Xs and Os

[d6]

We are being out-coached too often.  It's just a fact... You think a Calhoun would've let any of his teams lose at Depaul this year?!

Us hanging in games is a huge credit to Buzz and his recruiting... like I said he's done a wonderful job at keeping us in there after the amigos left...

Calhoun would never let that happer.  Of course, he did coach a team that got beat handily by Michigan, the same team our inept coach helped guide us to a decided victory against.  And you absolutely can start a sentence with "and."  Grammar school rules fade out later on in life.......

[reinko]

False... 

http://editingpublishing.suite101.com/article.cfm/can_i_start_a_sentence_with_and_

Thanks for the assist.

[d6]

We are being out-coached too often.  It's just a fact... You think a Calhoun would've let any of his teams lose at Depaul this year?!

Us hanging in games is a huge credit to Buzz and his recruiting... like I said he's done a wonderful job at keeping us in there after the amigos left...

Calhoun would never let that happen.  Of course, he did coach a team that got beat handily by Michigan, the same team our inept coach helped guide us to a decided victory against.  And you absolutely can start a sentence with "and."  Grammar school rules fade out later on in life.......

[ErickJD08]

Not sure what you are referring to there?  Please explain... I mean anyone who understand English knows you can not begin a sentence with "and" lol

Yeah...  They teach kids not to start with "And" in the fourth grade because its a bad habit but you can certainly do it for stylistic purposes.  It's similar to starting a sentence with "But" and "Because".

[GGGG]

ridiculous thread. a team predicted to go nowhere has been in every game it has played this year and the argument is we are being out-coached?  please.

+100

[GoldenWarrior]

Thanks for the assist.

I admit that I stand corrected, wasn't aware of this... just remember the grade school nuns yelling to not do it, lol

I would still like to know where I am being challenged with my use of the English language? This is a dumb argument though now (the grammer and use of English... afterall this is free web open forum writing where "lol" is acceptable), I believe we can all agree on that

[GoldenWarrior]

Calhoun would never let that happen.  Of course, he did coach a team that got beat handily by Michigan, the same team our inept coach helped guide us to a decided victory against.  And you absolutely can start a sentence with "and."  Grammar school rules fade out later on in life.......

Never said he was inept, just that I do not believe he's a good in game coach yet

[LAZER]

We are being out-coached too often.  It's just a fact... You think a Calhoun would've let any of his teams lose at Depaul this year?!

Us hanging in games is a huge credit to Buzz and his recruiting... like I said he's done a wonderful job at keeping us in there after the amigos left...

Calhoun outcoaching DePaul/Tracy Webster really brings nothing to the argument about Buzz's coaching performance this year.  Second, I hate how people will bring up Calhoun, Boeheim, Izzo, etc.  Let's just throw in John Wooden too and bitch about how some of the best coaches in the game, or all time, are better than our 37 year old head coach in his 2nd season in the Big East.

[GoldenWarrior]

Calhoun outcoaching DePaul/Tracy Webster really brings nothing to the argument about Buzz's coaching performance this year.  Second, I hate how people will bring up Calhoun, Boeheim, Izzo, etc.  Let's just throw in John Wooden too and bitch about how some of the best coaches in the game, or all time, are better than our 37 year old head coach in his 2nd season in the Big East.

I'm just saying that it's something he needs to work on... I agree that it is unfair to compare Buzz to some of the best all time coaches in college basketball.  It just frustrates me when we can't get open looks out of TOs and dead balls.

[NersEllenson]

But with that... why can't we get open looks in crunch time?  Buzz doesn't put our players in that position out of timeouts etc... Jimmy's UConn shot is a prime example!

Sorry dude, I certainly appreciate you being an MU fan, but your analysis/observations are not very indiciative of you having a good knowledge of the game of basketball.  Please just answer my original question about what "play" you would have liked to see run last night, other than the clear out for Jimmy?  Was Lazar an effective option las night?  Were we hitting our 3 last night?  If you are a team playing MU you take away our 3, overplay that extensively.  How do you suggest freeing up a player for an open shot, when we have no threat of dumping the ball inside and scoring in that fashion?  Our offense is entirely created off of multiple dribble-drive, draw and dish attempts, which eventually frees up a player.  We don't have the size nor inside presence to draw up a play that frees a player for a shot.  Lastly, a 1-on-1 clear out is not a bad play when the offensive player has more quickness than the defensive player - Jimmy Butler against either Gavin Edwards from UCONN or McGhee from Pitt.

