ND vs Pitt

[77ncaachamps]

ND really hanging in at the Zoo.

Carleton Scott has been money for them since coming back..

[79Warrior]

ND really hanging in at the Zoo.

Carleton Scott has been money for them since coming back..

It pains me to say it, but the Irish are very impressive in an extremely difficult place to play.

[GOMU1104]

I dont care if some of you think he has an attitidue...I would take Ben Hansbrough on our squad any day of the week.

[Tugg Speedman]

If Pitt loses to ND, should Dixon hire a good bench coach to help him Xs and Os?  I've see a lot of Hansborough layup drills this game.

[Golden Avalanche]

I guess you have to get a win any way you can but for a skilled team like ND to play stall ball I think it's pathetic. It also doesn't hurt that this may be Pitt's most sluggish performance at home since Godzilla was roaming Edo.

[wojosdojo]

It'd be pathetic if they had depth.

[Lennys Tap]

Watching Hanbrough get layup after layup after layup against Pitt is deja vu. Said it when we beat the Irish by 22 and I'll say it again. I'd take the "punk" on my team any day - kid can ball.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Watching Hanbrough get layup after layup after layup against Pitt is deja vu. Said it when we beat the Irish by 22 and I'll say it again. I'd take the "punk" on my team any day - kid can ball.

Same move too. Ben is all right.  No help side from Pitt which is very unusual for Dixon's teams.  Great road win for the Domers.

[Tugg Speedman]

But, but, but ... I just read 200 posts since Saturday night that stopping Hansborough is as easy as a designing a competent defensive scheme.  

Allowing Hansborough layup after layup is proof that Dixon is a bad Xs and Os coach ... definitely not a rising star.

[warriors1965]

But, but, but ... I just read 200 posts since Saturday night that stopping Hansborough is as easy as a designing a competent defensive scheme.  

Allowing Hansborough layup after layup is proof that Dixon is a bad Xs and Os coach ... definitely not a rising star.

Yeah, that was the only bad defensive game for MU, lol. 

The Buzz worship is hysterical.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Huge win for ND winning at Pitt.

[Dr. Blackheart]

But, but, but ... I just read 200 posts since Saturday night that stopping Hansborough is as easy as a designing a competent defensive scheme.  

Allowing Hansborough layup after layup is proof that Dixon is a bad Xs and Os coach ... definitely not a rising star.

Same move...MU stopped it in Milwaukee, why not South Bend? He doesn't make that move against a zone. He lit us up for 28 and shot 67%  Yes, it is lay-up practice.  Dixon should have adjusted.  You can keep blustering about it, but MU does not play GREAT team defense for 40 minutes.  ~80% of the trips resulted in points at UND in the 2nd...same with UL on the road back.  A team needs stops on the road like UND did tonight--plain and simple.  

[tower912]

In Milwaukee, Hansbrough played off of the ball and MU denied catches.    Their PG had a career game because we weren't helping off of him.    Scott is also a game changer, as his shooting keeps the big wing from helping.    Nice win for ND,   Dixon, who may or may not be a bright young star based on whether or not he is job hunting, had extra time and still couldn't stop Hansbrough in his own gym.   Maybe we should give credit to Hansbrough.   Well done, young man. 

[79Warrior]

Same move...MU stopped it in Milwaukee, why not South Bend? He doesn't make that move against a zone. He lit us up for 28 and shot 67%  Yes, it is lay-up practice.  Dixon should have adjusted.  You can keep blustering about it, but MU does not play GREAT team defense for 40 minutes.  ~80% of the trips resulted in points at UND in the 2nd...same with UL on the road back.  A team needs stops on the road like UND did tonight--plain and simple.  

No Carlton Scott in Milwaukee. He is huge for them and allows Hansbrough to play his game.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Hubie ripping Dixon afterward for the lack of their help defense.  Dixon used to get brain cramps in games but he has always been a great D coach.  Did he not watch MU tapes?  Agree on Scott...but Abro was MIA.  Not one shot tonight.

