Pirate's Ponderings

[MUfan12]

In early 2010 we struggled mightily to win these types of games. It took time, but we got better at it. This shows we can compete with a team that humiliated us twice last year. Anyone looking at today as a bigger negative than positive is off base. Sure, it sucks to lose, but today was a good sign.

Exactly. Most of what went wrong is controllable and correctable, but it's also some awful luck to have it all go down at once.

Chit happens, ai'na?

[We R Final Four]

Can someone help out here.

My buddy watched game and asked why wasn't Luke lined up under the basket on the free throw miss.  He said he was up by the shooter.  I said I didn't notice and now I am just curious if that was correct.

Anyone see that or have a replay, if not no big deal.

No--Luke was on the low block/first position where he should have been.
Sonogo was shooting the FT.......either JJJ or Haani needs to block out the shooter. Neither did. Sonogo goes in and keeps ball alive for Carribgton to score and get fouled.

[Jay Bee]

That is a shocking stat.   Is it the extremes that bungle it?  Like, Nova wins 8 on the road, DePaul/SJU loses 8.

Partly. MU I believe was 4-5 on the road AND at home last year.

[MerrittsMustache]

Twice this season MU has lost a game that they had all but won. While neither is a "bad loss" on paper, these are the types of games that can be the difference between the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.

[lohaus]

Regarding something Tower said earlier in the thread about not going to stew or be bitter. You are a better man than I. Bitter, check. Stewing, check. I think it is because MU was right there at the end, it seems they overcame a lot just get out toughed in the last minute of the game. A bunch of folks have said it in different ways but Wojo needs a 6'7-6'9 bad ass on the roster at all times that will get "that" rebound or defend the paint in a way that gives the opposing team a little something extra to think about. MU really needed that one, so close, so close......

Theo John!

[MU82]

A lot of people looking at this game and it makes them pessimistic.

That is weird because this game made me optimistic.  Defense has improved.  The occasional zone is working.  That is big.

Yes we choked down the end with poor defensive rebounding and some missed layups but last year Seton Hall smoked us both home and away.  We had no chance to choke.

We are very evenly matched with them this year.  If Duane can get healthy and Cheatham gets out of his offensive funk (his D is looking good this year) I say this is a tourney team.

This.

And what brew said, too.

I was frustrated after we failed to get that last FT rebound and tossed my TV remote to the ground. But a couple minutes after the game, I said: "That was a tough one. But I actually come away encouraged."

[SuddenSam]

Not sure we can compare this year vs. SHU to last year.  Much different team last year with Gordon and Whitehead.  If they are still there we probably get smoked again with our lapses.  We certainly showed better with great opportunity to win this year, and no doubt improved on offense.  Good that we could compete despite the lapses on offense, we bounce back and will be tough for just about all in BEAST.

[GGGG]

My one observation:  Progress is slow and steady, an oftentimes with terrible missteps, but there is progress.

[Newsdreams]

JJJ makes mind-boggling stupid decisions on a regular basis. He should have been seated for the last minute. The lost rebound, where he falls down and pushes Hauser out of the play, followed by the drive-turnover, were too much for me.  He can't be on the court when it matters.

Who would you sub in for him?
It was not only the 30+ seconds of 2nd half. What about the end of first half, we lost the lead.

[GGGG]

If it were up to the Scoop Collective, the only people allowed on the floor during crunch time would be Cam Marotta and the equipment manager.

[dgies9156]

This.

And what brew said, too.

I was frustrated after we failed to get that last FT rebound and tossed my TV remote to the ground. But a couple minutes after the game, I said: "That was a tough one. But I actually come away encouraged."

Me three.

We sometimes forget these guys are kids, even by college basketball standards. As such, I promise they're going to make sometimes painful mistakes. They'll blow games, like they did Sunday. Is that any different than those of us who prepared well for an examination, studied and worked to be ready and then found out that somehow we just didn't get to where the professor thought we should? It happens.

