SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 33,602
- Like
- 64,683
- It seemed inevitable that this season would end with the team stopping short of any goal and losing to a team we should have beaten and it did. This is the most disappointing team we’ve ever had. We had a 7-2 shot blocker playing in our 2/3 zone. We have several players who could score from outside, a couple who could drive to the basket and score, big men who could shoot and Lydon developed some good post up moves. We had athletic, long-armed players. It should have been a powerhouse. It was anything but. Our dreams weren’t crushed today because we didn’t have any left.
- The big thing was this was the worst defensive team we’ve had, at least since the early 80’s. We couldn’t cover three point shooters. We couldn’t stop penetration into the paint and we couldn’t cover the baseline. That doesn’t leave much else. You can win without good defense but you can’t control a game without it and you can’t win consistently unless you can control games.
- We did play well on defense in a few games in the Dome but in this tournament we played our leaky road defense. I think that’s the product of the players not really caring about the NIT. That’s understandable but it’s still disappointing.
- When you aren’t playing good defense, it’s all about the shooting. Against UNC Greensboro, we shot the ball well, (at least Andrew White did). In this game we, (he) didn’t. Mississippi, a team that hits threes for a living, went 15 for 32. That one stat was really the difference in the game. We had the same number of field goals and two more free throws. We had two fewer rebounds but they had two more turnovers: everything was even except three point shooting. Take away the arc and we won by 2 points.
- I don’t know who the best team in the country is – or the worst. I do know who the worst team in the country is late in the first half and early in the second half. That would be us. And the best would be whoever we are playing. We led 38-30 with 1:02 left in the first half. They hit a trey. We missed two lay-ups. They hit another trey and it was 38-36 at halftime. They missed a trey to start the second half. We missed two of them but got the rebound each time, then turned it over. They hit a trey. We turned it over again and they hit another trey. We had a third straight turnover. They missed a trey, got the rebound, missed a lay-up, got the rebound and hit a trey. 38-45, 2:38 into the second half. Three minutes, 40 second of playing time. Syracuse: 0 for 4 with 3 turnovers. Mississippi: scored in 5 of 6 possession, all treys. 0-15. We never caught up.
- But we almost did. With 8:07 it was 60-61. Here are Mississippi’s offensive possessions the rest of the game: Trey, lay-up, 1 Free Throw, Jumper, Lay-up, Missed trey/O-reb,/Turnover, Trey, Trey, Dunk, Missed Lay-up, Trey, 1 Free Throw, 2 Free Throws, Turnover. They scored on 11 of 13 possessions, the last one being that play with 12 seconds left where Tyree stepped out of bounds after giving up a basket attempt so he could run out the clock. You can’t make a successful comeback without stopping the other team.
- From the Department of Dead Horses: They were playing a zone and I kept looking at the top of the key and nobody was home. We’ve got two big men who can shoot from there – or pass it in or back out. Yet we are jacking up 30 treys or making 25 foot drives from the basket. Teams have killed us for years with an intermediate passer/shooter and we, even with the right personnel, just refuse to use one.
- Did John Gillon even care about the NIT: 52 minutes played, 3 shots taken. From a guy who had a 43 point game this year. It wasn’t just the threes that were missing. So were the drives to the basket, except for a brief burst of activity late in the game that quickly subsided. Jim asked him after the game: “Did anybody tell you not to shoot?” Gillon: “No.”
- Frank Howard played well in some respects but the lasting image is of him backing away from Deandre Burnett on his three point attempt before the half. He spread his arms out to the side and backed into another MIssissippi player as if trying to boxout for a rebound. I realize he didn’t want to foul a guy on a three point attempt at the end of the half. But not wanting to foul isn’t the same as not wanting to defend.
- Car 21, Where are you?
- I agree with the theory that Tyler Lydon’s reluctance to shoot may be due to his responsibilities inside when playing center. When he misses, he’s not there to rebound. And the reluctance causes him to miss more than he normally would even when he does shoot it. I hope we can move him to forward next season. And I hope he’s here to play forward for us.
