UCLA is #4. MU is not.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Salty Wojo stans are so salty and it’s so hilarious 

Oh, he doesn't like Wojo either, but he really hates Shaka's tone.

[cheebs09]

I'm very pleased at being 8-3 at this point,and so would most people when the season started!

Yea, going into this one, I expected a rough one and got it. I think this non-conference has already been a success.

It’s not always going to be pretty. Big East play will be very interesting. Especially the second leg of the round robin. I’m hoping to see improvement in the second matchups and maybe we can hang out on the bubble most of the season.

[Fred Garvin]

That's what I'm hoping for, ncaa bubble,not lock would be great this year!

[Vander Blue Man Group]

We have astute fans VBM.  I agree that 8-3 is 8-3 and we should be pleased with that going into the BEast schedule.  But I think it's fair to share concerns after watching the last three games.  The shooting is quite worrisome because we essentially put all our eggs in one basket.   We play in one of the best conferences in the country and I just think tbe fans understand that we have areas we drastically need to improve.

And we have plenty of idiot fans, like any fanbase. 

There's always concerns.  The issue is the fans that have created unrealistic expectations for themselves with a better than expected start.

If this team is even on the bubble this season that's quite an accomplishment. 

Peaks and valleys are going to happen all season.  I'm all about how we're playing the last 6 weeks of the season (February going forward).

[RushmoreAcademy]

This team was picked 9th in the conference by people whose job it is to study the league and know all the teams. Yet our struggles are a shock to people whose only source of info on most of the teams is from reading articles from the very same people who made those predictions.

[MuggsyB]

It’s a double edged sword. If we slow it down, we can’t score in the half court. If we speed it up, we give up easy baskets.

I understand that but I think it's a bit more nuanced.  I'm certainly not advocating we play slow but you can play fast, yielding more possessions, and consistently take bad shots.  Your opponent should also impact your overall tempo.  I would say that we need to understand what a good and bad shot is and that doesn't always mean heave it if you're open.  I also think we need to do a far better job of screening and spacing which would lead more paint opportunities.  Whatever people think of our tempo I feel the shot selection has to be better.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Agree. 8-3 is a huge success for this group. We’re in a position to be on the bubble with 500 play from here on out.

There’s been some reason for concern in this past week’s games that lead me to believe we may have already peaked as far as this season’s team success goes (ie we may fall off the cliff now).

We may have peaked.  It's certainly possible.  For me, it's all about development. 

[MuggsyB]

And we have plenty of idiot fans, like any fanbase. 

There's always concerns.  The issue is the fans that have created unrealistic expectations for themselves with a better than expected start.

If this team is even on the bubble this season that's quite an accomplishment. 

Peaks and valleys are going to happen all season.  I'm all about how we're playing the last 6 weeks of the season (February going forward).

I agree with you here for the most part. 

[Lennys Tap]

Shaka must like Kolek, because he hardly sat after another bad game.  Some coaches would say you shoot another three, you’re sitting.  Must be a process thing.

Kolek leads the team in assists (by a mile), steals and assist to turnover ratio. He’s also the leading rebounder among our guards (God knows our front line needs help in that regard) and plays solid on ball defense. We only have one other PG (Stevie Mitchell). Like Kolek, so far he looks like a bad shooter - without as much of the other good stuff that Kolek brings.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I understand that but I think it's a bit more nuanced.  I'm certainly not advocating we play slow but you can play fast, yielding more possessions, and consistently take bad shots.  Your opponent should also impact your overall tempo.  I would say that we need to understand what a good and bad shot is and that doesn't always mean heave it if you're open.  I also think we need to do a far better job of screening and spacing which would lead more paint opportunities.  Whatever people think of our tempo I feel the shot selection has to be better.

As it stands now, we have ONE good shooter from 3 (Greg).  Justin has a pretty nice midrange touch.  So passing up solid shots, which we typically get, won't do much good.  We don't really have anyone right now that's going to break down the D and finish at the rim, either. 

[NCMUFan]

Easy to look bad against a very good team.
Marginal things become glaring weaknesses against a good team.
Important not to look like this against mediocre teams.

[cheebs09]

And we have plenty of idiot fans, like any fanbase. 

