Hoya thoughts

[Norm]

Watch some tape of Sandy from last season. Noticeably stronger this year.

Really? He does not seem that much bigger to me.

[RJax55]

Dumb question but who is the strength and conditioning coach? Couldn't find it on the basketball site

Todd Smith. The same SC guy from the late Crean era and during all of Buzz's tenure. That's the part that puzzles me, but this is a noticeable issue.

[muhoops1]

My middle son volunteered in the weight room this fall.  MU has a very rigorous, high tech weight training regimen for each sport.

[Norm]

Then maybe MU is just recruiting guys who are pretty skinny with high metabolisms that just won't put on weight. Compared to Georgetown today we looked very skinny in comparison.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Really? He does not seem that much bigger to me.

Freshmen Year:  180 lbs.
http://www.anonymouseagle.com/2015/4/14/8410037/marquette-basketball-2014-2015-player-review-sandy-cohen
Sophomore Year: 200 lbs.
http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sandy_cohen_iii_903476.html

[Herman Cain]

Then maybe MU is just recruiting guys who are pretty skinny with high metabolisms that just won't put on weight. Compared to Georgetown today we looked very skinny in comparison.

I have been down in the weight room and seen the guys working out. Everyone on the team has put on muscle. Sandy and JJJ are both up to 200. They were bean poles to start with so progress comes over time. Hard to put on muscle and keep on weight during season.

[MU82]

Just back from game, had great seats behind bench. 

The size and quickness of Georgetown players as opposed to MU is remarkable.  Everyone with exception of Carter are so much smaller in physical size.  A Georgetown fan sitting next to me even asked why MU has so many skinny kids and farm boys and asked didn't they recruit the city kids.  I told him one farm boy is a prep All American and he responded by saying "Tell that to Marcus (Derrickson).  Couldn't say much at that.... Don't know what rebounding margin was but sure it was Georgetown by a boatload. Cohen, Wilson, JJJ, Fischer, Cheatham all very lean. Amazing.

Never seen so many close-in misses by a bigman than Fischer has.  He has one shot and that is a little hook.  He has no face up shot and that it probably why he is a poor free throw shooter and the opposition knows that.  Wojo yelled at him something to the effect, "Can't you make anything" and sat him the last five minutes. 

Changing point in game was when MU down 8 with like 10 to go.  Henry missed a three, Fischer a hook, and Wilson had three or four drives that missed.  The whole time, Georgetown did not score.  Then Cohen fouled on three pointer, up by 12.  Very poor possessions and that was it.  Henry continues to shoot threes and probably around 20% for the year.

Again, MU won the turnover war big time, but lost the game just like SH.
Scoreboard said MU missed 9 free throws and Georgetown went 22 for 23.  Impressive, but 9 point difference.
DSR had last 12 Georgetown points.

Henry has the skill set, you can see it in a kid his size.  But his defense was horrible, that Derrickson killed him in first half and was so much stronger physically.  He continues to struggle, but you can see potential in his size and ability.

Last thing, some may get on Carter, but he was the only vocal one calling out his teammates, urging them on like a mad man, especially in first half.  Didn't know if any of it was caught on camera.  Good for him.

Thanks for these interesting observations, nyg. I agree wholeheartedly about the turning point. When GT got that 4-point play, I said, "Man, we had about 1,000 chances to get within 6 when we were playing some pretty solid D but we just couldn't get the hoop. And now we're down 12 ... just like that."

[MarquetteDano]

Our defense is an issue. We have given up 40 &'49 points in the first halves of conference.  And would have given up more in GTown second half but we turned them over. Wonder if the defense should focus on steals and creating transition baskets going forward as our half court defense is weak.

[Herman Cain]

Our defense is an issue. We have given up 40 &'49 points in the first halves of conference.  And would have given up more in GTown second half but we turned them over. Wonder if the defense should focus on steals and creating transition baskets going forward as our half court defense is weak.

Yes they should.

[brewcity77]

Thanks for these interesting observations, nyg. I agree wholeheartedly about the turning point. When GT got that 4-point play, I said, "Man, we had about 1,000 chances to get within 6 when we were playing some pretty solid D but we just couldn't get the hoop. And now we're down 12 ... just like that."

Second half defense was excellent. Got boards, created turnovers, and made stops. Had our offense been just okay we would have beat them clean going away. But too many missed two-footers, too many wasted offensive possessions, too many out of rhythm forced shots, and too many missed free throws to make a comeback.

[geps]

4-14, like last year, may be realistic.

We didn't have a NBA lottery pick last year. 4-14 would be shameful.

[Herman Cain]

We didn't have a NBA lottery pick last year. 4-14 would be shameful.

We don't have one this year either.

[wadesworld]

We don't have one this year either.

Lol. You're on a roll tonight.

[hepennypacker5000]

Kinda surprised people here are mentioning the S&C coach like that's the issue. Sandy, Duane, and JJJ have all improved, but they just don't have the frame to be Deonte, and it probably wouldn't help their game. I don't know how Luke has changed since he got here, but having an injured shoulder + surgery more than likely affected what he could do in the weight room.

There's a video on MU's Youtube channel where they get into what MU does in the weight room, and the focus is on increasing power, aka weight lifted + speed. Their emphasis seems to be on Olympic type lifts. As an outsider that seems like the right focus for basketball, and strength + speed under the bar doesn't necessarily translate to size, especially when you're conditioning as hard as they are.

