We May Be In Serious Trouble

[MUEng92]

It's not uncommon for a team to fall apart when a team's best player leaves with a gruesome injury.  It's just usually the team of that player.

[The Sultan]

There's a reason every pre-game and halftime show talks about Marquette's no transfer philosophy. That's being pushed by the school.

Kimo also directly contrasted MU and St John's teambuilding last week, saying we were lucky to have this strategy because it builds relationships instead of needing a new rosters every year.

LOL. The best you can do is some off hand comments by the president? Fail.

[MuggsyB]

You left out Dayton and Oklahoma.  MU beat three cupcakes and has been beat by two portal laden teams.  Maryland had three players not starting and lost their best player to an injury with twelve minutes to go. MU gave up 89 points to them and 100 to Indiana.  Oklahoma at neutral site, Wisconsin and Purdue away.  Should be interesting to say the least. 

MU lost game at 13 minute mark, when for the next 4 minutes, outscored by 15, with MU jacking up threes and missing. Took 39 today. Too many for a team that supposedly has no real shooters, but that's a Shaka philosophy and he has no problem with it.  Not a good look for MU losing at home to an injury plagued Maryland squad.

I don't even want think what will happen if Ross gets in any type of foul trouble early and has to sit.

We will struggle to beat Dayton or Oklahoma as well. 

[dpucane]

There cannot be 'gelling' in this approach to roster-building. There just can't. This is a .500 team.

right that was supposed to be the whole point

[The Sultan]

So, yes, I'm pretty frustrated by the game. However, we were in control in the "third quarter" rolling pretty well, their stud goes down, we fall apart. So while we got out worked early, we came back and took control. I'm not selling the team, but I am "worried" that it will take too long to gel, we lose too many OOC games, and we are on the outside of the tourney looking in. What really makes me unhappy is that we had the game.

We started to fall apart before that. We had a couple of empty possessions prior to the injury, and Payne had already started to show his stuff as well.

[StillWarriors]

If we aren't going to defend worth a damn anyway, might as well throw some shooters in there.Phillips and Miletic can't do worse. I realize Miletic is redshirting, but this
team cannot shoot consistently or defend. Tough combo.

[willie warrior]

I'm hoping this is the low point of the Shaka era, at least for awhile. Tough to have your tournament hopes dashed in November.

Let's do the limbo. How low can you go?

[MuggsyB]

Assuming this is Defcon 2, what would you do moving forward?  What tinkering would you consider?  Ty. 

I still think it's early in the season so there is a smidgen of hope. 

[The Sultan]

Assuming this is Defcon 2, what would you do moving forward?  What tinkering would you consider?  Ty. 

I still think it's early in the season so there is a smidgen of hope.

The problem is that we have a bunch of players who can't hit shots consistently. That doesn't change. They just have to hope they can have an outlier shooting night, or out hustle some other teams, but that's not really a recipe for long term success.

[MuggsyB]

Why doesn't Ben in particular ever play off of 2 feet once he punches the paint?  I get he had wide open bunnies, but he misses them often because he's off balanced.

[nyg]

Shaka's philosophy isn't 3 pt shots, it is 2 in the paint or open 3's

Oh, must have missed that.  MU took 76 shots today, 40 of which were threes.  53%
Not too many NCAA teams take 53% of their shots from three.  But Shaka does say, if you are open for a three, take it, he has no problem with it.  Been like that for past four years.

[MuggsyB]

The problem is that we have a bunch of players who can't hit shots consistently. That doesn't change. They just have to hope they can have an outlier shooting night, or out hustle some other teams, but that's not really a recipe for long term success.

Ya....this is certainly a major reason for our issues. 

[The Sultan]

Oh, must have missed that.  MU took 76 shots today, 40 of which were threes.  53%
Not too many NCAA teams take 53% of their shots from three.  But Shaka does say, if you are open for a three, take it, he has no problem with it.  Been like that for past four years.