[GoldenWarrior]

Sorry dude, I certainly appreciate you being an MU fan, but your analysis/observations are not very indiciative of you having a good knowledge of the game of basketball.  Please just answer my original question about what "play" you would have liked to see run last night, other than the clear out for Jimmy?  Was Lazar an effective option las night?  Were we hitting our 3 last night?  If you are a team playing MU you take away our 3, overplay that extensively.  How do you suggest freeing up a player for an open shot, when we have no threat of dumping the ball inside and scoring in that fashion?  Our offense is entirely created off of multiple dribble-drive, draw and dish attempts, which eventually frees up a player.  We don't have the size nor inside presence to draw up a play that frees a player for a shot.  Lastly, a 1-on-1 clear out is not a bad play when the offensive player has more quickness than the defensive player - Jimmy Butler against either Gavin Edwards from UCONN or McGhee from Pitt.

Apologies, missed your originall "what would you have done" post.  And I take no offense at all, we are all Marquette fans at the heart of it, so even if people insult I know it's all light hearted and done simply because we are all so passionate, so no worries.

I agree Lazar was not a factor last night and we were not hitting our 3s.  If I were getting paid millions to draw up something, I would've at the very least run a play that offered "options" and not just a "Hey Jimmy, go get it" play.  That said, at least a pick n' roll would provide an option with a double screen on DJO's man for a mid ranger baseline... provides 3 options so to speak [take the ball to the rack off the pick, dump to the picker or read DJO's defender for a potential open look].  A bit difficult to really lay out on here without a board to draw, but I think you'll be able to see what I'm getting at.  I just feel you need to at least have multiple possibilities in key possessions, but that's me obviously.

[willie warrior]

Umm, what about @ Providence @ UCONN and against G'Town? 

And BTW, he has recruited big men, 2 7 footers and a 6'11" center.

And they are either in the hospital or one that did not get here is on his way to the slammer.

[NersEllenson]

Apologies, missed your originall "what would you have done" post.  And I take no offense at all, we are all Marquette fans at the heart of it, so even if people insult I know it's all light hearted and done simply because we are all so passionate, so no worries.

I agree Lazar was not a factor last night and we were not hitting our 3s.  If I were getting paid millions to draw up something, I would've at the very least run a play that offered "options" and not just a "Hey Jimmy, go get it" play.  That said, at least a pick n' roll would provide an option with a double screen on DJO's man for a mid ranger baseline... provides 3 options so to speak [take the ball to the rack off the pick, dump to the picker or read DJO's defender for a potential open look].  A bit difficult to really lay out on here without a board to draw, but I think you'll be able to see what I'm getting at.  I just feel you need to at least have multiple possibilities in key possessions, but that's me obviously.

I appreciate your passion for the game and MU as well..and your suggestion is decent, certainly.  I thought Pitt was for the most part jumping screens for most of the game, which neutralizes the pick and roll game.  I'm not sure we are a great pick and roll team as it is, as Mo Acker is very little threat to actualy score on penetration - so you overplay the roll player.  But if our guards are jumped by the ball screen defender, it makes it very hard to execute the roll pass, etc.  I guess just a difference of opinion.  I long have been a fan of DJO in a clear out situation, but do think Jimmy is a little more reliable, less turnover prone going to the rack.  At the end of the day, I guess I thought it was a decent call out of a timeout and executed fairly well.  We just didn't get the result we wanted.

[Clam Crowder]

Yeah and he probably told Acker to jack up that three with no pass at all on the play with about 58 seconds left when we were still very much in it

[Daniel]

MU had a ton of opportunities to take a significant lead at many points int he game, and we missed our shots, they rattled out, got blocked, etc.  We did not play well.  We lost. 

[GoldenWarrior]

  I appreciate your passion for the game and MU as well..and your suggestion is decent, certainly.  I thought Pitt was for the most part jumping screens for most of the game, which neutralizes the pick and roll game.  I'm not sure we are a great pick and roll team as it is, as Mo Acker is very little threat to actualy score on penetration - so you overplay the roll player.  But if our guards are jumped by the ball screen defender, it makes it very hard to execute the roll pass, etc.  I guess just a difference of opinion.  I long have been a fan of DJO in a clear out situation, but do think Jimmy is a little more reliable, less turnover prone going to the rack.  At the end of the day, I guess I thought it was a decent call out of a timeout and executed fairly well.  We just didn't get the result we wanted.

