Nova Thoughts

[brewcity77]

Exactly, these are not new gripes.  Why bust their balls after they've just played their hearts out with only 6 players?  Especially with no new insights?  Just me.

Because it's a discussion board and just because we came up short both in terms of roster and scoreboard doesn't mean we can't talk about the whys. It wasn't just the roster that cost us the game. It was little mistakes that we continue to see.

I'm also not doing it to bust the players balls bit to invite further discussion. It's easy to applaud the effort, and I do, but that doesn't mean it's all seashells and balloons.

[GGGG]

Apparently in his post game interview on the radio, Wojo brought up JJJ and how he has been bringing it every day in practice and the results have been apparent on the floor.  

To 99% of the people who follow this program, it is very obvious.  JJJ was benched v. X for not bringing it in practice.  He learned his lesson.  He is practicing harder.  The results are showing.

Ners with his contorted logic, and TW with his axe to grind, have been shown to be flat out wrong.  Wojo has reached JJJ.  JJJ has developed under his coaching.  And JJJ seems to be the same guy he has always been - not chafing under Wojo's "buttoned down" or "corporate" style.  I fully expect JJJ to stay and thrive here after this year.

[GGGG]

Exactly, these are not new gripes.  Why bust their balls after they've just played their hearts out with only 6 players?  Especially with no new insights?  Just me.

Just because they played incredibly hard doesn't mean they played perfect.  I view a lot of these "gripes" as issues of trying to do too much.  To play too fast.  I think with experience and a more balanced roster, you are going to see these dissipate into next year.

The good news is that these gripes aren't due to lack of effort.  Wojo has these guys working very hard.

[tower912]

Obviously, MU did not play mistake free basketball yesterday.    We could easily nitpick them to death.  The mistakes MU made yesterday were not new to this team.   But for me, the fact that they competed with a potential final 4 team for 40 minutes with only 6 players trumps everything.   How hard they played within those constraints gives me hope going forward.   They did everything except free throw shooting well.   MU's defense was decent, they were simply outmanned.   MU lost to a much better team, but it doesn't mean they didn't play like Warriors. 

[MU1980]

Apparently in his post game interview on the radio, Wojo brought up JJJ and how he has been bringing it every day in practice and the results have been apparent on the floor.  

To 99% of the people who follow this program, it is very obvious.  JJJ was benched v. X for not bringing it in practice.  He learned his lesson.  He is practicing harder.  The results are showing.

Ners with his contorted logic, and TW with his axe to grind, have been shown to be flat out wrong.  Wojo has reached JJJ.  JJJ has developed under his coaching.  And JJJ seems to be the same guy he has always been - not chafing under Wojo's "buttoned down" or "corporate" style.  I fully expect JJJ to stay and thrive here after this year.

Ners and Texas Western are completely clueless when it comes to the psychology aspect of coaching and to be honest, it is pretty embarrassing for them that they just don't get it.  To see TW continually posting what an awful person Wojo is when he clearly has no understanding about how complicated coaching can be is beyond frustrating.  Most of us see it and understand how important it was to bench  JJJ for the x game and how it is going to pay off, not only for the rest of this year, but for JJJ's entire.  JJJ appears to be buying into what it takes to win, Deonte did not appear to be doing so.  He left and nobody threw him under the bus, especially Wojo.  Deonte will be a good college player because he has an impressive offensive skill set, but he was not right for our program.  It took guts for Wojo to let him go, knowing it would hurt us this year, but building a winning program is not about one year.  It is pretty easy to see how Wojo is going to build this program going forward, but when you have some sort of axe to grind or you are stubborn, you are not going to see that.  Small minded people think short term and don't have the guts to make tough decisions that may not pay off for a year or two.  

[ATWizJr]

Because it's a discussion board and just because we came up short both in terms of roster and scoreboard doesn't mean we can't talk about the whys. It wasn't just the roster that cost us the game. It was little mistakes that we continue to see.

I'm also not doing it to bust the players balls bit to invite further discussion. It's easy to applaud the effort, and I do, but that doesn't mean it's all seashells and balloons.

No one is saying it's all seashells and balloons, but your gripes are not new.  As others have stated, the stayed with a top 6 team for 40 minutes with only 6 players.  Thats the story, not their shortcomings many of which are probably the result of exhaustion.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Was at the game.  Crowd was good. (esp when Mache got the jump ball) I agree with everybody who said they were proud of the effort.  

[GGGG]

No one is saying it's all seashells and balloons, but your gripes are not new.  As others have stated, the stayed with a top 6 team for 40 minutes with only 6 players.  Thats the story, not their shortcomings many of which are probably the result of exhaustion.