Even in the Al era, we lost games we should have won. In the Majerus era, we had North Carolina beaten at home in the old Arena only to let that one slip away too in about the last 1.5 minutes. With Crean in DWade's first year, we lost a game at the NCAAs in St. Louis to Tulsa that we NEVER should have lost. We just did not show up that day. We had our heads handed to us last year by Iowa, which was a good team but not THAT good!

I think that if we could play for 39.5 minutes with Seton Hall at their place, we're getting there. I thought our defense was better than I have seen in a long time. I thought it was interesting that we played as a team and that a different Warrior seems to be taking the lead every week. We're exciting to watch and a lot of us are disappointed because we saw our Warriors as having this one in the bag. Wojo coached a great game and our team met the challenge most of the way.

We'll get 'em in Milwaukee!

[MUBigDance]

I'm depressed about that loss...better put it behind me.

[Marcus92]

The subject line for this one could be: "Pirates' stolen booty."

The win was ours. And then it wasn't.

[Marcus92]

Or simply: "Arrrrrr!!!!!"

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Silver over on the other board made this point. Hadn't seen it posted anywhere here. JJJ went 0/8 in the half court offense yesterday. He went 4/5 in transition. I didn't see the game. Was this JJJ not playing in the offense or was it Seton Hall defending him very well?

[GGGG]

Silver over on the other board made this point. Hadn't seen it posted anywhere here. JJJ went 0/8 in the half court offense yesterday. He went 4/5 in transition. I didn't see the game. Was this JJJ not playing in the offense or was it Seton Hall defending him very well?

I'm not sure 0/8 is accurate.  But anyway they were playing him very well.  They knew he likes to run the curl off the baseline and pretty much had it cut off.  He did miss a couple shots that he usually makes though.

[tower912]

He did not finish through traffic or contact.   

[bilsu]

That is a shocking stat.   Is it the extremes that bungle it?  Like, Nova wins 8 on the road, DePaul/SJU loses 8.

MU contributes to it by losing home games to DePaul and Creighton and then beating those same two teams on the road.

[bilsu]

Silver over on the other board made this point. Hadn't seen it posted anywhere here. JJJ went 0/8 in the half court offense yesterday. He went 4/5 in transition. I didn't see the game. Was this JJJ not playing in the offense or was it Seton Hall defending him very well?

JJJ tries to force things on offense. He does it every game and often turns the ball over as he tries to bail himself out with a bad pass to another player.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Thread title should be: Yarrr! That blows.

[MU82]

I'm not sure 0/8 is accurate.  But anyway they were playing him very well.  They knew he likes to run the curl off the baseline and pretty much had it cut off.  He did miss a couple shots that he usually makes though.

Agreed. He missed two of the elbow-area jumpers that he usually makes - I actually said, "Nice" as he took them, because I really like that shot out of our offense. I also like the FT-line jumper that Sam made this game and I think Katin an earlier game.

I've become a big JJJ fan, but he was definitely out of sorts on offense most of the game. Out of control a few times, a little rushed. They did defend him well, too.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Thread title should be: Yarrr! That blows.

I chuckled

[Galway Eagle]

In early 2010 we struggled mightily to win these types of games. It took time, but we got better at it. This shows we can compete with a team that humiliated us twice last year. Anyone looking at today as a bigger negative than positive is off base. Sure, it sucks to lose, but today was a good sign.

It wasn't just early 2010... our season ended that year the same way it was rang in... a buzzer beater heart break

[brewcity77]

It wasn't just early 2010... our season ended that year the same way it was rang in... a buzzer beater heart break

Oh, I remember all too well. After FSU, West Virginia, Villanova, it felt like we finally had that holding on thing figured out. Man, that Washington game was a party...and then they stormed back from what, 18 down? Quincy Pondexter. SMDH.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

No--Luke was on the low block/first position where he should have been.
Sonogo was shooting the FT.......either JJJ or Haani needs to block out the shooter. Neither did. Sonogo goes in and keeps ball alive for Carribgton to score and get fouled.

Kinda related, but did you know, starting this year in high school basketball in Illinois you can't box out the free throw shooter anymore.

You can get in front of him, but if you put a body on the shooter at all, it's now a technical foul. Which by the way, may be the dumbest rule in basketball.