MU/UCONN Game Thread

[panda]

The stats:

https://x.com/i/status/2007933668090933469

The stats are heavily egb weighted

[Small Orange Soda]

What defensive numbers is Shaka looking at? This is downright worrying.

https://x.com/i/status/2007926228989481214

Energy Giving Behavior, of course!

At this point if someone said Caedin was blackmailing Shaka, I'd believe it.

[Mutaman]

Of course he is. That's the classic thing that happens. If you only listened to Big East coaches during Wojo's tenure then you'd think he was a hall of famer.

BS- Hurley has always given us respect, win or lose.

[WhiteTrash]

BS- Hurley has always given us respect, win or lose.

I think you're missing the point being made.

[Mutaman]

I think you're missing the point being made.

My point is that Hurley has consistently praised the Marquette program going back to when his guy Cubillan played here. Facts are stupid things.

[cheebs09]

What defensive numbers is Shaka looking at? This is downright worrying.

https://x.com/i/status/2007926228989481214

This is not a great look and makes me think coaching is playing a much bigger role in our terrible season than we'd like to admit. It's one thing to say we don't have the talent, but I don't think this staff is making use of the talent we have. Certainly wouldn't be a tournament team, but might have won a few of these close ones.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I think you're missing the point being made.

Hurley has said the same thing for years, when Marquette has beaten them and when they haven't.

People are just looking for additional stuff to pile on that doesn't actually exist.

[willie warrior]

Energy Giving Behavior, of course!

At this point if someone said Caedin was blackmailing Shaka, I'd believe it.

What the hell numbers is Shaka referring to for "best defensive player"?

[Mu8891]

Shaka and his C. Hamilton $hit is getting to be too much ...

Comments like " he's one of our better defensive players " shows he's either nuts, or SO dug in and full of himself that he will run it all back next year.

Hamilton's two best games have been his last two, where he picked up immediate fouls and went to the bench !

[Billy Hoyle]

What the hell numbers is Shaka referring to for "best defensive player"?

Shaka meant to say Hamilton is the player he's the most defensive about.

[rocky_warrior]

James could make a fortune with NIL somewhere.

I like him, and hope he stays, but thus far he's a pretty average big east player.

[tower912]

But guys, my players are elite when nobody's watching. Trust me.

Actually, he has been remarkably consistent for several months about Hamilton's practice performance.  If he is lying, it is the long con. 

Hamilton earned his starting spot with his offseason work.  The other spot came down to Gold and Hamilton.  Months ago.

From a coaching perspective, why in the hell would he lie?  Months ago.

Also from a coaching perspective, assuming he isn't the first coach in history to lie about offseason work, you have no choice but to reward that work.  Not rewarding practice effort is coaching malpractice

This season has not gone as planned.  Adjustments are being made right in front of us.  Starting to see more Josh.  Starting to see poor game play lead to butt splinters.  The minutes are being re-allocated.  Young guys are being allowed to play through mistakes.  Rotations are evolving.

I have changed my perspective from previous seasons and am now watching for growth.

[Zog from Margo]

I like him, and hope he stays, but thus far he's a pretty average big east player.

I was trying to get a handle on this today. I like James as a player, but is he really good or just really good relative to MU's low-talent roster? I do hope he stays.

[MUbiz]

Shaka post game presser

https://youtu.be/hWrnlvQkdXc?si=v2F0nXYY4bWzeMqn

[MuggsyB]

I was trying to get a handle on this today. I like James as a player, but is he really good or just really good relative to MU's low-talent roster? I do hope he stays.

Zog,

I don't think he has any idea how to play the game yet, but he's a tier 1/elite athlete with tremendous downhill speed.  I think he would be more impressive with better players around him.  I would say he's 100% a keeper but it's really hard for him to develop with our current roster.  Still, he has to try to find a way to trust the guys around him. 

[panda]

Shaka post game presser

https://youtu.be/hWrnlvQkdXc?si=v2F0nXYY4bWzeMqn

Come for the Caedin Hamilton bogus platitudes, stay for the assistant coach suspensions and shade thrown at his players!

These are becoming must watch

[Small Orange Soda]

Actually, he has been remarkably consistent for several months about Hamilton's practice performance.  If he is lying, it is the long con. 

Hamilton earned his starting spot with his offseason work.  The other spot came down to Gold and Hamilton.  Months ago.

From a coaching perspective, why in the hell would he lie?  Months ago.

Also from a coaching perspective, assuming he isn't the first coach in history to lie about offseason work, you have no choice but to reward that work.  Not rewarding practice effort is coaching malpractice

This season has not gone as planned.  Adjustments are being made right in front of us.  Starting to see more Josh.  Starting to see poor game play lead to butt splinters.  The minutes are being re-allocated.  Young guys are being allowed to play through mistakes.  Rotations are evolving.

I have changed my perspective from previous seasons and am now watching for growth.

But he should have never even been offered a scholarship. We're seeing more Josh because, as Shaka admitted, Caedin keeps getting in foul trouble. He does so because he doesn't belong at this level. Why leak to Rothstein that Caedin is about to be a stud? Why start him? Why play him at all? Whatever Shaka is taking away from his performance in practice is obviously incorrect, and that's pretty worrisome from the guy who is in charge of playing time.