[WarriorPride68]

I have been down in the weight room and seen the guys working out. Everyone on the team has put on muscle. Sandy and JJJ are both up to 200. They were bean poles to start with so progress comes over time. Hard to put on muscle and keep on weight during season.

I never thought Dekker would transform his body like he did so quickly, so it's definitely possible:



Left: Freshman. Right: summer before Junior year

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Missed bunnies was the difference in this game. Gotta believe those will fall more in the future. Thought Wojo did a good job keeping the boys' heads in the game. Loved the defensive adjustment in the second half. Nuetralized DSR for the first 38 minutes of the game. A lot of good things in this loss. Make some more bunnies and we win.

[forgetful]

I never thought Dekker would transform his body like he did so quickly, so it's definitely possible:



Left: Freshman. Right: summer before Junior year

Two words.  Steroids and HGH.

[vogue65]

Missed bunnies was the difference in this game. Gotta believe those will fall more in the future. Thought Wojo did a good job keeping the boys' heads in the game. Loved the defensive adjustment in the second half. Nuetralized DSR for the first 38 minutes of the game. A lot of good things in this loss. Make some more bunnies and we win.

It is all about adjustments.  Does the coach talk to the assistants during in game?  Does coach "K" talk it over with his assistants during the game?

[real chili 83]

Two big keys.

When GTown begged us to take the lead in the second half, we puked on our shoes.

We let DSR wake up and score 12 points in the last two minutes of the game.

This game was winnable.

[GGGG]

My comment is on strength and conditioning only. I just don't see an improvement in the physique and strength from the returning guys.

It's the frames. Sandy could lift weights continuously and he will never look like Jae or DJO.

[GGGG]

Agree with nyg regarding HE shooting three's. He still thinks he is in HS. He has no business playing out there and he can't make them. Get near the basket and stop playing the perimeter. He is not using his size playing outside.

Someone said it in another thread, but he needs to be used as a stretch 4.  Mid range is where he can make his shots.

I also don't understand all the complaining about his game. Even McD AAs are inconsistent. Were people expecting a 20/15 guy?

[NickelDimer]

Our second half yesterday was no better than our first half vs SH. I saw little to no improvement honestly. And if GU hadn't gone ice cold in the second half this would've been a 20+ point loss. I didn't jump off the bridge after SH, but the reality is we're not good right now and our ceiling is really low.

[brewcity77]

Someone said it in another thread, but he needs to be used as a stretch 4.  Mid range is where he can make his shots.

I also don't understand all the complaining about his game. Even McD AAs are inconsistent. Were people expecting a 20/15 guy?

Probably more that we need him to be a 20/15 guy right now, and the first couple conference games have been disappointing, as the points not achieved on Henry's 22 misses were more than enough in each game to make up the margin of defeat.

Henry's playing young, just like much of our team. My biggest disappointment after two conference games is that he is shooting below 25% from the floor and still averaging 13 ppg. If your shots aren't falling, maybe it's time to be willing to defer more. I fully understand that probably isn't in his DNA.

What we're seeing is similar to the complaints about Carlino last year when he shot poorly. Takes too many shots, can't defend, should just give up the ball. The problem for Hank right now is he's had two of those games back to back and they are arguably the two most important games of the season.

Me personally, I'm okay with most of his game. Rebounding is very good, capable of making some highlight reel plays, and many of his shots inside the arc are good looks that just aren't falling.

My main problem is he shoots the three way too much for my liking, and almost never in flow of the offense. Usually, when he takes a three, the ball comes to him, you see him hesitate for a second, think about his options, then shoot the three. Great three point shooters don't hesitate, they catch and fire. If he can't do that, he should be moving the ball on, because we're doing a terrible job of getting those long rebounds on threes, especially with him not in position under the hoop.

Otherwise...this team is what it is. The cupcake schedule coupled with wins over some teams that were overrated in the preseason probably elevated expectations a bit much. I still believe we'll see this team improve as the year goes on. I still think we can win 8-10 in league and get to the NIT, and don't think a late run is impossible if these guys do improve. This start sucks, but if we can get to 3-5 (looking at the schedule it's very doable), there are winnable games down the stretch.

[MU82]

Someone said it in another thread, but he needs to be used as a stretch 4.  Mid range is where he can make his shots.

I also don't understand all the complaining about his game. Even McD AAs are inconsistent. Were people expecting a 20/15 guy?

I can't speak to what "people" were expecting, only this one particular people that is me.

I actually had fairly low expectations. I had never seen him play one second before I watched the Belmont game, and I am a skeptic at heart so I thought he was probably overhyped.

I then watched each of our games and attended the Brooklyn event in person. And, yes, I was generally impressed with his offensive versatility and basketball IQ. By the end of November, I wasn't expecting 20 and 15 but I was expecting 16 and 10, and he mostly has delivered.

I like to think I'm not "complaining about his game," just discussing my observations. Saying he needs to improve his man-to-man defense, isn't effective as a wing in our zone defense and should probably be taking fewer 3s is not "complaining." Every player can improve -- Jordan was still improving into his 30s -- and I expect Henry will.

I think most of our fellow Scoopers do similar "complaining." We want Henry to do well and the team to succeed. Just because we discuss what we see doesn't mean we are bitchin'.

Now, I grant you that some are, but I think they are in the distinct minority. I hope so, anyway.

[NickelDimer]

Agree with nyg regarding HE shooting three's. He still thinks he is in HS. He has no business playing out there and he can't make them. Get near the basket and stop playing the perimeter. He is not using his size playing outside.

It's hard not to think that some of that comes from his wanting to "display" his versatility