Disheartening

[GGGG]

Don't let the end fool you. It shouldn't have been that close. We don't excel at anything and are poor at a couple of things...especially rebounding. We are going to struggle to score come BE time.

[Jacks DC]

My thought exactly.  Could have been a lot worse.  Glad we made a run at the end but we need to do something about rebounding.  There is more to it than our lack of size.  UW got several rebounds simply because we didn't box out.

[LA]

Definitely not lack of size. We are longer than we have been in previous seasons but we used to gang rebound every time a shot went up. We got to the line much more often and shot a better percentage from the field but other than that played a terrible game.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Unfortunately, we need to do something about just about everything.

Can't rebound...it's not lack of size, it's lack of effort.

Can't shoot...don't know what to do about that other than keep shooting...maybe eventually they'll start to fall.

No Leadership...Jimmy just doesn't appear to be that guy.  Missing two front-end free throws when we had an opportunity to make a run killed us.  

On offense...it's a bunch of one-on-one.  DJO is juking all over the place with absolutely no purpose when he gets the ball.  Several times the guy with the ball refused to throw an entry pass to Gardner when he had a guard trying to guard him on a switch.  

Defense...well at least we made them use a lot of clock.

Finally, I'm just not getting a sense that they really know what to do in certain situations or how to play together.  And there's an evident lack of fire/intensity...I mean, where is the fire when Leuer goes to the bench with three?  Where's any kind of a run?  Good teams take advantage of those situations.  

I'm probably being overly harsh, but I think we're going to have our worst Big East season since joining the conference.  By far.  We don't have "it" as a team right now.

[avid1010]

can't shoot, can't rebound and Buzz can stop rewarding Reggie with the starts because it probably cost MU 5-10 points.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Unfortunately, we need to do something about just about everything.

Can't rebound...it's not lack of size, it's lack of effort.

Can't shoot...don't know what to do about that other than keep shooting...maybe eventually they'll start to fall.

No Leadership...Jimmy just doesn't appear to be that guy.  Missing two front-end free throws when we had an opportunity to make a run killed us.  

On offense...it's a bunch of one-on-one.  DJO is juking all over the place with absolutely no purpose when he gets the ball.  Several times the guy with the ball refused to throw an entry pass to Gardner when he had a guard trying to guard him on a switch.  

Defense...well at least we made them use a lot of clock.

Finally, I'm just not getting a sense that they really know what to do in certain situations or how to play together.  And there's an evident lack of fire/intensity...I mean, where is the fire when Leuer goes to the bench with three?  Where's any kind of a run?  Good teams take advantage of those situations.  

I'm probably being overly harsh, but I think we're going to have our worst Big East season since joining the conference.  By far.  We don't have "it" as a team right now.

So much of this sounds like it was said in the past few weeks and a few of us destroyed for saying it....ahh, all depends on who the messenger is.   

[MUfan12]

So much of this sounds like it was said in the past few weeks and a few of us destroyed for saying it....ahh, all depends on who the messenger is.   

Come on. I've seen this a couple times already. Now you're just baiting people.

[warriorfred]

So it took me a while to get to your position.  I don't like to be rushed.

However, I believe Buzz has the players and now it becomes a question of coaching.  You can tell a lot about a coach and the direction of a program in year three.  I remain hopeful.

[mu_hilltopper]

MU has been very fortunate with having an NBA player (or two) on the roster for years.

I think that streak has ended.   Folks have suggested DJO was headed for the League, but not if he continues to play like he is this year.  About the best thing that can be said about Blue is the verdict is out, and he has 3.5 more years.

Not having a go-to guy means we live as a team, die as a team.  So far, 0-3 versus non-cupcakes.    Gonna be a long season.

[rocky_warrior]

So much of this sounds like it was said in the past few weeks and a few of us destroyed for saying it....ahh, all depends on who the messenger is.   

To avoid the wrath of Jay Bee calling me out - cut the crap Chicos.  Feel free to say "I've felt this way for the past couple weeks" - no need to bait people into your arguments.

[ATL MU Warrior]

So much of this sounds like it was said in the past few weeks and a few of us destroyed for saying it....ahh, all depends on who the messenger is.   

These are observations about today's game.  They have nothing to do with you. 

[MUFC9295]

NIT

[JMcSteal]

Can we run an offense for a change instead of just driving constantly and taking awful runners or floaters or off balanced shots? So many times we just drive and hope to get fouled. How many times did people take a shot with their feet set under them? NOt many

[NersEllenson]

Can we run an offense for a change instead of just driving constantly and taking awful runners or floaters or off balanced shots? So many times we just drive and hope to get fouled. How many times did people take a shot with their feet set under them? NOt many

Would you prefer this team to settle for outside jump shots?  The free throw line is the only thing that kept us in this game..and it was the result of constantly driving. 

If DJO cannot get it together..it will be a long year...take away the UWM game..and DJO is shooting about 25% for the year.  Without his 3 ball being there..tough for MU.

Last revalation is that Gardner HAS to play about 20 minutes per game...we need his offense..more than the liability he poses defensively.  Almost starting to wonder if this team wouldnt' be better playing zone D - as it actually may help them box out better (though usually most would say that it is harder to block out against a zone)..the reality is that our trapping and scrambling and multiple rotations per possesion are resulting in being out of place to box out..

