Expectations ........

[newmexicuse]

I did not expect this to be a FF team, but nonetheless, this team's play is flat out disappointing.

If you go down player by player, the only one who is exceeding my pre-season expectations is CJ. Maybe, you could add Jerami as well, but he needs a bigger role.

The entire backcourt should be better. MCW has not improved his judgment after 20+ games of experience. He has the skills to be very good, if not great, but his two hand off passes yesterday that lead to streaking breakaways were simply inexcuseable. I believe the 2nd one gave them the lead that was never relinquished. Triche should be much more consistant as a 4th year senior. I don't know why he is so erratic. TC tries too hard & forces things. Yesterday he got off to a good start with a couple of great assists & then he nailed an open trey. Next thing you know he is forcing on two bad shots & back on the bench. Yeah, pre-season, I thought he would be good for 6 to 8 PPG in 12 to 18 solid minutes off the bench. He has had his opps & hasn't got it done.

The center spot - well everyone expected X to take the next step after he played fairly well at the end of last season. Unfortunately, nobody was expecting that it would be a backwards step. BMK plays like BMK - nice to have him as a 10 MPG backup, but more than that means there a problem, Houston. DC2 has not lived up to the hype, but I put much of that on Jimmy as I have said many times before.

James's suspension threw this team out of sync. He basically does what he does & he can be a big spark when he hits a few, but other aspects of his game remain limited.

Jimmy, truly not one of his better campaigns. I know it's tough when only one or two guys on the entire squad are not playing up to hoped for levels, but nonetheless it hasn't been a job well done. My specific criticisms of Jimmy include:

1. Total mis-management of DC2 who should have been force fed minutes all along so that he could be a factor come March.

2. Now not enough minutes for Jerami other than when James was suspended.

3. For a guy who knows zones better than anybody, why do our guys look so clueless attacking zone D's ???? Why do I never see James or a guard at the FT line where they would be a huge threats ? How come when other teams attack our zone that their bigs always seem to get at least 3 to 5 dunk/layups a game & when we attack our bigs get almost none (notwithstanding yesterday when BMK di get 3 or 4 & X got one). Why is a guard never flashing to the FT line. Everybody knows the best way to attack a zone is inside out.....why can't we execute that concept efficiently ?

4. One also has to wonder about the play of X, MCW, and Brandon....how much of their mistakes are due to lack of or poor coaching ? MCW jumps to mind - too many games when he shot too much, several games where he shot too little....the coach should be telling him mid-game how to adjust. Psychologically Jimmy has also tried to build up Brandon to be the leader that he isn't. I won't fault Jimmy for trying to do that, but as it becomes more apparant that Brandon isn't that guy, the coach needs to find a way to take that pressure off & get the kid to relax & back on track. Why hasn't X been able to develop a baby hook or a consistant 8' J ?

5. James...yes, he is our big outside threat, but but the green light needs to turn to red @ 22 feet (amended per criticism below).

6. I won't even go to the 100% zone debate.....everybody here knows where I stand on that one.

All in all, I am very furstrated after last night's game. We controlled most of the way, and not only did we fail to put them away, but we let them run right past us to the W. Much of that due to lack of clutch play on both ends at crunch-time, and yes, perhaps a little help from the refs.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

5. James...yes, he is our big outside threat, but but the green light needs to turn to red @ 21 feet.

Gee NM that's only 3 inches past the three point line.

 

[OrangeTown]

Total wins at the end of the season: Over or under the number of periods in the thread title?

I'll stick to my guns in the prediction thread and say over!

 

[newmexicuse]

5. James...yes, he is our big outside threat, but but the green light needs to turn to red @ 21 feet.

Gee NM that's only 3 inches past the three point line.

LOL - you need to check your math & I confess to thinking about the old 3 point line. I will amend my original post to say 22', as I intended it to say a foot or so past the line.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

LOL - you need to check your math & I confess to thinking about the old 3 point line. I will amend my original post to say 22', as I intended it to say a foot or so past the line.

Hmm. I have to check my math?
So, beginning with the 2008-09 season, the measure is approved May 25 by the Playing Rules Oversight Committee, the line will move back a full foot to 20 feet, 9 inches.

