Lessons to learn from Texas Tech

[Alsacs]

1. Depth is important. I hope JB watched that Francis and Edwards were why Texas Tech made that a game last night.
You can’t just play your starters. You need a bench. Unless you have superstars as your starters we need to players on the bench who can turn a game around.

Texas Tech only played 8 guys but their bench is why that game was close because of their depth.

2. Graduate transfers work. Mooney and Owens show teams across the country that you can compete for a NC title with a team with multiple graduate transfers.

I really hope with all the players we have next year we don’t just play 7 guys.

 

[cuse10]

Graduate transfers work when they buy into the program and aren't trying to increase their pro potential at the expense of the other players.

 

[rrlbees]

1. Depth is important. I hope JB watched that Francis and Edwards were why Texas Tech made that a game last night.
You can’t just play your starters. You need a bench. Unless you have superstars as your starters we need to players on the bench who can turn a game around.

Texas Tech only played 8 guys but their bench is why that game was close because of their depth.

2. Graduate transfers work. Mooney and Owens show teams across the country that you can compete for a NC title with a team with multiple graduate transfers.

I really hope with all the players we have next year we don’t just play 7 guys.

We played the bench as much as TT did. You even said they only played 8. For the season Dolezaj and Buddy played almost the same as Francis and Edwards.

 

[Cusefan0307]

At the same time Bennett basically played 6 guys and Guy went 45, Hunter 44 and Jerome 42.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Main lesson, dont let Hunter bake a cake in the corner up 3

 

[Alsacs]

We played the bench as much as TT did. You even aid they only played 8. For the season Dolezaj and Buddy played almost the same as Francis and Edwards.

We haven’t had an impact bench player since 2014.
We need a second unit that can pick up the starters.

 

[RoysRunts]

1. Depth is important. I hope JB watched that Francis and Edwards were why Texas Tech made that a game last night.
You can’t just play your starters. You need a bench. Unless you have superstars as your starters we need to players on the bench who can turn a game around.

Texas Tech only played 8 guys but their bench is why that game was close because of their depth.

2. Graduate transfers work. Mooney and Owens show teams across the country that you can compete for a NC title with a team with multiple graduate transfers.

I really hope with all the players we have next year we don’t just play 7 guys.

Goggle Jim Boeheim ,This Guy has been Coaching since 1969 , I think he knows what's happening. I learned to pay attention to his 1st press conference many years ago if Fans and reporters listened to it their wouldn't be many ?'s to ask reporters
for the season

 

[Sherman20]

1. Depth is important. I hope JB watched that Francis and Edwards were why Texas Tech made that a game last night.
You can’t just play your starters. You need a bench. Unless you have superstars as your starters we need to players on the bench who can turn a game around.

Texas Tech only played 8 guys but their bench is why that game was close because of their depth.

2. Graduate transfers work. Mooney and Owens show teams across the country that you can compete for a NC title with a team with multiple graduate transfers.

I really hope with all the players we have next year we don’t just play 7 guys.

Re: #1, JB learned that lesson in 2003 when our bench of Edelin, Pace and McNeil saved us multiple times, including in the comeback vs Oklahoma State.

 

[RF2044]

We haven’t had an impact bench player since 2014.
We need a second unit that can pick up the starters.

And what happened in 2014? And tell me again why the sanctions didn't matter?

In the resurgence we had post-2010, we benefited from having top notch scorers we could bring off the bench. Kris Jo / Scoop in 2010 [each of whom was awarded "6th man of the year" that season by different publications], Dion / CJ / Southerland in 2012, Lydon in 2016, etc. In some cases, those guys coming off the bench were as good [or even better] than the guys they were subbing in to replace. Guys who could and usually did provide double figures off the bench on a routine basis.

The well dried up once we were down a few scholarships.

Hopefully, we're getting back to that -- example, adding someone like Girard, who can provide scoring / shooting even if he isn't ready to take the reins at lead guard.

 

[rrlbees]

We haven’t had an impact bench player since 2014.
We need a second unit that can pick up the starters.

those 2 guys were great last night, especially francis. but buddy and Dolezaj had just as good a season as both of them.

 

[newmexicuse]

Re: #1, JB learned that lesson in 2003 when our bench of Edelin, Pace and McNeil saved us multiple times, including in the comeback vs Oklahoma State.

it boggles my mind that jb did not learn from 2003, that sometimes switching to man might actually help.

 

[kuethstheman]

it boggles my mind that jb did not learn from 2003, that sometimes switching to man might actually help.

I'm guessing he'd say that if they hadn't wasted time practicing m2m instead of zone, they wouldn't have been in a position to need m2m.

That would be consistent with the reasons he gives for going that way.

