Damn....what a gag job....totally unfortunate

[ChicosBailBonds]

Too bad, another game MU should have won.  Brutal turnovers down the stretch, two misses on the front end of a 1 and 1 with under a minute to play.  Another missed free throw when shooting two, and ole defense down the stretch.

Shame, this would have been a huge win.  Buzz had the guys playing great for 38 minutes.  The last two minutes were forgettable.

The team just can't seem to close games out.   That was a gag job, no other way to explain it.  You can't be up, with the ball, at the line multiple times like that and lose the game.

[4everwarriors]

DJO and Butler had "deer in the headlights" syndrome at the free throw line.

[ChicosBailBonds]

DJO and Butler had "deer in the headlights" syndrome at the free throw line.

Yup

[Jam Chowder]

I give Buzz all the credit in the world. What a great effort against a bigger, better team.

That being said, #@$%^*!!!!!!!!!!! Make a @(*$&#& free throw! How frustrating! Another game choked away!

[NotAnAlum]

Got to feel sorry for Buzz.  He takes in an undermaned team, puts in a great game plan to slow it down and look to hit threes.  Then these guys can't finish.  Maybe if Buzz could shoot the free throws for them.

[marquette09]

anyone else have the feeling with 2 min left that MU was going to lose.  Its too bad but it seems like we have found a way to lose every close game the last two years.  Frustrating.....

[gumbyandpokey]

Well, Butler seems to have proven he can't handle a pressure FT, so he shouldn't be touching the ball at the end of a close game where MU is ahead by a point or two.

[21Jumpstreet]

Get Lazar the ball and make them foul.  It ain't rocket science.

[chapman]

There should be no more calling this bunch "tough" until they learn to win games instead of choking.  It's pretty bad when you can be almost certain that they will blow a 5 point lead with a minute left.  Unfortunate that Lazar is too much of a team player to not keep the ball for himself and try something foolish when he was in trouble on the last possession.

DJO and Butler had "deer in the headlights" syndrome at the free throw line.

Butler has either choked and/or didn't show up in three of our four losses.  This is where Buzz is right-he's not yet a great player.  He can score 20+ against cupcakes, but it's going to be a long season if he doesn't step up in big games like a good player needs to do.

[muhoops1]

anyone else have the feeling with 2 min left that MU was going to lose.  Its too bad but it seems like we have found a way to lose every close game the last two years.  Frustrating.....

Yes and that is why I don't feel sorry for Buzz.  If you take an undermanned team that far HE has to be the difference maker.  Get the ball in the hands of your best player...Lazar.  Why didn't Butler pass the ball off to Acker on the way up the floor?  Why is Cubillan taking the ball out of bounds at the other end of the floor as he is being guarded by a guy 1' taller?  Why don't they practice FT's?  Why didn't DJO pull the ball out after rebounding his own miss with 1 minute to play and a fresh 35?  Questions abound and they all should be directed at The Buzz.

[4everwarriors]

This is where the loss of Junior really hurts this team. As strange as it may sound, I prefer Acker handling the ball in these situations. With the exception of DJ, point guards should be most accustomed to making free throws at crunch time.

[MUfan12]

This is where the loss of Junior really hurts this time. As strange as it may sound, I prefer Acker handling the ball in these situations. With the exception of DJ, point guards should be most accustomed to making free throws at crunch time.

Agreed.

And to the post ripping Buzz for not getting Zar the ball- Lazar becomes a bull in a china shop when he dribbles in traffic. There's no way he should get the ball in the backcourt, almost begging for a charge or a turnover.

In the frontcourt, absolutely.

[GGGG]

Yes and that is why I don't feel sorry for Buzz.  If you take an undermanned team that far HE has to be the difference maker.  Get the ball in the hands of your best player...Lazar.  Why didn't Butler pass the ball off to Acker on the way up the floor?  Why is Cubillan taking the ball out of bounds at the other end of the floor as he is being guarded by a guy 1' taller?  Why don't they practice FT's?  Why didn't DJO pull the ball out after rebounding his own miss with 1 minute to play and a fresh 35?  Questions abound and they all should be directed at The Buzz.

Buzz's game plan is the only reason they are in the game to begin with.  I am perfectly comfortable with DJO on the line.  Butler?  Well, likely not, but he was the third option on the inbounds play.

[21Jumpstreet]

He's the leader, he needs to figure it out.  If not have him take it out of bounds where he can make a good decision (last year not withstanding).  Until the other guys can prove they have the nerve at the end of a big game, Lazar needs to get the ball.  For now it gives us a better chance.  He played great, ride it.

[Rockmic87]

Besides Lazar, Im not confident nor do I think anyone wants the ball in there hand with 2 minutes left to play. I predicted WVU making a comeback early in the second half. With the game on the line, someone has got to take initiative.

[MR.HAYWARD]

agreed that the poster that says the ball should have gone to lazar is an moron.  We played that one right...we did get it in to Lazar but when he realized they were not going to foul we still needed to get the ball past the 10 second line and lazar trying to beat pressure was going to be a trainwreck.  he passed butler got fouled.   his Ft rattled out.