We are just lucky none of them post on Scoop.

[MU82]

We are a team with a dozen role players. Not one of our guys would be one of UCLA's best 3 players. As BLM and others have said, we need more talent -- period.

I have confidence that Shaka will add talent -- first, because he always has been able to populate his program with very good players; and second, because it's better than believing otherwise.

This season, we have what we have. We have to outwork teams, force turnovers, get a bit lucky that the opponent isn't hitting 3s, and hope we can hang around long enough to steal one at the end. That's a tough way to beat high-quality, well-coached, experienced opponents.

We have exactly one proven 3-point shooter, and even Elliott has been a low-usage guy his entire college career. Most teams have 3-4 of them, or more, so that puts us behind from the 3-point line almost every game before the opening tip. Very difficult to win in college basketball like that, especially for a system that emphasizes 3s.

In this game, we had very little margin for error. We needed Lewis, Morsell and Kolek to have big games to have a chance. None of them did. Frankly, it's amazing it was only an 11-point loss (though yes, it felt like more).

I'm not gonna lie -- as a fan, it's a bit concerning that a player as limited as Kolek is asked to do so much. Despite all the accolades that some were throwing Kolek's way earlier this season, he's not Travis Diener or Steve Nash. We don't know yet what he'll be. But I trust Shaka's judgment, and Shaka believes Kolek is by far his best PG. As a coach, he's playing the long game. He wants his "quarterback" to know the coach has his back, and is counting on that support helping later this season and in years to come. That can be frustrating for us fans, who care only about what we are seeing RIGHT NOW and might be thinking, "Get him outta there!"

We really have some mopes on Scoop; thankfully, only a few. New coach taking over a program that just about every Scooper spent last year saying was an absolute train wreck. We go 8-3 with some quality wins. And yet, for the mopey twats, if only we had a better coach, we'd have won 12 of our first 11 games. It must be tough going through life so angry about something as relatively unimportant as basketball.

[MuggsyB]

As it stands now, we have ONE good shooter from 3 (Greg).  Justin has a pretty nice midrange touch.  So passing up solid shots, which we typically get, won't do much good.  We don't really have anyone right now that's going to break down the D and finish at the rim, either.

Okay. Let's say all of this is true although I think some of our Frosh can get there.  If we can't shoot well, and don't really have a burner that can create off the bounce, should our strategy be to push it constantly with the dribble or perhaps be a little more methodical and focus on more screening, passing, cutting, getting paint touches, etc? 

[Billy Hoyle]

As it stands now, we have ONE good shooter from 3 (Greg).  Justin has a pretty nice midrange touch.  So passing up solid shots, which we typically get, won't do much good.  We don't really have anyone right now that's going to break down the D and finish at the rim, either.

My biggest concern is offense, jacking up threes when we don’t have shooters. We’re averaging 26.5 threes a game, we’re making 31.2%. We’re not going to win continuing to do that. Even on breaks we’re pulling up from the arc.

[DoctorV]

Easy to look bad against a very good team.
Marginal things become glaring weaknesses against a good team.
Important not to look like this against mediocre teams.

Right, 3 things though

1- There are very few mediocre teams left. MU is the mediocre team now.

2- I know this will seem hard to believe, but none of this brutal play from tonight will matter this year. What will matter is the 8-3 OOC record.
What now matters is the fresh season, and finding a winning record in those 20.
If that happens then finding a way to win just 1 when it really counts, or winning 2 and it becomes an amazing season.

3- the process is great and I love it, but I learned in the wojo years that to most lay people all that matters is March. So let’s somehow find a way to win March with a team that we wouldn’t expect to win mach.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Okay. Let's say all of this is true although I think some of our Frosh can get there.  If we can't shoot well, and don't really have a burner that can create off the bounce, should our strategy be to push it constantly with the dribble or perhaps be a little more methodical and focus on more screening, passing, cutting, getting paint touches, etc?

And with our personnel what is the latter approach going to accomplish?  Less wide open shots for guys that aren't great shooters? 

[MUfan12]

Afraid to attack. That's the biggest problem. Drive through arms if you have to.

