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on March 06, 2011, 09:28:14 PM
What about Crowder's lack of energy? Is it defenses shutting him down or is something wrong (physically)?
People talk about how tough the BEast is for young players. This is his first year as a NCAA Div1 player. Maybe it's just catching up to him. Anyone remember if DJO fell off as the season went last year in his first year at the NCAA Div1 level?
Off the top of my head, I believe Crowder's offense has diminished for a few reasons. One, think about how many more points he could have if he just hit FT's. Two, I would think both attempts and makes have gone down on threes. We don't run the offense we did any more in which he is the 5 inbounding the ball then catching it at the top pf the key to start the possession. That guarantied Zar last year and Crowder at the beginning of this year a touch in the possession with a potential 3 opportunity. Three, zones are packed in and the alley passes that were there have been shut down. Jae doesn't really create his own shot opportunities for the most part. Four, frustration of the being in the big east. Playing great players. Foul trouble. Banging for rebounds. Offense is one of many concerns.
I'm just going to throw some objective data into the mix here.
February 27. MU vs. Providence. A grand total of seven days prior to today.
Providence's defensive profile:
147th overall efficiency
193rd eFG%
271st in rebounding
64th 3P%
DJO's puts up 17 points on 7/10 shooting, 3/4 on three pointers. Jae Crowder puts up 12 points and tears down 13 boards. MU posts 86 points.
March 2nd. MU vs. Cincinnati. 3 whole days later.
Cincinnati's defensive profile:
10th overall efficiency
28th eFG%
90th in rebounding
33rd 3P%
DJO goes 1/5 from three, Jae Crowder accumulates three rebounds and three points.
March 5th. MU @ Seton Hall. 6 days removed from the Providence throttling.
Seton Hall's defensive profile:
14th overall efficiency
53rd eFG%
168th in rebounding
27th 3P%
DJO goes 5/16, 3/9 from three, but most makes were after the game was out of reach. Jae Crowder scores 1 point and secures 3 rebounds.
One point of view has DJO going through a major crisis in confidence and Jae Crowder lacking energy just three and six days removed from "confident/energetic" performances against Providence. The other asserts that Providence's defense is a joke, and that the defenses we faced the following two games were among the elite in the nation. The first seems to be a speculative oversimplification, the second seems to be rooted in fact. Maybe neither one is right. Maybe bother are right. I just don't think mine is necessarily a "homer" or "insane" point of view. Cincinnati and Seton Hall have damn good defenses, which have made many an offense look bad this year. Dwight Hardy was 1/5 from three in a loss at Seton Hall this past Thursday. Austin Freeman was 1/7 from three in a loss against Cincinnati yesterday. I didn't see either game, but I'm guessing neither one of them looked very "confident."
Good post JM ... and I largely agree. But in the second half SH's defense stalled and we still could not get on track.
Speaking of confidence, see Rosiak's latest blog post about the closed door meeting after the game ...
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/117501823.html
Am I incorrect when I summarize the meeting as "DJO, when you have the shot,take it!.
Jamailman, I wholly agree. Looking at those numbers are the reason why following the kenpom defensive efficiency ratings are one of the keys to picking a successful tournament bracket. It's also why I expect Wisconsin, who has an adjusted defense rating about on par with ours, to fall early in the tournament. If you can't play defense, you won't go far.
It's also why I think that while we'll beat Providence (147th) and have a shot against WVU (30th), we will likely fall against Louisville (9th) if we get a rematch. While they aren't great on the boards, they are very good at limiting effective field goal percentage and turning teams over, which are both things that have plagued us of late, especially in the losses to St. John's, Cincinnati, and Seton Hall.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on March 07, 2011, 06:03:20 AM
Good post JM ... and I largely agree. But in the second half SH's defense stalled and we still could not get on track.
Speaking of confidence, see Rosiak's latest blog post about the closed door meeting after the game ...
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/117501823.html
Am I incorrect when I summarize the meeting as "DJO, when you have the shot,take it!.
Sounds to me like he's speaking directly to DJO. Good, DJO's teammates need him to know he needs to start pulling the trigger. I'd rather go down with DJO shooting 30% than not shooting at all.
Quote from: NickelDimer on March 07, 2011, 07:45:06 AM
I'd rather go down with DJO shooting 30% than not shooting at all.
+1
In the meeting they said stop looking for the "perfect shot" and take the first good shot. In the business world we say "don't let the perfect being the enemy of the good."
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on March 07, 2011, 06:03:20 AM
Good post JM ... and I largely agree. But in the second half SH's defense stalled and we still could not get on track.
Speaking of confidence, see Rosiak's latest blog post about the closed door meeting after the game ...
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/117501823.html
Am I incorrect when I summarize the meeting as "DJO, when you have the shot,take it!.
I did see that. I think it means it's a little of both. Playing a much better defense has to be frustrating and take you out of your game. I believe they'll look a lot more confident against Providence tomorrow probably as a result of this meeting getting everyone focused as well as the fact that they're playing a pathetic defense. Hopefully we come out and stomp them on national television, leaving no doubt that we deserve a bid.