[MR.HAYWARD]

He's the leader, he needs to figure it out.  If not have him take it out of bounds where he can make a good decision (last year not withstanding).  Until the other guys can prove they have the nerve at the end of a big game, Lazar needs to get the ball.  For now it gives us a better chance.  He played great, ride it.
[/quote

he did get the f&*^ing ball!

[ChicosBailBonds]

agreed that the poster that says the ball should have gone to lazar is an moron.  We played that one right...we did get it in to Lazar but when he realized they were not going to foul we still needed to get the ball past the 10 second line and lazar trying to beat pressure was going to be a trainwreck.  he passed butler got fouled.   his Ft rattled out.

Or he could have called a time out, I believe.  I don't think we were out of free throws but if I am wrong, please correct me.

[21Jumpstreet]

He got it and stood there.  Either make a move or call a timeout.  I appreciate your opinions Hayward, but you are just an unkind person who makes unnecessary cuts on people.  We clearly did not play it right, we lost.  Good game, tough ending.  Lazar should have made something happen.

[bma725]

Yes and that is why I don't feel sorry for Buzz.  If you take an undermanned team that far HE has to be the difference maker.  Get the ball in the hands of your best player...Lazar. 

He did get the ball to Lazar.  Lazar passed the ball to Butler.  That's on Zar, not Buzz.

Why didn't Butler pass the ball off to Acker on the way up the floor? 

Terrible idea in that situation.  You don't make the pass and risk the steal by WVU, you have to advance down the court and force them to foul you.  If you pass they have a chance for a turnover.  Can't let that happen.

Why is Cubillan taking the ball out of bounds at the other end of the floor as he is being guarded by a guy 1' taller?

Anyone MU puts out there is going to have the height disadvantage.  Cubillan takes the ball out because he's the one with the best arm for the long pass should someone be able to break free long, and he's the one that makes the best decisions on who gets the ball in those situations. 

Why don't they practice FT's?

They do practice free throws.  All the time...every day in fact.  They just don't devote NCAA allotted practice time to it.  Either way, you can't practice an end of game free throw situation, because there's no way to duplicate that kind of pressure.

Questions abound and they all should be directed at The Buzz.

No, they shouldn't.  Games like this come down to who executes the best under pressure, not coaching.  Their players executed, ours didn't.  It's really that simple.  Short of shooting the ball for them, or instructing them to foul WVU before they got a shot off, Buzz couldn't change that.

[MarquetteDano]

And to the post ripping Buzz for not getting Zar the ball- Lazar becomes a bull in a china shop when he dribbles in traffic. There's no way he should get the ball in the backcourt, almost begging for a charge or a turnover.

Didn't you see the Mythbusters episode?  They literally had a bull surounded by china and he did not over a single piece!  They are quite nimble.  I would say a elephant in the china shop describing Lazar.

[MUfan12]

He got it and stood there.  Either make a move or call a timeout.  I appreciate your opinions Hayward, but you are just an unkind person who makes unnecessary cuts on people.  We clearly did not play it right, we lost.  Good game, tough ending.  Lazar should have made something happen.

Mr. Hayward had it exactly right. Lazar, for all his strengths, cannot dribble out of a fullcourt press. It's just not his game. Ideally, they get the ball in the frontcourt and then find him. Novak was the same way, he either got fouled after a rebound or in the frontcourt.

And calling a timeout there puts you in an even worse spot. Lets them setup the press while the inbound passer is frozen in the corner. Jimmy just has to hit the FTs.

[21Jumpstreet]

You're absolutely right about Jimmy.  In the position that he was in, he has to make the free throws.

[MR.HAYWARD]

Mr. Hayward had it exactly right. Lazar, for all his strengths, cannot dribble out of a fullcourt press. It's just not his game. Ideally, they get the ball in the frontcourt and then find him. Novak was the same way, he either got fouled after a rebound or in the frontcourt.

And calling a timeout there puts you in an even worse spot. Lets them setup the press while the inbound passer is frozen in the corner. Jimmy just has to hit the FTs.

exactly the only thing worse than hayward trying to dribble would have been a timeout.  Mu played it exactly right you just have to make your ft's. not a whole lot of startegy that can over come missing your free throws and them hitting every shot. 

Mu played it right in bound it to Haywrd hoping they decided to foul right away.  when they did not you beat the press via the pass.  we did that they fouled we missed.  Mu did eveything text book they just missed the ft's

[ChicosBailBonds]

Mr. Hayward had it exactly right. Lazar, for all his strengths, cannot dribble out of a fullcourt press. It's just not his game. Ideally, they get the ball in the frontcourt and then find him. Novak was the same way, he either got fouled after a rebound or in the frontcourt.

And calling a timeout there puts you in an even worse spot. Lets them setup the press while the inbound passer is frozen in the corner. Jimmy just has to hit the FTs.

Not sure I agree on the Timeout situation.  It allows you to again setup who you want to inbound the ball.  Plus, in college, the 10 second rule resets allowing you another 10 seconds to get the ball across the line (at least I believe this is the case). 

Poor free throw shooting (I don't blame Buzz for this...we have a good free throw shooting team), poor defense, etc down the stretch were the killer.