Without Sanogo, there'd be no UConn off to the races today.

[PointWarrior]

You mean we could have hired Gard instead of by passing Porter Moser?

What a turd of a poster...

So what?

[WarriorHal]

0-4 against UCONN since they rejoined the Big East

[Shooter McGavin]

0-4 against UCONN since they rejoined the Big East

6-7 overall now too.  Hate being under .500 against them.  JFB owned UConn.  At least it felt that way.

[NCMUFan]

If Osa and Kur put on 40 lbs apiece we would have been ok.

[MU82]

Not even worth talking about rebounding, as everybody's already done that ...

It just wasn't a good game for Kolek, and that happens sometimes, and it's why he got a lot of time on the bench even though he's Shaka's guy. Too many drives to nowhere and uncharacteristically poor decisions. But I'll be surprised if he doesn't bounce back strong Saturday.

Down the line, it will be interesting to see what Tyler works on during the offseason. If you want to be a very good PG in today's basketball, you must be able to stop and pop from 10-12 feet, you must be equally adroit at laying it in with either hand, and you must have a float game. Kolek has had a nice season for us, but we'd all sure love to see him take his game to another level, as would Shaka.

Beyond Kolek ...

Rough game for Kuath and Oso. I still believe this team can have a strong postseason, and part of the reason is there aren't too many bigs like Watson and Sanogo who can throw our 5s around like rag dolls.

O-Max was really active today and made some big hoops for us. My only nit with him is that the offense comes to a screeching halt when he dribbles in from 30 feet away into the lane, never even thinking about passing. It's great when he scores, but when he doesn't it's a problem. Obviously, he's not the reason we lost today, though. A fine, hard-working effort.

Greg played 24 minutes today, maybe a little too much, but he was instrumental in us even being in this game. It was unfortunate that he missed those two open 3s, either of which would have tied it, but he otherwise was so valuable tonight that Shaka didn't want to take him out of the game. He kept grabbing his left side; I hope he's OK.

I thought Joplin might get a little more run. He had a really nice blocked shot during his short stint in the game and I was hoping he'd spark us with a couple of 3s.

I'm really not discouraged at all. Our stretch between the Creighton loss and tonight's defeat was about as good a month as any team in college basketball enjoyed, and so much better than most of us envisioned. Now we expect victory, and that's good!

So now it's time to take care of business as the favorites for a few weeks. We'll be favored to win at least 5 of our last 6 regular-season games, and maybe all 6 (at Creighton?). I look forward to seeing if this team can put on a great finish and take some big-time momentum into the BET and especially NCAAT.

We Are Marquette!

[Dr. Blackheart]

I'd say this is a pretty big over-generalization.  Ken Pom had this game between 4-6 point margin.  Marquette was supposed to lose. 

I mean it is Year 1 of Shaka.  He'll get a banger in the mix.  Hurley is in Year 4.  Let's not forget how incredible this team is performing.

Two worst BE games of the year? Both against UCONN. Match-ups matter.

Rebounding and half court games have been problematic throughout Shaka's career. Let hope he adapts.

[Elonsmusk]

Two worst BE games of the year? Both against UCONN. Match-ups matter.

Rebounding and half court games have been problematic throughout Shaka's career. Let hope he adapts.

Sure.  So by the same measure, Jay Wright better adapt his coaching ways too, right?  I mean we were Nova's two worst BE games of the year.

Can't win them all, and to imply that this year's MU team is emblematic of Shaka's teams at VCU or Texas - when he had all of 3 months to cobble together a roster? 

Now it's entirely possible that the defensive scheme/principles lead to chronic problems on block outs, yet you can't argue with Shaka's defenses consistently ranking in the Top 40 now 10 years in a row. 

It's difficult to be superior/exceptional in every area.  End of the day we are a very solid, Top 25 team..in Year 1.  Of course we'd like to be much better in D-Rebounding but this team's personnel is somewhat limited in that only Justin would qualify as a banger/physical presence.  Shaka said as much, knows as much, and I think he'll address it. 

[NCMUFan]

Overall, we are not a big team.
Big teams if they can play to their strength will be difficult.
Have to play to our strength, i.e., create havoc, disrupt.

[Shooter McGavin]

Sure.  So by the same measure, Jay Wright better adapt his coaching ways too, right?  I mean we were Nova's two worst BE games of the year.

Can't win them all, and to imply that this year's MU team is emblematic of Shaka's teams at VCU or Texas - when he had all of 3 months to cobble together a roster? 

