Some random observations on Notre Dame game

[connie]

And who called those stupid fouls?

You could see DG's second foul coming from the other end of the court.  Stupid, stupid foul that should have been called.  It did change up the game, but you cannot overlook the number of turnovers and failed 3 point defense.  This was a clear demonstration of how we loose.  Poor ball control, sloppy defense.

[g0lden3agle]

"Equal crappy calls on both teams" should not be the barometer for a evenly/well called game. 

I thought the ratio of (over-the-back/reach in calls)/(turnovers while trying to get a paint touch) was somewhere close to 0 in the first half.  If that number is just a little higher we do a better job preventing them from getting back into that game.

[MUMonster03]

Agree on all but one point.  I thought Lockett played decently.  He was all over the offensive glass at least.

Except for his team high 5 TO's. He played like crap.

[nyg]

Except for his team high 5 TO's. He played like crap.

Played 22 minutes.  Had 2 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers.  Ugh

[NYWarrior]

We thought it would come down to ORB's and turnovers, & it did.  Tied at 50 with 7 minutes to play...in the next 3.5 mins ND secures 4 ORBs while MU turns it over 2x. 

59-52, game effectively over.

A -7 turnover margin against a team that forces among the least (the least?) in the Big East. 5 for Lockett. Even up 17-4 MU had 5 turnovers to that point ... protect the ball & MU runs away with a W last night.

Add in that Buzz never adjusted to Pat C.  Rough night for the coach too.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Why Juan kept going under the screens sent for Connaughton I have no idea. Just terrible. Stick Steve in there to get his long arms in his grill. The constant shuffling of Mayo/D.Wilson/Lockett/Anderson was awful last night.

D.Wilson may play good D, but he kills our offensive flow. Just kills it. Now, in fairness, it didn't help (anyone) in the first half that you had Otule and Ox out for the last 10 minutes. But when he's out there, MU is playing 4 on 5, because unless there's a second or two left on the shot clock, D.Wilson ain't shooting it. MU plays 4 on 5. I can understand him in there on occasion, but when our bigs are out and we need guys that can penetrate and score, he shouldn't be in there.

[GGGG]

Why Juan kept going under the screens sent for Connaughton I have no idea. Just terrible.

I don't have a problem with Juan starting both halves.  He has energy and does some good things out there.  But he absolutely should not be in there guarding Connaughton at that point in the game.

[Aughnanure]

You could see DG's second foul coming from the other end of the court.  Stupid, stupid foul that should have been called.  It did change up the game, but you cannot overlook the number of turnovers and failed 3 point defense.  This was a clear demonstration of how we loose.  Poor ball control, sloppy defense.

Is that at all what I said? Did I excuse the terrible turnovers? No. I am simply sick of the officiating always being automatically removed from every analysis of a game.  Officiating in college basketball has become a joke and we pretend like it doesn't impact a game's momentum, strategy, etc at all.

[GGGG]

Is that at all what I said? Did I excuse the terrible turnovers? No. I am simply sick of the officiating always being automatically removed from every analysis of a game.  Officiating in college basketball has become a joke and we pretend like it doesn't impact a game's momentum, strategy, etc at all.

I will agree with you that college basketball officiating needs an overhaul.

[79Warrior]

Played 22 minutes.  Had 2 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers.  Ugh

I like what Lockett brings, but last night was just brutal. Unforced turnovers are killers. It's like he starts going then changes his mind and it results in a travel. We had a chance to open up the game big time in first half and we kept giving the ball back to ND. Tough to watch.

[connie]

Is that at all what I said? Did I excuse the terrible turnovers? No. I am simply sick of the officiating always being automatically removed from every analysis of a game.  Officiating in college basketball has become a joke and we pretend like it doesn't impact a game's momentum, strategy, etc at all.

My point was that the DG was stupid in picking up his second foul.  He got into it with Cooley on the defensive boards and then gave attitude to the refs.  Ran down the court to meet Cooley in the lane, and then throws his sizeable rear into Cooley, knocking him back about four feet, right in front of the official under the basket.  That type of foul is stupid--on DG.  It is always going to be called, particularly given the complaining DG just did on the other end.  Blaming this foul on the officials, and the resulting impact on the game, doesn't help your point.

[Sunbelt15]

All our mishaps are caused by the MU crowd. For this team, "There's no place like home!".  Our team is so co-dependent on home court, they play like a lost D2 team on the road. I would bet if we played the best team in college basketball 3 times at the Al, we would best them 2 out of 3. Our boys need to grow up, block out the crowd, and play ball. I know, easier said than done. But it can be done.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

If it's worth anything, at least Junior played a pretty solid game.

For me it was pretty much the terrible rebounding the last 7 minutes of the game that did us in. That Cooley board and kick to Con-man Connaughton at the 3:30 mark was probably the play of the game for them in my eyes. Darn that man!!!

[Groin_pull]

The more Steve Taylor plays, the happier I am.

[MUChicagofan]

D. Wilson, to me, is the equivalent of a quarterback who comes in and does nothing but hand the ball off.  Just because he doesn't fumble the snap, should we praise him for not having turnovers?  I'll say this about him, though:  He's usually good for a steal or two a game.  Plays good defense.  It's just a shame that he has no offensive skills.

To say something positive, I think Jamil is going to be an absolute stud next year.  You can tell he's getting his confidence (though that "kiss" after the 3-pointer would've been sweeter if they'd actually been winning.)  Raftery and Bilas wouldn't stop saying how he's the most talented player Marquette has.  Next year, I think we'll truly see that.

[real chili 83]

We lost because we didn't make enough baskets.

I know basketball better than you.

And I am better looking too.




ND sucks.

[tower912]

Lockett and Mayo were just plain bad.   I wanted more STjr and less Juan, but I wonder if Buzz's reasoning was that STjr doesn't guard the perimeter as well as Juan/Lockett/Mayo (the 3 guys who got torched).   Blue, Jamil, Junior, DG all had their moments, but when the two bigs sat in the first half, the momentum was sacrificed and never recovered.   I understand Buzz protecting his players.   But putting STjr on the low block a la CO or DG was an option that simply wasn't tried and should have been.    Also, there have been criticisms of Buzz' substitutions on Thursday.   He sat Lockett and Mayo more than he has all year and played Juan next to Jamil more than ever simply because Mayo and Lockett were so bad.   He essentially played 6 players the last 10 minutes.