I was really bullish on this team, but last night was a disappointment. It was over so fast, I never really had time to be angry, we blinked and it was 24-4. My lord.
- Shots just didn't fall. I know 3/5 starters were basically voids, but I was more distressed by Crowder starting 1/9, or DJO missing open looks. And some were really good looks. Some nights this will happen, but it's usually on a road or neutral court. This shouldn't be happening on a court we play on 16-18 times a year.
- We need to get bigger. I love the scrappy, feisty guys Buzz gets, but when you're outsized at every position, it will always be a struggle. It's not even the lack of Otule or the mythical five-star big, but so many high majors seem to have multiple 6'7" to 6'9" guys. We constantly seem to have 6'5" PFs, 6'4" wings, and 6'2" SGs. Lots of tweeners. You can have a few of those guys, but not 1-5.
- We need shooting specialists. Lots of slashers and athletes, but when they drive against the zone, you need that guy on the wing who can just knock it down. How odd is it that last night I was wishing the unathletic walk-on was eligible? We create open threes, but sure seem to struggle getting them to fall.
- I feel like boxing out is the new "shoot 1000 free throws". Goulbourne killed us on the boards. I don't know why we don't seem to do it, but we looked like an outclassed mid-major.
All in all, it's one game. It won't ruin our season, but it expose a lot of problem areas that need to be fixed, not just in the coming weeks, but years.
brew I agree with you completely, but especially the issue of height. We need to have more length on the front line. To me, a 6'4" guy is not a "switchable."
Honestly I think we played better against size when we had only a 7 man rotation with no one bigger than 6'7". Most of the reason was Lazar's talent and ability to play "bigger" than his listed height. No one on this team seems to come close to replacing that (which isn't a knock on them - Lazar was really good).
Speaking of bigger brewcity, we might want to expand our recruiting to North Korea
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/29/north-korea-giant-man_n_1175175.html
I think if Otule had not got hurt it would have allowed Wilson to eventually replace Blue at small forward. A front line of Otule,Crowder and Wilson is significantly taller than a front line of Gardner, Crowder and Blue.
We're supposed to be trending upward toward our conference opener. We come out on fire in November and then regress
to what I saw last nite. The team wasn't even competitive, what gives? I thought from the early part of the year that we
ranked way to high. We are a top 30 team with big size and rebounding issues, we need to out hustle and learn how to
run some offense. Last nite was embarassing.
Quote from: TJ on December 30, 2011, 09:30:36 AM
Honestly I think we played better against size when we had only a 7 man rotation with no one bigger than 6'7". Most of the reason was Lazar's talent and ability to play "bigger" than his listed height. No one on this team seems to come close to replacing that (which isn't that a knock on them - Lazar was really good).
This is a really good point regarding Lazar. Butler also played bigger than his height last season. Many of us (myself included) were expecting Jae to step into that role this season. Unfortunately, he hasn't done that so far. Jae is a very talented player but, despite his strength, he isn't really much of a banger down low, he rarely seems to get his body into someone to box them out and his D, particularly in the post, leaves a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, Jae's an excellent player but perhaps it was unfair of us to assume he was going to fill that Zar/JB role on this year's team.
Jae isn't nearly as athletic as Zar or JFB was either. Jae cannot really attack the basket like those two could.
What happened to our scrappy all out aggressive defense last night? We didn't look quick or fast. And, our shooting was atrocious from the field and the line. Where is DJO? Vander is back to where he was last year; he can't finish a layup. Cadugan tries but is not a threat. Gardner wasn't a factor. I am shocked that we could look so bad. If ever we had a swagger, we lost it big time last night. It was a terrible, awful game from the players and the coaches. Hope we regroup for the Big East.
It was not last night that this fan found disturbing, it is the "trending" since Norfolk St./UW. (By the way, "trending" has to be one of the most butchered words in the English language the way it is used/over-used by Coach Williams.) The team, as others have mentioned, seems lost. One would sincerely hope this is the proverbial blip before the team comes together. Regardless, at this point in time, we have a coaching issue, which leads to a team issue, which leads to cold shooting and no energy problem. Sunday the turn around will begin ... right?!
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on December 30, 2011, 10:26:44 AM
Jae isn't nearly as athletic as Zar or JFB was either. Jae cannot really attack the basket like those two could.
Very true. Perhaps Jamil Wilson is a better option to be the guy who takes over that role, be it next season or even as this season progresses.