Now it's entirely possible that the defensive scheme/principles lead to chronic problems on block outs, yet you can't argue with Shaka's defenses consistently ranking in the Top 40 now 10 years in a row. 

It's difficult to be superior/exceptional in every area.  End of the day we are a very solid, Top 25 team..in Year 1.  Of course we'd like to be much better in O-Rebounding but this team's personnel is somewhat limited in that only Justin would qualify as a banger/physical presence.  Shaka said as much, knows as much, and I think he'll address it.

I'm in complete agreement with you.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Sure.  So by the same measure, Jay Wright better adapt his coaching ways too, right?  I mean we were Nova's two worst BE games of the year.

Can't win them all, and to imply that this year's MU team is emblematic of Shaka's teams at VCU or Texas - when he had all of 3 months to cobble together a roster? 

Now it's entirely possible that the defensive scheme/principles lead to chronic problems on block outs, yet you can't argue with Shaka's defenses consistently ranking in the Top 40 now 10 years in a row. 

It's difficult to be superior/exceptional in every area.  End of the day we are a very solid, Top 25 team..in Year 1.  Of course we'd like to be much better in O-Rebounding but this team's personnel is somewhat limited in that only Justin would qualify as a banger/physical presence.  Shaka said as much, knows as much, and I think he'll address it.

There is a lot here to uncoil, especially as we are talking a single game thread. The fact is, your greatest strength is your greatest weakness. A UCONN-like team has been Shaka's Achilles heel.

I thought he did great tonight, especially out of halftime, trying to hide his weakness. At the end, both bigs were sitting. The fact is, it was too much to overcome...and has followed him.

This is not to diminish his overall performance which has been outstanding and what I expected. But it is to lay out what holds him back from going from Point A to B (A) to Point C (incomplete). I expect he'll figure it out in future years. I want to win this year though, too.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

You mean we could have hired Gard instead of by passing Porter Moser?

What a turd of a poster...

The mods are incredibly tolerant with Scoopers, but I'm not sure I understand the point of keeping a guy who hates MU and everything the University stands for.

[JakeBarnes]

I felt like Greg dribbled way too much tonight. He's much stronger as a catch and shoot player than as a creator or dribble-drive guy.

Greg was the PG after the Kolek fiasco tonight. He had to dribble. Just too much dribbling overall by most players and not enough passing

[MU82]

Greg was the PG after the Kolek fiasco tonight. He had to dribble. Just too much dribbling overall by most players and not enough passing

Yeah, we had to use 3 guys who aren't PGs as PGs for a lot of the game and we had too damn much bouncy-ball.

When I opened the box score, I was surprised we only had 6 TOs (and only 1 by a guard), as it seemed like guys were driving into trouble and losing control of the ball often.

[PointWarrior]

On a positive note, when we face UConn in the BEast tourney, we have the karma of all the scoop posters that say it's hard to beat a team 3 games in a row. 

Of course, hope we don't have Villanova then. 

[The Thing]

I really love this team but the rebounding thing is maddening. Aside from all else rebounding was the number one factor for why we lost this game. Even on defense tonight I was almost surprised when MU actually got a rebound...and that's when they were playing defense and should be in position. There was one play where two MU players were actually right there in prime position and somehow I think it was Sanogo who ended up with it. I know it's not that simple but like someone else said earlier "rebounding will end our season" and I agree 100%.

[willie warrior]

1.   Bigger stronger faster.     
2.   Bully ball on the boards.    Offensive rebounds got UConn their lead and broke MU's back in the end.
3.   Pushing the ball in transition in the first half.
4.   Almost no help from UConn on defense.    Certainly staying at home on Morsell and Lewis.    Took away the passing game.   Made Morsell miss some shots he has been hitting recently.   Really not afraid of MU down low.   
5.  Oso, 20 lbs from now, is going to be an absolute unicorn on offense.     So close but not quite strong enough on some of these finishes.    Better than Kuath tonight.   
6.  Sanogo went out in the second half and Oso in on defense,  MU started switching all 5.   Whaley got an offensive board and got fouled, but I don't remember switching 1-5.   Just for a second, just to see how it feels.   
7.   Nice work from OMP and Greg.     
8.   MU fought and fought and fought.   
9.  Free throws.   Well, you know....,.
10.   There are often lessons to be learned in losses.    There was nothing new tonight.    Just reinforcing what we know.    MU can be beat on the boards.   MU struggles with big, strong post players.    UConn worked hard tonight and earned the win.
11.    Take care of the games against the bottom dwellers.   