Other teams realize we can't shoot. So they pack it in. We missed A TON of wide open threes. Just like last year. I'm not sure there is a fix besides "recruit better shooters."

[CountryRoads]

Assuming this is Defcon 2, what would you do moving forward?  What tinkering would you consider?  Ty. 

I still think it's early in the season so there is a smidgen of hope.

Go smaller and slow the game down. "Havoc" is a joke against high major teams. We don't have the fire power or skill to play in high possession games.

[GB Warrior]

Go smaller and slow the game down. "Havoc" is a joke against high major teams. We don't have the fire power or skill to play in high possession games.

Makes more sense when you consider we aspire to be SLU

[Viper]

Who has lectured people? When has anyone claimed that they're doing it the right way?

the majority sentiment is Shaka knows what he's doing.

[The Sultan]

the majority sentiment is Shaka knows what he's doing.

Right. But Shaka certainly isn't lecturing anyone.

[Small Orange Soda]

I'm not sure there is a fix besides "recruit better shooters."

If this is the gameplan, then Nevada Smith doesn't have the cache he thinks he does.

[wadesworld]

I personally still don't find the offense to be the issue. Of course, if your philosophy is 3s and at the rim, you need guys who can hit 3s and finish at the rim. But with a Shaka team, if you score 82 and 77 against Maryland and Indiana, you need to be at least very much in it in the last minute. And we have been very much not in it.

Need to defend. In my opinion, stop the chaotic full court press. High major players are too good to play into that, and you're turning their offense into layup lines and wide open 3 kick outs on a collapsing, rotating, unsettled defense. Stop desperately hedging on screens 40 feet from the hoop. Same result as the insane press. Everyone goes into rotation, which we aren't good at, and their offense turns into what Shaka wants our offense to be, just actually making the open attempts.

Shorten the rotation. Stop recruiting guys that even UWGB hasn't heard of. Show talented bigs the NBA guys you've coached, and up the talent level.

[21Jumpstreet]

There cannot be 'gelling' in this approach to roster-building. There just can't. This is a .500 team.

Disagree, but I understand your point as it relates to portal vs retention. We have new players starting in new, expanded roles, and our defense is very selfish at the moment. They need to gel on defense.

[dgies9156]

Oh, must have missed that.  MU took 76 shots today, 40 of which were threes.  53%
Not too many NCAA teams take 53% of their shots from three.  But Shaka does say, if you are open for a three, take it, he has no problem with it.  Been like that for past four years.

You think that perhaps the opponent knows we'll shoot between 25 percent and 35 percent from 3-land. If I was playing MU, I'd tell my guys, "let 'em shoot away!"

Unless what we're seeing is an aberration, it's going to be a rough year. I feel for Chase, because he's coming into his own. But, as it stands now, I don't think we're even .500 unless the defense picks up and the turnovers slow.

[21Jumpstreet]

We started to fall apart before that. We had a couple of empty possessions prior to the injury, and Payne had already started to show his stuff as well.

But, that stuff happens in a game. We were still in control even with a couple empty possessions and Payne playing like the player he is. Probably just a case of missing a ton of layups and open threes. Until we gel on D, we need to make a ton of shots, which we didn't.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Maryland isn't good.

Agree Maryland lost at home to Georgetown by 10

[nyg]

Other teams realize we can't shoot. So they pack it in. We missed A TON of wide open threes. Just like last year. I'm not sure there is a fix besides "recruit better shooters."

And the prior years.  Think back two years ago to NC State as I believe a two seed NCAA game, 4 for 31, with some pretty good shooters on MU.  This is now all Shaka recruits, so he should have recruited them already.  Some current players go on nice three point runs, but then the others don't.  One guy goes 4 for 10, then others go 2 for 14. Not consistent enough and the offense is based upon it.

[Viper]

Gtown will make tg

Agree Maryland lost at home to Georgetown by 10

Gtown will make the ncaa tournament