2024 NCAA Tournament Thread

[MuggsyB]

Marquette shot better from 2 than did NCState.  MU shot more free throws and had a higher percentage than NCState.  MU won the turnover battle and held their own on the boards.

1 stat, and 1stat only.  9-23 vs 4-31.




MU won or broke even everywhere else.

It was a combination of things.  We fell way behind and essentially had one guy show up offensively. 

[jesmu84]

Maybe it's cause I live in Indy, but I'm tired of the Matt Painter ball washing

[jesmu84]

It was a combination of things.  We fell way behind and essentially had one guy show up offensively.

Disagree. It was the missed 3s

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Marquette shot better from 2 than did NCState.  MU shot more free throws and had a higher percentage than NCState.  MU won the turnover battle and held their own on the boards.

1 stat, and 1stat only.  9-23 vs 4-31.

MU won or broke even everywhere else.

Bingo.  Alas, Purdue hit 3s at a rate MU didn't.

[MuggsyB]

Disagree. It was the missed 3s

Yes and we took 31. 

[mugrad_89]

NC State 5-19 from three tonite - would've been nice to see that last week.

[tower912]

Yes and we took 31.

And the vast majority were the open looks the offense is designed to get.   

[MU82]

Yes and we took 31.

Most were wide-open attempts by good shooters. The shots we took and made 36% of over the course of 4 1/2 months.

We get it. You think Shaka should have radically changed the offense that got us a #2 seed. That's your right.

[MuggsyB]

Most were wide-open attempts by good shooters. The shots we took and made 36% of over the course of 4 1/2 months.

We get it. You think Shaka should have radically changed the offense that got us a #2 seed. That's your right.

I never said that.  We struggled to score inside when it mattered and got zero from our front court. 

[jesmu84]

I never said that.  We struggled to score inside when it mattered and got zero from our front court.

When it mattered, we didn't make 3s

[tower912]

16-29 shooting 2's.  4-31 shooting 3's.   What am I missing?

[MU82]

I never said that.  We struggled to score inside when it mattered and got zero from our front court.

It's already been covered in numerous threads that Oso wasn't right. And we couldn't trade for Eady, dammit.

We had good 3-point shooters wide open. As did Duke vs NCSU. As did Purdue today.

Fortunately for Purdue, they started hitting theirs in the second half ... and the game was over.

[MuggsyB]

16-29 shooting 2's.  4-31 shooting 3's.   What am I missing?

You're missing the fact that we weren't in the game essentially until a little bit of a run late.  Kam scored most of his points   when we were down substantially, including buckets in the paint.  We essentially got zilch from 3 starters and 2 bench players.  And if we were so effective from 2, why did we take more threes?

[MuggsyB]

Does Bama have any chance?

[MU82]

You're missing the fact that we weren't in the game essentially until a little bit of a run late.  Kam scored most of his points   when we were down substantially, including buckets in the paint.  We essentially got zilch from 3 starters and 2 bench players.  And if we were so effective from 2, why did we take more threes?

Good shooters were left wide open from 3 and were taking shots the offense was designed to create.

Not sure why you're having trouble with this.

[MuggsyB]

Good shooters were left wide open from 3 and were taking shots the offense was designed to create.

Not sure why you're having trouble with this.

Many were wide open, true.  But some weren't and we couldn't score the ball from anywhere when it mattered. 

[jesmu84]

Many were wide open, true.  But some weren't and we couldn't score the ball from anywhere when it mattered.

When it mattered?

Doesn't every minute of the game matter?

[tower912]

Does Bama have any chance?

No.  A cool prop bet would be if/when UConn gets their 30 point lead.

UConn and Purdue have been top teams all season.   Their meeting has been inevitable since November.

[MuggsyB]

When it mattered?

Doesn't every minute of the game matter?

We got down 13 at the half and 16-20 in the 2H which was a big prob.  Especially when we had like 8 straight possessions to get the game manageable and we could not fking score.  Extremely upsetting. 

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

[tower912]

Many were wide open, true.  But some weren't and we couldn't score the ball from anywhere when it mattered.

Yes.  MU went cold at the wrong time.

[Judge Smails]

Good shooters were left wide open from 3 and were taking shots the offense was designed to create.

Not sure why you're having trouble with this.

Being too reliant on the 3 is dangerous in a one and done tournament. One bad night and it's over. It is the most volatile stat. And depending on something that is so volatile is risky. I don't think it is anti-Marquette or anti-Shaka to question that strategy.  Ideally, going forward, it'd be good to have a plan B or different types of personnel that can score in different ways when the 3s aren't falling. I say this in the spirit of trying to learn form our experience this past season.

[tower912]

You mean like scoring 60 in the paint against Villanova?   MU's offense is lay ups and 3's.   Next season will be even more 5 out.  Like Bama right now.  And if MU would have had a 5-7 start from 3, they might still be playing.

[MuggsyB]

Bama is lighting it up early.

[Judge Smails]

I don't think that Villanova game is a good example. Neptune defended us differently than most and was burned badly by doing so. Clearly, the best way to defend MU was to pack it in and hope the Warriors are cold from 3.