Shaka's In-Game Coaching Percentile

[1SE]

Lots of positive things about Shaka - great guy, building a good culture, putting in place (and recruiting to) a clear system that, when it works, brings about some incredible results (Baylor).

That said, there also appears to be a troubling trend developing of Shaka just not getting it done in close games. We're now 0-4 in games decided by 5pts or less (or OT) this year and haven't one a close one since @Nova on Jan 19th (although Shaka started his MU career 5-1 in close ones). Of course the upside of that is we haven't lost a game by more than 5 pts this year, but still...

Is the current streak an anomaly, or is Shaka just not that good (or getting worse) at winning these "chess match" games?

[tower912]

I will make  completely contradictory points.   
1.  Three freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors.
2.  That zone was really good, except for the rebounding.
3.  Shaka's winning percentage at Texas was nearly identical to Wojo's.

[rocket surgeon]

  i think he's been really, pretty good and was starting to believe he had the ability to be the "anti-wojo" when it came time to close out games when we had the lead. 

   you can't really count wisconsin as we never really had the lead as that one it was largely a  back and forth affair.  but after the georgia tech, baylor, NCCU, notre dame and creighton games, i was starting to get into a comfort zone.  then the last 10 minutes of providence shattered that, however-
   the refs completely took us out of play.  typically one gets the idea of how the refs are going to call a game based on, well, their calls.  what are they going to allow?  seemed like we were the "ugly sister" to the refs.  providence had one guy with 4 fouls, one with 3 and hopkins should be giving a clinic on how to get away with assault in while everyone is watching.  free throws attempted 49-19??  we fouled out 3 guys with three more at 4 fouls each??  total fouls 30-17?? 

  yes, we should still have won that game, but we were playing against 6 or 7. that forced us to play tentative and/or not as aggressive as we could have.  downplay the foul calling discrepancy all you want, but it played a huge role in taking us out of our game.  hopefully there will be some letters written to the big east so this doesn't happen again...to us

[DoctorV]

I'll let you know my final answer this March.

Very good in game coach, his substitution patterns are often elite and he usually has a very good pulse of the game at all times, gets the most out of his guys more often than not.

That said, end of the game and big game execution are different than overall game and season-to-season execution.

In his 13 season as an NCAA coach his teams have made the NCAA tournament 9 times.
He won the CBI his first season as coach at VCU and won the NIT at Texas one season.
He had the Final 4 that everyone knows about.

The bad news is that in each of his last 5 trips to the dance his team has been eliminated in the first game.
Bad loss against Abilene Christian and bad loss against UNC the most recent.

He has to get off the schneid personally as much as Marquette has to get off the schneid as a program.

[bilsu]

Is it coaching or not having clutch players, which resulted in our losses.
I think the Purdue loss is on Shaka. we were up 7 or 9, when Purdue called a timeout. Shaka subbed in Gold, Ross and Sean Jones and we quickly loss the momentum and lead.
I did not like trying a long pass against UW at the end of the game. However, as we saw last night dribbling the ball up the floor to take the last shot may not work either. I would have done what Shaka did last night. Give the ball to Sean Jones to rush it up court (especially, since he is the fastest player Shaka has ever had).
I sure Shaka did not tell Sean to do the behind the back dribble before he forced up a shot. Against UW Shaka made the wrong decision. Against providence Shaka made the right decision. However, Sean Jones did not make the clutch play. We lost to Providence, because we missed a lot of key three-point shots.

[nyg]

Two weeks ago, Shaka was a "Maestro". 

[tower912]

Shaka is fine.  MU lost their conference road opener in double OT.

[Uncle Rico]

Two weeks ago, Shaka was a "Maestro".

Bring Brian Wardle home

[We R Final Four]

It appears the poll should be:
How would you rank Shaka's end of the game, close score coaching.

[nyg]

Shaka is fine.  MU lost their conference road opener in double OT.

Exactly.  That is why you wait until end of February to see what MU is ranked, how did the coach do, which player is leaving for NBA, etc.

[avid1010]

I didn't hate what Shaka did...every time Providence went to the hoop they drew a foul down the stretch.  It looked like Shaka wanted to iso some guys who he knew would be able to score if the refs were going to call it that way.  19-49 in the FT category...when MU outscoed Providence 62-42 in the paint is tough. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If the standard for a close game is 5 points (Purdue) or OT, then Shaka went 5-3 last season in close games.

