WWE @ MSG

[The Sultan]

You said this for ben as well. DO was a highly touted recruited. Why some 4-6 week minor injury from 5 months ago means we shouldnt expect anything from him for the whole year makes no sense to me.

Well I think its more of a reason for why we haven't seen more from him. Owens hasn't exactly deserved more time than he's gotten.

[ATL MU Warrior]

The numbers since 12/14...

38 in T-Rank
64 in OE
33 in DE

It gets uglier under the hood.

233 in eFG%
189 in eFGD%
311 in DREB rate
314 in FT rate
278 in 2PT Defense
257 in 3PT shooting

Our season is being propped up by the non-conference performance and turnover margin. This team is going on two months of playing largely like crap. I hope like hell they can shake out of it. I don't expect them to be great in each area, but not awful would be a good place to start.

I've been beating the drum about playing poorly for quite a while but had no idea it was this bad. 

[rgoode57]

MU was not a physical match for STJ. Gold and Joplin were completely overwhelmed. But, what bothers me most was that STJ played with much more determination, energy, and focus. The game was not nearly as close as the score. Had STJ hit a decent percentage of ft's, the score would have been much worse. MU again completely outplayed by a good team. MU could lose three more BE games - Saturday at Creighton, at UConn, and at home to STJ. AT best, that would probably leave them at fourth in the BE. And, if they slip up against 'Nova or someone else, the end result could be worse.

[StillWarriors]

I think it is pretty clear that Kam is pressing and really feeling pressure.

The good news is that the rest of the guys have done their part for a good portion of the last month or so. He's also capable of finding confidence again...but it seems pretty clear he's got some mental stuff going on shouldering the load (or feeling like he has to).

Agreed. It is ironic, too, because his tendency would seem to be that he is too loose at times and not locked in. Maybe that was just a facade, or he has just lost confidence given some struggles with his shot amidst all the hype. I do give him a lot of credit in that he doesn't seem to pout on the court and still goes out of his way constantly to lead and be a supportive teammate. Although this has been an extended funk, I still hope and believe he will find that confidence and bust out soon. He's due to just go off at some point...just hope it is sooner than later. Finding the outside shot is the key. Teams have learned how to sit on the left hand on the drives, but that part of his game will be so much easier when he is back to raining threes.

[Newsdreams]

you really don't know basketball. Who cares how many blocks MU had. St.John's was 3-16 from three and 17-31 from the line and won the game.Do you have any idea why they won? I will help you. MU got abused on the glass.

Just pointing out we did defend down low. Yes obviously rebounding is an issue and it will be as long as Shaka is MU's coach. Most of his teams have been bad at rebounding, if they don't generate TO's it is hard for his teams to win. It is either getting TO's or elite offense.

[Newsdreams]

I agree about Chase. I don't think Kam was going to be PG either, but the injury to Sean pretty much forced it. Hopefully he can come back so Chase isn't forced to play too much point.

So which of the starters would have been on the bench, for Sean or the new PG? And a PG who didn't want $$$ to transfer?

[willie warrior]

1.  Kam, ewwwwwww.  Just dumb. 
2.  Stevie, Ben, Joplin, ewwwwww.
3.  If you have watched SJU at MSG this season, you know that they are next level physical and are rewarded for it by the officials.  They feed the crowd and then the crowd feeds them.
4.  How about that bench? Zaide, Tre, Royce showed up.
5. If the bench tonight is the new normal, MU's ceiling just got higher. 
6. Chase can run the point next season.
7.  Rebounding.  More ewww.  See: SJU
at MSG.
8. Old school Big East war.
9. MU never folded.  'Fans' questioning MU's toughness are morons.
10. Taken in isolation, helluva game, helluva battle.  11 v 12, toe to toe.
11. Taken back to back with UConn, painful. Had looks, had chances, alas.

havent seen posts about toughness, but getting chewed up on offensive rebounds dictates we get bangers in there, which we do not have, Patently obvious, so "moron" away.

[willie warrior]

Until Marquette gets a front court player that can rebound and protect the rim this result win occur more against good teams

Absolutely

[willie warrior]

All three seniors played poorly.

