No Confidence Game

[Scoop Snoop]

Shooter

I fell asleep for several minutes late in the first half and turned it off with 2 to go. Was not jacked going into the game because figured it would be 10+ point win and turned it off because no interest in getting more frustrated than I already was. Was the first game this season, or last two plus, that I was not jacked prior to the game and did not get very into the game.

I'm jealous. I wish I had fallen asleep and missed the second half.

I agree with the several scoopers who have commented that "something" is going on inside the team. The collapse has been so spectacular that conventional explanations are not, in my opinion, adequate in rationalizing it. Kolek is the most likely center of the "something". By nature, comments like mine and similar ones by others here are speculative. Having said that, I would like to hear other opinions regarding the "something is going on inside the team" theory.

[mug644]

I'd hate to be a UCLA fan (and one of my brothers is one), who lost by 46 points to Utah, for its 8th loss in the past 9 games. While maybe the pre-season expectations for them were not as high as for MU, and the fact that they are making our victory over them seem pedestrian, that fan base must be totally freaking out.

[Jay Bee]

I'd hate to be a UCLA fan (and one of my brothers is one), who lost by 46 points to Utah, for its 8th loss in the past 9 games. While maybe the pre-season expectations for them were not as high as for MU, and the fact that they are making our victory over them seem pedestrian, that fan base must be totally freaking out.

MU Scoop motto... "at least we're not as bad as THAT team!"

[Scoop Snoop]

MU Scoop motto... "at least we're not as bad as THAT team!"

Bingo! That's why we should be happy that DePaul is in the BE.

[brewcity77]

Been thinking a lot about Butler and the past few games, as well as going forward:

• Tyler and Kam were a combined 1/9 on unguarded threes. As a team, we were 3/18 on such shots, a paltry 0.5 ppp. I think the problem is the right people were taking those shots. TKO, Kam, and Jop accounted for 13/18 unguarded threes and I don't want guys to not shoot when they have those looks. We don't need to be elite from 3 to win, but we need to be decent. The unfortunate answer is we either need better shooters or those guys to shoot their way out of it. We can't fix the former right now, so it has to be the latter.
  
• This is a terrible time to get in a funk. We open Big East play with 4/6 at home and only played 1 game in the 14-day stretch from Dec 23-Jan 5. If we needed to refocus a shot or have some work with the sports psychologist, that was the perfect time. After Villanova, we play 6/8 on the road in a 29-day stretch. If they're going to get better, they have to do it during the toughest grind on the schedule.
  
• With O-Max gone and Chase and Sean both out for extended periods, we are not as fast and athletic as we were a year ago. With that in mind, it might be time to consider slowing the pace. If we get transition opportunities, take them, but our biggest strengths are protecting the ball, generating possessions through turnovers, passing, and converting inside. Keep working the pass to get not just good looks, but perfect ones. Continue the pressure defense and hope that a lower number of possessions will benefit the team that can win back more possessions in the turnover game. This seems to fly in the face of Nevada's plans, so maybe it won't be on the table, but other than "just make open shots" this seems like a viable change they can make.
  
• If we play that Butler game 100 times and get those same looks, we win 99 of them. If we make our averages based on the looks we got, we would've scored 100 points. No, that's not hyperbole, that's the Shot Quality number, which shows how abysmal that performance was. This was not a case of Butler making our life difficult. It was a case of us creating excellent looks all night long and just completely sh*tting the bed. The good news, we were still doing what we needed to do. The bad news, we didn't do what we needed to do. And yes, Tyler looked defeated the last 5-10 minutes and I don't know the answer for that.
  
• I agree with Goose that the ability is still within this team to do great things. What we saw in November and December was legit. But what they are now isn't that and isn't close to what I expected this team to be. In the words of Gary Parish, "I was wrong."

[Newsdreams]

I think the fix is that practice should only consist of 3 pt shooting, dunks & FTs

[Jay Bee]

I think the fix is that practice should only consist of 3 pt shooting, dunks & FTs

In most of our many losses this year, we've had a higher FT% than our opponent. Yaaay. #FTsNoMatta

[oilcan]

I know, and I surely hope, that someone around here has figured out what needs to be done. What's obvious is that the team is not shooting well. Shooting is all about confidence. It's been talked about by coaches in gymnasiums for decades. All these guys can shoot and were the best players on their high school teams. I read that here recently.

The rotation has been reduced significantly with the loss of Chase Ross and Sean Jones. It means longer minutes for the starters and more minutes for the subs. It's time to tighten up the chin straps, as my old football coach would say.

Be more determined and play harder. Be more aggressive. Aggressiveness is what elevates a good team into a great team.  Show us some fight. Push and shove for rebounds. I don't care if you foul. I don't care about getting in foul trouble. No one ever fouls out. Send some of these 30% free throw shooters to the line. Send them into the bonus because I'd rather see someone foul than see someone play soft. Enough matador defense. Play hard nosed basketball or go back to the locker room and knit some sweaters. Knock somebody down. Knock somebody out. Go watch some Mike Tyson tapes. Watch "Patton" or "Hoosiers". I'm watching it right now. It's getting me worked up.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I think the fix is that practice should only consist of 3 pt shooting, dunks & FTs

Push-ups for every miss!

[mileskishnish72]

I think the fix is that practice should only consist of 3 pt shooting, dunks & FTs

And perhaps some work on defense.

[Newsdreams]

In most of our many losses this year, we've had a higher FT% than our opponent. Yaaay. #FTsNoMatta

Truly JB Truly, you should know me after all this years.