[Tugg Speedman]

Same move...MU stopped it in Milwaukee, why not South Bend? He doesn't make that move against a zone. He lit us up for 28 and shot 67%  Yes, it is lay-up practice.  Dixon should have adjusted.  You can keep blustering about it, but MU does not play GREAT team defense for 40 minutes.  ~80% of the trips resulted in points at UND in the 2nd...same with UL on the road back.  A team needs stops on the road like UND did tonight--plain and simple.  

This was their first road win of the year.  They were 0-3 on the road (three others were on neutral courts).  ND was 6 - 19 over the last two years on the road coming into this game.

Where have I heard similar stats this?  Hmmmm

[Dr. Blackheart]

This was their first road win of the year.  They were 0-3 on the road (three others were on neutral courts).  ND was 6 - 19 over the last two years on the road coming into this game.

Where have I heard similar stats this?  Hmmmm

I don't know. Where?

[Lennys Tap]

When ND's freshman point guard (Adkins) is in the game they are much easier to defend - let him handle and shoot all he wants, work hard to deny Hansbrough the ball and double him to make him give it up. When Atkins is out of the game Hansbrough plays the point - and with 5 shooters/scorers in the game and the ball in Ben's hands they are very tough to stop as witnessed by their stretch run against Pitt tonight.

[mviale]

ND is a senior led team and they can surprise much like us last year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm glad ND won.  They are our best win, even if they were missing one of their best players.  With wins over Pitt, UCONN, Wisconsin, etc...they are a lock for the tournament.  They just have way too many solid wins not to be. 

[avid1010]

Yeah, that was the only bad defensive game for MU, lol. 

The Buzz worship is hysterical.

I don't think it's a Buzz worship, I think some fans just realize how competitive college basketball truly is.  No one is saying this MU team plays great D.  Watching a Dixon coach team get beat on their own court just makes people realize how competitive the game is.  

[Lennys Tap]

ND has 5 senior starters, two of whom I think are 5th year seniors. With Hansbrough at the point they'll be a very tough out in March.

[Tugg Speedman]

+1

I understand we lack on D.  It's easy to say the reason is Buzz is an idiot and cannot coach D and this is why Hansborough has layup after layup against us.  Then I watch ND go to #2 Pitt and Hansborough has layup after layup and they win.  Is Dixon an idiot too?  All these dummies with all this talent.  Such a waste!

This is why rail against the criticism of Buzz.  It is akin to complaining that we are not perfect.

Why not acknowledge that MU has a top 10 offense by most measures.  This is one of the best offenses we have seen in quite a while.  Then at least I know you are objectively watching the game and not seeking out things to complain about.

[warriors1965]

+1

I understand we lack on D.  It's easy to say the reason is Buzz is an idiot and cannot coach D and this is why Hansborough has layup after layup against us.  Then I watch ND go to #2 Pitt and Hansborough has layup after layup and they win.  Is Dixon an idiot too?  All these dummies with all this talent.  Such a waste!

This is why rail against the criticism of Buzz.  It is akin to complaining that we are not perfect.

Why not acknowledge that MU has a top 10 offense by most measures.  This is one of the best offenses we have seen in quite a while.  Then at least I know you are objectively watching the game and not seeking out things to complain about.

MU has had a thoroughly mediocre season so far, so however strong the offense is, it isn't good enough to overcome the porous defense.   

We'll see what happens during this crucial 3 game stretch...
The problems with defense and rebounding just stand out more.

[Tugg Speedman]

MU has had a thoroughly mediocre season so far, so however strong the offense is, it isn't good enough to overcome the porous defense.  

We'll see what happens during this crucial 3 game stretch...
The problems with defense and rebounding just stand out more.

Now this is interesting ...

MU has had a mediocre season so far.  I would agree with this in that we have had no bad losses and no good wins.  We have done what was expected and not much more.

That said, we play #5 Uconn tomorrow and we are the favorite!  

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=23894.0

KenPom, RPI Forecast and Vegas all have us winning.

So, how bad are we if we can be favored against the #5 team?  How many times since 1977 has MU been favored to beat a top 5 team?  I would guess not many.

So this is the state of our program ... we are stomping out feet in total frustration that we suck the night before we are favored to beat a top 5 team.

You'd think we were talking about Duke with expectations this high.