I am not really sure what our "thoughts' are on...this season or upcoming? MU is not going to get any taller this season unless Buzz has a stretching rack to replace Crean's hyperbaric chamber. With S. Taylor, Otule, Gardner, JWilson, Anderson, Juice and Durley (or some others), MU is much bigger next season than it has been in years. Saw Diamond Stone at the Dippin Dots cart last night getting some calcium so there is hope. ;)
I defend Junior on his assist game and what it means to MU's offense when it is rolling, but MU cannot have only two scorers in the game against the zone go up against teams with height--it is very apparent (and we have a lot more of these types of teams upcoming). Mayo needs to start and either Junior or Blue need to sit. If that means Blue plays PG against a zone, so be it.
For how bad everything was for Marquette, if they would've made free-throws, they would've stayed in the game.
16-30 from the free-throw line. :-[
Quote from: Dr. Blackheart on December 30, 2011, 10:40:27 AM
I am not really sure what our "thoughts' are on...this season or upcoming? MU is not going to get any taller this season unless Buzz has a stretching rack to replace Crean's hyperbaric chamber. With S. Taylor, Otule, Gardner, JWilson, Anderson, Juice and Durley (or some others), MU is much bigger next season than it has been in years. Saw Diamond Stone at the Dippin Dots cart last night getting some calcium so there is hope. ;)
I defend Junior on his assist game and what it means to MU's offense when it is rolling, but MU cannot have only two scorers in the game against the zone go up against teams with height--it is very apparent (and we have a lot more of these types of teams upcoming). Mayo needs to start and either Junior or Blue need to sit. If that means Blue plays PG against a zone, so be it.
One problem is that there are no scorers other than Mayo to bring off of the bench. The balance was better with Chris, because DG could come in for a 2-3 minute stretch, play hard, and go sit. You could get away with only starting two scorers, because you had two to bring in. Jimmy and Lazar played bigger than their heights and could beat the bigs that were guarding them off of the dribble. Jae and JWilson cannot. Junior and Blue are quick enough to beat their guys off of the dribble, but defenses are backing off of them so far that it is taking away their driving angles. JJones hasn't shot well yet. Where is the offense supposed to come from? Starting Mayo is one idea, but then what do you do for a change of pace off of the bench? Maybe start JWilson and bring DG off of the bench. Oh, and the whole bleeping team needs to take a confidence pill.
Just rewatched the first 4 minutes of the game. We didn't play badly, other than missing some open shots that we normally hit. We could easily have been up 10-6 or 12-6 at the first TV time out. Only "bad" plays were:
1) Crowder giving up a totally uncontested 3 from Golbourne
2) DJO missing a long 3 after zero offensive movement/passes...wasted posession
3) Junior leaving Tinsley open for 3 after helping on another player
4) DG offensive foul (not certain what he did)
5) DG not blocking out Ezeli and for foul #2
During this period we played pretty good defense, creating a couple of turnovers and we got multiple offensive rebounds and some really good looks at the offensive end that just didn't go down.
All in all, really not a bad first four minutes. We didn't come out "not ready" as some posters have said, unless your only definition of ready is making shots. At some point I'll probably rewatch more, but can't do it right now. Curious to see where the wheels really fell off.
Quote from: ATL MU Warrior on December 30, 2011, 11:08:34 AM
Just rewatched the first 4 minutes of the game. We didn't play badly, other than missing some open shots that we normally hit. We could easily have been up 10-6 or 12-6 at the first TV time out. Only "bad" plays were:
1) Crowder giving up a totally uncontested 3 from Golbourne
2) DJO missing a long 3 after zero offensive movement/passes...wasted posession
3) Junior leaving Tinsley open for 3 after helping on another player
4) DG offensive foul (not certain what he did)
5) DG not blocking out Ezeli and for foul #2
During this period we played pretty good defense, creating a couple of turnovers and we got multiple offensive rebounds and some really good looks at the offensive end that just didn't go down.
All in all, really not a bad first four minutes. We didn't come out "not ready" as some posters have said, unless your only definition of ready is making shots. At some point I'll probably rewatch more, but can't do it right now. Curious to see where the wheels really fell off.
It's amazing how bad a team looks when their shots aren't falling (or how good they look when they are falling). The problem is when shots aren't falling, players often start pressing and "aiming" shots which just makes things worse - similar to a pitcher struggling with control. If MU hits a couple shots early, it could have been an entirely different ballgame.
5 bad plays in 4 minutes is pretty bad actually.....and it got worse from there......
Quote from: ATL MU Warrior on December 30, 2011, 11:08:34 AMJust rewatched the first 4 minutes of the game. We didn't play badly, other than missing some open shots that we normally hit. We could easily have been up 10-6 or 12-6 at the first TV time out.