Did he suddenly forget how to coach in close games? Or is that how the cookie crumbles some times?

[tower912]

If the standard for a close game is 5 points (Purdue) or OT, then Shaka went 5-3 last season in close games.

Did he suddenly forget how to coach in close games? Or is that how the cookie crumbles some times?

Three freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors.

Morsell, Kuath, Greg.   

[Uncle Rico]

If the standard for a close game is 5 points (Purdue) or OT, then Shaka went 5-3 last season in close games.

Did he suddenly forget how to coach in close games? Or is that how the cookie crumbles some times?

Yes.  Porter Moser wins that game last night.  Facts

[MUfan12]

He absolutely should have used a timeout at some point in that drought at the end of regulation. No question.

But when your other PG is a true freshman, this can happen when Tyler loses his head. Did the same thing against Miss. St.

He's gotta see it, call a timeout, and try to get these guys back grounded when adversity hits late.

[genious expert]

If you win too many close games you are lucky.
If you lose too many close games you are a bad in-game coach.

You need to win exactly 50% of them.

Pretty simple.

[DoctorV]

If you win too many close games you are lucky.
If you lose too many close games you are a bad in-game coach.

You need to win exactly 50% of them.

Pretty simple.

And then you are a genius expert

[MU82]

Lots of positive things about Shaka - great guy, building a good culture, putting in place (and recruiting to) a clear system that, when it works, brings about some incredible results (Baylor).

That said, there also appears to be a troubling trend developing of Shaka just not getting it done in close games. We're now 0-4 in games decided by 5pts or less (or OT) this year and haven't one a close one since @Nova on Jan 19th (although Shaka started his MU career 5-1 in close ones). Of course the upside of that is we haven't lost a game by more than 5 pts this year, but still...

Is the current streak an anomaly, or is Shaka just not that good (or getting worse) at winning these "chess match" games?

I voted that Shaka failed his first test.

[Dr. Blackheart]

In games decided by 5 points or less:

• Ed Cooley is 71-29 or 71%
• Shaka Smart is 64-69 or 48%

Shaka and staff need to improve their situational game. He is a system coach, is great on substitution patterns, but the situational anchor has travelled with him.  29-28 at VCU, 30-35 at Texas and 5-6 at MU. Consistently meh average for a coach who has a lifetime .654 winning percentage.

[Its DJOver]

In-game is not just the last 5 minutes of regulation and OT.  This had all the trademarks of a Wojo blowout loss when PC stretched the lead to double digits late in the first half.  Shaka's In-game adjustments got us on a run to keep it close at half.  Yes he was poor down the stretch, but we don't even get to that point if he wasn't good-to-great at earlier points in the game.

[DoctorV]

In games decided by 5 points or less:

• Ed Cooley is 71-29 or 71%
• Shaka Smart is 64-69 or 48%

Shaka and staff need to improve their situational game. He is a system coach, is great on substitution patterns, but the situational anchor has travelled with him.  29-28 at VCU, 30-35 at Texas and 5-6 at MU. Consistently meh average for a coach who has a lifetime .654 winning percentage.

Nice data

[Skatastrophy]

Shaka has the opportunity and the budget to bring in great assistant coaches to help with his weaknesses. Hopefully Shaka brings in his own version of coach Wainwright.

[DoctorV]

Shaka has the opportunity and the budget to bring in great assistant coaches to help with his weaknesses. Hopefully Shaka brings in his own version of coach Wainwright.

What was Tom Creans games decided by 5 or less record?
They seem to have a solid relationship...

[brewcity77]

I'm not overly worried about Shaka's in-game here. He's 45 and just getting things going. Everyone talks about Cooley in close games, but he was 10-10 in his first two years at Providence in games decided by 5 or fewer. I think Shaka's above average but not a finished product. And in terms of NET, better to lose close and win big than the opposite.

[Daniel]

He absolutely should have used a timeout at some point in that drought at the end of regulation. No question.

But when your other PG is a true freshman, this can happen when Tyler loses his head. Did the same thing against Miss. St.

He's gotta see it, call a timeout, and try to get these guys back grounded when adversity hits late.

This pretty much sums up the issue.  Needed to stop Prov run in regulation.  9 point lead with 5 plus to go.   You need to win those.    No OT.   The rest of the coaching and in game stuff was good.  We are working an offense that gets us open shots.  And we scored in the paint at will almost.  All good.   But yeah. A TO would have been welcomed those last 5-6 minutes in regulation.