Post by irishlion on Nov 25, 2009 17:01:58 GMT -5
Good analysis, uncurse ...
I was disappointed we didn't get the win - as I will always be. BUT - we competed against a very good, seasoned team - and we are babies comparatively. I don't mean that as an insult - we are just sooooo young, and yet we hung in there. Very proud of these guys. I'm hoping they look at how close they were to pulling it off, and work even harder to mature into their games.
I thought Viney and Teel both should have gotten to the free throw line more than they did. In my eyes - they were fouled pretty obviously, and got no call. Viney, especially, is money at the line - and 4-6 more points might have changed a couple of other possessions as well. You get a handful of extra points, and suddenly other things start going your way, too.
I think Edgar has been pretty much the same player in every game - the only difference is the opponent. Tulsa's bigs exposed his passivity, he just doesn't seem to want physical contact. Not unusual for a freshman post - but with his ability to move, and nice hands - a little physical contact would benefit him greatly. He steps back on defense, allowing the opponent waaaayyy to much room to score. We are making the other posts look better than they really are. (Yeah, Jordan is projected an NBA lottery. But still.)
I love Kevin's energy and competitiveness. I'd like to see it combined with some better decision making, and remembering to rotate on defense. Don't know how you harness the energy - but it would be fun to see.
I thought Vernon was SOLID last night. Maybe too many drives challenging the shot blocker, but some of those should have resulted in free throws, and getting the bigs in foul trouble.
Tim - he's got some rust. His body isn't as strong as he needs it yet, he's not comfortable with the ball, or knowing where his teammates are yet. But damn - that kids got some heart, and hustle. It may be a month or more before he settles in - but he'll do some great things in conference
JD - his game is starting to settle in, but he, more than anyone, needs to recognize that he has another weapon at his disposal - get the ball to Viney. Shooting 2-10 is not acceptable. He can easily get a double-double, if he'd make better decisions on when to shoot, and when to pass. He doesn't need to be a one man show anymore - play some team ball, respect your other scorers, etc. Quit forcing it. The game is actually so much easier if you let it come to you.
Our bench - hmmmmm - there is a drop off that is unsettling, but expected, I guess. They are young, and work hard - but damn, when Viney comes out - and the bench goes in, life is just not fun. They need to be able to hold the line. Not necessarily score - but don't give up huge runs, either. That run in the first half, when Viney was out, was insurmountable. Seriously guys - the bench needs to focus on two things. Defense and Rebounding. Instead, they are all so excited to get the ball - that we let the other team score, just to hurry things along. At least that's how it feels from my seat. Don't worry about offense. Protect our basket. Period. Be a warrior. Do that - and your bench minutes will turn into some starting minutes.
OK - besides all that - I was sooooo proud of the team last night. GO LIONS!
I was disappointed we didn't get the win - as I will always be. BUT - we competed against a very good, seasoned team - and we are babies comparatively. I don't mean that as an insult - we are just sooooo young, and yet we hung in there. Very proud of these guys. I'm hoping they look at how close they were to pulling it off, and work even harder to mature into their games.
I thought Viney and Teel both should have gotten to the free throw line more than they did. In my eyes - they were fouled pretty obviously, and got no call. Viney, especially, is money at the line - and 4-6 more points might have changed a couple of other possessions as well. You get a handful of extra points, and suddenly other things start going your way, too.
I think Edgar has been pretty much the same player in every game - the only difference is the opponent. Tulsa's bigs exposed his passivity, he just doesn't seem to want physical contact. Not unusual for a freshman post - but with his ability to move, and nice hands - a little physical contact would benefit him greatly. He steps back on defense, allowing the opponent waaaayyy to much room to score. We are making the other posts look better than they really are. (Yeah, Jordan is projected an NBA lottery. But still.)
I love Kevin's energy and competitiveness. I'd like to see it combined with some better decision making, and remembering to rotate on defense. Don't know how you harness the energy - but it would be fun to see.
I thought Vernon was SOLID last night. Maybe too many drives challenging the shot blocker, but some of those should have resulted in free throws, and getting the bigs in foul trouble.
Tim - he's got some rust. His body isn't as strong as he needs it yet, he's not comfortable with the ball, or knowing where his teammates are yet. But damn - that kids got some heart, and hustle. It may be a month or more before he settles in - but he'll do some great things in conference
JD - his game is starting to settle in, but he, more than anyone, needs to recognize that he has another weapon at his disposal - get the ball to Viney. Shooting 2-10 is not acceptable. He can easily get a double-double, if he'd make better decisions on when to shoot, and when to pass. He doesn't need to be a one man show anymore - play some team ball, respect your other scorers, etc. Quit forcing it. The game is actually so much easier if you let it come to you.
Our bench - hmmmmm - there is a drop off that is unsettling, but expected, I guess. They are young, and work hard - but damn, when Viney comes out - and the bench goes in, life is just not fun. They need to be able to hold the line. Not necessarily score - but don't give up huge runs, either. That run in the first half, when Viney was out, was insurmountable. Seriously guys - the bench needs to focus on two things. Defense and Rebounding. Instead, they are all so excited to get the ball - that we let the other team score, just to hurry things along. At least that's how it feels from my seat. Don't worry about offense. Protect our basket. Period. Be a warrior. Do that - and your bench minutes will turn into some starting minutes.
OK - besides all that - I was sooooo proud of the team last night. GO LIONS!