Defense

[15 to 24]

Many of you have fallen into the Crean and Willams lament after each loss that it is the defense that lost the game. The defense might have been bad last night, but the offense was far beyond that. When you start out 2 for 20 and your two best players are 3 for 19 at halftime, do you think you are going to be in the game? How was our offense and percentages against LSU?  Then there are many people talking about stagnant offense. Crowder missed how many bunnies starting off the game and DJO had wide open looks and could not convert. Travis Diener and Steve Novak were 80% and 90% free throw shooters for their careers and it carried over to their shooting from the field. We have no one I would want on the free throw line at the end of a tight game, Crowder and DJO included. A lot is based on these kids growing up loving the dunk and the three and not working on the other parts of their offensive game. We have and have had many unbelievable athletes with strength, quickness, and outstanding jumping ability. But like Vander and Dominic James before him, they can't shoot a lick. DJO is very gifted athletically, but has no feel for the game. Diener and Novak had off nights, but the majority of the time they were on. Crowder and Johnson-Odom are so streaky, especially Johnson-Odom. With the wonderful facilities they have at MU, what video are some of the players watching? For two years Vander has looked like a grade school kid playing against someone older and he drives to the hoop and just throws the ball up because they are too tall. Take the ball to the hoop with authority! These problems are just not at MU either. Look at local high school scores. The 37 to 32 games. The 16 for 42 free throw shooting. It is more fun to practice threes, and it shows. You can run all the offenses you want, but sometimes you just have to make some shots. Against the really good teams you can't force them into lots of turnovers and go for layups.

[Canadian Dimes]

yes we missed shots last night i will concur.

However, or defense was every bit as bad or worse than our offense.  How many dunks did thay have?  Either wide open dunks or threes all night.  Even if we shoot well we probably lose.

[UticaBusBarn]

Something is wrong with the team. This hard-core Warrior fan has no idea what it might be, but last night, compared to the first post Christmas game in the last four years under Coach Williams was so bad as to leave one without words. The Villanova game is BE showtime. It is certainly hoped that Coach Williams can right the ship; otherwise, we all face a gut wrenching season.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Has J. Jones ever seen a pick and roll.

[brewcity77]

yes we missed shots last night i will concur.

However, or defense was every bit as bad or worse than our offense.  How many dunks did thay have?  Either wide open dunks or threes all night.  Even if we shoot well we probably lose.

Our defense wasn't great, but I'd love to see the ppp stats. I have a feeling that if we had had an average offensive night last night, we'd have won the game.

[15 to 24]

I agree with brewcity 77 wholeheartedly, while disagreeing with Canadian Dimes. When you get behind like we did so big so early, you have to take chances on D which leads to dunks and open shots. Look at the shooting percentages and turnovers, especially early last night. That gives you no chance. A lot of our problems going back to Crean is that there are times we just can not score. Go back several years and look at our losses, even our ugly wins, and check the field goal and free throw percentages. They are always terrible in those games. The times we go several minutes without a field goal. You can not consistently just waste free throws like we do, that is the same as turnovers.   Buzz and many coaches immediately sit players out after defensive mistakes. How about after they miss 2 free throws in a row, miss 3 bunnies in a row, have unforced turnovers, or ala Vander Blue, consistently drive to the lane and just throw up some junk?

[lurch91]

Has J. Jones ever seen a pick and roll.

I think last night is why we haven't seen more of Jamail yet.  At times I'm not sure he knew who his defensive assignment was.