 

[cuse10]

it boggles my mind that jb did not learn from 2003, that sometimes switching to man might actually help.

Another useless narrative that gets regurgitated time and time again. M2M isn't an end all, be all defense. The zone is not your standard zone where they're literally standing in place. There's a lot of man to man in it.

 

[General20]

1. Depth is important. I hope JB watched that Francis and Edwards were why Texas Tech made that a game last night.
You can’t just play your starters. You need a bench. Unless you have superstars as your starters we need to players on the bench who can turn a game around.

Texas Tech only played 8 guys but their bench is why that game was close because of their depth.

2. Graduate transfers work. Mooney and Owens show teams across the country that you can compete for a NC title with a team with multiple graduate transfers.

I really hope with all the players we have next year we don’t just play 7 guys.

In an overtime game with a guy playing injured who fouled out Texas Tech only played 7 guys, with an 8th playing only 3 minutes. Isn't that the same 7.5 man rotation people complain about Boeheim using?

The team that won only played 6 guys meaningful minutes.

 

[Alsacs]

And what happened in 2014? And tell me again why the sanctions didn't matter?

In the resurgence we had post-2010, we benefited from having top notch scorers we could bring off the bench. Kris Jo / Scoop in 2010, Dion / CJ / Southerland in 2012, Lydon in 2016, etc. The well dried up once we were down a few scholarships.

Hopefully, we're getting back to that -- example, adding someone like Girard, who can provide scoring / shooting even if he isn't ready to take the reins at lead guard.

Sanctions aren’t why with 11 scholarships we couldn’t have a bench.

The rest I agree with.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I thought Texas Tech’s O was a lot like ours. Lots of standing around and jacking up outside shots. UVA was better coached on O by far. So that should be the biggest lesson.

 

[kingtidge]

We haven’t had an impact bench player since 2014.
We need a second unit that can pick up the starters.

What was Dolezaj this year?

 

[RF2044]

Sanctions aren’t why with 11 scholarships we couldn’t have a bench.

The rest I agree with.

Just to clarify, my post was talking in general -- wasn't directed at you specifically.

But take last year [for example]. We didn't have 11, because Geno Thorpe screwed us. Then, Sidibe could barely play. And to cap it off, just when Howard Washington [who nobody envisioned playing AT ALL last year] started to get a steady dose of PT out of necessity, he tore his ACL.

All of the sudden, we're down to 6 or 7 guys, 1 of whom was hurt, and literally no backcourt depth beyond the starters..

The difference between having 13 and 11 is that there's a lot more latitude for the unexpected / injuries. Next year is a big step in the right direction.

 

[newmexicuse]

Another useless narrative that gets regurgitated time and time again. M2M isn't an end all, be all defense. The zone is not your standard zone where they're literally standing in place. There's a lot of man to man in it.

the point is not whether or not zone is better than man. the point is that sometimes u have to switch to change the flow of the game. if our non standard zone is so great, how do you explain all the open threes we seem to always be giving up to ant team that has decent ball movement?

we won our only title ba sed upon switching ds when necessary. how has that lesson become totally lost?

 

[NineOneSeven]

What was Dolezaj this year?

A guy who averaged 4 points.

 

[kingtidge]

A guy who averaged 4 points.

yikes - I thought he'd be closer to double that...

he is 4th on the team with assists with 54.

 

[Alsacs]

What was Dolezaj this year?

You think Marek Dolezaj was an impact player off the bench?
RF outlined those type players perfectly.

Marek was a good role player but he wasn’t offense off the bench.

 

[kingtidge]

You think Marek Dolezaj was an impact player off the bench?
RF outlined those type players perfectly.

Marek was a good role player but he wasn’t offense off the bench.

I think he was a significant contributor in a number of our wins, yes. I consider that having an impact.

He's the best passer on the team and there were a number of times where he opened the game up with his floor IQ, spacing and passing... a number of times particularly when our offense had fallen into its predictable hot potato, around the horn ruts...

 

[kuethstheman]

the point is not whether or not zone is better than man. the point is that sometimes u have to switch to change the flow of the game. if our non standard zone is so great, how do you explain all the open threes we seem to always be giving up to ant team that has decent ball movement?

we won our only title ba sed upon switching ds when necessary. how has that lesson become totally lost?

I agree that switching is a good thing. I don't buy into us giving up more open threes because we play zone. Lots of open shots were available to both teams last night and they both play excellent m2m.

 

[rrlbees]

A guy who averaged 4 points.

Their 2 guys averaged 5 and 6. And Dolezaj averaged more rebs and assists and shot much better. Again, they were both great last night but no different than Dolezaj and Buddy across the season.