- From the Colgate football game six months ago to today, we’ve seen 23 combined football and basketball wins and 23 losses. That’s the first time since 2008 we haven’t had a winning combined season. It’s been fun at times but it sure has been frustrating.
- The big thing was this was the worst defensive team we’ve had, at least since the early 80’s. We couldn’t cover three point shooters. We couldn’t stop penetration into the paint and we couldn’t cover the baseline. That doesn’t leave much else. You can win without good defense but you can’t control a game without it and you can’t win consistently unless you can control games.
- We did play well on defense in a few games in the Dome but in this tournament we played our leaky road defense. I think that’s the product of the players not really caring about the NIT. That’s understandable but it’s still disappointing.
- When you aren’t playing good defense, it’s all about the shooting. Against UNC Greensboro, we shot the ball well, (at least Andrew White did). In this game we, (he) didn’t. Mississippi, a team that hits threes for a living, went 15 for 32. That one stat was really the difference in the game. We had the same number of field goals and two more free throws. We had two fewer rebounds but they had two more turnovers: everything was even except three point shooting. Take away the arc and we won by 2 points.
- I don’t know who the best team in the country is – or the worst. I do know who the worst team in the country is late in the first half and early in the second half. That would be us. And the best would be whoever we are playing. We led 38-30 with 1:02 left in the first half. They hit a trey. We missed two lay-ups. They hit another trey and it was 38-36 at halftime. They missed a trey to start the second half. We missed two of them but got the rebound each time, then turned it over. They hit a trey. We turned it over again and they hit another trey. We had a third straight turnover. They missed a trey, got the rebound, missed a lay-up, got the rebound and hit a trey. 38-45, 2:38 into the second half. Three minutes, 40 second of playing time. Syracuse: 0 for 4 with 3 turnovers. Mississippi: scored in 5 of 6 possession, all treys. 0-15. We never caught up.
- But we almost did. With 8:07 it was 60-61. Here are Mississippi’s offensive possessions the rest of the game: Trey, lay-up, 1 Free Throw, Jumper, Lay-up, Missed trey/O-reb,/Turnover, Trey, Trey, Dunk, Missed Lay-up, Trey, 1 Free Throw, 2 Free Throws, Turnover. They scored on 11 of 13 possessions, the last one being that play with 12 seconds left where Tyree stepped out of bounds after giving up a basket attempt so he could run out the clock. You can’t make a successful comeback without stopping the other team.
- From the Department of Dead Horses: They were playing a zone and I kept looking at the top of the key and nobody was home. We’ve got two big men who can shoot from there – or pass it in or back out. Yet we are jacking up 30 treys or making 25 foot drives from the basket. Teams have killed us for years with an intermediate passer/shooter and we, even with the right personnel, just refuse to use one.
- Did John Gillon even care about the NIT: 52 minutes played, 3 shots taken. From a guy who had a 43 point game this year. It wasn’t just the threes that were missing. So were the drives to the basket, except for a brief burst of activity late in the game that quickly subsided. Jim asked him after the game: “Did anybody tell you not to shoot?” Gillon: “No.”
- Frank Howard played well in some respects but the lasting image is of him backing away from Deandre Burnett on his three point attempt before the half. He spread his arms out to the side and backed into another MIssissippi player as if trying to boxout for a rebound. I realize he didn’t want to foul a guy on a three point attempt at the end of the half. But not wanting to foul isn’t the same as not wanting to defend.
- Car 21, Where are you?
- I agree with the theory that Tyler Lydon’s reluctance to shoot may be due to his responsibilities inside when playing center. When he misses, he’s not there to rebound. And the reluctance causes him to miss more than he normally would even when he does shoot it. I hope we can move him to forward next season. And I hope he’s here to play forward for us.
- From the Colgate football game six months ago to today, we’ve seen 23 combined football and basketball wins and 23 losses. That’s the first time since 2008 we haven’t had a winning combined season. It’s been fun at times but it sure has been frustrating.
