#1 three point shooter in the country.
#1 three point shooting team in the country.
Folks, our guys have a great opportunity to make some noise in this Tourney. A great shooting Warrior squad like this doesn't come around all that often. Let's light up that scoreboard. Go Warriors!!!
That's got to be a scary thought in the back of Frank Martin's mind. "What if these mofos hit 15+ three balls on us?"
All comes down to hitting those three balls. If they do, they can make some noise this weekend. Obviously hitting shots comes in bunches and fingers crossed they hit 'em early in the tilt.
This might sound like a joke because it doesn't work with our team but lets try and play some tough defense and get in the other players head
Our defense and for that matter our whole approach to the game tends to feed off our shots falling. That leaves us vulnerable to a downward spiral if we don't start off hitting shots. I attribute that to a lack of maturity and leadership but whatever the reason it will be very important to play through that against SC. They are going to cause us to force some shots and block so of ours. We've got to apply max effort on defense and rebounding regardless of how things are going on the offensive end. The advantage for us is that, provided we don't give up live ball turn overs, SC is not going to run away from us. If we start off hot, great pour it on. But if we start off cold stay with the ball movement and the open man taking the 3 AND make them play against a reasonable tough half court defense. No hero ball. We will get hot eventually.
Quote from: Goose on March 15, 2017, 07:12:44 AM
All comes down to hitting those three balls. If they do, they can make some noise this weekend. Obviously hitting shots comes in bunches and fingers crossed they hit 'em early in the tilt.
Absolutely. It's the dancing on the edge of a sword feeling that comes with rooting for a team like this. On any given night we can hang in there with any team because we have that shooting ability, and on any other night we can lose when they don't fall. Not the best recipe for a long, single elimination tournament, but I'm proud of this team and can't wait for Friday!
It's overused, but true: Live by the three, die by the three.
If we hit at our usual clip, we play another game, maybe more.
Quote from: SoCalEagle on March 15, 2017, 01:23:37 AM
#1 three point shooter in the country.
#1 three point shooting team in the country.
Folks, our guys have a great opportunity to make some noise in this Tourney. A great shooting Warrior squad like this doesn't come around all that often. Let's light up that scoreboard. Go Warriors!!!
I hope that is how you voted in the poll.
Biggest problem with the live/die by three ball is that we do not have a lock down D to fall back on. I am all for shooting a ton of 3's and hope future teams bring some D along with the shooting.
Lets make a run !!
Quote from: Goose on March 15, 2017, 09:05:38 AM
Biggest problem with the live/die by three ball is that we do not have a lock down D to fall back on. I am all for shooting a ton of 3's and hope future teams bring some D along with the shooting.
We don't have any balance this year, but I think there is a certain level of balance that we will reach. Most great three point shooters are not the most athletic players, and maybe that is why they become great shooters and as a general rule not great defenders. Or, in our case, they are undersized. Generally not going to be great defenders.
But, we don't have to be a lockdown defensive team in the future. Just better than we are... I suspect we will start to see that balance more next year. Throw in one good wing defender with some height who can guard the best non-big on the other team, and all of a sudden the balance tips (Cain?). Give Howard a year to get stronger and maybe he improves marginally. Get an interior player who can block or alter a few shots and it helps... I think the balance will be here in two years.
For this year, I just enjoy it for what it is... and hope we hit the 3's tomorrow! I've enjoyed watching this team shoot and score. Absolutely a blast. I have not enjoyed the defensive short comings and lapses.... but I'll take this team over Buzz's last two and Wojo's first two.
I don't buy into the argument that Wojo can't teach defense or that the entire staff can't teach it. I'll give it two years to make any type of judgment like that.
Great point, Goo. It isn't like this team can change it's identity in the next 59 hours. Maybe in the future. Make it rain, boys.
Tower
I agree, hence my saying future teams having more balance.
Quote from: GOO on March 15, 2017, 09:45:58 AM
We don't have any balance this year, but I think there is a certain level of balance that we will reach. Most great three point shooters are not the most athletic players, and maybe that is why they become great shooters and as a general rule not great defenders. Or, in our case, they are undersized. Generally not going to be great defenders.