12. UConn game plan much better than MUs

[Goose]

Fortunately, I was only able to follow the game online. It does not sound like it was a great team performance and probably should have been expected. Now, time to regroup and put a bad performance in the rearview mirror.

[MUDPT]

Surprised with how fired up UConn was. Hurley blowing kisses to the crowd at the end. Guess little Marquette is back...

[MUfan12]

12. UConn game plan much better than MUs

I don't know about that. They got out to a lead on some abnormally hot outside shooting and rode their rebounding advantage. I don't know how you gameplan for giving up so much size.

[NCMUFan]

I guess still a place in college BB for a big dominating center.

[tower912]

The Big East, The Big 10....

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I guess still a place in college BB for a big dominating center.

Maybe, but Shaka's defensive plan is to switch all the time. His centers are frequently out on the perimeter pressuring until they scramble back to pick up the opposing big. Unless the big, dominating center is also quick and can defend in space, they don't fit Shaka's defensive system, which itself has been pretty good.

Seems like his options are:
1) Find a big, dominating, fast center that can defend in space-- don't think many of these exist
2) Change his defensive system-- hate to change a system that has transformed MU's defense
3) Change the mindset of the players to value/focus on rebounding-- Lewis is the only one that consistently rebounds well

It seems to me that option 3 is the best fix. Skinny guys still won't be great rebounders, but all they have to be to produce better results is to not be as terrible as they currently are.

[MU82]

Fortunately, I was only able to follow the game online. It does not sound like it was a great team performance and probably should have been expected. Now, time to regroup and put a bad performance in the rearview mirror.

It's a loss, so we're all nitpickin' a lot, but it really wasn't all that bad a team performance on the road against a ranked opponent. We were in the game the entire way, got excellent contributions from O-Max and Greg, and really battled. We lost because we couldn't get defensive boards -- in other words, the usual -- and it didn't help that Morsell and Lewis missed some real important FTs down the stretch.

At the end of the game, I said: "That sucked ... but we're not done making noise this season."

[Scoop Snoop]

Maybe, but Shaka's defensive plan is to switch all the time. His centers are frequently out on the perimeter pressuring until they scramble back to pick up the opposing big. Unless the big, dominating center is also quick and can defend in space, they don't fit Shaka's defensive system, which itself has been pretty good.

Seems like his options are:
1) Find a big, dominating, fast center that can defend in space-- don't think many of these exist
2) Change his defensive system-- hate to change a system that has transformed MU's defense
3) Change the mindset of the players to value/focus on rebounding-- Lewis is the only one that consistently rebounds well

It seems to me that option 3 is the best fix. Skinny guys still won't be great rebounders, but all they have to be to produce better results is to not be as terrible as they currently are.

I think this is the best summary I have seen in a nutshell. The combination of butterfingers and MU players being caught literally flat footed by a leaping opponent who grabs the rebound is maddening.

[Elonsmusk]

Maybe, but Shaka's defensive plan is to switch all the time. His centers are frequently out on the perimeter pressuring until they scramble back to pick up the opposing big. Unless the big, dominating center is also quick and can defend in space, they don't fit Shaka's defensive system, which itself has been pretty good.

Seems like his options are:
1) Find a big, dominating, fast center that can defend in space-- don't think many of these exist
2) Change his defensive system-- hate to change a system that has transformed MU's defense
3) Change the mindset of the players to value/focus on rebounding-- Lewis is the only one that consistently rebounds well

It seems to me that option 3 is the best fix. Skinny guys still won't be great rebounders, but all they have to be to produce better results is to not be as terrible as they currently are.

All of this post is 100% on target.  Dr. Blackheart has pointed out that D-Rebounding has been a weakness on Shaka teams, and I think you've diagnosed the exact reason bolded above.  Despite being really bad on the boards and giving up a lot of second chance points, Shaka teams still rank in the Top 40 defensively, 10 years in a row and imo you don't mess with that scheme. 

Morsell is the one guy I feel can/should and needs to pick it up rebounding.  His 10.3 D-Rebounding rate for a good sized/physical guard is not good.  He does seem to get caught ball watching, and frequently does not block out his man.

Jamal Cain on this team would have been extremely valuable as his knack/ability to D-Rebound is fantastic.