MU LOSES.

[SoCalwarrior]

76-58

Getting points in the paint was not the problem, but rather horrible shooting from outside.  When we lose, that's how it's done.  Just one of the games.

Yes, James really struggled.  Just think about it before you bash the kid.

[ozmetal71]

There's not much to think about.  He shot 2-17 today and took idiotic shots all day long.

His past three games are one of the worst stretches I've seen from a "star" player.

I'd take Diener over him in a heartbeat.  Henry at this point would be better than James.

[zener_diode]

With Diener replacing James, this team is final four caliber.

[SoCalwarrior]

Yep, and replace Fitz with Novak and we win it all.  What's your point?

[ozmetal71]

The point is that James was wayyyyyy overrated and has played like garbage most of the year.  Diener never received the NBA attention and was a consistent player and leader.

[ONeills Barstool]

His past three games are one of the worst stretches I've seen from a "star" player.

And during that stretch MU is 2-1. James is streaky -we've all seen that - better he has the bad streak now than later.

[maxpower773]

You say he's way overrated, but to be so you yourself would have to think he's that good to begin with. I and probably others knew he was good, but not NBA good. And none of what he is doing now surprises me, he didn't show a great ability to shoot last year why would anyone have thought different this year? He will play in the NBA, but not after only 2 years no matter how good he can be.

[ChicosBailBonds]

DJ is streaky.  No way in the world I would trade him for Cordell Henry.

[chapman]

James did struggle, and not just shooting but running the floor as well.  If he's that ineffective Crean should pull him out or take him off the point.  

McNeal gets in foul trouble way too much for a guard.  It's nice that he's aggressive, but it's more surprising they held it together the last 10 minutes of the first half than the freefall that happened after he fouled out.  Granted 2 of his first half fouls were touch calls and Hibbert can throw his weight around all day without a call.

Did Wesley Matthews even make the trip?  They could have brought a cardboard cutout of him and it would have done just as well.  He was nonexistent on offense and played terrible defensively.  James wins games, and when he's not playing well someone needs to step up.  As disappointing as James was, Matthews was even worse.

You can't blame Ousmane for Hibbert dominating inside.  The only plan I could think of from Crean was to play all the bigs (except Lott, who he's probably angry with from last game) and hope a fresh man on Hibbert would slow him down.  It didn't work.  Ooze was rarely helped out and none of the guards were challenging entry passes.  Nor could the guards stop threes off screens.  I'm not sure what they were doing all day...

Hayward played well and didn't really get burned on defense.  Hopefully he can start becoming a more consistent threat.

Cubillan is starting to show aggression which is nice, but he looks like he took a page from James by taking threes with a man right on him.

Pretty disappointing.  I didn't expect a win, but none of the guards had a good game and the defense was atrocious.  There have been times this year where James can't find a way to help the team, McNeal got in foul trouble, and Matthews was nonexistent, but not all at once.  

[TJ]

It seems like to me that McNeal gets more questionable fouls called against him than many others.  A number of times I've seen him get called for fouls that other people committed.  Not always bad calls, he just has some bad luck sometimes.  For example, his 4th foul today.  He was pushed into Hibbert by Barro I think and the foul was called on McNeal.  It had to be called - there was a foul and McNeal is the one who touched Hibbert, but Barro really caused it.