If the game plan is to shoot threes, then recruit guys who can make threes.

hopefully some of the frosh coming in can consi tently shoot 3s, because we do not have it now.

[willie warrior]

The toughest part of the schedule is almost over. Can't wait for DePaul on Feb 11

Beware.

[willie warrior]

Jop and Benny had 2 total rebounds.  Chase had 8, Zaide 6. 

Unacceptable from Jop and Goldbrick.

[willie warrior]

The team that went 3-0 vs the Big10 has been MIA for weeks.  We are a gigantic mess on offense right now and I don't think it's going to be an easy fix, if it even can be fixed.

Everybody says our team is devlopmental.

[willie warrior]

Should've rebounded better, but it's hard when the entire SJU philosophy is "chuck an ugly shot up at the rim, and then all 5 players just sprint into the backs of the opposing team and grab the ball off the floor."  A ton of their offensive rebounds weren't going high to grab them over our rebounders.  They were all chucking guys around, the ball hitting the floor, and them being on balance to grab the ball in a scrum.

Guess we need some bangers

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Guess we need some bangers

Like puss from an infected penis, your wisdom drips unrelentingly, Dung Willie

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

havent seen posts about toughness, but getting chewed up on offensive rebounds dictates we get bangers in there, which we do not have, Patently obvious, so "moron" away.

[MuggsyB]

The numbers since 12/14...

38 in T-Rank
64 in OE
33 in DE

It gets uglier under the hood.

233 in eFG%
189 in eFGD%
311 in DREB rate
314 in FT rate
278 in 2PT Defense
257 in 3PT shooting

Our season is being propped up by the non-conference performance and turnover margin. This team is going on two months of playing largely like crap. I hope like hell they can shake out of it. I don't expect them to be great in each area, but not awful would be a good place to start.

Astounding stats.  And it's beyond perplexing for a team with experience.  Our players should be hungry and absolutely furious.  Put the ball in the basket and rebound with more tenacity for starters.  Smh.  This is unacceptable, and we have to turn this around on Saturday. 

[MU82]

Our players aren't hungry. Scoopers obviously care more than they do. Unacceptable!

[MuggsyB]

Our players aren't hungry. Scoopers obviously care more than they do. Unacceptable!

I never said that.  There's no question we have to pick up our level of play. 

[tower912]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izf-yaMmrFA

Matching SJU's physicality.   SJU is completely bought in to Coach Pitino's vision. 
Development of the bench near the end.
Shooting is 2% of the game.   Gotta make the other 98% as good as possible.

[wisblue]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izf-yaMmrFA

Matching SJU's physicality.   SJU is completely bought in to Coach Pitino's vision. 
Development of the bench near the end.
Shooting is 2% of the game.   Gotta make the other 98% as good as possible.

He did not say shooting is 2% of the game.

[tower912]

Listen again. He said it twice, two different ways.

Unless you are being aghast...
He did NOT say THAT....

But he said it.  Twice.  Two different ways.

[Newsdreams]

Listen again. He said it twice, two different ways.

Unless you are being aghast...
He did NOT say THAT....

But he said it.  Twice.  Two different ways.

wisblue is hard of hearing

[tower912]

His version of making himself chuckle.

[wisblue]

Listen again. He said it twice, two different ways.

Unless you are being aghast...
He did NOT say THAT....

But he said it.  Twice.  Two different ways.

I'm not going to listen to the whole thing again, but what I heard him say is that shooting is one factor in winning a game that gets a lot of attention, but there are 49 others and SJ is really good at the other 49. I would be interested in hearing what the other 49 factors are.

If he said that again later maybe I had tuned out. But I doubt if he means that literally. It's just a way to encourage players to focus on other aspects of the game.

Even if there are 49 factors, not all of them have to be equally important.

[tower912]

It is a fact that he says it again later in the interview.   It is also a fact that he has said in other interviews prior.  I am nearly positive that he said it in reference to Ben Gold.  I am about 75% sure he also said it in reference to the freshmen.