They catch and the instinct is to shoot. Not drive at them. Get a step and make them rotate. They haven't done that consistently since the second half against West Virginia.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

My biggest concern is offense, jacking up threes when we don’t have shooters. We’re averaging 26.5 threes a game, we’re making 31.2%. We’re not going to win continuing to do that. Even on breaks we’re pulling up from the arc.

So because we got off to a better than expected start, should the identity of how Shaka wants to play change?  Is it possible guys become more consistent shooters later this year or next year?  (I can see Kam and Joplin becoming pretty good 3 point shooters).

I don't disagree with you - there's probably a better middle-ground in terms of shot selection.  But from the beginning of the season we've heard about the shot distribution Shaka wants - at the rim or 3s.  So again, we don't have guys who can get to the rim and finish consistently right now.  So what's the solution? 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Kolek leads the team in assists (by a mile), steals and assist to turnover ratio. He’s also the leading rebounder among our guards (God knows our front line needs help in that regard) and plays solid on ball defense. We only have one other PG (Stevie Mitchell). Like Kolek, so far he looks like a bad shooter - without as much of the other good stuff that Kolek brings.

Yep. Plus, I'm not certain but my guess is that Kolek leads the team in deflections. No way Shaka sits the guy who leads in the category that he says is the key to his system

[MU82]

Everybody knew December would be tough. Well, it's been tough. I'm glad we won the game we did, on the road, gutting it out at the end.

On to Big East play! We Are Marquette!

[MuggsyB]

Exactly.   The BEast is no joke.  And having watched every team in the league right now we have our work cut out for us.  Especially if we do not get more consistency from our guards.  Somehow we must get Kolek back on track as a scorer because he is our best facilitator.  In all of our good wins he's been vitally important.

[DoctorV]

Exactly.   The BEast is no joke.  And having watched every team in the league right now we have our work cut out for us.  Especially if we do not get more consistency from our guards.  Somehow we must get Kolek back on track as a scorer because he is our best facilitator.  In all of our good wins he's been vitally important.

That ship has sailed muggsy.

Shaka knows all he could do is keep pumping him up as a great shooter to get his confidence in but it’s not working.

There’s nothing to get on track outside of his shooting, which is part of the problem. He needs more dimensions like an ability to finish via a pull up or a drive to the hoop.

IMO Shaka has to move on. Tell Tyler that he’s a pass first pg and has to be selective on his shots, he takes a bad one and he sits. Maybe that helps him concentrate on the ones he takes, or maybe he sits

[MU82]

The BEast is no joke.  And having watched every team in the league right now we have our work cut out for us.

Muggs, is anything different about that than you thought going into the season?

We were picked to finish, what? Ninth? 10th? I'm hopeful we'll do better than that because I think that after the first 2 teams it's kind of a jumble. But I'm certainly not counting on being a top-2 or top-3 team. I believe Shaka when he talks about this not being an instant-gratification thing; I believe it so much I put it in my tagline.

So far, the only thing this team is guilty of is surpassing most realistic expectations. Not just the team, but a guy like Morsell. Here's a guy who averaged 9 points over 4 seasons. He comes out ridiculously blazing, averages 20+ for 4 games. Damn! We have us a stud! Except then he follows up his absurdly hot start with 7 games that show why he averaged 9 points over 4 seasons. I'm not gonna get mad at him or frustrated with him for being who he always has been. And Kolek ... he averaged 11 points on 40% shooting for a middle-of-the-pack A-10 team, but he was a big impact player in a few early games and all of a sudden he's Travis Diener.

[MuggsyB]

And with our personnel what is the latter approach going to accomplish?  Less wide open shots for guys that aren't great shooters?

Or maybe it could lead to better shots for mediocre shooters, not rushed or quick shots?  I'm just throwing it out there.  The passing, screening, and cutting must be better but a shot doesn't always have to be created off the dribble.  I mean we're shooting what?  30% from distance? 

I would also argue that bad shots lead to more transition opportunities and better shots for our opponents.  Lewis is probably our most skilled player.  Can we play through him a little more?  Can he get a bit deeper and force help and then we can move the ball?  I just think there is a difference between an open shot and a good shot for most players at the college level.