Momma said there'd be days like this

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

How come our defense sucks every year

Because we play 2 players under 6 foot 30 MPG. And outside of Theo, our frontcourt players are not intimidating.

Defense SHOULD be much improved next season. 

[Goose]

4ever,

I agree with Froling making a three as a bad thing. I wish he never would shoot another one. Get that big body down low and see what happens.

Said after the first X game, I think they are really, really good. I disagree with Lenny, I think they are legit top 10 team this year.

[BM1090]

4ever,

I agree with Froling making a three as a bad thing. I wish he never would shoot another one. Get that big body down low and see what happens.

Said after the first X game, I think they are really, really good. I disagree with Lenny, I think they are legit top 10 team this year.

I just can't agree with this about Froling. The coaches clearly believe he is a 35%+ 3P shooter or they wouldn't be letting him hoist those shots. After he knocked one down yesterday, he got the ball on the right wing, pump faked and got his guy in the air, and drove to the hoop for a layup. That's a dimension that none of our other bigs have. If he can take and make some 3s it adds another option to our offense.

[ATL MU Warrior]

4ever,

I agree with Froling making a three as a bad thing. I wish he never would shoot another one. Get that big body down low and see what happens.

Said after the first X game, I think they are really, really good. I disagree with Lenny, I think they are legit top 10 team this year.

Froling is not a banger nor is he an intimidating interior presence.  He's being utilized correctly IMO to space the floor, create driving lanes and pull the other team's big away from the basket.

[brewcity77]

Froling is only taking 0-2 threes most games. He took 5 in his first game and 3 last night. The guy isn't hoisting from three every time he gets the ball, and him being on the perimeter gives him another angle to pass from, which is probably his most effective offensive skill so far. I don't think he's going to start putting up 5-7 threes just because he made one. Regardless, if he's able to occasionally hit one, even at a 25-30% clip, teams have to respect him out there. That helps everyone.

[4everwarriors]

I'd prefer these tall dudes learn the game from the inside to the perimeter. Thon Maker does the same thing with the Bucks. Maybe its an Australian thing, hey?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Disagree with that. They've been largely bad since the Hall game.

I don't remember the exact number but prior to last night Bartovik had as us a top 20 team over the previous 5 games. We had been playing very well.

[Windyplayer]

Froling is not a banger nor is he an intimidating interior presence.  He's being utilized correctly IMO to space the floor, create driving lanes and pull the other team's big away from the basket.

I completely disagree with this. The few times Froling musters up the courage to bang in the paint he usually gets to where he wants to (that might be what impresses me most about his [still developing] game). I want to see more of it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

How come our defense sucks every year

Depends on your definition of "sucks." In Wojo's first year we had a top 75 defense. In the second year, we had a top 100. Neither great but defenses you could win with (it was our offenses that sucked). The past two years we have an elite offense and an awful defense. Why? See Rowsey, Andrew and Howard, Markus. They are to defense what Derrick Wilson was to offense....they make all of their teammates worse just by being on the court.

[ATL MU Warrior]

I completely disagree with this. The few times Froling musters up the courage to bang in the paint he usually gets to where he wants to (that might be what impresses me most about his [still developing] game). I want to see more of it.

Personally, I don't usually think anything good is going to happen when he gets the ball in the post and tries to back his guy down.  He's improving, but more often than not he seems to get bumped off his move and throws up a terrible off-balance prayer, which is why I say I don't think he's a banger.  He does have a nice ability to pass from the post. 

[Mr. Nielsen]

Why are people harping on the "9 days" thing? 

I'm not hung up or gave it a thought. That said, you would think with 9 days of preparation they would put up a fight.

[GooooMarquette]

Because we play 2 players under 6 foot 30 MPG.

Don't think Wojo is gonna buy that a guy under 6 feet can't play solid D....

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Don't think Wojo is gonna buy that a guy under 6 feet can't play solid D....

But two of them?  On the court at the same time?  Its a disaster.

Height is one of their main deterrents defensively, but they're also just not good defenders.  There are plenty of dudes under 6 feet that can play d.  They unfortunate aren't in that group.  Hoping Markus can improve in that regard as an upperclassman.

[D'Lo Brown]

Personally, I don't usually think anything good is going to happen when he gets the ball in the post and tries to back his guy down.  He's improving, but more often than not he seems to get bumped off his move and throws up a terrible off-balance prayer, which is why I say I don't think he's a banger.  He does have a nice ability to pass from the post.

This is correct. He doesn't get to where he wants to be. When he has his back to the basket, generally speaking he has already decided on putting up a shot regardless of where he gets to and regardless of whether it is a schoolyard brick. We've seen him get manhandled while trying to back his man down and unable to recognize the sub-5% chance of making the shot.

I think it would be a huge weapon if he had the ability to back his man down, recognize it ain't happening, and hit a driver on the run or kick out on the double team. This would be a big development for him and potentially fill a void in the offense currently occupied by Heldt. Heldt has strong decision-making skills and displays the ability to execute these sequences... The only issue is that since he can't even threaten offensive ability, teams don't work too hard to collapse on him or concern themselves. All that said, as of today Heldt is still a far better fit in the overall gameplan than Harry because the team needs strong decision-making offensively, in order to primarily focus on finding a good shot for one of Howard/Rowsey/Hauser.

Harry has a relatively smooth looking offensive game on TV but it doesn't functionally add up to much today.

[GooooMarquette]

But two of them?  On the court at the same time?  Its a disaster.