During this period we played pretty good defense, creating a couple of turnovers and we got multiple offensive rebounds and some really good looks at the offensive end that just didn't go down.
All in all, really not a bad first four minutes.
Just quoted a few key points, but I agree. Our shots didn't fall early, but we were getting some decent looks and I thought looked really strong early on the glass, especially on the offensive end. I said to my buddy "they don't look bad, they just need shots to start falling." Sadly, by the time they did, it was 35-8.
Quote from: MuMark on December 30, 2011, 11:31:37 AM
5 bad plays in 4 minutes is pretty bad actually.....and it got worse from there......
Yeah, I guess it must have.
Five "bad" plays in such a short span does sound like a lot but I would argue that we had more good/positive plays (forced TOs, O rebounds, good passes leading to good looks, etc.) than negative over that same period. Couldn't buy a bucket, though, and obviously that led to the outcome.
I wonder what all the NBA scouts had to say about last nites game? All the future pros on Vandys team. It reminded me how we lost our composure in the tourny last year. When our shots didn't fall, we should have tried to play lock down D, but we looked really slow and unfocused!
Just a thought, I think you could make the argument that MU is actually a bad defensive team. In the first few games against weaker teams they made up for a lack of good fundamental defense with athleticism, against teams that are good MU is exposed. No boxing out, not getting back? These issues could kill MU going forward. Get a body on somebody, certain people(Goulbourne and UWM's Allen) those guys killed MU on the boards. Watch MU when they put up a shot they just watch what happens. When a shot goes up you do one of two things you crash the boards or you sprint back on defense this is not happening.
With the bench we have and the lack of height why do we not just play the 40 Minutes of Hell style of basketball that Nolan Richardson made famous at Arkansas? As has been said, no one on MU is gonna get taller this year. Instead of lamenting our lack of height and shooting and loss of Otule, let's go to the one strength we have: depth and bodies and conditioning. Full court press every single possession. As soon as Vandy got a 10 point lead, Buzz should have gone to that. Full court presses lead to turnovers which lead to run-outs and lay ups. Full court hell leads to disruptions of the opposing team's momentum and rhythm.
Why have "switchables" (starting to hate that word as it is sounding more and more like an excuse) if you aren't gonna use them until the game is effectively over?
When MJ was not hitting his shots, he always played harder on defense and rebounding. Hmmmmm...if EVERYONE did that, Marquette would run anyone out of the gym. At the very least, they would not get blown out and the game would be at least exciting to watch.
Quote from: Warriors 79 on December 30, 2011, 04:49:36 PM
With the bench we have and the lack of height why do we not just play the 40 Minutes of Hell style of basketball that Nolan Richardson made famous at Arkansas?
Because we are already a sub-par defensive team that has trouble with keeping people in front of them and is having difficulty with rotations. These problems would only be enhanced with a full court press.
If anything, they need to hide subpar defenders in a zone. DJO and Junior are very poor. Jae isn't great when his guy strays from the hoop.
In addition, I'm not sure 10 guys is enough for a full 40 minutes of pressing. An extra 2-3 bodies adding a combined 10-15 minutes can make a world of difference, and that's a luxury we don't have.
Quote from: Dr. Blackheart on December 30, 2011, 10:40:27 AM
I am not really sure what our "thoughts' are on...this season or upcoming? MU is not going to get any taller this season unless Buzz has a stretching rack to replace Crean's hyperbaric chamber. With S. Taylor, Otule, Gardner, JWilson, Anderson, Juice and Durley (or some others), MU is much bigger next season than it has been in years. Saw Diamond Stone at the Dippin Dots cart last night getting some calcium so there is hope. ;)
I defend Junior on his assist game and what it means to MU's offense when it is rolling, but MU cannot have only two scorers in the game against the zone go up against teams with height--it is very apparent (and we have a lot more of these types of teams upcoming). Mayo needs to start and either Junior or Blue need to sit. If that means Blue plays PG against a zone, so be it.
+1
Quote from: MerrittsMustache on December 30, 2011, 11:27:04 AM
It's amazing how bad a team looks when their shots aren't falling (or how good they look when they are falling). The problem is when shots aren't falling, players often start pressing and "aiming" shots which just makes things worse - similar to a pitcher struggling with control. If MU hits a couple shots early, it could have been an entirely different ballgame.
That is so true. It is true the other way to. Just look at how we got a 13-0 lead on LSU. We looked like the best team in the land. Buzz is right, this team needs to play hard every possession. It needs to continue to play hard, if shots are falling or the game turn around. It needs to continue to play hard if shots are not falling, because the game could turn around.