The REAL reason this team is struggling

[tower912]

No JUCO's playing with chips on their shoulders, playing like they have to prove something.   Not enough angry I'll-show-you-I-belong attitude.   Too many traditional 4 year players.    MU needs more JUCO's with aggressive attitudes!    OK, and not enough 3 pt shooting.   

[bilsu]

I think Raymonds statement that college ball is a guards game was proven today. MU would be a very good team, if they had Sykes.

[damuts222]

Just look at the attitude of the players in the second half of the Wisconsin game.  There was a sense of the game being over like they could coast through the rest of the game and still win. There is an attitude on this team that I don't like. Big East play is around the corner, so we better figure this out.

[chapman]

So too traditional and not enough reason to squirm? 

[Untucked]

The bottom line is NO ONE CAN SCORE! No one can create their own shot and no one can make a three! Defensively they are still pretty good

[Freeport Warrior]

Team can't shoot. That's pretty much it.

[GGGG]

The bottom line is NO ONE CAN SCORE! No one can create their own shot and no one can make a three! Defensively they are still pretty good

Team can't shoot. That's pretty much it.

Yep...it's isn't a lack of hustle...it isn't a lack of leadership...it isn't playing with chip on their shoulders.  It is a lack of ability to put the ball in the basket.

Even the second half of the Wisconsin game wasn't about lack of hustle.  It was UW slowing the game down and making MU score in the half court.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't get it, when coming off a Final Four or two straight Sweet 16's this should never happen....

[jesmu84]

The bottom line is NO ONE CAN SCORE! No one can create their own shot and no one can make a three! Defensively they are still pretty good

So we're the Bulls without DRose?

[tower912]

A second thing that no one has really delved into yet is the affect of losing Aki and Benford and their replacements.    Buzz was totally in sync with A/T after being together for 4 years.   Is the coaching staff in sync?   Or is there some kind of 'Wainwright affect'?

[Abode4life]

Is the coaching staff in sync?   Or is there some kind of 'Wainwright affect'?

Its gotta be Wainwright's lackadaisical look.

[jesmu84]

Its gotta be Wainwright's lackadaisical look.

Or Wainwright's lack of a pulse.

[tower912]

The basset hound look is dragging the team down. 

[leever]

Buzz has always said that his teams should make more free throws than the other team takes.

Nobody is getting to the hoop and drawing fouls - - - and if they do, they miss the foul shots anyway.

For most of the game Vander had the only free throws, and he was 2 for 4.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Buzz has always said that his teams should make more free throws than the other team takes.

Nobody is getting to the hoop and drawing fouls - - - and if they do, they miss the foul shots anyway.

For most of the game Vander had the only free throws, and he was 2 for 4.

When teams play 2-3, it's tough to get in the lane and draw fouls. Not impossible, but tough to do.

I'd like to see Buzz modify his offensive X and O's a little bit and see if these guys can force teams to play man to man.

[chapman]

Buzz has always said that his teams should make more free throws than the other team takes.

Single digit free throws attempted in three games this year.  Something's lost between what he preaching and what they're doing.

[StillWarriors]

Single digit free throws attempted in three games this year.  Something's lost between what he preaching and what they're doing.

Unless the "formula" has changed for the makeup of this team. I have not heard Buzz preach the take more free throws than the other team makes as much this year. Paint touches and free throw disparity have been such a big focus in the past. I've still seen some references to the paint touches this year, but not as much as in the past. I would be interested to know if the formula/focus is on other things with this group, or if he's still trying to figure out the benchmarks that lead to success for this group.

[Freeport Warrior]

If you can't shoot from the outside, teams can sag and pack it in. Then you get bad spacing and very limited driving lanes. With no driving lanes -- other than those in transition -- you take what the defense gives you -- outside shots -- and we have no real consistent threat. Since the driving lanes aren't there, there is less driving resulting in less free throws. It's also harder to get it inside, thus rendering OX limited as well.

