Win or Go Home Game Thread - New Mexico

[AnotherLobo]

Absolutely.

By far the best Van Hagar album.

[PGsHeroes32]

Right. I mean, you think he's going to Iowa or Minnesota or something?

to be fair, Minnesota fans think they can get Shaka or McDermott easily if they wanted them

[The Sultan]

to be fair, Minnesota fans think they can get Shaka or McDermott easily if they wanted them

So what?

[AnotherLobo]

Joplin was the Antonine who came to play.

That dude was excruciatingly en fuego.  We are so lucky to come away with a win.

[PGsHeroes32]

So what?

He may think that's where they are going?

[The Sultan]

He may think that's where they are going?

Is Warrior of Law a Minnesota fan?

[Viper]

66 points when we averaged 82 when we won. Shaka is an awesome coach who had a bad game.

regular season coach, sure. NCAA tournament record, however, is nothing the Bluebloods even notice. 3 first weekend outs. Gotta win more in March, imo. Next season...lots of Q's...anyone transferring out? Any coming in? Any inside game next year? Better shooting? Bench? Returning guys better? You know StJ's and UConn ain't going anywhere. Maybe it all works out.

[AnotherLobo]

We don't have to lose to Michigan State again

I guess we get that honor.  Go Bryant!!!!

[PGsHeroes32]

Is Warrior of Law a Minnesota fan?

No clue. YOu posed the question as specific places Shaka may go.

I poses the statement that people(definitely delusionally) think he could go there.

Couldn't be any more or less to it.

[Viper]

Stevie with one of the worst ends to an MU career maybe ever.

Oso was bad in his final game, really bad

Stevie was a bust for weeks.

gotta believe nagging injuries hampered Stevie. His shooting the last 10-12 games was just crazy bad.

[MUEng92]

gotta believe nagging injuries hampered Stevie. His shooting the last 10-12 games was just crazy bad.

I had two daughters.  Stevie is still who I would want a son to be like if I had one. But, yeah.

[Viper]

Benny brick shot don't make clutch shots. Not that many on this team do.

We have sent this script for months now

Delusional contrarians have tried to say its negativity. But sometimes its just reality.

be careful or you'll be labeled a curmudgeon 😉

[Warrior of Law]

Kansas, North Carolina and Texas all got bumped in the 1st round. It will be interesting to see how they retool their respective rosters. I don't see them being as patient as MU seems to be.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Nm

[MarquetteMike1977]

Nm

[MuggsyB]

There have been major mistakes that have crippled our team for the past few months and they were shown again today.  There were three sequences in particular that doomed us:

1) Back to back inane turns by Kam and Chase in the 1st H when we finally got some momentum. 

2) The for the the love of God get a fking rebound debacle, on two airballs when we were up 3 at the 12 min mark.

3) Back to back missed bunnies by Kam and Chase down 4 under 6 mins. 

And to make matters worse when we have made those kind of mistakes, our response has been, and I'm talking all year long, to completely lose focus on tbe defensive end. Especially in transition. 

[MarquetteMike1977]

New Mexico shot the last 17 Free Throws of the game.
Marquette shot "0" Free Throws in the last 18:35 of the game.
Maybe we were not being fouled But Is That Fair

[Pakuni]

New Mexico shot the last 17 Free Throws of the game.
Marquette shot "0" Free Throws in the last 18:35 of the game.
Maybe we were not being fouled But Is That Fair

Marquette was 318th in the nation in free throw attempts.
New Mexico was 24th.
Trends played out.

[Big Papi]

Marquette was 318th in the nation in free throw attempts.
New Mexico was 24th.
Trends played out.

So why was that the case? 

We are not a mid-range shooting team where you expect less fouling.  Shots are from 3-point land, again less fouling, or in the paint.  We dribble drive constantly in the paint.
 
Lack of a physical big and lack physicality in the paint on drives put us at a disadvantage vs everyone else.  This talk about not wanting to take mid-range jumpers are great if you are physical in the paint.  If you are not, might as well pull up for an open mid-range shot.  I know blasphemy around here.

Going forward this team needs a physical big down low or players willing to initiate contact.

For as great as Kam was, he was not one to initiate contact down low.  Always looking to contort his body for a shot and thus as the season went on, those shots became more and more difficult to make.

[tower912]

MU'S offense is all about 3's and layups.  Other than Omax, MUnplayers going to the rim generally do not seek out or initiate contact at the rim.  MSU did that very well yesterday against NM.  But MU players consistently avoid contact.  To the point that when they do get hit and end up on the ground, it seems they sometimes don't get the call.  Stevie, Chase, Kam. 


So, if I could make a mindset adjustment for the 25-26 team, it would be to seek contact at the rim.

If I could make a tweak to Nevada's offense, it would be more off ball screening and motion.

[Big Papi]

MU'S offense is all about 3's and layups.  Other than Omax, MUnplayers going to the rim generally do not seek out or initiate contact at the rim.  MSU did that very well yesterday against NM.  But MU players consistently avoid contact.  To the point that when they do get hit and end up on the ground, it seems they sometimes don't get the call.  Stevie, Chase, Kam. 


So, if I could make a mindset adjustment for the 25-26 team, it would be to seek contact at the rim.

If I could make a tweak to Nevada's offense, it would be more off ball screening and motion.

I definitely agree with those adjustments.  Our offense was way too predictable.

[Zog from Margo]

MU'S offense is all about 3's and layups.  Other than Omax, MUnplayers going to the rim generally do not seek out or initiate contact at the rim.  MSU did that very well yesterday against NM.  But MU players consistently avoid contact.  To the point that when they do get hit and end up on the ground, it seems they sometimes don't get the call.  Stevie, Chase, Kam. 


So, if I could make a mindset adjustment for the 25-26 team, it would be to seek contact at the rim.

If I could make a tweak to Nevada's offense, it would be more off ball screening and motion.

I agree. I also think they should get Gold trying to score inside. This year Gold was effectively a 6' player on offense because he never took advantage of his height on a switch. He does not strike me as a player who is afraid of contact in the paint and he makes his FTs. He is also plenty quick to execute some solid fake and step through moves. The offense needs to make more diverse use of Gold.