Do you understand what a message board is about?  You can applaud the effort and be happy with the hard work, but also point out short comings.  And no, I don't think some of the issues were a result of exhaustion.  For instance, on two occasions in the first dozen or so minutes, MU should have had a steal.  However the player tried to dribble the ball up to himself while looking down-court, and the Nova guy grabbed it.  The appropriate play is to secure the ball first...and Wojo mentioned it during the timeout.  GRAB THE BALL.

There were a number of little things like that.  However, as I said above, the good news is that they were the result of trying to move too fast - trying to make a play.  Better than than a mistake that was the result of laziness.

[MU82]

Here's a question for you:  When JJJ was JUST ABSOLUTELY AWFUL A WEEK AGO AGAINST CREIGHTON - IF THE BENCHING IS THE REASON WHY JJJ IS PLAYING SO MUCH BETTER NOW, WHY WAS HE AWFUL AGAINST CREIGHTON? 

Ummm ... because he had a bad game?

Do I need to look up Michael Jordan's bad games and Wilt Chamberlain's bad games and LeBron James' bad games and show you that even the very best, most highly motivated athletes in basketball history sometimes have bad games?

Or were you such a great high school baller that you never had a bad game and therefore can't possibly understand this concept?

Oh, and only feeble-minded people who can't make a point with level-headed discussion need to shout.

[tower912]

Watching on TV, there appeared to be exhaustion toward the end.   Every time they showed a close up of an MU player in the last 4 minutes, they looked gassed. 

[GGGG]

Ummm ... because he had a bad game?

Do I need to look up Michael Jordan's bad games and Wilt Chamberlain's bad games and LeBron James' bad games and show you that even the very best, most highly motivated athletes in basketball history sometimes have bad games?

Or were you such a great high school baller that you never had a bad game and therefore can't possibly understand this concept?

Oh, and only feeble-minded people who can't make a point with level-headed discussion need to shout.

To be fair, I don't think Ners "good games" were really all that "good."

[GGGG]

Watching on TV, there appeared to be exhaustion toward the end.   Every time they showed a close up of an MU player in the last 4 minutes, they looked gassed. 

Oh I agree.  I just don't think some of the errors were a result of exhaustion. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

The last two games, the younger players have been getting the minutes, out of design and necessity. These have been some of MU's better offensively efficient BE games. This is the chance to see what these kids have, and I am liking the flashes.

Defensively, which is no surprise with kids getting more of the playing time, MU was getting beat physically. Yesterday's opponent free throw rate was double MU's defensive average, which is where the game was decided. MU actually outscored Nova from the field (2/3s combined), but was out rebounded and outmuscled by Nova (and other BE teams have in a very physical league).

That Nova run in the back quarter of the first half was the point where the game first got away from MU (from the 6 minute to 2 minute mark), but the team regrouped in the 2nd, despite Nova's hot start again to begin the 2nd half out of the locker room (first four minutes). Great teams like Nova win with their runs. MU was very good for 32 minutes.

[HutchwasClutch]

At this point I think Cohen is the worst defender.  Both he and JJJ get out of position, yet Cohen doesn't really make any plays like JJJ does that result in easy transition points off steals.

Fox did one of their inside the huddles in the first half where Wojo was busting their chops for trying to get upcourt before securing the ball.  That was right after a great play by Sandy where his guy dribbled past him, but he recovered, and because of his length and athleticism made a clean block from behind.  

Cohen's length and athletic ability make for tantalizing defensive potential.  And the above mentioned play is not the only occasion where he's shown that ability.  

[HutchwasClutch]

Way, way, way, way too many defensive breakdowns yesterday.  They are still a poor man defense team.  And a team like 'Nova is going to kill you with any missteps defensively, which they did.

But agree completely with everyone else that their effort was fantastic yesterday, and impressed to with really a pretty solid overall offensive & shooting performance. 

[HutchwasClutch]

Encouraged by STJ's play offensively in the low post - some nice post moves, had a nice drive and dish to Fisher for an easy two.  But that dude has got to quit being so in love with jacking threes.  Do your work from 17 feet on it STJ, and results will be good.  Reason to feel encouraged about next year for him.

[willie warrior]

Encouraged by STJ's play offensively in the low post - some nice post moves, had a nice drive and dish to Fisher for an easy two.  But that dude has got to quit being so in love with jacking threes.  Do your work from 17 feet on it STJ, and results will be good.  Reason to feel encouraged about next year for him.

If he jacks a 3 late in the shot clock, fine, but too many times he throws them when the offense has not even set.Hhe has no business doing that. His game is from 12 feet in.