Height is one of their main deterrents defensively, but they're also just not good defenders.  There are plenty of dudes under 6 feet that can play d.  They unfortunate aren't in that group.  Hoping Markus can improve in that regard as an upperclassman.

My point is simply that you don't need to be 6 feet tall to be a good defender.

[lohaus]

Because we play 2 players under 6 foot 30 MPG. And outside of Theo, our frontcourt players are not intimidating.

Defense SHOULD be much improved next season.

6 foot? Probably more like 5'10"!  You can't have 40% of your team on the floor at one time be terrible defenders under 5'10" and wonder why your team's defense stinks.  They work hard it seems on defense. . . just too small!

I agree with the other poster.  I would like to see Theo John set the tone from the start of the game.  I would rather see that then the Erik Williams/Jae Crowder starter minutes comparison.  Harry is a good rebounds and keeps a lot of possessions alive.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

My point is simply that you don't need to be 6 feet tall to be a good defender.

Understood.

[DienerTime34]

6 foot? Probably more like 5'10"!  You can't have 40% of your team on the floor at one time be terrible defenders under 5'10" and wonder why your team's defense stinks.  They work hard it seems on defense. . . just too small!

I agree with the other poster.  I would like to see Theo John set the tone from the start of the game.  I would rather see that then the Erik Williams/Jae Crowder starter minutes comparison.  Harry is a good rebounds and keeps a lot of possessions alive.

I remember making the NCAA tournament with a 5'6 PG and 6' SG while starting a 6'5 C. Teamed seemed pretty good defensively. Maybe the ability to teach is the difference.

[lohaus]

Regardless of height (how about that?) you can't have 40% of the team on the floor be terrible defenders

[Porky's Butthole]

Last night was still not as embarrassing as being down to Vandy 37-8 with 10min to go in the first half on our own floor 7 yrs ago or whenever that was.  That was rock bottom, despite the fact that I think we made sweet 16 that year.

[Stretchdeltsig]

I remember making the NCAA tournament with a 5'6 PG and 6' SG while starting a 6'5 C. Teamed seemed pretty good defensively. Maybe the ability to teach is the difference.

Agree.  We have the height and talent but don't defend.  It seems to be terrible coaching.  We couldn't defend the rim.  We can't stop a layup.  Wojo needs to concentrate on defense to allow this team to win.

Look at how effective Xavier was stopping Sam and Andrew.  We can't stop the last guy off the Xavier bench from scoring.

[cheese ball chaser]

This is correct. He doesn't get to where he wants to be. When he has his back to the basket, generally speaking he has already decided on putting up a shot regardless of where he gets to and regardless of whether it is a schoolyard brick. We've seen him get manhandled while trying to back his man down and unable to recognize the sub-5% chance of making the shot.

I think it would be a huge weapon if he had the ability to back his man down, recognize it ain't happening, and hit a driver on the run or kick out on the double team. This would be a big development for him and potentially fill a void in the offense currently occupied by Heldt. Heldt has strong decision-making skills and displays the ability to execute these sequences... The only issue is that since he can't even threaten offensive ability, teams don't work too hard to collapse on him or concern themselves. All that said, as of today Heldt is still a far better fit in the overall gameplan than Harry because the team needs strong decision-making offensively, in order to primarily focus on finding a good shot for one of Howard/Rowsey/Hauser.

Harry has a relatively smooth looking offensive game on TV but it doesn't functionally add up to much today.

I fully agree with this. I was watching the Spurs the other day and LaMarcus Aldridge really demonstrates this ability well. When his teammates feed him in the post, he has the capability of either turning around and making the jumper or passing out to an open driver or shooter. That turnaround jumper is a really high percentage shot and  gives their offense more options.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Regardless of height (how about that?) you can't have 40% of the team on the floor be terrible defenders

This is the most correct statement.

Sure height makes being a good defender more difficult, but chalking our issues up to height is wrong. Howard and Rowsey are terrible defender, regardless of height. If they were 6"6 and had their same defensive skills they would still be terrible defenders. Having them on the defensive end of the floor is like having two Derrick Wilsons on the offensive end of the floor. There is no scheme, no coaching that could turn this team into a quality defensive squad without significantly hampering the offense. Now that's not to say the defense is as good as it could be, I'm sure there are other coaches who could get a little more defensive ability out of them. But the ceiling for this squad's defense (without significantly harming the offense) is probably around a 90-115th ranked defense.

Now, who is responsible for recruiting and developing defensive talent? Wojo. He's failing in that regard but has been making up for it by being one of the best offensive coaches (if not the best) that we have ever had. The result appears to be a bubble team. We can gnash our teeth as much we want but there is no magic fix that is going to improve our defense without harming our offense midseason. Just be thankful we don't have the opposite problem. At least we are exciting to watch.

Now this whole elite offense terrible defense bubble team thing is fine this season. But this is the last season where that is true. Wojo sold the university on a 5 year plan with year 5 being a team capable of making a deep tournament run while also having a foundation for several consecutive years of success. If the defense is like this next season, it doesn't matter how good the offense is, he won't have fulfilled his promise.

[Marcus92]

Even Mike Dean had decent D with a lot less talent.

We need to play better D. But Mike Deane never coached in the third-toughest conference in the country.

[The Lens]

We need to play better D. But Mike Deane never coached in the third-toughest conference in the country.

YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH!  I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU NAVIGATE THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE DIVISIONS.  Wojo only has to coach in ONE division.