[jfmu]

Can't rebound...it's not lack of size, it's lack of effort.

i agree 100% no one is even trying to box out. its almost like they think that the dont need to be in position because they feel they can out jump anyone. thats not going cut it when we are going up against 6-10/7 footers

[Jay Bee]

To avoid the wrath of Jay Bee calling me out - cut the crap Chicos.  Feel free to say "I've felt this way for the past couple weeks" - no need to bait people into your arguments.

Thanks!  I'm happy I4 fell to pieces and got manhandled when it mattered today, losing by 19 to Kentucky... otherwise that would just be another ridiculous thread.  (although there are plenty going on currently)

We lost a game where the changes of winning, depending on your perspective, were probably somewhere between 45-55%... we did look bad, but there is a ton left to this season.  Let's get ready for the 18th.

[flash]

The game at Vanderbilt just becaome sooooo much more important.  A loss there would mean that we have absolutley NO quality wins going into conference play.

[reinko]

Thanks flash for that analysis.  Groundbreaking stuff.

[brewcity77]

Rebounding was definitely the biggest problem. Too many second chance points, and too many occasions where we needed the ball and simply didn't box out. It amazes me how we have notably more size and strength underneath this year, and yet we seem like we are a worse rebounding team. Maybe it's just that Hayward was that good, I don't know.

[ChicosBailBonds]

To avoid the wrath of Jay Bee calling me out - cut the crap Chicos.  Feel free to say "I've felt this way for the past couple weeks" - no need to bait people into your arguments.

Rocky, with the abuse I took (and others took here), it wouldn't matter how I said it.  It's the truth, cutting the crap doesn't hide it.  The posts don't lie.

The good news is that today brought rational thought to a lot more people, finally. 

The other good news is that maybe this takes the tone down on the board a little bit because the people that have been saying there are issues won't be attacked 24/7 anymore...wouldn't that be nice.

Now, let's turn this thing around and play like a team so we can make a run toward the NCAAs. 

[avid1010]

Rocky, with the abuse I took (and others took here), it wouldn't matter how I said it.  It's the truth, cutting the crap doesn't hide it.  The posts don't lie.

The good news is that today brought rational thought to a lot more people, finally. 

The other good news is that maybe this takes the tone down on the board a little bit because the people that have been saying there are issues won't be attacked 24/7 anymore...wouldn't that be nice.

Now, let's turn this thing around and play like a team so we can make a run toward the NCAAs. 

Actually, all you were saying is "I told you so." 

[ATL MU Warrior]

Rocky, with the abuse I took (and others took here), it wouldn't matter how I said it.  It's the truth, cutting the crap doesn't hide it.  The posts don't lie.

The good news is that today brought rational thought to a lot more people, finally. 

The other good news is that maybe this takes the tone down on the board a little bit because the people that have been saying there are issues won't be attacked 24/7 anymore...wouldn't that be nice.

Now, let's turn this thing around and play like a team so we can make a run toward the NCAAs. 

The way I remember it (which admittedly may not be accurate) you made the comment that this team had several serious issues in a thread after the UWM game.  I asked you to identify what those issues were (twice) and to my knowledge you never did.  That's it.  Not exactly an attack in my opinion. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

The way I remember it (which admittedly may not be accurate) you made the comment that this team had several serious issues in a thread after the UWM game.  I asked you to identify what those issues were (twice) and to my knowledge you never did.  That's it.  Not exactly an attack in my opinion. 

Because I identified them in other threads....we can't defend the three, we can't shoot the three, we don't take the three, our rebounding and our PG play.

Now, PG play has gotten better, but not sure the others have improved since the exhibition game I went to last month.

[Aughnanure]

I miss 4 year seniors....as much as everyone wants that God's Gift guy, id love to atleast get one class without a juco.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Some thoughts:

MU was last in the BE last season in rebounding.  We are actually better this season as painful as that is.  We had the trey shooters last season to cover it up.

I thought Taylor killed us.  He was a +18 while DJO and Vander were a -7 each.  

We won or were tied with Bucky of 3 on the "4 Factors".  OReb was the difference--although MU outscored Wisco in the paint:  34-32.  Gardner was a +10 for MU.

Otule had three blocks in 8 minutes.  With the Oreb woes, how about a zone Buzz?

Game only had 57 possessions.  I thought MU did not press the advantage more in transition and allowed Bucky to set their defensive foundation and control the tempo.  Didn't see any good adjustments either coming out of halftime.  Buzz played into Bo's hands.  

Thought that Buzz got schooled by Bo in game management as well.  This is still a developing area for Buzz.  The small line-up he had in with Leuer on the bench was abused, he could have used a time-out to stop that run, he misused another with over two minutes to go, and coming out of a Bo time out at 7 seconds--why is he running a hand-off play to DJO on the sidelines with less than 3 seconds on the clock?  Dwight had space to take a chuck and was the hot hand.

I thought Bo's time-out with 7 seconds left was not a good one either.  He iced his own player at the FT line and gave Buzz a time out when he didn't have any left.  I thought he was going to have his team foul, but in the end, that didn't transpire either.  It did allow them to set up their defense...but...

This was this team's first big home game.  They looked nervous and scared as could be expected with so many newbees.  Simply put, Jimmy has got to step up and take over the games because of this.  He did this too late yesterday.