[GoldenEagles03]

What defensive numbers is Shaka looking at? This is downright worrying.

https://x.com/i/status/2007926228989481214

This is a fireable comment subject to a void of buyout.

[Pakuni]

Actually, he has been remarkably consistent for several months about Hamilton's practice performance.  If he is lying, it is the long con. 

Hamilton earned his starting spot with his offseason work.  The other spot came down to Gold and Hamilton.  Months ago.

Starting spots should be awarded based on who plays the best in games/contributes most to winning, not who works hardest in the basement of the Al over the summer. This is major college basketball, not a developmental team.
I'll grant that Shaka for some reason may have believed Caedin was the best option in November. But if he still believes that today, there's something wrong deeply with his analysis.

I don't know that Shaka is lying, but this wouldn't be the first time a coach has tried to boost a player's confidence through comments to the media - or leaks to Jon Rothstein,

you have no choice but to reward that work.  Not rewarding practice effort is coaching malpractice

This is terribly wrong. Shaka's job is to win games, not reward effort. You play your best players. Often those are also your hardest workers, but not always. Playing a guy who stinks because he tries hard in practice is coaching malpractice.

Starting to see more Josh.

Because of foul trouble. Hamilton has committed 10 fouls in his last 22 minutes of basketball (and 7 in his last 12). Clark has played more minutes because he's had to, not because of Shaka's strategy.

[tower912]

Lol

Starting spots should be awarded based on who plays the best in games/contributes most to winning, not who works hardest in the basement of the Al over the summer. This is major college basketball, not a developmental team.
I'll grant that Shaka for some reason may have believed Caedin was the best option in November. But if he still believes that today, there's something wrong deeply with his analysis.

I don't know that Shaka is lying, but this wouldn't be the first time a coach has tried to boost a player's confidence through comments to the media - or leaks to Jon Rothstein,

This is terribly wrong. Shaka's job is to win, not reward effort. You play you best players. Often those are also your hardest workers, but not always. Playing a guy who stinks because he tries hard in practice is coaching malpractice.

Because of foul trouble. Hamilton has committed 10 fouls in his last 22 minutes of basketball. Clark has played more minutes in his last three games than the previous six combined (excluding garbage time vs Little Rock). That's not a coincidence.

Completely and utterly disagree.  If the guy spent the entire offseason working his butt off and outworking the other bigs on the team, he absolutely, 100% starts early in the season.   

Caedin was not in foul trouble last game.  He jacked up an early shot clock 3 and was yanked until Ben fouled out.  Bad play punished.

[CountryRoads]

What the hell numbers is Shaka referring to for "best defensive player"?

To be fair, it's a pretty low bar.

[MuggsyB]

Starting spots should be awarded based on who plays the best in games/contributes most to winning, not who works hardest in the basement of the Al over the summer. This is major college basketball, not a developmental team.
I'll grant that Shaka for some reason may have believed Caedin was the best option in November. But if he still believes that today, there's something wrong deeply with his analysis.

I don't know that Shaka is lying, but this wouldn't be the first time a coach has tried to boost a player's confidence through comments to the media - or leaks to Jon Rothstein,

This is terribly wrong. Shaka's job is to win games, not reward effort. You play your best players. Often those are also your hardest workers, but not always. Playing a guy who stinks because he tries hard in practice is coaching malpractice.

Because of foul trouble. Hamilton has committed 10 fouls in his last 22 minutes of basketball (and 7 in his last 12). Clark has played more minutes because he's had to, not because of Shaka's strategy.

Ya....I agree 100% with your synopsis.  This is not about practice or offseason work. 

I don't know if Clark is much better than Hamilton, but I don't think he's worse.  At least the kid played with some tenacity today.

[Biggie Clausen]

LolCompletely and utterly disagree.  If the guy spent the entire offseason working his butt off and outworking the other bigs on the team, he absolutely, 100% starts early in the season.   

Caedin was not in foul trouble last game.  He jacked up an early shot clock 3 and was yanked until Ben fouled out.  Bad play punished.

So if one of the walk-on guards told Shaka he was going to take 20,000 three pointers next summer and spend an hour each day after practice writing "Lost in the Fight" on the chalkboard over and over like Bart Simpson, Shaka have would no choice but to start him if he followed through?  Christ, DeAndre Haynes is gonna end up in jail on a homicide charge before this whole RGV thing is over.

[tower912]

So you are preach practice effort but don't reward practice effort.  From experience, I have seen that philosophy fail.

[WhiteTrash]

Hurley has said the same thing for years, when Marquette has beaten them and when they haven't.

People are just looking for additional stuff to pile on that doesn't actually exist.

You really don't get it.

A poster wanted to validate our coach based upon the opposing coach's "coach speak".  Hurley and other coaches praise poor, below average and yes, good coaches all the time.

"People" did not go out looking to pile on by simply pointing out a canned response. It's not a big deal. I'm guessing you've done it yourself.