Our Kentucky-dribble-drive type of offense has always worked well because teams had to respect our ability to "kick" it out to an open shooter once they doubled us on a drive. When you have a team of guys who can do both (drive and shoot) like Jae, DJO, Jimmy, Lazar, Wes, etc. -- the floor opens up. The only guy we have (?) on our roster who has the potential to do both in Mayo. I'm not a Vander hater, but dude cannot shoot consistently. My coaching friend always laughs when MU gets into an intense dribble drive series where Blue or Cadougan gives a pump fake then they kick out and they drive, only to kick it out to the next guy who pump fakes and drives, only to kick it out to the next guy who pump fakes and drives. Pump fakes only work when you believe (or care) the guy will shoot, and quite frankly, no one believes or cares if anyone from MU shoots from the outside. That's a win on D, no matter if the ball goes in every once in a while.

I said it here a couple of weeks ago -- because we can't shoot, this team will be defined horrible mood swings -- we will drop ones like this occasionally and we will win improbably ones when "it's just our night." I'm not giving up hope, but putting a stretch of 3/4 great wins in a row will be difficult for this team. This is a beat "Cuse, lose to Rutgers kind of team. Next year, with the shooters we have coming in, this will not be a problem.

[4everwarriors]

Thought this was gonna be about Halloween parties , lack of frequenting 720, or gettin' into the team hotel wearing shades at 4 am.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't get it, when coming off a Final Four or two straight Sweet 16's this should never happen....

No need for teal. If we go (even with a much tougher schedule) 19-12, 19-12, NIT, NIT and close out season 2 scoring 40 points in a home loss to the likes of Western Michigan the disappointment will be palpable and warranted.

[NotAnAlum]

If you can't shoot from the outside, teams can sag and pack it in. Then you get bad spacing and very limited driving lanes. With no driving lanes -- other than those in transition -- you take what the defense gives you -- outside shots -- and we have no real consistent threat. Since the driving lanes aren't there, there is less driving resulting in less free throws. It's also harder to get it inside, thus rendering OX limited as well.

Our Kentucky-dribble-drive type of offense has always worked well because teams had to respect our ability to "kick" it out to an open shooter once they doubled us on a drive. When you have a team of guys who can do both (drive and shoot) like Jae, DJO, Jimmy, Lazar, Wes, etc. -- the floor opens up. The only guy we have (?) on our roster who has the potential to do both in Mayo. I'm not a Vander hater, but dude cannot shoot consistently. My coaching friend always laughs when MU gets into an intense dribble drive series where Blue or Cadougan gives a pump fake then they kick out and they drive, only to kick it out to the next guy who pump fakes and drives, only to kick it out to the next guy who pump fakes and drives. Pump fakes only work when you believe (or care) the guy will shoot, and quite frankly, no one believes or cares if anyone from MU shoots from the outside. That's a win on D, no matter if the ball goes in every once in a while.



I said it here a couple of weeks ago -- because we can't shoot, this team will be defined horrible mood swings -- we will drop ones like this occasionally and we will win improbably ones when "it's just our night." I'm not giving up hope, but putting a stretch of 3/4 great wins in a row will be difficult for this team. This is a beat "Cuse, lose to Rutgers kind of team. Next year, with the shooters we have coming in, this will not be a problem.

This analysis is spot on!  My fear is that Buzz may not fully appreciate that he MUST have reliable outside shooters to make his offense work.  Having hard nosed switchables who can drive and play D isn't enough if nobody on the team can shoot.  The last player to come into the program with a Rep as a shooter was DJO.  We kind of got lucky with Jae improving to the point he did.  Now we have no one.  I'm not sure how many of the new recruits are known good shooters.  What we currently have is a formula for a team with talented players that because all the talent is in the same segment of the game will likely end up as an also ran.

[GGGG]

I'm pretty sure Buzz knows that he needs shooters in this offense.  TJT left and Mayo has been ineligible.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I'm pretty sure Buzz knows that he needs shooters in this offense.  TJT left and Mayo has been ineligible.

And he's bringing in players with sweet J's like Duane, Jajuan, and Dawson.

[Bocephys]

And he's bringing in players with sweet J's like Duane, Jajuan, and Dawson.

Let's not forget Jake, present performance notwithstanding.

[4everwarriors]

Players at Idaho St. and SD are a little out of their league here.