[HutchwasClutch]

Really will be rooting for 'Nova and the rest of the Big East in the tournament.  Our conference needs someone to make a big run, that would buy so much instant credibility for the reconfigured league.  I think 'Nova is up to it this year, well coached, experienced, deep.  We'll see. 

Talk this time of year is always about how many teams will make the field from a conference, but I don't think that matters nearly as much,be it 5 or 6, (Seton Hall is done unless they win it all @ MSG).  The teams that do get in have to win.  Hardly anyone remembers or cares after the tournament how many a conference puts in the field, but what kind of run is made for those that do make it.  That's what everyone points to after it all shakes out.

[Lighthouse 84]

Apparently in his post game interview on the radio, Wojo brought up JJJ and how he has been bringing it every day in practice and the results have been apparent on the floor.  

To 99% of the people who follow this program, it is very obvious.  JJJ was benched v. X for not bringing it in practice.  He learned his lesson.  He is practicing harder.  The results are showing.

Ners with his contorted logic, and TW with his axe to grind, have been shown to be flat out wrong.  Wojo has reached JJJ.  JJJ has developed under his coaching.  And JJJ seems to be the same guy he has always been - not chafing under Wojo's "buttoned down" or "corporate" style.  I fully expect JJJ to stay and thrive here after this year.

This is exactly the point. Specifically, it's exactly the point Ners, TW and a couple of others can't grasp. JjJ had a terrible week of practice according to WoJo.  It doesn't mean he's playing better or worse than the magical 6 games that keep getting referenced. It means he had a terrible week of practice.

I'd love to know if JjJ has said anything publicly about the fact that he deserved the kick in the ass.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Love our fight.  However,one trend that is disturbing is our play in the second half of games.  Whether we are up or down Wojo and or Derrick slow down the tempo of play.  The result is that we lose any momentum that we had, and allow the other team to take the lead or run up the score.  Sometimes I get the feeling that Derrick is helping the other team win.

[NotAnAlum]

Everybody is well aware of Derrick's limitations.  I will be the first to say that I wish we had other options but there are things that he brings to this team that they really need and no one else seems to be able to do.  For example when MU was reeling from the run Nova put on in the first half at around the 5 minute mark our guys came down and appeared "beaten", the spacing wasn't good the hand offs were sloppy, it had the beginning of a blow out written all over it.  It was like Derrick understood that he had to do something on his own to stop the bleeding.  He drove the lane, made a tough shot with a foul.  He missed the free throw (after all this is Derrick we are talking about) but it seemed to stabilize the team.  We were able to go in at half a few minutes later down by 9 with some hope of making it a game. 
Right now he seems to be the only guy who can provide that leadership.  That is why the team plays better when he is out there even though it doesn't look like he contributes much in the box score. 
Next year I hope we get that understanding of what the team needs from someone who can also score, hopefully Duane.  But Duane doesn't have it right now.  Nobody else does on MU.
 

[Big Papi]

False. Avg FT% performance would have added 2 points to MU's total. Non-issue.

Villanova shot better than us, rebounded better and got to the line more often. We held a small edge in turnovers, but Nova's TO rate was still only ~15%.

What lost the game was Nova shooting well and getting to the line a ton... but they are the best offensive in the BEast and one of the better offenses in America... who are good at what they did well today (shooting, getting to the line, limiting miscues).

You can't dismiss that as a non-issue.  The point is our team in general is not a good free throw shooting team.  Sixty percent for the game sucks.  Missing the front end of 1 and 1s suck.  Especially for a team that struggles to score in general.  I was not comparing our awful free throw shooting to our awful Avg FT% to where it adds 2 points.  I was comparing it to teams that are good free throw shooting teams where an additional 4 or 5 points would have made the game interesting.  FYI, as a team we shoot 67.0 percent, good for 243rd out of 345 teams.  This team can't afford to give away points at the line especially if we allow 11-21 three point shooting.

[tower912]

Love our fight.  However,one trend that is disturbing is our play in the second half of games.  Whether we are up or down Wojo and or Derrick slow down the tempo of play.  The result is that we lose any momentum that we had, and allow the other team to take the lead or run up the score.  Sometimes I get the feeling that Derrick is helping the other team win.

Derrick:   4-7 shooting, 1-4 from the line, 10 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 40 minutes.    Just stop. 

[brewcity77]

Derrick:   4-7 shooting, 1-4 from the line, 10 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 40 minutes.    Just stop. 

Can you imagine how good Derrick would be if he would just try to actually run the offense? Probably average 15-20 assists per game!

[mattyv1908]

Most of those were 'basic' assists Tower.....