My wife keeps on thinking that three inches is six,. But in her case I refrain from correcting her.

 

[Orangemen]

What's bugging me lately isn't just the losses, it's the lack of effort.

UConn and Marquette fought hard for their wins over us. Meanwhile, our guys were flopping around trying to draw charges, and hoping the refs would bail them out when they get stripped on offense.

If we fought as hard as our opponents did, we win both of those games.

It's one thing to lose, but it's completely different to watch a team who just wants it more, go out and take it from us.

And the worst part is, what do you think we'll see in the first round? We're probably going to be playing a 12, 13, or 14 seed who will fight with everything they have to try to get a first round upset. We know our team has a spotty record of showing up in first round games historically, and we know this team can be out hustled if the opponent shows they really want it more.

 

[kingtidge]

What's bugging me lately isn't just the losses, it's the lack of effort.

UConn and Marquette fought hard for their wins over us. Meanwhile, our guys were flopping around trying to draw charges, and hoping the refs would bail them out when they get stripped on offense.

If we fought as hard as our opponents did, we win both of those games.

It's one thing to lose, but it's completely different to watch a team who just wants it more, go out and take it from us.

Yes - the last 6 minutes 2-21 run Marquette went on to take this game is a serious wakeup call.

Soft doesn't even begin to describe it...

Effort and heel-on-throat focus to close games should be givens... we have enough other problems to deal with...

 

[newmexicuse]

Hmm. I have to check my math?
So, beginning with the 2008-09 season, the measure is approved May 25 by the Playing Rules Oversight Committee, the line will move back a full foot to 20 feet, 9 inches.

My wife keeps on thinking that three inches is six,. But in her case I refrain from correcting her.

You are a lucky man !!

You are right again...I need to check my own math or at least the sites I google for 3 point line distance. Too funny !!!

 

[SBU72]

What's bugging me lately isn't just the losses, it's the lack of effort.

UConn and Marquette fought hard for their wins over us. Meanwhile, our guys were flopping around trying to draw charges, and hoping the refs would bail them out when they get stripped on offense.

If we fought as hard as our opponents did, we win both of those games.

It's one thing to lose, but it's completely different to watch a team who just wants it more, go out and take it from us.

And the worst part is, what do you think we'll see in the first round? We're probably going to be playing a 12, 13, or 14 seed who will fight with everything they have to try to get a first round upset. We know our team has a spotty record of showing up in first round games historically, and we know this team can be out hustled if the opponent shows they really want it more.

Funny thing is that when you watch all the games for one team, you see the ones where they appear not to put out the effort. Then again there are the ones where they hustle like mad. Just think, the guy for Marquette who had a carreer high got less than 10 minutes in the previous game against Villanova because he didn't hustle! For the SU game, people are trying to make him AA! Look at James, the guys who refer to the Arkansas game think he is a dead eye shooter but they don't comment on his 3-16 in the following 4 games.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Funny thing is that when you watch all the games for one team, you see the ones where they appear not to put out the effort. Then again there are the ones where they hustle like mad. Just think, the guy for Marquette who had a carreer high got less than 10 minutes in the previous game against Villanova because he didn't hustle! For the SU game, people are trying to make him AA! Look at James, the guys who refer to the Arkansas game think he is a dead eye shooter but they don't comment on his 3-16 in the following 4 games.

I think the point is that we have not shown the ability to play "shut it down" defense since the Louisville & Cincy games.
That's something we did regularly the past 3 seasons when games were on the line.
We've been strong in first halves but not down the stretch.

 

[SBU72]

I think the point is that we have not shown the ability to play "shut it down" defense since the Louisville & Cincy games.
That's something we did regularly the past 3 seasons when games were on the line.
We've been strong in first halves but not down the stretch.

I tend to agree. The defense is streaky. At time James seems all over the court and others he's all over the court but in the wrong place. Jeami is a freshman, and that probably says it all. I agree with just about everyone, that he will be really good. The center position is ????? So they just don't seem to play 40 minutes of good high energy defense and despite what some detracters say, the zone requires as much energy/activity as man does and considering guys have to often hurry from one spot to another, maybe even more.