A difference of opinion, that's acceptable and see your points.  I found it particularly questionable considering how a lot of Jimmy's game is built on drawing contact from the other player, but in order for that to be successful you need the refs to blow the whistle and since that wasn't taking place last night I just thought at the time we should've come up with something else than that.

[HoopsMalone]

Dixon had one heck of a game plan yesterday both on defense and on offense.  His team was patient and got the ball inside for easy dunks, and Pitt played great defense.  Now, just because Dixon had athletic big guys and had a nice game plan, does not mean that Buzz was outcoached by any means.

MU is one of the best shooting teams in the country and Buzz has the team willing to pass on threes and get paint touches.  That takes some discipline.

Regarding the Jimmy play, what kind of play were you expecting?  Getting Jimmy the ball in a comfortable spot and letting him go to work is one of the highest percentage plays for MU this season.  Do you want the picket fence out of a time out?  

The reason we lost last night was that we scored 51 points.  Plain and simple.  A perimeter team is going to have nights like that.  

[tower912]

Buzz didn't X & O Lazar and Jimmy repeatedly getting lost down low.    Buzz did not X & O Lazar's inability to hit a shot last night.   Buzz has his man to man offense.   It is what he runs.   It is predicated on getting into the lane, pitching to an open man, getting the defense to collapse, then doing it all over again until someone gets a wide open look or a wide open lane.   Dixon X & O'd his team's defense perfectly.   No weak side help, lots of physical play, always square to your man on the perimeter, always a hand up on the 3 pt shooter.   It worked great.   Buzz's X & O adjustment could have been to tell DJO, DB, and JB to attack the rack at every opportunity and not look for the pass.   But that option is always there anyway and they didn't do it.       Sometimes, the other team just beats us.   

[d6]

I'm with tower.  If our normally reliable three-point shooters hit some shots, if buycks doesn't miss a bunny, if zar hits a few half hooks, if out 80% free throw shooter doesn't miss 4 of his firt 5 free throws, if their 26% three point shooter doesn't drain his 4th (i believe) three of the year, blah blah blah, then we're possibly having a different discussion.  Not one of the things mentioned above has anything to do with Xs & Os.  Zilch, except Dixon probably doesn't diagram the 26% 3-shooter taking that jumper.

[NersEllenson]

I'm with tower.  If our normally reliable three-point shooters hit some shots, if buycks doesn't miss a bunny, if zar hits a few half hooks, if out 80% free throw shooter doesn't miss 4 of his firt 5 free throws, if their 26% three point shooter doesn't drain his 4th (i believe) three of the year, blah blah blah, then we're possibly having a different discussion.  Not one of the things mentioned above has anything to do with Xs & Os.  Zilch, except Dixon probably doesn't diagram the 26% 3-shooter taking that jumper.

+1 Well said, well done

[HoopsMalone]

No shame in losing this game except that we did not defend our home court.  I'd love to get these guys at the Garden in a 4/5 game in the BE tourney. 

I guess then we can see if Buzz can make any defensive adjustments. 

[chapman]

I'd love to get these guys at the Garden in a 4/5 game in the BE tourney. 

"But they have so many players from New York.  It's like playing a home game.  All their families are there.  Those kids just relish the opportunity to play at the Garden for the Big East Tournament.  Did you know Pitt has a lot of players from New York?" 

-Len Elmore

Also...

Borderline call goes MU's way or when we actually do get a call they take the time to get it right...

"I'm not so sure about that one.  In fact, section 4.5, line three says the opposite of what they're ruling on the floor."

Poor call goes against MU...

"These officials have a tough task but they're doing a fantastic job."

Please ESPN, promote Mike Kelly and get that fool off the air.

[GoldenWarrior]

I'm not just speaking to last night's loss particularly.  We lossed that game for a number of reasons (including Dixon having a great game plan and us not coming up with a reaction to it), but I was using that Butler play since it would be fresh in people's minds to demonstrate my point that often times it seems like Buzz doesn't draw up plays in timeouts or situations like that and this is just something I think our young coach needs to work on.

[MU83]

Coaching was not the reason for last night's loss.

[NickelDimer]

Everyone's an expert!

Fyi, I'm GoldenWarrior on the Scout board and I'm not the OP!