Rather than ride the ups and downs and jumping on and off the bandwagon with every game, maybe it's possible to know what we're in for and brace ourselves accordingly.
If Buzz Williams is the MU coach for years to come, we'll all have to get used to him and what he brings...His teams are flashy and fun, but rarely mature and balanced. You get...
Positives...
1) Offensive agression and high tempo offensive play. Looking to run at every opportunity...
2) Toughness. MU may get beat, but they'll continue to hustle and try to get back into a game.
3) Physicality. They'll get in there, mix it up and get to the line – hoping to wear opponents down.
Negatives?
3) Strong, intense and disciplined defense is not and will never be a priority – and, therefore, will never be a strength. A Williams team chases and reacts on defense – never effectively attacking or imposing its will defensively. That chasing the ball mixed with a lack of lockdown discipline makes ball reversals very successful for opponents – allowing easy three pointers again and again. When you rely on a team to miss open shots to stay in a game, you're not a good defensive team. Examples? UW had open shots and missed. MU won. Vanderbilt made its open shots. Good night.
4) Rebounding will also never be a strength. On the defensive glass, that chasing and reacting (that inability to focus on locking down a given assignment) draws players out of block-outs and out of effective rebounding position. If you're constantly chasing the ball and trying to help out on blown assignments, you're not setting your feet, digging deep and blocking out your man. On the offensive glass, that high tempo engine also makes sound rebounding position difficult. You're hoping easy baskets make rebounding unnecessary. (Honestly, I'm shocked any time we don't get out-rebounded.)
So, that's going to be it. Every coach has an identity. I think this is Buzz. K.O.? He was all about defense and rebounding, and the offense was clunky. Deane? Maximizing talent, but failing to recruit. Crean? Control freak on the offensive end, adequate defense. Etc.
So, when A Buzz Williams team gives up a ton of threes and gets outworked on the boards, no one should p*ss and moan. It is what it is.