But, we don't have to be a lockdown defensive team in the future. Just better than we are... I suspect we will start to see that balance more next year. Throw in one good wing defender with some height who can guard the best non-big on the other team, and all of a sudden the balance tips (Cain?). Give Howard a year to get stronger and maybe he improves marginally. Get an interior player who can block or alter a few shots and it helps... I think the balance will be here in two years.
For this year, I just enjoy it for what it is... and hope we hit the 3's tomorrow! I've enjoyed watching this team shoot and score. Absolutely a blast. I have not enjoyed the defensive short comings and lapses.... but I'll take this team over Buzz's last two and Wojo's first two.
I don't buy into the argument that Wojo can't teach defense or that the entire staff can't teach it. I'll give it two years to make any type of judgment like that.
This is a very well done, reasonable assessment, GOO.
This team is fairly similar to the 2009-10 team - except that one was even smaller. That one shot .413 from 3-point range, which was 4th in the nation. That one also had Butler, a superior defender, as well as other capable defenders in Lazar and DJO, and a generally scrappy defensive attitude. One of the great ironies is that the team lost its first-round NCAA game when Butler was badly beaten on defense (by Washington's Quincy Pondexter). Also in that game, we didn't score a basket in the last 4 1/2 minutes.
I'm not sure if the 2010 NCAA game serves as a "cautionary tale" - even a great-shooting team that plays general well can lose - or if it's totally meaningless in context of this one. Probably the latter.
One thing for sure ... these Warriors don't have a Jimmy or Lazar. Then again, this South Carolina team doesn't have an Isaiah Thomas!
JUST WIN, BABY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAlrzcdfRY
Quote from: Goose on March 15, 2017, 10:04:24 AM
Tower
I agree, hence my saying future teams having more balance.
I would guess that it Wojo's vision. Elite 3 point shooting combined with good defense. Now, we probably won't be the #1 three point shooting team in the country in future years. But we do have athletes coming in. In future years, if we can combine good to great 3 point shooting (thinking in the 10-15 range) and improve to a top 50ish defensive team, that's a good formula for success.
Quote from: MUeagle1090 on March 15, 2017, 10:21:20 AM
I would guess that it Wojo's vision. Elite 3 point shooting combined with good defense. Now, we probably won't be the #1 three point shooting team in the country in future years. But we do have athletes coming in. In future years, if we can combine good to great 3 point shooting (thinking in the 10-15 range) and improve to a top 50ish defensive team, that's a good formula for success.
The thing that is scary is I don't really see our 3 PT shooting cooling off much next year. Maybe not #1 in the nation good, but probably top 10. I could see Rowsey shooting over 50% next year.
Regarding defense. Right now Markus' isn't a great defender, but I am confident that he wants to be. He is also just 18 years old and may grow a couple more inches. Hopefully by next year he is an average defender. I think he can do that for sure.
Quote from: Goose on March 15, 2017, 09:05:38 AM
Biggest problem with the live/die by three ball is that we do not have a lock down D to fall back on. I am all for shooting a ton of 3's and hope future teams bring some D along with the shooting.
Baby steps
Quote from: LloydsLegs on March 15, 2017, 09:02:28 AM
I hope that is how you voted in the poll.
I think I voted for "we will be a tough out." I look at it this way, even if we get down by 10, we're just a few shots away from being right back in the game. You couldn't say that about past MU squads. This team can hit several threes in a row, or go 4 for six in a 5 minute span. That's something we haven't had before, and may not have again any time soon. We have to exploit it. Go Warriors!!!
Just don't go away from the bombs in the second half. Stay away from the 1 v. 3 drives
Given SC's offensive troubles..one good run by MU(with a lead) at any point in the game SHOULD be enough. Like 14-4, 12-2 etc. I'm sure MU will come out jittery..but the good thing is, even if they do..SC doesn't have the firepower to bury MU early.